The Rise of Skywalker has finally hit theatres and, despite the controversial last outing that was The Last Jedi, is currently excelling at the box office. While Disney's foray into the sci-fi franchise has been mixed, fans have been flocking to see the final instalment of the Skywalker saga, which brings a story that has spanned over 40 years to an action-packed conclusion.
Inevitably for a blockbuster of this size and magnitude, there were plenty of rumors about what would unfold in the weeks and months before it's release. We now take a look at 10 that were ultimately wide of the mark but would, admittedly, have looked cool on the big screen...
10 Rey Was A Blood Skywalker
Disney were always going to go back on their word about Rey being a total nobody - particularly given how that angered fans during The Last Jedi. And while the fact that she's the improbable granddaughter of Palpatine was true, there were also other claims circling before the release of The Rise of Skywalker.
One was that she was a Skywalker by blood, conceived by Luke Skywalker during the years that followed Return of the Jedi. It appears, though, that Mark Hamill's character spent that time trying to start a new Jedi order instead. Rey's parentage doesn't really matter - because she becomes a Skywalker by the end anyway.
9 Kylo Ren Would Wear Darth Vader's Suit
Kylo Ren's desire to be like Darth Vader was somewhat overlooked during The Last Jedi - particularly after Supreme Leader Snoke bullied him into destroying his helmet. However, there was alot of chatter about Kylo possibly donning his grandfather's old suit, having obtained his cape after the events of The Force Awakens.
Ultimately that didn't happen - and it wouldn't have really made sense. The suit was last seen burning alongside Vader's body on Endor at the end of Return of the Jedi and would likely have become melted and charred, just like the helmet.
8 Chewbacca, Lando, C3-Po, R2-D2 Would Die
It was claimed just weeks before The Rise of Skywalker that there were three versions of the movie - and that Disney were yet to decide which one to go with. And, while we have no idea whether or not that's true, we're grateful one of the reported editions didn't make the cut.
The rumor was that there was a scene that saw the Millennium Falcon, carrying Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian, C3-Po and R2-D2, shot out of the sky. This apparently prompted people watching it to walk out, enraged that four of George Lucas' classic characters were killed off so ruthlessly. Fortunately, however, they all make it out of the movie alive.
7 Matt Smith Would Be Young Palpatine
Former Dr Who actor Matt Smith was rumored to be in The Rise of Skywalker, well before a first trailer had even been released to the public. And, when it was announced that Palpatine would be the antagonist of the final movie in the saga, fans believed Smith would be portraying a younger version.
There were claims that Palpatine would siphon the force from Kylo Ren and Rey and then become younger. This happens, with the villain resembling his old self in Revenge of the Sith, but Smith doesn't make an appearance. An alternative rumor was that he'd play a Knight of Ren who would be possessed by Palpatine - yet this doesn't happen either. Smith isn't even in the movie whatsoever.
6 Ochi Would Be Alive
Ochi is a new character - but he's introduced to fans via a flashback sequence. An old Sith assassin, he's the one who Palpatine hired to murder Rey's parents and bring the former Jakku scavenger to him. His ship is present in the movie but his remains are found in a cave on Pasana.
Originally, however, Ochi was meant to appear. It was reported that he'd confess his actions to Rey in person but, in the end, Disney opted to go down the flashback route instead, And, in fairness, it did a similar job.
5 Snoke Would Return
Supreme Leader Snoke was very much dead when we last saw him in The Last Jedi. He'd been ruthlessly sliced in half by Kylo Ren following a fiery showdown on his Star Destroyer and we even saw his corpse.
However, when actor Andy Serkis missed a fan convention in the summer, it sparked fierce speculation that Snoke had somehow managed to survive. The dark side is, after all, a pathway to many abilities... you get the gist. This wasn't the case, however, with The Rise of Skywalker revealing that Palpatine had been behind Snoke the entire time. There's still so much more explaining to do when it comes to this, though...
4 Anakin Would Turn Ben Back, Not Han Solo
It was rumored for a long time that Hayden Christensen would be making a return to Star Wars as Anakin Skywalker, 14 years after we'd last seen him in 2005's Revenge of the Sith. And, while he ends up making an audio cameo, it was initially implied that he'd be the one to turn Kylo Ren back to the light side of the force.
This would have made sense. Anakin is, after all, the one who Kylo has tried to emulate and succeed where his grandfather failed. Yet Disney decided to bring Harrison Ford back as Han Solo one last time. While we're happy we saw Ford, we'd have loved to physically see Christensen too....
3 Palpatine Would Fight Kylo And Rey With A Lightsaber
Palpatine was rather cool in The Rise of Skywalker, despite Disney's decision to be vague about his return being one of the sticky points about the movie. He spends most of it sitting in the shadows and plotting, allowing Kylo Ren to do his dirty work instead. And, when he eventually has to tackle both Kylo and Rey, he uses force lightning against them.
Originally, however, it was rumored he'd engage the duo in lightsaber combat. He wielded the weapon in Revenge of the Sith, after all. What's more, it was even claimed Kylo would use his crossguard saber, meaning it would be red vs red at one point. Alas, that wasn't the case. And we can't help but feel that was a bit of a missed opportunity.
2 The Force Ghosts Would Be Present At Final Battle
Out of all the rumors on this list, this is the one we really, really wished had made it into the final cut. Back in 1983, George Lucas originally intended to have the force ghosts of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda assist Luke Skywalker in his final showdown against Darth Vader and Palpatine.
And it was rumored that something similar would happen in The Rise of Skywalker, with Anakin Skywalker also involved. This didn't happen, however, and fans had to settle for audio cameos instead.
1 Kylo Ren Lives
Ah, how things could have been different, In the closing stages of the movie, Kylo Ren sacrifices himself, pumping his life force into Rey following her tragic passing after stopping Palpatine.
However, there were some claims before the blockbuster that Kylo would actually survive the ending and travel with Rey to Tatooine. Out of all the things that happened in The Rise of Skywalker, the death of Ben Solo is something that may fans took issue with and can't seem to get over.
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