It would have been virtually impossible for The Rise of Skywalker, to provide true closure to every single unanswered question across a nine film saga. But what's most disappointing of all is that the film even failed to resolve its own trilogy's many unanswered questions.
Due in large part to writer-director J.J. Abrams' love of inane plot devices known as "mystery boxes," the sequel trilogy is riddled with plot holes, unresolved stories, questionable character arcs, dropped relationships, and so much more. Here, we've recapped ten of the most glaring and offensive omissions.
Finn's Origins
For three movies, Finn has been one of the lead characters of the sequel trilogy. But even after an entire trilogy, we still barely know anything about Finn, even though we were promised to have all our questions answered in The Rise of Skywalker.
Not for one moment does the film offer any answers regarding Finn's backstory or origins, feelings or goals. He has no narrative in this film, simply acting as a stock action hero, whose feelings are never expressed and characterization paper thin at best.
The Knights Of Ren
One of the earliest characterizations of Kylo Ren in The Last Jedi left them unexplored, it made all the sense in the world for The Rise of Skywalker to reveal the truth.
But nope. Not even in the slightest. These characters were never given lines, or names, and only ever acted menacing in sync. But hey, if you're up to reading them, expanded universe comics will surely provide the answers the films were too lazy to.
Broom Boy
In The Last Jedi, the film's final shot opened up the entire universe of Star Wars to some new, groundbreaking, deeply inspiring potential stories. A group of young children on Canto Bight listen in awe to the story of that mythic figure Luke Skywalker, and one young boy shows signs of having Force abilities.
This moment makes for the potential for the Force to be universal, not privileged to a select few. But in The Rise of Skywalker, that notion is forgotten, instead replaced with the tired insistence on bloodline favoritism.
Finn & Rose
Another casualty of The Last Jedi in J.J. Abrams' often mean-spirited film was the warm relationship between Finn and Rose Tico. In The Rise of Skywalker, Rose is relegated to the role of a background character, often even out of focus in the shot and barely contributing more than a few words at a time.
These two barely even interact in the film as well, but every time they do, it's as if their adventure and their kiss and Rose's sacrifice never even happened. Finn barely pays attention to Rose, who clearly seems to still have emotional investment in him. All around, it's just cruel.
Force Sensitive Stormtroopers
Another puzzling storyline introduced in the film, but never fully explored was the idea that for some reason, an entire squadron of Stormtroopers - Finn included - had Force sensitivity. Furthermore, in the way this idea was so casually and offhandedly discussed, the film makes it seem as though Stormtroopers only ever defect because the Force tells them to.
It removes any sense of agency or morality from their choices, and even Finn's, who once seemed so noble a hero for choosing to leave the life he was forced into. Now, it's just all a murky mess - much like the rest of this film.
Force Ghosts
The notion of Force ghosts is something that the Star Wars saga has retroactively struggled with for its entire run. In the original trilogy, when Force s die, they simply become one with the Force and receive a Force ghost. In the prequel trilogy, it seems as though it requires great study and training to be able to become one with the Force, as Qui-Gon does.
In the sequel trilogy, all bets are literally off. Yoda is back as a Force ghost, and sets a tree on fire. Luke is a Force ghost, and levitates an X-Wing. Leia is a Force ghost, despite barely training at all. But Ben Solo, who redeemed himself, became one with the Force, and disappears, isn't given one. Why?
Maz Having Luke's Saber
As yet another of J.J. Abrams' many infuriating mystery boxes, we never learn exactly how Maz came to possess the Skywalker legacy sabers. It's a storyline teased in The Force Awakens - a story that Maz even insists she will tell another time, later on. But she never does.
Knowing the way things are looking for the sequel trilogy going forward, we're sure the answer will be provided somewhere, whether in a Maz-centric comic series or an offhanded remark in the novelization of the film.
Luke & Leia Accepting A Palpatine, But Rejecting Their Own Family
One of the cruelest reveals in the entire film is Luke's offhanded remark that both he and Leia had always known that Rey was a Palpatine. It not only makes them both look poorly, as it bases the entirety of their relationships with this young girl on blatant lies, but it also makes them look even worse in retrospect when it comes to their relationship with Ben.
If Luke and Leia could accept a Palpatine descendant with darkness inside her genetics, why did they so fear Ben, their own son and nephew? Why did they abandon him? Why did Luke try to kill him? We have so many questions, and we know these will never be answered.
The Jedi Temple Massacre
Much of the demonization of Kylo Ren within the narrative of the sequel trilogy comes upon the belief that he unexpectedly snapped one day, destroyed Luke's Jedi temple, and massacred his fellow students. As The Last Jedi explores, that wasn't exactly how things went down, given Luke's momentary lapse of judgment when he nearly killed his own nephew.
But beyond that brief reveal that Ben Solo merely acted in self-defense at first, we never learn - on screen - what really happened that night, and to all those other students. The new The Rise of Kylo Ren comic series may have provided some answers, but the general audience will never find them out. And that's a real shame.
Balance In The Force
The Rise of Skywalker introduces plenty of new concepts to the Star Wars universe on the whole, but one of the least explained of them all is the notion that Rey and Ben are a dyad in the Force. The phrase is used multiple times, along with the notion that they are two who are actually one, but beyond that, nothing is explained.
Does their bond represent the Force finally having balance? What happens now, with Ben dead and Rey alone? In his words of wisdom to her, Anakin implores Rey to bring balance as he once did. But did he really ever? Did Rey ever? It's all so confusing, and likely always will be.
