Top 10 Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker Moments

Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that this film made a big impression! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker Moments.

For this list, we’ll be looking at 2019’s “Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker”, to highlight the most epic, emotional and shocking moments. Please note, this video will contain major spoilers.

There are those who wish that Emperor Palpatine had stayed dead, and that’s fair; exhuming the past has its drawback. But there’s no denying the fact that when Emperor Palpatine came into frame for the first time since the prequel films… it felt epic. If you were lucky enough to be in attendance over opening weekend, depending on the theater, chances are that you felt the audience erupt at the moment of his grand unveiling. With his glassy eyes, puckered, discolored skin and rotting skeletal fingers, this is the emperor like we’ve never seen him before. But as he shows Kylo Ren, despite his fragile frame, he’s as powerful as ever.

One of the most frustrating things about the post-Disney canon is how much mythology it relegates to “Legends” status. In the Rise of Skywalker however, we thankfully once again got to delve deeper into the lore of the franchise. Returning as a Force ghost, Luke Skywalker demonstrates that even in his seemingly incorporeal state, he can interact with the physical world. He shows this by not only catching a lightsaber thrown by Rey, but also raising his old X-Wing, Red Five, from its watery grave. This had already been hinted at with Yoda’s actions in The Last Jedi, but this scene solidified interacting with the physical world as a force ghost ability. And that’s how you rebuild the franchise mythology, one piece at a time!

Though each of the three Star Wars trilogies have felt distinctly different in terms of tone, the one consistent is the importance of hope. From one film to the next, and often within a single film, our heroes vacillate between feelings of utter despair and belief in a better tomorrow. Rarely, in the entire franchise however, have these two sentiments been felt more acutely or in such close proximity to one another. Hope is what leads the Resistance into Battle above Exegol, where it is quickly dashed. Just when it seems as if the good guys are utterly doomed however, Lando Calrissian returns with an entire army of reinforcement. It’s a moment that makes you jump for joy - especially the appearance of Wedge Antilles.

Many fans have taken issue with Rey’s characterization and development in the sequel trilogy. But given her heritage and the brevity of the training she received under Luke Skywalker, an internal struggle between the light and dark side feels appropriate. Rey has good intentions, but she’s also an incredibly emotional being; she wasn’t trained to control them since childhood like the jedi of yesteryears. And so as she’s pushed to her limits in this film, her emotions begin to bring out the darkness in her. Most notably, when fighting with Kylo Ren over First Order transport ship, she accidentally uses force lightning - an ability typically associated with the Dark Side. It’s a truly shocking moment that teases both her legacy and the crossroads she’s fast approaching.

We really wish that this trilogy had taken a bit more time to explain the connection between Rey and Kylo Ren. Their ability to bridge space and interact with each other is not only fascinating, but also a largely new addition to the franchise mythology. Lack of explanation aside, the connection between Rey and Kylo does lend itself to one of the coolest scenes in recent Star Wars history. The two powerful force users are able to pass a lightsaber back and forth in ways that defy the laws of space, making for one seriously inventive fight choreography. Surprising Darth Sidious is something that very few people have ever done, but this is one move that not even he could’ve seen coming.

While Rey’s accidental use of Force lightning serves to push her character development forward, it also had devastating repercussions. Chewbacca, one of the franchise favorite characters, had just been taken aboard just such a ship. Since Rey believes he is on that vessel, the assumption is that she’s just killed her friend. For fans everywhere, this moment was like a punch right to the gut and arguably more devastating than the deaths of Luke and Han. Chewbacca is just so lovable and innocent! Thankfully, not only is it later revealed that Chewbacca has survived, but he also finally gets the medal that fans feel he should’ve received years ago in “A New Hope”.

There’s a lot to like about the sequel trilogy. But there are many fans who will always be sad to have missed out on the adventures of Luke, Han and Leia in the years between “Return of the Jedi” and “The Force Awakens”. Of the many questions we had, Leia’s relationship to the force and her Jedi potential loomed large. Though this scene was an incredibly brief one, seeing a young Luke training Leia was freaking awesome. Not only did we see Leia pushing herself to the limits and embracing her inner Jedi, but we finally got an answer as to why she didn’t become one like her brother. It also makes Leia’s space flight a lot easier to swallow in retrospect!

We know, we know… according to various online reports, the voices heard in this scene were originally meant to be paired with numerous onscreen Force ghosts. If true, that would’ve been awesome! But, taken at face value, these disembodied voices still make for an incredibly cool moment. As Rey faces off against the resurrected Emperor Palpatine, the odds seem stacked against her. Though she’s seemingly alone, the voices of past generations of Jedi speak to her through the Force and reassure her that they stand behind her. She isn’t alone, she’s empowered by the Jedi legacy. Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu and Ahsoka Tano are just a few of the voices heard.

Everyone’s favorite scruffy-looking nerf herder got an emotionally-powerful send-off in “The Force Awakens”. And given his lack of connection to the Force, fans by and large accepted that that was it for him. In a series where so many characters can rise from the dead in various ways, Han Solo was just about the last person we expected to see. And that’s what makes this scene so damn effective. Han might just be a memory in Ben’s mind, but his presence, coupled with Leia’s sacrifice, is what brings their son back from the dark side. In a scene that mirrors and inverts their previous fatal encounter, Han and Ben Solo finally make amends and it’s a total tearjerker.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Emperor Disabling the Fleet

A Tatooine Sunset

C-3PO Calls R2-D2 His Best Friend

Meeting Babu Frik

Death Star Lightsaber Fight

With the return of Ben Solo to the light side, the title “Rise of Skywalker” took on yet another possible meaning. The final battle with Palapatine sees both Ben and Rey bested by the Dark Lord of the Sith at various points. But in the end, despite Rey being the one to make the ultimate sacrifice to kill Palpatine, it’s Ben who becomes one with the force. It’s a nice reversal of what happened earlier in the film when Rey healed Ben, and it serves as a perfect end to his redemption arc. He sacrifices himself in order to revive Rey and, after they share a brief kiss, he passes on. This might be an imperfect film, but it’s hard to fault the ending it gave to Kylo Ren.