With the December 20th release date getting ever closer, Disney and Lucasfilm have started to ramp up their plans for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. One big sign that things are kicking into high gear is the impending release of the film’s merchandise, most of which is scheduled to hit shelves this Friday. But with the items in the process of being shipped, we’ve already seen the inevitable leaks and now, we have an absolute treasure trove of images that show off various aspects of the final installment in the Skywalker saga.
Most interesting amongst these are the close-up look we get at the Knights of Ren. Each of them has their own custom-designed helmet and weapon, ranging from blaster rifles, halberds, maces, scythes and a fierce-looking battle axe. These guys look set to play a key role in The Rise of Skywalker, and you have to imagine that Rey will be facing off with them in a big test of her lightsaber and Jedi skills.
Another very interesting image shows off the Attack of the Imperial Fleet. This seems to confirm that the classic Imperial design of the Star Destroyer (glimpsed in the TV spot) is set to make a return, as opposed to the First Order ships we’ve seen in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.Â
With most of them assumed destroyed by the time of TFA, it raises some interesting questions of where they’ve been, and if they’re connected to the return of Emperor Palpatine (notably absent from these images). With the Empire destroyed, how can there be an attack of the Imperial Fleet? I desperately hope time travel isn’t involved.
Aside from that, this is a bunch of cool imagery with a nice design ethos that seems destined to adorn T-shirts and posters for the movie. Nothing here spoils the film, but it feels like it’s time to get properly hyped up for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker‘s impending release.
