STAR WARS Episode IX Concept Art Canonized

Recently StarWars.com released an excerpt from the upcoming novelization of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Expanded Edition by Rae Carson, which will be expanding on the film in various ways going as far to include deleted scenes which we will no doubt see when the film releases on digital, blu-ray, and invevitbaly streaming on Disney+. This is very similar to what was done with Star Wars: The Last Jedi's novelization as it included some of the deleted scenes from the film, therefore canonizing those scenes. The author Rae Carson of the novelization even noted on Twitter that the novel she is writing is longer than the theatrically released film by a half hour.

Not only however will it be canonizing deleted scenes, it seems some recently leaked concept art from the upcoming The Art of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker book by Phil Szostak will be making it into the novelization as well. [SPOILERS AHEAD] The excerpt takes place during the beginning of the film where we catch up with Supreme Leader Kylo Ren laying waste to cultists who are protecting Darth Vader's fallen castle on Mustafar. In the film we saw Kylo slay the cultists and then retrieve the Sith Wayfinder from the altar before rushing off to Exegol.

In the novel there is a bit more that happens that's unfortunately not in the film. After slaying what's left of the cultists, he departs on his own from his Stormtroopers and makes his way through what little remains of the structure which was once Vader's castle. He comes across a horrifying creature in a lake. The description of this creature very much resembles leaked concept art which you can see below.

A giant emerged, a hairless creature sheening with wetness, bits of lake detritus clinging to its pasty skin. Its eyes were squeezed shut, but it could still see after a fashion, because draped over its massive bald head and across one shoulder was a second creature with long spidery tentacles. The two were locked in symbiosis. Kylo sensed the giant’s pain, as though it were a slave to the spidery being that clung to it. Yet neither could it survive alone.

He announces himself as the Eye of Wobbish Bog and tells Kylo he knows what he's trying to find. In typical Kylo fashion he demands the Wayfinder but is laughed at.

The Eye cocked its head, making an eerie squealing noise. It took a moment for Kylo to realize the creature was laughing at him. “No need for that,” the Eye said. “Do you really think my lord would have left it in the guardianship of one who could be swayed by a trick of the Force?”

The Eye directs him to the altar containing his Lord's Wayfinder, as he's killed it's protectors and he has earned it. The novel then picks up with the film as Kylo retrieves the wayfinder and turns around to see the creature is now gone. The most interesting part about all of this is how cloesly these events take place between what we've seen in the film, leaving one to wonder if this Eye of Wobbish Bog could be in a deleted scene that didn't make it into the final film and begs to question what else wasn't revealed. This expanded novelization will hopefully answer a lot of questions the film left unanswered and clear up the mess and confusion caused by the numerous leaks that surfaced following the film's release.

You can find the full excerpt here at StarWars.com. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Expanded Edition novelization arrives on March 17th and is available now for pre-order.