The Rise of Skywalker (2019): Cast, Plot and Ending Explained

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is about the return of Emperor Palpatine and the last mission of Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron to stop him. The story opens a year after the events on Crait, when the resurrected Emperor Palpatine broadcasts a message promising revenge on the galaxy.

Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver, gets hold of a Sith wayfinder that points to the hidden world of Exegol. There Palpatine offers him a huge fleet on one condition, which is that he kills Rey. Meanwhile, Poe, Finn and Chewbacca learn that Palpatine is on Exegol, and together with Rey they set out for Pasaana to find a clue to a second wayfinder.

If you are placing the film in the saga, it follows The Last Jedi and The Force Awakens as the third part of the sequel trilogy. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is number 12 in release order and number 13 in chronological order on our Star Wars movies in order page, and it closes the Skywalker saga.

The full plot of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker moves from Emperor Palpatine's broadcast to Rey burying two lightsabers on Tatooine, and it hinges on two wayfinders and a hidden Sith world.

Palpatine's message reaches the galaxy a year after Crait, and it sets both sides moving. Kylo Ren finds a Sith wayfinder and follows it to Exegol, where the Emperor makes his offer: a huge fleet in return for Rey's death. The offer matters because it turns Kylo Ren's pursuit of Rey into a task with a prize attached, and it sets up the question of whether he will take it.

The Resistance side of the story runs on a clue. Poe, Finn and Chewbacca learn that Palpatine is on Exegol, and with Rey they travel to Pasaana to look for a second wayfinder. That search is the engine of the first part of the film.

The climax happens on Exegol. Rey defeats Palpatine by turning his Force lightning back on him, using the lightsabers of Luke and Leia. Ben Solo gives the last of his Force power to bring her back to life, and he dies. Later, Rey buries the lightsabers on Tatooine and introduces herself as Rey Skywalker. The film closes the Skywalker saga and the sequel trilogy.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiered on December 16, 2019 in Los Angeles, at the TCL Chinese Theatre and the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. That was four days before the US theatrical release on December 20, 2019.

The release dates differ by market. The US date of December 20, 2019 is confirmed. The UK and Australian dates are reported as December 19, 2019, which is one day earlier, and they come from TMDB release listings. In the US the film carries a PG-13 certification, in the UK 12A and in Australia M.

The marketing push had its own landmark. The final trailer aired during halftime of Monday Night Football on October 21, 2019, and tickets went on sale the same day. That left the public about two months between the last look at the film and its release.

The ending of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has Rey defeat Emperor Palpatine, Ben Solo die, and Rey take the name Rey Skywalker on Tatooine.

What actually happens on Exegol? Rey turns Palpatine's Force lightning back on him, using the lightsabers of Luke and Leia. Both Skywalker weapons are in her hands at the decisive moment, and in my opinion that is the film's clearest statement of theme: she wins with the inheritance of two people, not alone. The detail also gives Leia a physical presence in the climax, and it is worth remembering that Carrie Fisher appears in the film through unused footage from The Force Awakens.

What does Ben Solo's death mean? Ben gives the last of his Force power to bring Rey back to life, and he dies. In my opinion this is the film's answer to the Kylo Ren and Rey story across the sequel trilogy, since the credit itself, Kylo Ren / Ben Solo, tracks the two sides of the character. Ben's sacrifice is his own choice, made after Palpatine offered him a fleet for killing Rey.

Why does Rey say Rey Skywalker? Rey calls herself Rey Skywalker because the name is her own decision, made after she buries the lightsabers of Luke and Leia on Tatooine. In my opinion, the scene is about the name as a choice, because the buried sabers close the weapons' story while the name carries the family forward.

Is Rey the daughter of Luke Skywalker? No. Rey takes the Skywalker name at the end by introducing herself as Rey Skywalker, and the film closes the Skywalker saga and the sequel trilogy.

How does this ending compare with the rest of the series? In my opinion, the film is built as a reply to the two films before it. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the other end of the sequel trilogy, and the finale links back to it directly because Carrie Fisher's Leia is assembled from that film's unused footage. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is where the previous story stopped, on Crait, and this film begins a year after those events, so its opening has to carry that film's aftermath before Palpatine's broadcast changes the stakes. Return of the Jedi sits at number 3 in release order, while this film is number 12 and is the third part of its own trilogy, so both are final chapters of a run of films. I make that comparison on structure only, not on quality. If you want to keep reading, our Star Wars timeline page places the film in the larger story.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was filmed mainly at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England, with desert scenes shot in Jordan and reshoots in Los Angeles. Principal photography began on August 1, 2018 and wrapped on February 15, 2019, when J.J. Abrams announced it had finished.

The Jordan shoot used Wadi Rum and the Shakriah desert, and Jordan stood in for the desert planet Pasaana. It lasted about three weeks, and Lucasfilm hired 250 local crew. Jordan's film incentive, worth up to 20% of eligible local spending, supported the shoot, and Lucasfilm had filmed in Jordan before for Rogue One (2016).

Reshoots ran in two places. Pinewood hosted reshoots in July 2019, and Bad Robot in Los Angeles hosted more from September to October 2019.

The best known piece of trivia about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is that Carrie Fisher appears through unused footage from The Force Awakens. The other details below come from box office and marketing records.

• The film opened to $175.5 million domestically and $373.5 million worldwide.
• It carries a PG-13 certification in the US, 12A in the UK and M in Australia.
• The final trailer premiered during halftime of Monday Night Football on October 21, 2019, when tickets also went on sale.
• Its budget was $275 million, and it grossed $1.08 billion worldwide.
• The premiere was held at two Hollywood venues on the same night, the TCL Chinese Theatre and the El Capitan Theatre.