In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, J.J. Abrams delivers 142 minutes of unabashed fan service, and that applies not just to the movie’s numerous “corrections” to The Last Jedi’s more divisive developments, but also the film’s many cameos from various familiar faces and franchise favorites. And as we break down the most noteworthy figures to make an appearance, be warned that some major spoilers lie ahead.
One cameo we knew about long before the film’s release was Mark Hamill, who once more returns as Luke Skywalker both in flashback and in Force Ghost form. On the other hand, you may not have even noticed Warwick Davis, who was well disguised in the role of Ewok leader Wicket W. Warrick.
Meanwhile, actress Jodie Comer appears as Rey’s mother, and while The Rise of Skywalker serves as her Star Wars debut, you just might recognize her from such shows as Killing Eve and Thirteen. Similarly, Hamilton actor Lin-Manuel Miranda shows up as a Resistance fighter, while legendary composer John Williams makes a brief cameo during a scene on Kijimi.
Director J.J. Abrams, meanwhile, gave himself a role as the voice of the little droid named D-O, though the biggest cameo of the film would arguably be Harrison Ford, who returns as Han Solo one last time.
Of course, we also can’t forget the many stars who lent their voices to the climax of the movie. The list of Jedi who speak to Rey during her clash with Emperor Palpatine includes Luke, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson), Yoda (Frank Oz), Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor, mixed with archive audio of Alec Guinness), Luminara Unduli (Olivia d’Abo), Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein), Aayla Secura (Jennifer Hale), Adi Gallia (Angelique Perrin) and Kanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze Jr.).
Say what you will about The Rise of Skywalker, but Abrams certainly went big for the Skywalker Saga finale, packing more franchise history into the film’s runtime than any other Star Wars movie to date.
