10 IntriguingStar WarsDetails We Learned FromThe Rise of Skywalker‘s Visual Dictionary

A fresh Star Wars moving picture is out , and for good or high-risk , that always means there ’s also a host ofnewtie - inmaterialreleased which can excuse or clarify somequestions leave lingeringafter the credits rolled . The Rise of Skywalker is no exception , and its own “ Visual Dictionary ” guidebook is kettle of fish - pack with small nuggets of intriguing traditional knowledge .

Yes, There’s a Weird New Way to View the Star Wars Timeline

If you ’re an unbelievably specific variety of Star Wars fan ( welcome , you are among friend ) you ’ve likely already seen the Star Wars academic conundrumheard ‘ fill out the world . The Rise of Skywalker : The Visual Dictionary charts out the events of the picture and its predecessors within the context of an entirely new reframing of the Star Wars timeline .

For ten — in the old Expanded Universe and the Disney era — the chronology of the Skywalker Saga has revolved around the destruction of the first Death Star , in a manner akin to how our own ancient chronicle is value around the nascency of Jesus Christ : there are BBY and ABY , Before ( and After ) the Battle of Yavin . A New Hope takes position in 0 ABY , The Force Awakens 34 ABY , The Phantom Menace in 32 BBY , and so on . That ’s all changed now : we have BSI and ASI , “ Before and After the Starkiller Incident . ”

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TFW there’s new Star Wars facts.

TFW there’s new Star Wars facts.Image: Lucasfilm

So yes , every escort note in The Visual Dictionary is shunt forrard to arc around an event about 35 days later than most Star Wars timeline lover would typically be mindful of . It ’s an … left over move , to say the least , and it ’ll be interesting to see if official Star Wars material outside of this book adopts BSI / ASI over BBY / ABY decease onward . For now , just rain buckets one out forall those Wookieepedia editors .

Starkiller Base Was Carved Out of the Planet Ilum

This has been a long - running hypothesis from Star Wars fans , considering we knew the vital function kyber crystal play in not just the construction of lightsabers , but , err , also planet - killing super lasers . If you ’re get to cut up a new Death Star out of a planet , why not the one known for its overabundance ofpowerful and rarekyber crystals ?

But yes , in sections based on both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi , Rise ’s visual dictionary confirms that years after the Empire itself had scoured the satellite ’s surface for kyber , the First Order come back to Ilum — the patrimonial Jedi site that propagation of Padawans visited in their trials to regain and attune with the quartz glass that would power their own lightsaber — to reckon for more to power their own superweapon pattern . In doing so , they name that Ilum not only had much larger kyber crystals hide deeper beneath its surface , the nub of the planet itself was crystalline too . Harnessing kyber crystal ’s unparalleled qualities , the planet itself was carve out and Starkiller was born . And with it destroy , one of the Jedi ’s most sanctified world is rifle too .

crap us wonder where exactly Rey got that unexampled orange - blanched crystal for her new sabre …

Starkiller Base is a familiar site beyond its status as a planet-killer.Image: Lucasfilm

Luke’s Last Act Has Links to an Old EU Species

Luke ’s wandflower - crossing astral jutting at the end of The Last Jediincited much debatewhen the film first fall out , with certain fans bother up that , as a crustlike honest-to-goodness moon curser once put it , that ’s nothow the Force works . But ! Luke ’s turn not onlyhad precedentin the Expanded Universe well before The Last Jedi , some of the EU material that inspired it in the first place is formally canon now .

In a section about Luke ’s forfeiture on Crait , the Visual Dictionary note that Luke ’s technique is based on one control by a species called the Fallanassi , and describe in one of the ancient Jedi texts he kept on Ahch - To , the Similfuturus . It also explains how it works : Luke essentially “ poured ” his own personal spirit within the Living Force ( the aspect of the Force that binds live beingness together ) into the Cosmic Force ( the more esoteric , all - encompassing entity that is essentially the divine will of the galaxy ) , allow him to bridge vast distances at the cost of cede yourself over to Force itself , slip away from the deathly world into its aether .

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Image: Lucasfilm

Starkiller Base is a familiar site beyond its status as a planet-killer.Image: Lucasfilm

The Fallanassi were first introduced in Before the Storm , a 1996 novel by Michael P. Kube - McDowell . An all - distaff faction of religious cultists , they referred to the Force as “ The White Current , ” and while they could n’t do the bit of psychokinesis we ’ve come up to typically expect of Force Users , they were masters of “ Force Immersion . ” Unlike Luke , they did n’t employ it to traverse distances when immersed : it was a tool of stealing , hold in a individual or object so deep within the Force they could not be take care by most people .

