Speculation is rife surrounding who’ll appear in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. As the capstone of a saga spanning over four decades, it’s natural to think and hope that some of the iconic characters to have made the series what it is can be featured in some way, and word has now come through that we can expect cameo appearances from several familiar names.
Of course, the most popular talking point is whether or not Anakin will make an appearance. After all, he was the one with whom the Skywalker saga began, so it would only seem fitting if he were somehow involved in its conclusion, despite having been dead for over thirty years. Now, some sources of fan site Making Star Wars who’ve seen the film have confirmed that Anakin is indeed involved in the story, while others who’ve listened to the sound mix say that his voice is heard towards its end and that it sounds like prequel actor Hayden Christensen rather than Matt Lanter, who voiced the character throughout The Clone Wars animated series.
Apparently, the climax of the movie involves Palpatine returned to his full glory and Rey facing off with him, possibly at the moment the trailer shows her standing before a familiar black cowl ominously rippling in the wind, where she’s given strength and purpose by the voices of an ocean of Force wielders and influential figures, who as well as Anakin also include Luke, Leia, Yoda, Maz Kanata, Ahsoka Tano, Ezra Bridger and even Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, making for two exciting cameos from Prequel Trilogy characters. Sure, they may only be voice cameos, but it’s nice to see them being acknowledged in some way regardless.
If you’re unfamiliar with Ahsoka and Ezra though, Ahsoka was the central figure in The Clone Wars as Anakin’s Padawan – and in my opinion one of the best characters in the entire saga – then later reappeared in Rebels, older, wiser and considerably more powerful. Similarly, Ezra was Rebels’ main player, whose growth from a cynical teenage survivor to a fully-fledged Jedi ready to make the ultimate sacrifice formed the backbone of the series’ development.
If all this is in any way accurate, it seems that for the big finale of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, J.J. Abrams has learned that a story can invoke the past without just slavishly repeating it, and that the ending of the main series of Star Wars movies will acknowledge everything that’s come before while also clearing the way for whatever direction it’s taken in the future.
