'Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker' Teaser Breakdown

For posterity, I am going to place some Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker predictions here. I am going to throw out my gut reactions, in the order they appear in the trailer, and what I think they mean. Of course this is not exposing anything, but if they come true I can say I saw it coming and not look like a pretentious geek—even if I am sometimes.

First off, seeing Rey breathing heavy is a bit reminiscent of the Force Awakens teaser where we see Finn pop up, also on a desert planet, out of breath. Nice parallel.

Then we hear a narration by none other than Master Skywalker. Also similar to the Force Awakens teaser. Luke whist-fully passes the torch, presumably to Rey as "a thousand generations of knowledge is passed on to you now." This is playing right into the fan theory that Rey is a Skywalker, maybe even Luke's daughter that he didn't know he had. To that, I say poodoo.

But it is important to note that is what they WANT you to think.

In a previous Force Awakens trailer we also get a voiceover by Maz Kanata, that combined with Rey on the screen that she has "seen the same eyes in different people" which lead the fandom into this tizzy to predict that Rey was related to someone important. The Snoke voiceover says, "There's been an awakening" and instantly showing Finn. Assumptions were made. We know how these turned out.

And this is why I think Luke's voiceover is about Rey, but not suggesting she is the Skywalker in the title. But I have a theory about that too... Stay on target, back to the teaser.

Rey takes to foot and confronts a racing modified tie that I can only assume belongs to Kylo Ren. I like the red trim as it is reminiscent of the Special Forces TIE all in flat black and red highlight. But more importantly, the style of red trim seems to reflect Kylo Ren's mask that he is repairing later in the teaser. The "weld" lines appear to be red, giving a similar style. Nicely done.

Also, much like in the Force Awakens teaser, we see Kylo's TIE kicking up dirt as it skims across the surface, not unlike the first look we get at the T70 series XWings skimming over the water.Every generation has a legend. This phrase spans the screen and is a nice nod to the episode one trailers in which the same phrase is used. In episode one, it is followed by, "Every journey has a first step..." while episode nine suggests "The Saga comes to an end"—lovely little bookends there.

Then there is a ship approaching a city in the mountains. I have seen more than one source suggest that it looks a lot like the vessel Rey is crying out to as a child in her flashback. Presumably with her parents leaving. I am not going to lie, I think it is that ship!

There's an assortment of character peeks, just reminding us they exist, another cute Pixar looking droid to sell toys of next to BB8 (since the evil BBHate didn't catch on) but since it wasn't a secret, Lando Calrissian looking as dashing as ever behind the controls of the Millennium Falcon.

We can also be reminded that in Solo, when he loses the ship to Han, Lando promises that he will get it back, to which Han retorts, "Over my dead body"... Too soon?

More shots of Kylo fighting in a forest similar to his battle on Starkiller Base, but this time showing him clothesline slamming his opponent into the ground with the side hilt part of his unique lightsaber into his chest. Told you those things were not useless! I like the contrast of blue tone to red sky so we know what movie this scene is in.

We see Leia holding the medal awarded to Han and Luke for the Battle of Yavin followed by a scene of her and Rey in a teary embrace.

This is framed against Luke's narrating "We will always be with you. No one's ever really gone." Which conveniently delivers its double message as we see the gang looking over a cliff to see what looks like a large part of the second Death Star resting in a rough body of water.Is this Yavin IV? The Massassi temple where the Rebels made their base became Luke's Jedi Academy in the video games, and was said to be a great resource of the Force—perhaps how Rey inherits a thousand generations of Force Knowledge? The first Death Star was destroyed orbiting Yavin IV. This could very well be on Endor. We never really see Endor, as it is on the Forest Moon of Endor that the final battle in Return of the Jedi takes place. I think this is more likely the second Death Star and resting place of Palpatine, killed by Vader in his own throne room.

The screen fades to black against the Emperor Palpatine maniacal laugh.

No one's ever really gone.

That's what I got from the trailer. I am sure there will be more as new trailers come out. This film is only eight months away and we are just now getting our first peek. The Force Awakens teaser came out a full 13 months ahead of its release.

Now for the title. Yeah, I didn't forget about that, The Rise of Skywalker.

There's tons of speculation leading that Rey is a Skywalker—which I cannot support. It's not about Kylo Ren—he may be in the bloodline, but he was never called Skywalker. So who is it talking about.

I have two theories here. One is that the title is about the whole of nine films and the story of two Skywalkers. Anakin and Luke. It starts with a boy becoming an adult and his fall to the dark side. Then it continues with a boy—the Son of Skywalker—and his RISE to the light side. Full circle.

My second theory, and one I do kind of hope does happen, and again, posting here just to say I thought of it first. Difficult to see, always in motion is the future. Is that Rey is the Skywalker who rises.

Now hold on to your death sticks, I know I said I cannot support the theory that Rey is a Skywalker, and I still hold to that. She's not related to anyone important. It kind of has greater value that she literally rose from obscurity—that's the hero's tale!

What I hope happens is that this grand gesture to pass the torch onto Rey, she is the future of the Jedi Order. We already saw hints that there are other force users out there, and Luke said he wouldn't be The Last Jedi. His narrative in this trailer enforces that she will somehow inherit the knowledge of all Jedi (a library with MORE books? Holocrons? Mind meld?)

Rey has no last name. When she establishes a new Jedi Temple I want a prospective student to approach her in the closing of the movie and say, "And what should we call you? Master..."

And she just looks them in the eye and says, "Skywalker" as she adopts the name out of respect. I got chills typing that.