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Six big questions...

Discussion in 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' started by Get In Gear, Oct 15, 2019.

  1. Get In Gear

    Get In Gear Force Sensitive

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    While we wait for the new trailer to drop, I thought I'd try to tie together some of the speculation related to some of the questions that have been bugging me about what we know (or don't know) so far - ranging from stuff no-one seems to be discussing enough (IMO), to things that keep coming up, but still don't seem to have been addressed satisfactorily by any of the rumours.

    Just for fun, to while away the hours before trailer #2 changes our opinion on everything we thought we knew so far... ;)

    (NB: I've added the spoiler tag because reports, speculation and "leaks" from various sources are referenced throughout - I'm not claiming any of my own speculation is in any way spoileriffic...)




    1. What's in Rey's bag?

    vlcsnap-2019-10-13-19h15m06s923.png
    I'm intrigued by this shot of Rey and co approaching the wreckage of the Death Star. She is holding a bag in her right hand. It seems too big and cumbersome to be a simple costume choice, and "Chekhov's Gun" suggests Rey is intentionally taking something with her to that destination for a reason, otherwise she would not be holding a bag so conspicuously, IMHO...

    Some rumours have suggested a device of some kind is one the McGuffins in the movie:

    In Febuary of this year, Making Star Wars speculated that Episode IX would feature a "threat from 'Beyond'" in this article.
    FWIW, this same report contained more information relating to the new red Sith troopers, correctly identifying them as loyal to Kylo Ren's command specifically, a detail confirmed by the text in a recent sticker album leak. Whether that adds more weight to the other speculation in the same report, however, is up for debate, I guess.

    Just as the movie's title was revealed, along with the release of the teaser trailer, "Mizzlewump" posted a breakdown of the Episode IX plot. His version had the McGuffin being a bid to broadcast the story of Luke Skywalker to the galaxy, making use of "an old Republic Holonet system, an antenna from the second Death Star, and C-3PO."
    Mizzlewump, of course, provided a similar breakdown of Episode VII early on, which is still a source of debate as to whether he had genuine insider info or just got lucky by guessing a couple of the story and cast elements correctly, with regards to earlier versions of the movie's development. Whether this new Episode IX post is even the same guy is also contested...

    Around the same time, JediPaxis made the first reference to the concept of "The Oracle", an entity Kylo Ren either seeks out or is summoned by. Making Star Wars backed up this claim, suggesting that the Oracle gives Kylo Ren a wayfinder device which holds the key to locating a hidden fleet of Imperial vessels and Sith troopers... and ultimately Palpatine himself. It is worth noting the mysterious "Beyond" is now simply referred to as the Unknown Regions by both JP and MSW - a canonical region of the galaxy far, far away which featured in Episode VII tie-in novel Aftermath, among others - where the remnants of the Empire sought sanctuary and the First Order's Starkiller Base first originated.

    In August, a second Mcguffin, a Sith dagger, was thrown into the mix: "A contact of the rebellion is killed and a dagger is found next to the body. The contact knows of the location of the Emperor’s planet in the unknown regions. The dagger has a mysterious inscription on it written in Sith. The problem is no-one can translate it, not even See-Threepio who is fluent in over six billion forms of communication."

    Since then, Paxis and MSW have largely been singing from the same hymn sheet. Act I of JP's plot summary from September 18 now specifically refers to the wayfinder obtained from the Oracle by Kylo Ren as Vader's personal wayfinder. Act II of his summary now introduces a second wayfinder belonging to the Emperor, which, to locate, our heroes must translate the Sith text on the dagger.

    MillenniumFalcon.com leaked another plot rundown (which largely went under the radar) at the end of August. Their version shares familiar elements with earlier speculation by MSW and others, but with several notable variations. Here the Sith dagger and translation of the text by C-3PO is the central McGuffin - there are no "wayfinders", but the ancient Jedi texts also play a role, and reveal a lot of essential points to Rey (and the audience). In this version, the dagger is key to unlocking a device on the second Death Star which "opens a portal to what is [a similar concept to] The World Between Worlds from Star Wars Rebels, where The Son [the big bad, played by Matt Smith] is trapped, waiting to be released."

    So what's the deal? Are all these leakers just riffing off the same rumours?
    The dagger seems a pretty consistent feature of all of these different takes - but to me it seems like a rather unusual concept for the galaxy far, far away. The wayfinder seems more plausible in some ways, but isn't that a little too similar to the missing map in The Force Awakens?

    Do you think any of these rumours could possibly relate to what's in Rey's bag?
    Why would she need to take the dagger with her once it has served it's purpose?
    For the same reason, why would she be taking the wayfinder back to the Death Star?
    Or is it simply breathing apparatus needed for her possible dive into the depths of the ruined Death Star?
    23wbkcqto69z.jpg deathstar-1555097288419.jpg
    Could Rey be carrying the Jedi texts around with her for reference?
    And why would something so important (whether it is anything related to the rumours or something else entirely) have been on the Death Star - yet not mentioned in the OT - in the first place?
    Maybe Mizzlewump's more "far out" version of events is actually closer to the truth?

