Why is Episode 9 called Rise of Skywalker? Luke is dead. It's been confirmed that we'll be saying goodbye to Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker's twin sister, in the first act of Rise. And based on what we learned from Last Jedi, Rey is not a Skywalker. So, as of now, we know there is only one remaining Skywalker in the world of Star Wars – Kylo Ren, aka Ben Solo. If the big finale to the Skywalker saga is going to show a certain Skywalker "rise," then we must assume that it's going to be Adam Driver's character.
A leading theory that's been making the rounds on Star Wars spoiler sites is that Ben Solo will fall to his death in the Rise of Skywalker. This is a popular way to die in this saga, considering that's how we saw Boba Fett, Emperor Palpatine, and Darth Maul go out in Star Wars.
This theory gained a lot of credence recently when fans finally got to see the final trailer for Rise of Skywalker earlier this week.
If you take a look at the top of the frame above, you'll see what fans are saying looks like the aforementioned "pit." Rey stands in front of a resurrected Palpatine, alone, ready to confront him and bring an end to the Dark Side of the Force once and for all. But where's Ben? From what the leakers on Reddit are saying, the moody Skywalker nephew is at the bottom of that deep, dark hole.
But, as in the case of Palpatine and Darth Maul, being thrown down a pit doesn't mean that Ben Solo is definitely gone. In fact, his climb back to ground-level may explain why the film is called Rise of Skywalker. Get it? He physically "rises" out of the depths to confront the Dark Lord of the Sith with Rey.
This would explain the spoilery image that was leaked earlier this week depicting Ben and Rey, both holding blue lightsabers, facing down Palpatine together. Adam Driver's character has climbed out of the depths–both literally and figuratively – rising from the darkness to return to his Jedi roots and bring an end to Palpatine.
And there's even some precedent in the comics for Kylo Ren knowing how to get himself out of a deep hole. A Redditor posted an image from Marvel's Kylo Ren comic series, showing the Sith-in-training learning how to stop himself from falling in mid-air with the Force. This may prove useful, especially if the pit is particularly deep. He may have a long way to the top.
Whether Ben dies in a pit or not, it's not likely that the Force-sensitive son of Han Solo will survive the events of Rise of Skywalker. The guy has slaughtered tons of innocent people throughout the galaxy–his own father included. J.J. Abrams has his work cut out for him if he wants to redeem Ben Solo in this big finale. Chances are, the only path to redemption for Ben is a fatal sacrifice. Vader did it before, and that worked out pretty good for him. Hopefully we get to see good guy Ben Solo as a Force Ghost before the movie ends.
The Rise of Skywalker premieres on December 20, 2019.
Dom Nero is a staff video editor at Esquire, where he also writes about film, television, tech, and video games.
