The ninth and final movie in the Star Wars Skywalker saga, The Rise of Skywalker, divided Star Wars fans just like its predecessor The Last Jedi.
Some of the fans complaints was that it almost completely ignored the events of The Last Jedi or try to retcon some of the decisions director Rian Johnson made in Episode VIII.
In my eyes, I did not see The Rise of Skywalker as a total retcon of The Last Jedi and if you read below, I have five reasons to back up my theory, plus one that is open for debate.
Rey + Kylo Ren's Connection
In TLJ, Rey and Kylo were able to have conversations even though they were in two different places, thanks to the Force.
This connection or "Force Skype" as Star Wars fans have come to call it continue throughout the early parts of TROS until Kylo reveals to Rey that she is the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine and that she and Kylo are a force dyad, which means while they are two separate beings, they are one being and possess the same powers when it comes to the Force, plus sense each other's feelings.
This is re-enforced in the final showdown at Exegol when Rey puts her lightsaber behind her back, only to have it end up with Kylo even though they are in separate rooms.
Poe's Ascension to Resistance Leader
In Rise of Skywalker, Poe is determined to fulfill on his promise as he has become one of the strongest leaders in the Resistance, eventually becoming general and leading the troops for the final battle at Exegol.
But throughout the film, Poe reiterates his determination to burn the First Order down, as he has a heated argument with Rey early in the film saying she is their best warrior and that she shouldn't be wasting her time Jedi training, then denying his old flame Zorii Bliss's request to leave with her by saying "I can't walk out of this war. Not until it's over".
Then there is the final battle when he tells his fellow troops to pull back as it looks like they are outnumbered, a departure from beginning of The Last Jedi when his reckless abandon got Resistance troops killed, believing the battle is lost until Lando arrives with the rest of the cavalry.
The Resistance is Small
When we first see the Resistance, it is still rather small as it seems they have only a few dozen people ready to fight.
A lot of critics believes this goes against the last shot of TLJ where a boy learning about Luke's sacrifice on Crait would inspire the rest of the galaxy to fight against the First Order.
However when Poe and Zorii are talking on Kijimi, Poe talks about how no one answered the Resistance's distress call at the end of TLJ, with Zorii telling Poe that those are who want to fight the First Order but are maybe too scared.
Maybe it was the death of Leia or Lando's persuasion, but the Resistance was able to overwhelm the First Order and turn the tide for a victory at Exegol.
Luke's Way of Thinking
Many saw this as a contradiction of Luke's first moment in TLJ when he throws the same lightsaber over his head after it was given to him by Rey.
But I see it as Luke embracing his role as a Jedi master to save Rey from making the same mistake as he did when he went into exile after Ben Solo turned to the dark side.
By the end of TLJ, Luke's faith in the Jedi had been restored and his appearance in TROS proves that as he convinces Rey not to give into the fear like he did and it is not her blood that makes who she is but rather her heart and spirit.
Plus, it was an awesome callback to The Empire Strikes Back when he lifts the X-wing out of the water to give to Rey to pilot to Exegol for her final showdown with Palpatine.
Ben Solo's Redemption
However, Kylo would turn away from the dark side and return to the light side after he sensed his mother calling out to him just before she died.
While some were disappointed in this turn of events, it was foreshadowed in TLJ during a space battle when Kylo sensed his mother on a Resistance ship, but hesitated to fire on it.
This brief moment showed Kylo still loved his mother, but felt because of what he had done and who he had became, he could not be redeemed.
He even told Rey before their lightsaber duel on the remains of the Death Star that "You can't go back to her now. Just like I can't" when he tried to convince Rey that because she was a Palpatine she would not be to able to resist the power of the dark side.
However, Ben is able to turn back the light following Leia's death and a little help from his dad when he tells his son that even though his mother is dead, Ben could honor her by fighting for what she believed in and helping Rey, which he ultimately does.
Okay, those are five definite ways in which TROS did not retcon TLJ.
But this way is debatable but hear me out.
Rey's Heritage
Many fans were hoping it would be revealed that Rey would be Luke's daughter or maybe the granddaughter of Obi-Wan Kenobi only to be disappointed she had no connection to any famous Jedi.
But in TROS, Kylo Ren found that Rey's parents sold her to protect her from her grandfather, Emperor Palpatine of finding her and using her for his evil purposes.
While many can see this is as a retcon, there is a scene in TLJ to suggest that might not be the case.
When Luke is giving his first lesson to Rey, she is able to cause a geyser of water to explode and rocks to break, leading Luke to say "I've seen this raw strength once before, in Ben Solo. It didn't scare me then. It does now".
Even though Luke had cut himself off from the Force, did this scene seem to reveal that were some sort of darkness inside Rey?
Luke tells Rey in TORS that Leia, who had not cut herself from the Force, knew that Rey was a Palpatine but trained her anyway because of Rey's spirit and good heart.
Anyway, it is something to ponder about as this article comes to an end.
