Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will introduce the Sith Trooper

We’re roughly six months away from the worldwide premiere of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The film will cap off Disney’s Star Wars sequel trilogy that began with The Force Awakens in 2015, as well as bring an end to the Skywalker Saga that began way back in 1977 with Star Wars: A New Hope.

And all that’s great, but what about the merchandising opportunities? With San Diego Comic-Con just around the corner, Disney has revealed a new piece of merch pulled from the upcoming movie: the Sith Trooper.

Right from the jump, this stormtrooper might be my favorite of all the variants. Disney has introduced a new trooper with each new Star Wars film since The Force Awakens, but the vibrant red and angular armor, along with its new assortment of weapons, truly makes this one stand out.

Long-time Star Wars fans might cry foul at the name, as the Sith Trooper already exists in Star Wars: The Old Republic. However, that trooper has been relegated to “Legends” status, meaning it’s no longer considered canon.

And what’s with the name, anyway? When director J.J. Abrams did press for The Force Awakens back in 2015, he famously said that Kylo Ren and Supreme Leader Snoke were not Sith, although they were associated with the Dark Side of the Force. Abrams is back for The Rise of Skywalker. Did he change his mind?

Maybe the answer lies in the events of The Last Jedi. In that movie, Kylo Ren killed Snoke, making him the new Supreme Leader of the First Order. That kind of treachery follows the Sith Rule of Two to the letter: “Two there should be; no more, no less. One to embody power, the other to crave it.” Does this new stormtrooper’s name mean Kylo Ren has reinstated the Sith and might take on an apprentice in Rise?

We’ll have plenty of time to speculate, as Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker won’t hit theaters until December 20.

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Oh, if you’re attending San Diego Comic-Con, you will be able to purchase the Sith Trooper at the Hasbro Pulse Booth #3329 for $32. For everyone else, you can buy it from Hasbro.com later this year.

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h/t Empire