Our Theories and Explanations About What "The Rise of Skywalker" Means

Before seeing the film, we thought the "Skywalker" of the title may in fact refer to Rey, but as an honorific rather than a reference to her actual bloodline. Perhaps it's a code name that she's taken up within the Resistance in order to honor Luke's memory. This could potentially lead to a powerful "I am Spartacus" moment, where the First Order tries to ferret out who the rebel Skywalker is, only to be met with multiple Resistance fighters claiming to be Skywalker in order to protect Rey. In doing so, they would all, in a way, become Skywalker, subverting the Chosen One narrative by allowing an entire group to claim the hero's mantle.

Also before seeing the film, we considered Skywalker as the Resistance. While the events of Star Wars: The Last Jedi led to most of the Resistance getting wiped out by the First Order, the ending of the film hinted at a new generation of children who support the Resistance spread throughout the galaxy. In an interview with Variety, Abrams said that "some time has passed" between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, so it's possible that the kids we saw at the end of the previous film could be young Resistance fighters in the next one. "Skywalker" could be the name they adopt for themselves, especially once word gets out about how Luke Skywalker faced down the entire First Order by himself.

While the previous theory still kept the focus on Rey as the first one to take up the Skywalker mantle, this one shifts that focus to the Resistance as a whole. Having a group collectively refer to themselves as Skywalker, named for a single man who stood his ground against overwhelming odds, seems to be in line with Abrams's inclusive interpretation of the Star Wars mythology, and would provide a satisfying note for the end of the saga: if we choose to stand for what is good, even in the face of great evil, we are all Skywalker.

Our last theory heading into The Rise of Skywalker was that it was a new order. The Jedi have long had a prophecy that states that "A Chosen One shall come, born of no father, and through him will ultimate balance in the Force be restored." This is why, in the Star Wars prequels, the Jedi believed that Anakin was the Chosen One, since he had no father and was strong in the Force.

Of course, Anakin ultimately turned to the Dark Side and joined the Sith, dashing the Jedi's hopes that he would fulfill the prophecy. Many have wondered if Rey may turn out to be this long-awaited hero, and her arc in both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi seems to hint that she feels equally drawn to both the Light and Dark sides of the Force.

However, what if the film's title refers not to Rey herself, but to a brand-new order of Force users, who are able to use the Force in perfect balance? Not only would this circumvent the Chosen One narrative, but it would fit perfectly with the previous two titles. Now that the Force has awakened, and the last Jedi is gone, perhaps that clears the way for "Skywalkers," Force users like Rey who are able to tap into both of the opposing sides of the Force and harness that power for good, instead of losing themselves to one side or the other.

Note that the prophecy never stated that the Chosen One would be the one to bring balance to the Force himself; it said that through him, balance would be restored. Remember that Rey received her Force instruction from two Skywalkers: Luke and Kylo Ren, each focusing on a different side of the Force. If she is the one to bring those sides into balance, and the one to begin and name a new order of Skywalkers, then Anakin's line did, in fact, fulfill the prophecy.

Now that we've seen the film, the most obvious interpretation of the title is that it foreshadows the final line of the movie, when Rey returns to Tatooine to bury Luke and Leia's lightsabers and answers a stranger who asks her name by saying "Rey Skywalker." Throughout the entire sequel trilogy, Rey has been front and center, and this movie finally lets her "rise" to the status of a full-fledged Jedi hero. Since the whole trilogy has largely been about her rise from "nobody" scavenger to Jedi and hero of the whole galaxy, it makes sense that it's her "rise" that's talked about in the title. After all, she is literally told to "rise" by the spirits of the fallen Jedi in the Force.

By the end of the movie, the Skywalker bloodline has died out and "fallen," but when Rey takes the name to honor her beloved mentors, it "rises" again. It's the last line of the movie, signaling that it's incredibly important, so it's a fair interpretation that the title refers to Rey.

We also think Skywalker is referring to Ben, now that we've seen the movie. Just like his grandfather before him, Ben Solo turned his back on his original identity, family, and name to become the evil Kylo Ren. Many suspected that The Rise of Skywalker would show his redemption, and they were right. During a battle with Rey, he hears his dying mother's voice reaching out to him through the Force, and that, combined with the apparition of his father Han, turns him back to the Light. In that sense, the Skywalker (and Solo) in him "rises" up.

Ben also rises, quite literally, in his final scene. He's thrown into a pit by the newly empowered Palpatine, but he manages to climb back up and does one last heroic thing: sacrificing his own life to revive Rey. Being willing to die to save someone's life is definitely a Skywalker trait: Luke nearly died bringing his father Anakin back to the Light, and Leia did die in bringing Ben back.

Then there's this explanation. By the end of the movie, the Skywalker bloodline is completely extinct, with the last survivors — Leia and Ben — becoming one with the Force. Leia certainly rose to the occasion of being the last Skywalker in this movie, complete with being addressed as a Jedi master and finally getting to wield a lightsaber in a flashback. Despite the ending of the genetic line, the name Skywalker rises again almost immediately, with Rey's choice to use the name as her own. This is more in line with previous theories that "Skywalker" would somehow become an honorific or a title rather than just a name.

It's not outside the realm of possibility that Rey is on her way to start a brand-new order of Force users. Now that "a thousand generations" of Jedi live on through Rey, the old ways of the Jedi might not be the focus, but a new way of dealing with the Force. And Rey isn't the only one with a Force connection: Finn is revealed to be Force-sensitive too, and we can assume there are plenty more. Perhaps Rey's taking on of the Skywalker name is a nod to the fact that anyone can take on the mantle of those who are connected to the Force, in ways both great and small.