There is little doubt that people are currently freaking out over the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker footage that was screened at D23 Expo 2019. After all, it strongly suggested that Rey would join the Dark Side this December. However, there was another thing about the footage that almost went unnoticed. Did the footage somehow confirm the return of Darth Vader?
The Rise of Skywalker footage had a lot of new scenes but fans immediately took notice of Rey's shocking moments. At one point, she is shown taking down a tree simply by throwing her lightsaber at it before she goes on to face Kylo Ren. Interestingly, Rey appears to be wearing a black hooded Jedi costume and is now wielding a red lightsaber with two different beams. The weapon can be turned into two blades, just like Darth Maul's lightsaber in The Phantom Menace.
People were quick to note that this isn't the only clue to Rey turning to the Dark Side. After all, Palpatine himself is narrating the scene, saying, "Now your journey nears its end." However, one Redditor also pointed out that Darth Vader can be heard breathing after Palpatine delivers the line.
So could this be the proof that everyone is waiting for? Unfortunately, this might not yet confirm that Vader will make an appearance in The Rise of Skywalker. There is a possibility that the Sith Lord will be referred to once again but it's unlikely that he will show up in Episode IX.
There have been speculations that Vader (or maybe Anakin Skywalker) will show up as a Force ghost in The Rise of Skywalker. Although we're hoping that it will happen, it's probably best to take this with a grain of salt.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premieres on December 20.
Related: Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker D23 Footage Reveals Rey's Double-Sided Red Lightsaber
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