It has been over six years since the credits rolled on the Skywalker Saga. Six years. In the world of modern blockbusters, that’s practically an eternity. Yet, mention Star Wars 9 (officially known as The Rise of Skywalker) at a dinner party, and you’re still likely to start a civil war.
Some people love the breakneck pace and the flashy lightsaber duels. Others? They’re still mad about the "somehow, Palpatine returned" line. Honestly, the discourse around this film is almost as exhausting as the Resistance’s fight against the First Order.
But looking back from 2026, the perspective has shifted a bit. We’ve had years of Disney+ shows like The Mandalorian and Andor to fill in the gaps. We’ve seen the franchise try to find its footing after a trilogy that, let’s be real, didn't always feel like it had a roadmap.
The Production Chaos You Didn't See
Most fans know that J.J. Abrams wasn't the first choice. Colin Trevorrow was originally hired to direct the film, then titled Duel of the Fates. His version was wild. Kylo Ren was the main, irredeemable villain. There was no Palpatine. Coruscant was a central battleground.
Then, creative differences happened. Kathleen Kennedy and Trevorrow parted ways in 2017. Abrams was brought back to "save" the trilogy, but he was working against a ticking clock. The film had to meet a December 2019 release date.
The pressure was immense. You've got to remember that Carrie Fisher had passed away in 2016. The writers had to piece together a role for General Leia using deleted footage from The Force Awakens. It was a technical nightmare. They weren't just writing a movie; they were performing digital archaeology.
Why Palpatine’s Return Is Still So Polarizing
"The dead speak!"
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That opening crawl line is legendary for all the wrong reasons. Bringing back Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine felt like a massive U-turn after The Last Jedi. In that film, Rian Johnson had killed off Snoke and positioned Kylo Ren as the new Supreme Leader.
Abrams and co-writer Chris Terrio clearly wanted a bigger "Big Bad." They reached into the past. By making Rey a Palpatine—specifically his granddaughter—they tried to create a "nature vs. nurture" conflict.
- The Pro-Palpatine Argument: It ties all nine films together. It makes the saga about the eternal struggle between the Skywalkers and the Sith.
- The Anti-Palpatine Argument: It cheapens Anakin Skywalker’s sacrifice in Return of the Jedi. If Palpatine just had a backup clone body on Exegol, did the prophecy of the Chosen One even matter?
The film explains this return with a throwaway line about "cloning, secrets only the Sith knew." It’s thin. But in 2026, we actually have more context. Shows like The Bad Batch and The Mandalorian have spent years showing us the Empire’s secret cloning experiments. The "Necromancer" project wasn't just a plot hole; it was a decades-long plan that Disney is finally fleshing out.
The Rey "Nobody" vs. Rey "Skywalker" Debate
This is the heart of the frustration for many. In Episode 8, we were told Rey’s parents were "filthy junk traders" who sold her for drinking money. It was a powerful message: anyone can be a hero. You don't need a famous last name to be special.
Star Wars 9 looked at that and said, "Hold my blue milk."
Suddenly, her parents were heroes who died to protect her from her grandfather, the Emperor. It changed the theme from "anyone can be a Jedi" to "you can overcome your bad blood." Both are valid themes, but jumping between them in the middle of a trilogy felt like whiplash.
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When Rey stands on Tatooine at the end and calls herself "Rey Skywalker," it’s meant to be a moment of triumph. She’s choosing her family. But for a lot of fans, it felt like the film was trying too hard to please the people who hated the "Rey Nobody" reveal.
The Numbers Don't Lie (Even if Fans Do)
Despite the online screaming, The Rise of Skywalker was a massive financial success. It grossed over $1.077 billion worldwide.
| Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| Global Box Office | $1,077,022,372 |
| Domestic (US) Opening | $177 million |
| Production Budget | Approx. $275 million |
| Rotten Tomatoes (Critics) | 51% |
| Rotten Tomatoes (Audience) | 86% |
Look at that split between critics and audiences. A 51% from critics is "Rotten," the lowest in the series. But an 86% audience score? That tells a different story. It suggests that while film students were busy dissecting the pacing issues, families were having a blast watching C-3PO say goodbye to his "friends" and seeing Lando Calrissian fly the Millennium Falcon one last time.
What Happened to the Characters?
Finn’s arc is often cited as the biggest missed opportunity. In The Force Awakens, he was a defected stormtrooper with a lot of potential. By the final film, he’s mostly relegated to shouting "Rey!" across various planets.
There was a hint that Finn was Force-sensitive. He feels things through the Force during the battle on Exegol. But the movie never explicitly says it. It’s one of those "blink and you'll miss it" details that feels like it belonged in a four-hour cut.
And then there's Rose Tico. After being a major lead in the previous film, Kelly Marie Tran only had about 76 seconds of screen time in Episode 9. Regardless of how you felt about her character, it felt like a strange sidelining that didn't quite respect the continuity of the trilogy.
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The Legacy in 2026
Star Wars is in a different place now. The "sequel era" is no longer the shiny new thing. It’s the foundation for what comes next. With Daisy Ridley set to return in a new film focusing on Rey’s New Jedi Order, The Rise of Skywalker is being re-evaluated.
It’s a flawed movie. It’s messy. It tries to do too much in 142 minutes. But it also has some of the most beautiful imagery in the entire franchise. The duel on the wreckage of the Death Star II amidst the crashing waves of Kef Bir is objectively stunning. The "Dyad" concept—the Force connection between Rey and Ben Solo—is one of the coolest additions to the lore in years.
How to Approach Star Wars 9 Today
If you’re planning a rewatch, or if you’ve been avoiding it because of the internet hate, here is the best way to handle it:
- Watch the Disney+ Supplemental Material: If you haven't seen The Mandalorian Season 3 or The Bad Batch, do that first. It makes the cloning plot line feel much more "real" and less like a last-minute invention.
- Focus on the Dyad: The chemistry between Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver is the best part of the movie. Their "Force-skyping" battles are genuinely innovative for the series.
- Accept the Pacing: This movie moves at 100mph. Don't try to think too hard about the logistics of the "Wayfinders." Just enjoy the ride.
- Listen to the Score: This was John Williams’ final Star Wars score. It’s a masterclass in leitmotif, weaving in themes from the previous 40 years of cinema history.
The "Star Wars 9 film" might never be the favorite of the hardcore fanbase, but it’s a vital piece of the puzzle. It ended an era. Now, as we look toward the 2026 release of The Mandalorian & Grogu on the big screen, we can finally see how the lessons learned from the sequel trilogy are shaping the future of the galaxy.
Next time you watch, pay attention to the background characters during the final celebration. You’ll see a few faces from the animated series and spin-offs that you might have missed back in 2019. It’s those little details that keep the fandom alive, even when the big plot points are a bit shaky.