At the end of 2017’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, it seemed that the movie did not live up to its subtitle. There would in fact be more Jedi, and more of their enemy, the Sith. However, according to a rumor, it may commit more to “the last Jedi” than previously thought. This December, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker arrives in theaters, closing out the latest Star Wars trilogy. While more Star Wars movies will definitely arrive later, this may prove the end of an era. It’s worth mentioning that the announced Star Wars movies to follow come earlier in the timeline of the series. Storywise, The Rise of Skywalker is the final chapter so far. And if we believe a recent rumor, we may know why.
In a massive new article in Vanity Fair, sources say that the upcoming film may “bring to a climax the millennia-long conflict between the Jedi Order and its dark shadow, the Sith.” First off, this is a rumor, and a vague one at that, so it may not necessarily mean an end to the Jedi and the Sith. Since the two factions provide so much to the marketing and merchandising sides of the franchise, it would certainly be a shock if Disney let them disband. At face value, the sources say that the film brings an end to the conflict between the two. This may mean that the two sides form a truce, or perhaps rebrand themselves. Hey, if the Empire can become The First Order, why can’t the Jedi become the Skywalker Club (working title) or something like that? Since the film is called The Rise of Skywalker, it’s possible that the prolific family uses the fact that it’s had members on both sides of the force in order to form a new group combining elements from both. The “Gray Jedi” theory has floated around for a while, so perhaps this will finally get implemented in the films.
Ultimately we won’t know until December, but what would a fandom be without speculation? The Variety Fair article has a few other interesting tidbits, including how the upcoming film will incorporate General Leia and what may (or may not) be a line in the film said by Anthony Daniels as C3-PO. The article also states that Lucas always intended Star Wars to be nine movies long, so perhaps The Rise of Skywalker really is an end to that story.
Directed by J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker arrives in theaters on December 20th. Only then will we know if Star Wars really does bring an end to the Jedi and the Sith, or something else entirely.
