Every numbered Star Wars movie, ranked worst to best

Adam Driver is Kylo Ren and Daisy Ridley is Rey in STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

5. The Rise of Skywalker (Episode IX)

Here it is, the “final entry” of the Skywalker Saga, as proclaimed loudly and often by Disney. Expectations were mixed going into this movie, thanks in large part to the mixed reception of The Last Jedi and Solo. Disney made the wise move to bring J.J. Abrams back on board for this film…but was that enough to save this new Star Wars trilogy?

In this fan’s opinion, the answer is yes. Don’t get me wrong: The Rise of Skywalker had some sticking points. The pacing was rushed, it was crammed full of cameos that made it feel more like fanfic at times, and it was irritatingly carefree about Kylo Ren’s ability to sudden appear everywhere. Yet considering how much damage control Episode IX had to do to right the ship after The Last Jedi, should we really be surprised that it had some issues?

And it does right the ship. The decision to bring Emperor Palpatine back into the mix and use the Sith homeworld of Exogal as the saga’s final setting grounded Episode IX in the classic Star Wars mythos. It was the answer to The Last Jedi’s attitude of “nothing is important” — with The Rise of Skywalker, director J.J. Abrams backtracked on that mentality to tell us that everything is important. Rey is actually Palpatine’s granddaughter — her parents just chose to be no one, metaphorically speaking (nice save, J.J.!). Snoke is a failed clone of the Emperor. Luke can still impart wisdom with dignity, with not a spot of walrus milk to be seen on his ghostly beard. The Rise of Skywalker was a triumphant return to form.

Of course, I’d be remiss not to mention Adam Driver’s stellar performance as Kylo Ren. His journey from protogé of the Dark Side back to the Light is something that the new trilogy has been setting up from the get-go, and it was so satisfying to see it finally play out. Driver’s scene with Harrison Ford was among the most powerful of the movie. And the idea of Vader’s grandson, the last Skywalker, coming back to the Light Side of the Force in the same way his predecessor did is the sort of big storytelling moment that feels right at home amongst the Star Wars movies of old.

As good as The Rise of Skywalker was, the fact that it was saddled with fixing the wrongs of The Last Jedi kept it from being as good as it could have been. The film just had to spend too much time on on damage control — time it desperately needed elsewhere in order to give this climactic chapter the gravity it deserved.