The final trailer for Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker has dropped. Five years ago I did an analysis of the first trailer for The Force Awakens; it seems only appropriate that I do the same for the final entry in the Saga.

Spoilers I guess, but... well, it's a trailer, and the only thing I reference that isn't explicit in the trailer at that point... becomes explicit later. So yeah, if you watch the trailer you should be fine.

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We open on Rey running around on Isla Nublar a lovely jungle planet. With her lightsaber lit. Which seems like a bit of a risk to me, but what can you do?

FINN: It's an instinct, a feeling... the Force brought us together.

"That's not how the Force works!" It's nice to see Finn hasn't learnt a thing.

Poe seems to be giving a speech here (he's at mid-right, wearing white/beige). I see pilots in the audience, so this is clearly a Resistance operation. But what's the ship he's standing under? Those aren't the Falcon's legs.

Speaking of spaceships:

This must be an X-Wing; I didn't realise that in the redesign the top s-foil actually sits behind the front of the lower one. You can't see a split between the wings.

SPEAKING OF SPACESHIPS:

Spaceships absurdly close to things count: 1

It actually pushes some of the trees out of the way. That's not how you treat a Blockade Runner!

We get some shots of Rey and Kylo gearing up to fight on Scary Choppy Ocean Planet, in front of the Death Star wreckage. Narration Rey complains that nobody understands her, Kylo says he does; that sounds like them from the last film, yep.

Somewhere, a million Celine Deons cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. Spaceberg!

Right, I know this one... that's Jon Snow's chair, right? Or something like that?

What it's not is either Palpatine's DS2 throne or Snoke's seat. This is something new. Though the narration certainly thinks it's Palpy's.

Spaceships absurdly close to things count: 2

I'm pretty sure an ISD doesn't have the structural integrity for--

Spaceships absurdly close to things count: +++ERROR ERROR DIVIDE BY CUCUMBER+++

a) Those are going to crash into each other if even one of them wriggles slightly.

b) I guess they managed to find some more resistance fighters.

c) Internet rumour suggests that's the Ghost (from Rebels) to the Falcon's right.

d) Round sensor dish, how we've missed you.

e) ASJUJKHKAA ARE YOU SEEING THIS???

Anyway: shots of people together, Rey and Kylo fighting, something goes boom (it looks like there might be Star Destroyer running lights in the foreground, which suggests this is something very big going boom), someone flies what looks like a modified Crait skimmer over the water on Scary Ocean World, and then:

POE: What, uh... what are you doing there, Threepio?

C3PO: Taking one last look, sir... at my friends.

I don't want the tin robot to make me cry!

THIS CHRISTMAS

Lots of shooting in an Imperial/First Order corridor, General Leia looking resplendant as always, BB8 launching powder fireworks or something, Lando in the Falcon, and:

Yessss, Y-Wing!

THE SAGA WILL END

(Brief shot of the Resistance riding... boar-horses.)

THE STORY LIVES FOREVER

Dangit Disney. Stop with the feels.

Now that is Palpatine's throne room on the second Death Star. I see Kylo doesn't have his lightsaber out.

We get a very dramatic shot of Rey and Kylo lightsabering Kylo's Vader shrine into pieces, and then, um:

... I don't think that's a safe activity, gang. Star Destroyers are not for walking on.

A B-Wing swoops past during this shot. We're going full Alphabet Soup!

Palpy's laugh plays over this, and that certainly looks like his hood at left. Could the pipework be some kind of life-support system?

Finally, over Rey with her lightsaber at the ready:

LUKE: The Force will be with you. LEIA: Always.

Dangit Disney.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Two months to go.

hS