Rey and Kylo Ren destroy Darth Vader’s helmet in a new Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker poster. Vader’s mask is unquestioningly one of the most recognizable pieces of franchise iconography, which helps explain why J.J. Abrams found ways to incorporate it into the sequel trilogy. In The Force Awakens, the helmet makes an appearance during a scene where Kylo Ren communes with it, asking his grandfather for guidance to stay on the path of darkness. Vader’s mask will have a presence in next week’s The Rise of Skywalker, having been glimpsed in marketing materials.

Like much about The Rise of Skywalker, how Vader’s helmet fits into the narrative is unknown. If the final trailer is to be believed, Rey and Kylo Ren team up at one point in the film to destroy it, an intriguing image that raises numerous questions about the movie. That scene is recreated in illustrated form for the latest Rise of Skywalker poster.

Today, official Star Wars social media channels shared the one-sheet, which depicts Rey and Kylo Ren’s lightsaber blades coming together to destroy Vader’s mask. Check out the Instagram post in the space below:

Months before the final trailer came out, fans were theorizing Palpatine somehow managed to possess Vader’s mask in the sequels, corrupting Ben Solo and steering him towards the dark side. The trailer shot only added fuel to that speculation, leading some to think Rey and Kylo destroy the mask to defeat Palpatine. It’s difficult to hypothesize about that with any degree of certainty; not only are Rise of Skywalker plot details closely guarded, footage has shown Rey and Kylo as opponents in a lightsaber duel and seemingly working together to destroy Vader’s helmet. Their respective arcs and how they intertwine this time around are tricky to predict, and it’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out. The recent tease of there being a major character plot twist in the film only adds to the anticipation.

Disney clearly wants Rey and Kylo’s helmet destruction to be a key image associated with The Rise of Skywalker at this point in the pre-release campaign for reasons that will likely make sense once the movie is out. It’s certainly attention-grabbing and is packed with possible implications and meanings (including being a visual representation of the new generation coming together to defeat evil and make up for the sins of those who came before them). The image also highlights Rey and Kylo Ren’s odd relationship, which has experienced numerous twists and turns in the previous films. The Rise of Skywalker definitely needs to address that dynamic and give it some kind of definitive resolution, with this being the last chapter in the saga.

More: Disney Star Wars is Finally Offering Something for All Fans

Source: Star Wars

  • Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker Release Date: 2019-12-20