Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker fans just got a nostalgic gift. In the wake of the recent onslaught of TV Spots, Disney and Lucasfilm released a TV Spot titled Duel that is appropriately set to the iconic Duel of the Fates score by John Williams. Yep, this is that legendary track used when Obi-Wan Kenobi fought Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith. It’s the first time the score is used in any marketing since that movie.
In a certain sense, it’s almost poetry that The Rise of Skywalker is using this track to market itself. Duels have been a staple of Star Wars lore and in hindsight, every trilogy has ended in a lightsaber duel between the major protagonist and the antagonist who really is never a full antagonist. In Return of the Jedi, Luke fought Darth Vader who redeemed himself when he stepped in to overthrow Emperor Palpatine to save his son. And in Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan fought Anakin who was swayed to the dark side, hence served as an antagonist of sorts.
In The Rise of Skywalker, history is set to repeat itself when Rey will fight Ren. While Ren is obviously a much better antagonist as Rey, he has displayed moments where a redemption has seemed possible. Then again, his actions in The Force Awakens imply he’s too far gone. Moreover, Rey donning the red lightsaber in a few shots has sparked speculation about her possible turn to the dark side, though in all likelihood, that could prove to be a vision of sorts.
Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20, 2019. It will be directed by J J Abrams from a script he co-wrote with Chris Terrio and stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Kellie Marie Tran, Billy Dee Williams, Naomi Ackie, Domhall Gleeson, Lupita Nyong’o and the late Carrie Fisher.