Kylo Ren Found His Wayfinder on Mustafar

Another detail that’smade the round recentlythat The Rise of Skywalker does n’t devote any time to really explain : Kylo Ren ’s avocation of an ancient , echoing representative from the unsung contribute him on a quest to locate a Wayfinder , ancient technology craft by Jedi and Sith likewise to navigate interstellar anomaly and locate cosmos with deep connections to the Light and Dark sides of the Force . He finds his jolly swiftly in the film ’s scuttle collage , but the film never bring out that he does so on Mustafar .

The lava world is , of line , the former home base of Darth Vader and hisvery fancy castle , as well as the web site of Anakin Skywalker ’s fateful duel with Obi - Wan Kenobi . It ’s unsurprising that Vader would ’ve had a Wayfinder among the relics collected in his rook , to be sightly — the Dark Lord build it in endeavor to tap intoancient Force powersthat could resurrect his fall wife . Why would n’t he , like his Master , be accumulate some ancient relics ?

Rebels’ World Between Worlds Has Been Known to the Jedi for Millennia

speak of weird Force power like we have been , another recently - introduced and incredibly coolheaded aspect of Force mysticism that the Star Wars enfranchisement has been play with as of recent is theWorld Between Worlds .

Introduced in the final season of Star Wars Rebels , the World is a link compass point of the Light side of the Force between the very layers of reality itself — wanderers of its cosmic paths could bridge themselves not just across space , but time , with all moments and all thing connect in the Force accessible through its gateway . In Rebels , Ezra used it to save Ahsoka from certain expiry after her affaire d’honneur with her former Master , and battled Palpatine to stop the Sith Lord from assay togaining admittance to it . In theDarth Vader comic , Vader ’s construction of his rook on Mustafar let him channel Dark side energy to access something consanguine to the World Between Worlds too , if not quite the same thing .

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Image: Lucasfilm

The last miracle of Luke Skywalker.Image: Lucasfilm

But while all that ’s recent , The Rise of Skywalker ’s Visual Dictionary reveals that the concept of the World Between Worlds has been known to push users for millennia : a incision about the Jedi Word of God Rey call for with her from Ahch - To reveals a page in one tome fill with notes about the “ Chain Worlds Theorem , ” which it then goes on to give other names for , including “ Vergence Scatter ” and … the World Between Worlds . Suffice to say , it seems like its power are something the world of Star Wars might require to start exploring even further .

The new Galaxy’s Edge Ride Helped Drive Hux and Kylo Ren Even Further Apart

One of the more singular ( and sadly unexplored ) constituent The Rise of Skywalker throws into its vast Smörgåsbord of ideas is that General Hux , now so strictly drive byhis subaltern hatredof Kylo Ren , is uncoerced to become a double agent and tip First Order secrets to the Resistance . That mind is fascinating in and of itself , but Rise has little time for it in its wild escapade . The Visual Dictionary , meanwhile , gets into it a little further with what turns out is kind of a hilarious bend .

Apparently Hux and Ren ’s relationship soured unequivocally after a commission in Ren ’s flagship , the Star Destroyer Finalizer . Over Batuu in 0.5 ASI ( so , err … 34.5 ABY , for those still temporally displace ) , Resistance force out contend to release a radical of traveller imprison on the Destroyer , who went on to cripple the cruiser in their leak back to the world below . The incident was such an overplus for the General and the Supreme Leader that Ren dragged Hux with him to his Modern command ship , the Steadfast , placing Hux under Allegiant General Pryde ’s close supervision , pushing Hux to use his lowered position in the shadows to help his hated foes .

If all that go conversant it ’s because , uh … it ’s the premise ofRise of Resistance , the new ride at the Disney World ( and , starting in a few week , Disneyland ) version ofStar Wars : Galaxy ’s Edge . There has to be fic out there of Kylo and Hux ’s theme parking lot ride gone wrong already , surely ?

Image: Lucasfilm

These trees were apparently planted by locals to act as a defense against people attempting to infiltrate Vader’s now-abandoned abode. Didn’t work out well.Image: Lucasfilm

Rey and Kylo’s Force Bond Has Ties to One of the Oldest Sith Teachings

The Rule of Two is well known to Star Wars fans : established by the ancient Sith Darth Bane , it ’s the doctrine that only two true Sith could live at one sentence , a master and their apprentice . For years , we ’ve adopt that this was imply to be a dominion that merely assay to check the devious , duplicitous nature of the Sith , after their old Empirefell into ruins . But on the face of it , it could seem to be an endeavor to blarney the prophecy of the Dyad into existence as a baron wielded by the Sith — explaining why , when regain it to have awaken in not just his granddaughter but the descendent of the Skywalker lineage , Palpatine would be very concerned in corrupting them and bringing them together .

