Here are the major story reveals that can be garnered from the new Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker toys. Unsurprisingly, Disney has run another of their patented secretive marketing campaigns, keeping the juiciest details locked away until Star Wars 9 premieres in December. That's not to say there haven't been any shocks in advertising; Emperor Palpatine's return in the initial teaser trailer caught many fans off-guard, and Rey wielding a red double-bladed lightsaber spawned a plethora of wild theories. Still, viewers remain in the dark when it comes to general plot details.
And there's no need for Disney to spell out a story outline; The Rise of Skywalker entered the year as one of the most-anticipated films and Triple Force Friday would provide some revelations. There wasn't much, but the merchandise did reveal a few things.
New Star Wars 9 Characters: Boolio & Babu Frik
This pair of aliens was he's a droidsmith tasked with reprogramming C-3PO for unknown reasons - in what could be the protocol droid's emotional goodbye.
C-3PO Has a Bowcaster
Few would have predicted C-3PO would be the subject of fervent speculation, but between Threepio holding Chewbacca's bowcaster, as revealed in the character's Black Series action figure. Why he has a weapon is a mystery for now, but hopefully the scene plays out more effectively than Threepio's stint as a battle droid in Attack of the Clones.
BB-8's Missing
BB-8 was a merchandising juggernaut in the build-up to The Force Awakens and remains one of the sequel trilogy's more iconic characters. The problem with him is there's little to do in of product variety; he pretty much looks the same throughout the film. For The Rise of Skywalker, however, Lucasfilm's licensing partners are in luck, as the BB-8 Funko pop shows the droid is missing one of his orange s. Maybe he was damaged in battle and the Resistance can't afford to repair him right now - or, it could be part of their special mission.
Sith Jet Troopers
Any Star Wars movie that includes the Empire or The First Order needs to introduce a new stormtrooper variant. In The Rise of Skywalker, Palpatine's secret fleet hiding in the Unknown Regions, but officially, Lucasfilm's been mum about their role. That said, they've been present in the first wave of toys, including a Sith Trooper sporting a jetpack. So at some point, a few of these soldiers take flight. Hopefully, their screen time makes an impact and they don't continue the underwhelming tradition of Boba Fett and Captain Phasma.
The Resistance A-Wing and Y-Wing
In The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, the Resistance's star fighters were almost exclusively X-wings, but they'll be flying some more classics in The Rise of Skywalker. There are LEGO kits for the A-wing and Y-wing fighters, suggesting both will be seen in a space battle. Interestingly enough, Zorii Bliss is a mini-figure included with the Y-wing set, so perhaps she's in the cockpit for one at some point. After all, Zorii is an old friend of Poe's, so perhaps she gets talked into ing the cause.