    2. What is the significance of this ship?

    Mystery ship small.jpg
    One of the leaked merchandise images featured this vessel.
    It appears to be fairly consistent with the craft approaching (what is presumed to be) Kijimi in the trailer and also the shot of Oscar Isaac and Joh Boyega from Empire magazine (the cockpit seems distinctive enough to suggest it is the same craft, at least).
    flahsback_shuttle_ros.JPG 302edb8847da68ba5734d746a48a234d.jpg
    Some have observed that the ship also resembles the "family ship" seen in Rey's flashback in The Force Awakens.
    reys-parents-ship-tfa-closeup.png

    The JediPaxis plot summary (see above) accounts for this by linking the death of Rey's parents with a Sith loyalist called Ochi (sometimes Ochie or Ochee) who is also connected to the dagger and is the owner of the ship - again all seemingly supported by MSW's own reports. Our heroes using this craft in the movie is also tied in with a plot point involving the Millennium Falcon falling into the hands of the First Order.

    Do the images and information support the leaks, or is it the other way around, and the leakers are simply making educated guesses based on the available images and information to fill the gaps?
    Why are our heroes not using the Falcon - it seems from the trailer they arrive on Pasaana in the Falcon?
    vlcsnap-2019-10-10-14h10m31s414.png
    There it is, on the right...

    Do you think the mystery ship is really the same vessel we saw in Rey's flashback/vision in The Force Awakens, or is the similarity purely coincidental?

    3. Where are the remains of the Death Star?

    See my post here to explain the potential confusion.
    Paxis says Endor. Official text relating to Jannah implies Kef Bir. Vanity Fair gave the impression Jannah rides the orbaks on Pasaana, which we know to be a desert planet.
    So which is it?

    4. Who is training Rey?

    Fairly straightforward - is Rey being instructed by someone in the shot from the D23 footage? If so - who? Leia? Ghost Luke? Ghost Yoda? Kylo Ren? Palpatine? Someone else?
    Or is she studying alone, perhaps referring to the ancient Jedi texts?

    5. Why is Threepio carrying all that stuff?

    In February, MSW made reference to what became known as "Rambo" C-3PO in this report.
    The description was confirmed the following month by the first of several merchandising poster and artwork leaks.
    C-3PO can clearly be seen holding Chewbacca's bowcaster and bandolier, and Rey's staff in this and other leaked images.
    Threepio with gear small.jpg

    A couple of weeks ago, Empire magazine revealed new character Babu Frik would be packaged along with the C-3PO figure in the TROS line. The figure is also sporting Chewie's bandolier and the bowcaster can also be seen just in shot.

    To my knowledge, no-one has offered a definitive reason behind Threepio carrying all of these items.
    A recurring rumour is that Chewbacca dies, is believed to be dead, or is captured by the First Order at some point in the movie. If this is why Threepio is left holding Chewie's belongings, why is he also holding Rey's staff?
    Another enduring rumour is that 3PO must be reprogrammed or have his memory wiped in order to translate some Sith text.
    Could he be simply losing his marbles at some point?

    Or is there a point in the story our heroes have to set their weapons aside? Maybe they are forbidden by a certain culture, or perhaps Rey and co have to earn someone's trust and show their peaceful intentions before they can progress in their quest...?
    Does this happen on Pasaana or somewhere else in the movie?
    Rey has her staff in some of the photos from the Jordan shoot, but doesn't in others. During the speeder chase, it appears Rey has her saber and pistol and Chewie has his bowcaster, but it is interesting that they are split into two groups for the chase - Rey, Chewie and BB-8 in one speeder; Finn, Poe and Threepio in the other... Yet Threepio ends up with Chewie and Rey's weapons somehow...
    Speeders small.jpg

    6. Where is R2-D2?

    Related to the above - where is Artoo? Absent from pretty much all of the promotional material we have seen so far, and absent from any of the shots on Pasaana (including the chase) and any of the other locations we have seen.
    To my knowledge, the only place we have seen him (other than in stock poses) is in the droid slot of Poe's new X-Wing in this model.
    poexwing.jpg
    Curiously, the Vintage Collection of the new X-Wing seems to imply BB-8 might be the one joining Poe.
    EEukXwHX4AA8h9f.jpg
    The rumours seem to suggest Artoo's only role of note is to restore a backup of Threepio's memory towards the end of the movie.
    Is he involved in the final battle alongside Poe, or is that seat reserved for BB-8? Or do both get to fly at different times in the movie?
    Does Artoo really spend the whole movie back at base waiting for our heroes to return?


    Hopefully the new trailer may shed new light on some of these mysteries...
     
    #1 Get In Gear, Oct 15, 2019
    Last edited: Oct 15, 2019
    • Great Post Great Post x 1
  2. DjChubakka

    DjChubakka Rebel Official

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    5. Why is Threepio carrying all that stuff?

    Rey and Chewie have to swim into deep water. He's literally just holding their stuff while they're in the water. it has almost no significance. That's my bet.
     
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  3. Crusifix

    Crusifix Rebel Official

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    The image to the right behind Rey, Finn and Poe is the back side view of the Falcon.
     
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