ARTNEWSPRESS: We’re less than a month away from the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. The generations of fans are eager to see how director J.J. Abrams will wrap up the nine-film Skywalker Saga, as well as the current trilogy. The contents of Episode IX are almost a complete mystery at this point, as security and marketing on the franchise is notoriously methodical. But a new TV spot recently hit, revealing the return to a surprising planet: Ach-To.
Ach-To became a major setting in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, as Rey spent her time on the island training with Luke Skywalker, and trying to convince him to re-join The Resistance. And despite Luke’s death and the destruction of the ancient tree/text, it seems Rey is returning to the holy Jedi planet sometime during Episode IX. As the image below shows, she’s back, and this time wearing her new hooded costume
While it’s unclear how Ach-To will factor into the story of The Rise of Skywalker, it looks like Rey’s continued training and development will eventually lead her to the isolated planet. Perhaps this will help her get in better touch with The Force, especially as her mentor Luke is no longer with us. The possibilities are seemingly endless, especially given the mysterious nature of that planet.
Ach-To first debuted in the final scene of The Force Awakens— although we didn’t know its official name at that point. After finding out Luke’s location, Rey is sent by General Leia to bring the iconic hero back. Unfortunately, what she finds is a jaded and self-loathing form of the Mark Hamill’s character. Luckily, the two eventually form a bond and he trains her for a bit.
The planet itself has a mysterious connection to The Force that wasn’t fully explored in The Last Jedi. As such, it stands to reason that J.J. Abrams might return to Ach-To in Episode IX, as he wraps up the Skywalker Saga forever. While The Jedi have a long history with the planet and its keepers, there’s also a darkness deep inside the planet. What’s more, A Force Ghost version Yoda even traveled to the planet when Luke was destroying the ancient Jedi text. Clearly there is more narrative threads to pull from regarding Ach-To, and it seems Abrams will do just that with The Rise of Skywalker.
You can check out the new TV spot for Episode IX below, including Rey on Ach-To and in front of a flaming TIE Fighter.
Is it December yet? Each shot of new footage for The Rise of Skywalker teases major plot twists, and there’s truly no telling what J.J. Abrams will bring to theaters with his sophomore effort in the galaxy far, far away. But Abrams seems to understand the pressure that comes with completing the Skywalker Saga. Luckily, the filmmaker recently revealed that he felt more confident working on Episode IX than The Force Awakens. So hopefully that freed him up to create something truly spectacular for the generations of fans.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will hit theaters on December 20th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies. And our 2020 release list to look ahead toward the New Year.
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COREY CHICHIZOLA
