One Star Wars' worst movies, and while Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi each had their own host of complaints and backlash, The Rise of Skywalker is easily the most criticized.
ittedly, there were issues with the sequel trilogy movies, and many of them did occur in The Rise of Skywalker in particular. One of the most surprising letdowns was the reveal that, rather than Kylo Ren or another original villain being the 'big bad' of the movie, The Rise of Skywalker brought back Palpatine with little to no explanation. However, while some grievances about the Star Wars sequel trilogy may ring true, one popular complaint in particular misses what massive payback this plot point offered Anakin Skywalker.
10 Biggest Star Wars Plot Holes In The Sequel Trilogy
The Star Wars sequel trilogy has received considerable criticism for its plot holes, and these 10 are the sequels' most significant plot holes of all.
Rey Wiped Out Palpatine's Legacy
The Rise of Skywalker shockingly (and controversially) revealed not only that Palpatine had returned but also that Rey was a descendant of the former Emperor himself. However, this was far from the biggest Rise of Skywalker controversy about Rey. Rather, audiences were much more bothered by Rey's decision to adopt the last name Skywalker than they were by the revelation that she had Palpatine blood.
In part, audiences felt this was unearned in the movie, which was a somewhat reasonable concern. Clearly, Rey had grown considerably close to Leia Organa, but that happened mostly off-screen in between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. The case could be made that, because Luke was her mentor, she felt she had become part of the Skywalker family tree, but even that wasn't quite fleshed out enough on-screen.
By choosing the last name Skywalker, Rey was wiping out Palpatine's legacy.
Nevertheless, complaints about this Star Wars move tend to miss one major aspect of Rey's decision. By choosing the last name Skywalker, Rey was wiping out Palpatine's legacy. Presumably, Rey had been the very last of the Palpatine bloodline. Rey's father, Dathan, was a rogue Palpatine clone who went off and settled down to have a family, which doesn't seem likely to have been repeated by any other clones. Assuming Palpatine had no biological children, which seems a safe assumption, Rey was the last of the line.
Thus, with Rey rejecting the Palpatine name and identity, Palpatine's line ended in The Rise of Skywalker. There would be no one to carry on his name, and his legacy, therefore, died with him. In fact, this almost makes Palpatine's urgency to have Rey take the Sith throne make sense, as she would have at least carried on his name and continued the Palpatine rule.
Palpatine's Legacy Was Directly Replaced By Anakin's
Rey took her rejection of the Palpatine name one step further, though, by replacing Palpatine's surname with Anakin Skywalker's own. In this sense, wonderfully, Rey not only wiped out Palpatine's legacy but also directly replaced it with Anakin's. In fact, this was even more notable because Anakin's bloodline had ended with Ben Solo in The Rise of Skywalker's ending. Had Rey not adopted the last name Skywalker, then, like Palpatine's ultimately did, Anakin's lineage would have ceased to be.
Yes, this choice also meant that Luke Skywalker's name and legacy carried on, too, and that was no doubt what Rey had in mind. After all, it's unclear how much Rey really knew about Anakin, although she seemed quite familiar with his history as Darth Vader. Yet, this lineage is inextricably tied to Anakin and all that his history holds, and, because of Rey, that line will carry on. What that will look like or mean for Rey remains to be seen, but that is something that her Star Wars movie seems primed to explore.
Star Wars: New Jedi Order - Cast, Story, Timeline & Everything We Know
Rey's Star Wars return is happening in Star Wars: New Jedi Order. Here's what is known about the story, cast, and release of Daisy Ridley's film.
This Choice Is The Best Way To Honor Anakin
What makes this moment particularly meaningful is that Palpatine had stolen so much from Anakin and the Skywalker family specifically. Yes, Anakin was already on a troubling path because he married Pé, directly defying the Jedi Order's rules. However, it was Palpatine who fully manipulated Anakin to the dark side, which ultimately led to Pé's death, the twins' separation, and the entire Skywalker family being separated for nearly two decades.
By deciding to be a Skywalker and not a Palpatine, Rey gave the Skywalkers the last say in this decades-long battle between this family and Palpatine.
By deciding to be a Skywalker and not a Palpatine, Rey gave the Skywalkers the last say in the decades-long battle between this family and Palpatine. She kept the Skywalkers alive, even in light of all Palpatine had done to destroy them. This Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker decision may have been controversial, but in truth, this change carried so much significance, and it was the perfect way to honor Anakin Skywalker.
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker
- Release Date
- December 18, 2019
- Runtime
- 142 minutes
- Director
- J.J. Abrams
Cast
Rey
Kylo Ren / Ben Solo
WHERE TO WATCH
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker concludes the Skywalker saga with Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron leading the Resistance against the First Order. As the final battle unfolds, they draw upon the wisdom and strength of previous generations to confront their adversaries. Released in 2019, the film concludes the sequel trilogy.
Your comment has not been saved