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  • - This episode of Nerdist News is sponsored by

  • "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order."

  • The huge "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" twist explained.

  • "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" is finally in theaters,

  • and whether you're on board for this outing or not,

  • there's no denying that it made a lot of choices.

  • Like a lot.

  • There are so many movies in this one movie,

  • and it's one of those choices

  • that has many fans losing their gall dang minds.

  • Now before we even go one second further,

  • we have to give a spoiler warning

  • for Star Wars: Episode IX

  • because we are going to spoil the ever-loving heck

  • out of that movie for you.

  • So if you haven't seen it yet, turn away now,

  • unless you have seen it

  • or have just given up on everything

  • and don't care anymore.

  • Either way, hope your day gets better,

  • and be sure to like and subscribe.

  • (intense music)

  • Alright you're clearly still here

  • which means that it's time to get into that twist.

  • Specifically Rey and Palpatine.

  • Now after it was established in The Last Jedi

  • that anyone could become a hero,

  • and that Rey was a nobody.

  • It was revealed that Rey is in fact a somebody.

  • Rey Palpatine to be precise.

  • Effectively retconning Episode VIII's message

  • from a certain point of view.

  • - A certain point of view?

  • - Now whether you were for or against this reveal,

  • it's obvious that this is a major twist

  • for the sequel trilogy,

  • and is going to recontextualize everything

  • we thought we knew about Rey,

  • up to this point.

  • - It's time to let old things die.

  • - But for now, what happened?

  • And was this twist actually something

  • that came out of nowhere?

  • While the Resistance is off fighting that ridiculously

  • large fleet of planet-killing star destroyers

  • above the Sith planet of Exogol,

  • Rey tracks down the Emperor

  • to the creepy stadium he apparently lives in.

  • Where he invites her to strike him down

  • so he and the rest of the dead Sith

  • may then live on inside of her

  • as the new Empress Palpatine of the Final Order.

  • Gross.

  • Now while it appears she may have been tempted

  • by this offer, in actuality, she's waiting for some backup

  • from her resident swole boy, Ben Solo.

  • Who's now turned his back on both

  • the Knights of Ren and the Dark Side,

  • shortly after Rey force-healed him

  • after she wounded him with a lightsaber

  • during their duel on the wreckage of the second Death Star.

  • I know, a lot happens in this movie.

  • Now unfortunately, things don't go as well for these two

  • as old Palps drains their life force Voldemort style,

  • or maybe like Dementor style, either way,

  • some Harry Potter ass (beeping).

  • He drained their life force to repair his damaged old bod,

  • and then he just tosses Ben Swolo

  • off the side like a piece of garbage AKA him,

  • in Return of the Jedi.

  • But it's in this moment, when all seems lost,

  • that Rey gets a little encouragement

  • from the voices of Jedi past.

  • Anakin, Yoda, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Mace Windu,

  • Kanan, Ahsoka, the list goes on and on,

  • they all leave her spiritual voicemails.

  • And thus she's able to deflect

  • the Emperor's force lightning,

  • and incinerate his body

  • in a way that apparently an exploding Death Star

  • could not.

  • Now sadly, this process drains Rey

  • of the rest of her life force,

  • and all seems lost.

  • Until, our favorite wide boy, Ben Solo,

  • climbs out of that holo,

  • and is able to use force healing

  • to bring her back to life,

  • only for him to die

  • and fade away in the process.

  • I mean, look, that's just what happens

  • when you've never been kissed.

  • It just kills you instantly.

  • After all of this,

  • Rey heads back to the Lars homestead on Tatooine

  • to bury Luke and Leia's lightsabers.

  • Where she then reveals her new yellow lightsaber

  • made from her old staff.

  • Where did that kyber crystal come from?

  • I have so many questions.

  • It's so cool!

  • She's then confronted by an old woman,

  • who asks who she is.

  • With Luke an Leia's force ghost

  • looking down on her in the distance,

  • she answers Rey Skywalker.

  • Effectively forging a new family and destiny

  • despite her blood relation to Palpatine.

  • So, was this whole notion of Palpatine having children

  • and by extension grandkids,

  • something that's brand new?

  • Well, not really.

  • In fact if you go into the old Star Wars expanded universe

  • cannon before Disney deep sixed all of it.

  • It's heavily implied that old Palps

  • had a kid named Triclops.

  • Which, is just three Cyclopes stapled together.

  • He actually is a white haired mutant with three eyes,

  • so you're not that far off.

  • He had a son named Ken.

  • Or as we like to call him here on the show, Kenny Palps.

  • Now like Rey,

  • Kenny Palps also grew up without parental supervision.

  • Essentially living alone and unaware of his ancestry

  • outside the fact that both dark and light sides

  • were apart of his heritage.

  • Now the similarities between Rey and Kenny

  • pretty much end there.

  • Because Reys parents pretty much hit the road with her,

  • trying to hide her from her Grandpappy Palpatine.

  • Because they knew the Emperor

  • had plans for their daughter in the long run.

  • Now overall the new Rey/Palpatine dynamic

  • revealed in the Rise of Skywalker,

  • certainly puts a twist on what had been

  • previously established by the Last Jedi.

  • And this is either the best thing in the world

  • or the absolute worst,

  • depending on your certain point of view.

  • - A certain point of view?

  • - But what do you folks think?

  • Were you on board for this twist?

  • Would you have rather seen Kenny Palps

  • enter Star Wars cannon instead of Rey becoming a Palpatine?

  • And seriously, who had sex with the emperor?

  • Just raise your hand right now.

  • I'm not mad, I just need to know.

  • Please.

  • I'm going to ruin Christmas otherwise.

  • (laughing)

  • Let's discuss.

  • Thanks again to "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order"

  • for sponsoring today's episode.

  • You play Cal Kestis, a Jedi Padawan,

  • who narrowly escaped the purge of Order 66.

  • Following the events of "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith."

  • On a quest to rebuild the Jedi Order,

  • you must pick up the pieces of your shattered past

  • to complete your training,

  • develop new powerful force abilities

  • and master the art of the iconic lightsaber.

  • All while staying one step ahead of the Empire

  • and it's deadly Inquisitors.

  • "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order"

  • is available now on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

  • (upbeat music)

  • (techno music)

- This episode of Nerdist News is sponsored by

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