'Star Wars 9' leak reveals a surprising kiss, but not one fans want most
Don't expect 'Rise of Skywalker' to upstage that 'Empire Strikes Back' smooch.
With Emperor Palpatine’s return, Rey’s potential turn to the Dark side, and the Resistance fighting to save the galaxy, romance isn’t exactly at the forefront of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Sure, Rey and Kylo (lovingly called “Reylo”) fans might be looking for some indication the pair has romantic feelings for one another, but none of the official footage we’ve seen so far suggests that it’ll happen. That still hasn’t stopped shippers from thinking about Reylo, or Finn and Rey, or Finn and Poe… the list goes on!
However, as fans clamor for canon confirmation of these pairings, J.J Abrams and the creatives at Lucasfilm don’t seem particularly interested in exploring the romantic possibilities presented by The Rise of Skywalker. There’s still a chance that could change, though. A new Episode IX leak from Making Star Wars editor Jason Ward claims there would be a kiss in the new film, but it’s definitely not between Rey and Kylo.
These two have always had an antagonistic relationship.
Warning: Speculative spoilers ahead for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Over on Reddit, u/Sidon_Ithano posted the information from Ward’s podcast and, while the rest of the leaks don’t reveal anything new, the bit about the kiss definitely piqued some interest.
Here’s what we know so far: [Episode IX] will include at least one kiss. However, it isn’t between Kylo and Rey, which means we can probably rule out the idea that they’ll ever get together romantically. We’re fine with that, since whatever is going on between them always seemed more connected to the Force than a setup for a potential romance. After all, Kylo did try to manipulate Rey in an attempt to lure her to the Dark side. But we’re sure there’ll be plenty of fans out there who will be disappointed by that revelation, too.
On a more interesting note, though, Ward goes on to say that the kiss isn’t even between characters “anyone cares about.” That means none of the characters from the original trilogy are likely involved, and probably none of the four leads from the sequels. Perhaps it’s budding romance that was held off until Rise of Skywalker. It’s almost certainly not a kiss between C-3PO and another droid. It might be a couple of no-name Resistance pilots heading out for battle. Ultimately, however, if the kiss is between characters no one cares about, then what’s the point of including it?
Han and Leia kiss shortly after arriving in Bespin during *The Empire Strikes Back.*
Sorry Anakin and Padme: the most iconic Star Wars romance has always been Han and Leia. Sadly, The Force Awakens revealed the couple had gone their separate ways at some point after the birth of their son, Ben Solo. It doesn’t appear that Rey and Kylo will be challenging the smuggler and the princess for the steamiest Star Wars kiss anytime soon.
Nor indeed will The Rise of Skywalker have any of the heart-fluttering romance of Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi, if what Ward says is true. The Episode IX kiss just isn’t an important one. Perhaps Ward just learned about it and decided to drop it into the podcast for fun. Otherwise, why not include it in any of the previous leaks? It seems this mystery smooch is only a blip on the radar before getting back to the action.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters December 20, 2019.
