Even though the Star Wars franchise as a whole won’t be going anywhere anytime soon, next year will bring the time for saying goodbye to its main storyline. In an official press release by Lucasfilm this July, Episode IX was dubbed the “final installment of the Skywalker Saga,” which lines up perfectly with George Lucas’ original vision of a nine-episode story arc.
Due to Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm back in 2012, a lot of Lucas’ plans for the sequel trilogy never came to fruition. However, since the overarching themes of the movies stayed the same, there’s still hope for a worthy ending to arguably the most famous space opera in movie history. So, to pass the time until Christmas next year when Episode IX hits cinemas, here are five ways to nail Star Wars’ final scene.
The Jedi Live to Fight Another Day
Star Wars is, at its core, essentially about the fight between the forces of good and evil. In the days of the Old Republic, the Jedi Order served as a bastion against the cunning Sith Lords trying to infiltrate the system. The prequels featured its downfall and eventual destruction by the hands of one their own knights turned evil who was successfully redeemed at the end of the original trilogy. Last year’s The Last Jedi has already given us a glimpse at Luke Skywalker‘s failed attempt at restoring the order, so it would only feel right to continue his legacy at the end of Episode IX.
In the most recent saga film, however, the last surviving Jedi Master was determined that the Order was destined to die. But there’s still hope that Rey, in all her stubbornness, could prove her mentor wrong and instruct a new generation of younglings, making sure that light will never be overcome by darkness.
Family Reunion
Another main theme of Star Wars is forgiveness, best displayed in Return of the Jedi when Luke rightfully refused to give up on his father. The sequels’ “Darth Vader,” Kylo Ren, also has a lot of potential for turning the tide to the Resistance‘s favor, despite all the atrocities he has committed at Snoke‘s bidding.
Many Star Wars fans believe that Ben Solo will redeem himself with the help of Rey at the end of Episode IX and return to his mother who, in her unconditional love for her son, will take him back. The reunion would be bittersweet for sure, as Kylo murdered his own father and fell just short of killing his mom too. Not even Chewbacca could hug that one out…
Making the Galaxy a Better Place
Whereas the Star Wars films naturally focus on their heroes, it’s also interesting to see how “normal” people all around the galaxy get inspired by their actions. Similar to the Riot on Coruscant at the end of Return of the Jedi and “Broom Boy” in The Last Jedi, the franchise’s ultimate scene should show that the wars fought and sacrifices made weren’t in vain and give the saga a happy ending.
This could include the restoration of the Senate, the signing of a peace treaty, or the erection of a monument to the fallen heroes. Furthermore, J. J. Abrams could continue Broom Boy’s story and make him lead a rebellion of Canto Bight‘s stable hands. He just needs to be careful that it doesn’t get too sappy.
The Ghosts of Skywalkers Past
It’s no coincidence that the Star Wars episodes are nicknamed the “Skywalker Saga.” Anakin Skywalker is, in one way or another, the catalyst of every major event featured in the movies, even after his death. Serving as a role model for his grandson, Kylo Ren, he leads him down a dark and uncertain path — and maybe even to a similar fate.
If Kylo truly dies in Episode IX, one can say with almost absolute certainty, he will have redeemed himself in his final moments, which would allow him to become a Force spirit. It would make for an awesome scene if he, his uncle (who vanished into the sunset in The Last Jedi), and his grandfather would then appear to Rey (whether they were related or not) — the troubled family brought to peace at last. The Skywalker men of three generations standing next to each other would be reminiscent of the final scene of Return of the Jedi and, moreover, tie together the main characters of the Star Wars franchise.
One Last Sunset
When thinking about a story’s ending, it’s often a good idea to go back to its beginning. Over 40 years ago, in the first few minutes of A New Hope, the audience was not only introduced to Darth Vader and Leia Organa, but also to an unlikely pair of droids who wandered across the deserts of Tatooine whilst constantly bickering.
Since then, R2 and 3PO have become fan favorites and therefore two of the few characters to appear in all Star Wars movies (apart from Solo). It would be an emotional throwback to the franchise’s start if, after all the action, those two got a quiet moment on Tatooine where they would just sit down, watch the iconic sunset, and dwell in the memories of their adventures together. In a Reddit thread, one user even raised the possibility of them being the chroniclers of the Skywalkers’ story, preserving their legacy for the generations yet to come.