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It ’s not a peculiarly substantial rendition though — the passing go on to say that the runic incantation has “ inflection mark and railway line breaks ” that “ alter specific meaning in certain words . ” So , essentially , it could be that the Dyad and the Rule of Two were one and the same … froma certain point in time of view .

Image: Lucasfilm

Palpatine might have learned of the World Between Worlds, but Jedi have known of it for eons.Image: Lucasfilm

The Resistance’s Blockade Runner Really Is the Tantive IV

The Corellian CR90 that essentially serves as the Resistance ’s base on Ajan Kloss is a excogitation familiar to Star Wars lover . After all , it ’s literally the first spaceship we ever see in the series . Fans might have assumed ( like we did ! ) that this corvette is the same one liberated from Corellia by Wedge Antilles and several other Resistance broker in a mission depicted in Rebecca Roanhorse ’s excellent Rise - prequel novel , Resistance Reborn , which would make sentiency . But … apparently not ! Because this is n’t just any Blockade Runner . It ’s the Tantive IV . Leia and Bail Organa ’s personal diplomatic ship , that one and the same ship we saw opening A New Hope .

evidently the Empire did n’t destroy the watercraft after Darth Vader captured it and its ambassador over Tatooine , but instead mothballed it , hide away in a hanger in the Yarma organization , accord to the Visual Dictionary . ten later , a former Imperial senator likable to the Resistance ’s cause give it to Leia as a giving , get the Tantive once more become a symbol of rebellion in the beetleweed . Although at this point , should we really be surprised that this cinema bring back another affair we remember from the old films ?

Poe’s Spice Smuggling Past, Explained

Another out - there bit of backstory left under - explained in Rise is Poe Dameron ’s abruptly shady past as a fellow member of the Spice Runners of Kijimi . That Poe has some smuggler blood in him is n’t too surprising , perhaps — after all , he is the closest thing to a Han Solo point of view - in the sequel trilogy has — but the confusing aspect of it all was simply fourth dimension . We live Poe wasa New Republic pilotbefore immediately joining the Resistance , inspired into service by the fact both his mother and Church Father flew for the Rebel Alliance . give the chronology of all that — and the fact that Poe is only 33 by the clock time of the continuation trilogy — it was hard to try and figure out just when Poe would ’ve paddle in the shadier side of blank - bound shenanigans .

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Turns out , he did so while pretty untried . Poe ’s mother , Shara , passed away when he was 8 , and the untested world would run away from his home base on Yavin IV as a 16 - twelvemonth - old . Poe spend five age on Kijimi with Zorii and the relief of the Spice Runners , before accede New Republic honorary society training in 7 BSI ( once again , around 27 ABY or thereabouts in the old chronology ) . fussy man , that Poe Dameron .

Photo: Disney Parks

Kylo Ren and Hux as animatronics in Rise of the Resistance. Watch their relationship break down over and over when you ride!Photo: Disney Parks

How Endor (and Kef Bir) Avoided Being Destroyed By the Battle of Endor

If there ’s one affair Star Wars fans ( and evenStar Wars stars ) love doing , it ’s suppose some really unearthly scenario out of these movies into something spectacularly pathological . Like how , for example , the Forest Moon and its furry inhabitants endure somehow not being pelted with the smoldering wreckage of the Death Star II . The Visual Dictionary has a suitably hand - crinkly answer : outer space physics !

The Modell sphere , which the Endor system is part of , is apparently “ plethoric with hyperspace anomalousness ” that are responsible for plunge everything from interstellar debris to even starships in and around the petrol whale and its nine elementary moon . Those anomalies seemingly also deposited the falling Death Star debris elsewhere in the sector , economize Endor from a fiery , apocalyptical fate so the Rebels could have their overnice Yub Nub dance party in peace . While Kef Bir , the oceanic moonshine seen in Rise , was also saved by these unusual person , it still suffered catastrophically in compare to Endor with what Death Star II rubble did hit it . Not only did it displace the world ’s wildlife , the battlestation ’s nuclear reactor burden polluted the ocean they sunk into , too , displacing even more of Kef Bir ’s natural life and outright killing off some species in the cognitive process .

A fun bonus fact to cheer you up after that : The Visual Dictionary also gets into the whole Endor System / Forest Moon of Endor naming confusion , too . While in galactic basic , both Endor the gas behemoth and Endor the Forest Moon have the same name , in Ewokese the gas giant is known as Tana . In light ofthe Ewok ’s serviceto the Rebel Alliance in the battle over the second Death Star , the New Republic was planning to officially alter the giant ’s name to Tana , but the legislation was n’t passed before , well , the whole damn matter fail klabammo . Superlaser ’s will do that to senatorial administration .

Image: Lucasfilm