Here are the major story reveals that can be garnered from the new Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker toys. Unsurprisingly, Disney has run another of their patented secretive marketing campaigns, keeping the juiciest details locked away until Star Wars 9 premieres in December. That’s not to say there haven’t been any shocks in advertising; Emperor Palpatine’s return in the initial teaser trailer caught many fans off-guard, and Rey wielding a red double-bladed lightsaber spawned a plethora of wild theories. Still, viewers remain in the dark when it comes to general plot details.
And there’s no need for Disney to spell out a story outline; The Rise of Skywalker entered the year as one of the most-anticipated films and is already breaking ticket sale records. Audiences are sold on the film just by virtue of it being the next Star Wars installment, illustrating the pull the franchise has with moviegoers. With trailers and still images keeping things close to the chest, fans have had to turn to other sources in an attempt to uncover information. Some might have been hoping the latest wave of toys released over Triple Force Friday would provide some revelations. There wasn’t much, but the merchandise did reveal a few things.
New Star Wars 9 Characters: Boolio & Babu Frik
This pair of aliens was revealed during the Triple Force Friday livestream, and the cast made a show of not saying anything about them. Since Boolio is included in the latest Millennium Falcon LEGO set, odds are he’s either part of Lando Calrissian’s crew or a member of the Resistance who helps man the ship in a space battle. As for Babu Frik, he’s a droidsmith tasked with reprogramming C-3PO for unknown reasons - in what could be the protocol droid’s emotional goodbye.
C-3PO Has a Bowcaster
Few would have predicted C-3PO would be the subject of fervent speculation, but between his red eyes and a tease of his apparent death, there have been many theories concerning the legacy character. One of the more curious sights to emerge is that of Threepio holding Chewbacca’s bowcaster, as revealed in the character’s Black Series action figure. Why he has a weapon is a mystery for now, but hopefully the scene plays out more effectively than Threepio’s stint as a battle droid in Attack of the Clones.
BB-8’s Missing Panel
BB-8 was a merchandising juggernaut in the build-up to The Force Awakens and remains one of the sequel trilogy’s more iconic characters. The problem with him is there’s little to do in terms of product variety; he pretty much looks the same throughout the film. For The Rise of Skywalker, however, Lucasfilm’s licensing partners are in luck, as the BB-8 Funko pop shows the droid is missing one of his orange panels. Maybe he was damaged in battle and the Resistance can’t afford to repair him right now - or, it could be part of their special mission.
Sith Jet Troopers
Any Star Wars movie that includes the Empire or The First Order needs to introduce a new stormtrooper variant. In The Rise of Skywalker, it’s the Sith Troopers, which are decked out in all-red armor. Unconfirmed rumors suggest they’re part of Palpatine’s secret fleet hiding in the Unknown Regions, but officially, Lucasfilm’s been mum about their role. That said, they’ve been present in the first wave of toys, including a Sith Trooper sporting a jetpack. So at some point, a few of these soldiers take flight. Hopefully, their screen time makes an impact and they don’t continue the underwhelming tradition of Boba Fett and Captain Phasma.
The Resistance A-Wing and Y-Wing
In The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, the Resistance’s star fighters were almost exclusively X-wings, but they’ll be flying some more classics in The Rise of Skywalker. There are LEGO kits for the A-wing and Y-wing fighters, suggesting both will be seen in a space battle. Interestingly enough, Zorii Bliss is a mini-figure included with the Y-wing set, so perhaps she’s in the cockpit for one at some point. After all, Zorii is an old friend of Poe’s, so perhaps she gets talked into joining the cause.
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- Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker Release Date: 2019-12-20