A long, long time ago in 2014, rumors began circulating that Star Wars: Episode VIII would open with Luke Skywalker's (Mark Hamill) severed hand floating through space with its fingers holding on to the Jedi's blue lightsaber. Though The Force Awakens ended up being very different from what fans expected, various iterations of the concept would run around the rumor mill before the film's release.
Now, a new fan theory suggests that Luke's severed hand has been saved for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker instead. As unlikely as it seems, Inverse suggests that the hand concept would make a great way to open up Episode IX, saying that the sequence would help explain how Luke Skywalker's blue lightsaber ended up with Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong'o) in The Force Awakens. The pirate and smuggler didn't really explain how she managed to find the weapon, dismissing the story for "another time" that never really comes around in Lucasfilm's sequel trilogy.
The Rise of Skywalker seems like the perfect time for that plot hole explanation. The movie's supposed to mark the end of Star Wars' sequel trilogy – the best time to tie all of Disney's loose ends.
Of course, Lucasfilm could explain Maz's possession of the lightsaber differently. We don't really need a floating Jedi hand in space, though that would make for a really cool sequence.
Right now there's a lot of excitement building up over The Rise of Skywalker. Not only is the film the final chapter in Lucasfilm's sequel trilogy, but it's also supposed to serve as the final entry in the Skywalker Saga.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premieres December 20, 2019.
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Star Wars: Episode IX