Many months on from it's release, and Return of the Jedi.
In the time since, a curious script named Duel of the Fates has leaked onto the internet. This, it's claimed, was what Episode IX was originally going to be. So here's 10 things this version of the story did better than what fans of the franchise actually got.
It Gave Kylo Ren A True Mentor
Just why did Kylo Ren Supreme Leader Snoke? The sequel trilogy has come and gone but that's still a question yet unanswered. We know in both The Last Jedi that Snoke is Kylo Ren's master but not much about their relationship is known to this day. Ben Solo doesn't even seem to learn anything with Snoke, which makes the whole thing even more nonsensical.
But, in Duel of the Fates, Kylo is given a better mentor in Tor Valum - who supposedly trained Darth Plagueis himself prior to his death at the hands of Emperor Palpatine. Valum teaches Ren some cool dark side tricks, including the ability to drain life from somebody else. That would have been awesome to see, although some younger viewers might have needed to cover their eyes...
Kept Kylo Ren The Bad Guy
In the version of Episode IX we did get, Kylo Ren was very much a secondary antagonist. Sure, he started off as the blockbuster as leader of the First Order, having murdered Snoke in the previous film. However, he soon found himself in the shadow of Emperor Palpatine - magically resurrected from the dead.
In Duel of the Fates, however, things are different. While Kylo gets some dark side advice from Tor Valum, he ends up ruthlessly killing him. The ending of TLJ suggested Ben Solo would be the main villain but, in the end, Disney opted to go with Palpatine instead.
General Hux Was No Joke
General Hux had such potential. He was fierce in The Force Awakens, drawing comparisons with Star Wars icon Grand Moff Tarkin for the way he commanded the First Order with an iron fist. His character regressed in The Last Jedi, however, and he ended up dying in The Rise of Skywalker after committing treason - with General Allegiant Pryde doing the deed.
Yet in the alternative Episode IX, Hux is a badass. He's obsessed with becoming a Jedi and carries the lightsabers of victims he previously killed. Even his death is better, with Hux committing suicide by suppuku. Bad to to the bone until the very end, rather than switching sides halfway through.
More Rose Tico
Simply put, Rose Tico gets shafted in The Rise of Skywalker. She was a prominent character in The Last Jedi but, with just 76 seconds of screen time in the final movie of the saga, Disney was brutal. There's no denying the character had been divisive, but that doesn't mean she deserved to take a back seat in the whole affair.
Fortunately, in Duel of the Fates, Rose gets a bigger slice of the cake. She'd have spent more time with Finn, rather than having a brief exchange with the former Stormtrooper, and even has the first line in the movie. We're still hoping Rose gets justice some point down the line...
It Stuck With The Story
Let's face it, it's highly unlikely that Disney originally planned to change Rey's parentage. After all, Kylo Ren's revelation that she's a "nobody" in The Last Jedi was arguably the biggest twist of the blockbuster, potentially only second to Supreme Leader Snoke's surprising death. And, with Rey taking that information on the chin and accepting it, there seemed little way to perform a u-turn.
In the end Disney chose to make her a Palpatine (really?!) but, in the alternative script for the final installment of the Skywalker saga, she'd have remained just that: a nobody. She only finds out her family name right at the very end, with Kylo Ren informing her. It's also established that Ren murdered her parents on Snoke's orders, for reasons we're still not quite sure about.
Rey Isn't Super Powerful
While we're on the subject of Rey, it's time to get honest: was she ever vulnerable or considered weak at any point in the sequel trilogy? A typical hero or heroine has to have an arc. They start off unsure of themselves and suffer setbacks before reigning supreme. But Rey was ultra powerful from the get go, easily beating Kylo Ren during their duel on Starkiller Base, and therefore never seemed relateable.
In Duel of the Fates, however, things are different. She's blinded by Kylo during their epic duel and very nearly dies when he attempts to drain life from her. The Rise of Skywalker did kill Rey but only temporarily and, when Kylo climbed out of the pit to save her life, there was only ever going to be one outcome.
More Force Ghosts
Somebody should really have told Disney that, as the final movie in the Skywalker saga, they had every right to get the gang back together. While we saw Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa in force ghost form, and heard the voices of the Jedi that had come before, it simply wasn't enough. Especially when compared to Avengers: Endgame, which got everybody back for a final swansong.
Duel of the Fates nails this. Not only do we get to see more of Luke (more on that later), but we also get Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda as well. It would have made us tingle seeing Ewan McGregor reprising his role and seeing Frank Oz come back as Yoda. Alas, it wasn't to be.
More Luke Skywalker
When you think of Star Wars, you can't help but think of Luke Skywalker. While Anakin Skywalker was the protagonist of the prequel trilogy, and Rey the face of the sequels, it's Luke who first warmed our hearts with his courageous attitude and willingness to stand up in the face of huge adversity.
He made just a brief cameo in The Rise of Skywalker, giving Rey some much-needed advice following the death of Leia Organa. Yet in the alternative Episode IX, he's definitely more involved. He spends the bulk of the blockbuster training Rey from beyond the grave, enhancing her as a character in the process, and also pops up to haunt Kylo Ren - making that "You'll be seeing me soon" line from The Last Jedi actually mean something.
It Embraced The Prequels
Whether you liked the prequels or not, they're part of Star Wars canon. For a whole generation they're the movies they grew up watching. But the sequel trilogy snubbed them for the most part, making very little references to them over the course of the three blockbusters.
Duel of the Fates differs and fully embraces the prequels. A large section of the movie is set on the planet of Coruscant and some of it in the Jedi Temple last seen smouldering in Revenge of the Sith. To go back to such iconic locations would have been extremely exciting - and would have brought all three trilogies together. Unfortunately, we had to settle for a clone of both Endor and Tatooine instead.
It Kept Palpatine Dead
Don't get us wrong, it was brilliant seeing Emperor Palpatine back for The Rise of Skywalker. He's one of the best characters in the movie, oozing villainy and menace as he looks to wipe out Rey and take back control of the galaxy he lost over 30 years previously.
But the lack of planning and foreshadowing - and more crucially, explanation - meant fans left the movie theatre with more answers. How did he come back? How was he behind Snoke? How was he able to have a "granddaughter" despite not being the sort to enjoy...romantic...relationships? All valid questions. While the official novelization of the movie clarified some of this, the movie should have instead. Disney should have just kept Palpatine back to protect the legacy and dignity of the character.
