'Star Wars 9' new footage: Trailer reveals shocking Mandalorian connection
The Mandalorian could play a key role in 'The Rise of Skywalker.'
by Jake KleinmanThe Skywalker saga comes to an end in just under a month, but Lucasfilm is still releasing new trailers for Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. The latest features a few incredible moments — including the Knights of Ren looking like a ‘90s boy band — but the most revealing shot is a single blink-or-you’ll-miss it laser blast that could reveal how the Disney+ series The Mandalorian could connect to Rise of the Skywalker in an unexpected way.
Speculation for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker below, right after this photo of the Knights of Ren posing for their debut album cover.
"I want it that Rey."
Jokes aside, this new Episode IX trailer is pretty wild. There’s new footage of Rey and Kylo’s big fight, and an incredible shot of a Stormtrooper launching itself into the air from what looks like a speeder bike. But the biggest spoiler could be a single laser blaster bolt in the background of a scene featuring Kylo Ren.
We see Kylo for a moment just after he slices his red lightsaber through some poor creature’s stomach as he raises his free hand to do some Force-related attack. But if you look behind Kylo, you’ll see a distinctly yellow laser blast fly across the screen in the opposite direction of a more familiar red laser.
See it?
Why does this matter? Well, yellow laser blasts are pretty rare in the Star Wars galaxy. (You mostly get red, green, and blue blast bolts.) As one fan pointed out on Reddit, yellow laser blasts are normally associated with Mandalorians. The popular Star Wars wiki, Wookieepedia, confirms as much, citing the canon reference book Star Wars Super Graphic: A Visual Guide to a Galaxy Far, Far Away as evidence.
So it seems that The Rise of Skywalker could feature a showdown between Kylo Ren’s forces and a group of Mandalorians. Or, at the very least, one Mandalorian working with the good guys.
Of course, there’s no guarantee this is the same Mandalorian who stars in the Disney+ show. After all, he’d be pretty old by Episode IX, which takes place about 30 years after The Mandalorian. But we wouldn’t rule it out entirely, especially considering the curious way the show’s release schedule overlaps with The Rise of Skywalker’s release.
And it goes without saying that if Mando shows up in Episode IX, then Baby Yoda may not be far behind, right?
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20.
