'Star Wars 9' leaks: "Sith Dagger" trailer teases how Rey finds Palpatine

A new TV spot for The Rise of Skywalker gives everyone a very good look at that mysterious knife Rey has been clutching in a few of the previously released trailers, but, the title of the trailer makes it seem like this thing is NOT the Dagger of Mortis, as many of us believed. Instead, the trailer is calling this a “Sith Dagger.”

So, what’s the deal? Will everyone in the movie really call this thing the Sith Dagger? And if so, what does the Sith Dagger do? Finally, does this really mean this isn’t the Dagger of Mortis?

Speculation and possible spoilers ahead for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Bear in mind, this new TV spot, was not published on the official Star Wars YouTube channel, but instead, originates from a fan channel named Disneyland Experience. So it’s possible this trailer was ripped from television and posted with an incorrect title. Inverse reached out to Disney for comment on the title of this trailer and we’ll update this article if we receive a response.

None of the Star Wars, Disney and Lucasfilm official accounts have confirmed this is a “Sith Dagger.” So, take all the following with a grain of salt. Rey could be holding a “Sith Dagger” but maybe not. Either way, the prominence of the dagger (whatever it’s really called) in this new trailer proves it will be a huge deal in the final film.

The Dagger is a map in The Rise of Skywalker

The biggest theory/rumor about C-3PO’s mysterious red eyes is connected to the notion that C-3PO is required to translate creepy writing on a “Sith Blade.” Since his programming forbids this for some reason, our heroes need a droid-smith to reprogram him. This notion also explains why C-3PO is saying “goodbye” to his friends; his programming is getting altered, presumably resulting in the loss of his memories.

So, if this Dagger (Sith or otherwise) is something that helps Rey and her buddies locate something else, we could think of it as an archaic and magical map. What are they searching for? Well, maybe Palpatine, or maybe something else. Either way you slice it (get it?) the way Rey is holding that dagger in the trailer makes it seem like she’s consulting it, like a compass guiding their direction.

If it is a “Sith Dagger,” maybe it’s is a weapon that can kill Palpatine forever

In Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine tells Anakin that Darth Plagueis was super interested in finding out the secret to immortality. Now, let’s just say that Plaugeis and Palps cracked this, then Palpatine “killed him in his sleep.” It’s possible Palpatine used this dagger to kill Plagueis. If the Sith did figure out a way to make people immortal (maybe through cloning) it seems likely someone made a contingency plan in case an immortal Sith got too powerful. Perhaps this dagger is like a kryptonite bullet with Palpatine’s name on it.

The “Sith Dagger” actually is the Dagger of Mortis

Putting aside IRL theories that this object has been mislabeled by accident, what if this “Sith Dagger” really is the Dagger of Mortis? Here’s the idea: Someone (maybe the Knights of Ren) stole it from Mortis a while ago.

Maybe over the years, people started calling it the Sith Dagger instead. This would be a clever way to nod to some complicated Star Wars lore without getting into the weeds about Mortis, a mystical place that most casual fans who haven’t watched The Clone Wars don’t know anything about.

The backstory for the Dagger could simply be this: It was a very powerful weapon, and some of Kylo Ren’s friends stole it from a sacred place. Boom! You’re done! The Dagger of Mortis becomes the Sith Dagger in one line of expository dialogue!

So, what is Rey going to do with it? Based on this trailer, it seems like the dagger is more of a map than a weapon, but if it really is the Dagger of Mortis, then it might also be the only weapon capable of killing Palpatine.

Either way, this huge shot in the latest trailer clearly establishes that the very last MacGuffin in the Skywalker saga will be a mysterious weapon that no one has ever seen in one of the live-action movies, ever. And so, the ending of the Star Wars is now officially balanced on a knife’s edge.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is out everywhere on December 20, 2019.