In the latest batch of controversial revelations from the official novelization of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, we’ve learned that Obi-Wan and Yoda guided Leia in her Jedi training.
Perhaps one of the trickiest parts of developing the last movie in the Skywalker Saga was to include Leia as an integral part of the plot while honoring her legacy as one of the most influential characters in the world of that galaxy far, far away. J.J. Abrams actually found a neat way to do that, and not only used her presence to redeem Ben Solo, but also revealed that Leia completed her training under Luke, which meant that she could help Rey master the ways of the Force as a mentor.
Surprisingly, fans took a liking to this development and saw it as an appropriate way to bring the story of Leia full circle. Still, who would’ve thought that the Princess of Alderaan would become so important to the will of the Force as to compel legendary Jedi Masters such as Obi-Wan and Yoda to appear and guide her in this journey, the same way they did Luke in his early years.
Well, according to the novel for Episode IX, that seems to be the case. Here’s an excerpt from the book:
“Leia was no Jedi Master, but she had learned from the best. And not just from Luke; over the years she’d occasionally heard the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi through the Force, and even more rarely, that of Yoda. Some days it had felt as though she’d learned from the Force itself.”
Of course, the theatrical cut actually featured an emotional scene that depicted a young Luke and Leia training together, but this detail from the novel goes to show just how much the latter fed off the living Force, like the Jedi of yore.
Ultimately though, with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker proving to be as divisive among fans as it is, and Disney admitting their mistakes by covering up for them through the novelization, everyone seems to have their own head-canon of what happened in the last movie.
