Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker reached over $1 billion in ticket sales worldwide in its theatrical run. This was achieved despite receiving mixed reviews by both critics and the general audience. Not much was going to stop the world from checking out the final installment of the nine-part “Skywalker Saga” that was 42 years in the making.
Director J.J. Abrams created a film that moved at a break-neck pace and he made unexpected story choices, which elicited some criticism. Those that praised the film, including myself, found The Rise of Skywalker to hit the right beats for a saga finale. Some of those beats echo biblical themes that can make the film especially enjoyable for a Christian. Warning: Spoilers below.
A Dark Lineage
The biggest reveal in The Rise of Skywalker was that Rey is the granddaughter of the mystically revived Emperor Palpatine. In The Force Awakens, Rey faced her fear that her absent parents would never return. In The Last Jedi, Rey faced her fear that her parents were no one, and she, herself, had no significant lineage. So it was a surprising choice for Rey to in fact have a significant lineage after all. She was a descendant of the most evil figure in Star Wars lore. For screenplay co-writers, J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio, it was a necessary choice in order to continue challenging Rey as a character. In an interview, Terrio recalls:
J.J. always had an idea in his head of where he wanted us to emotionally leave the trilogy, and I think he wanted Rey to have to contend with the very worst things about herself that we could imagine.
Terrio points out they wanted to build on what Rey struggled with in The Last Jedi:
In a way, the worst possible news for the Rey of ‘Episode 8’ is that she is just a child of junk traders, which is true. That’s not contradicted by what you learn in this film, but that she’s the descendant of someone who represents the opposite of all that the Skywalkers represent.
This is not unlike what Luke Skywalker faced in The Empire Strikes Back. Initially, Luke thought facing Darth Vader meant facing his father’s murderer. Instead, Luke was faced with the reality that the Vader was his father, and he was the son of the most evil man he knew. Both Luke and Rey faced a trajectory of turning to the Dark Side like their father and grandfather, respectively. The climax of their stories was their rejection of that dark path.
Some people can relate to “breaking the cycle” of their parents’ transgressions, and in that sense, Luke’s story and Rey’s story are relatable. But there is a deeper spiritual connection we can have to that story. Every human being is faced with the dark reality that we are all sinners and on a trajectory toward death. In Romans 5:12-19, Paul argues that Adam’s sin in the garden spread sin and death to us all. We are not inherently good, rather, we are inherently evil and destined for condemnation. The climax in our story is whether or not we remain in that state, or find justification and righteousness in Jesus Christ.
Atonement With the Father
Ever since The Force Awakens introduced us to the antagonist, Kylo Ren, fans have been wondering: could Kylo Ren be redeemed like Darth Vader? Kylo Ren was portrayed as a conflicted man struggling with darkness and light. Was his former self, Ben Solo, really gone like he wanted to believe? He seemed to have sealed his fate when he murdered his father, Han Solo, casting some doubt on the idea of redemption. But hopes of “Bendeption” was renewed in The Last Jedi as Kylo Ren still had a soft spot for his mother, Leia, and for Rey, who he shared a deep connection with. Was Kylo Ren truly committed to the Dark Side as he took the throne of Supreme Leader?
We got our final answer in The Rise of Skywalker. Kylo Ren found redemption through an act of mercy from Rey (who healed his wound) and forgiveness from his father, through the memory of his father. Terrio points out importance of this plot point:
It’s mythic archetype that has run through myth and literature from the beginning, which is coming face to face with the father and atonement with the father. It’s part of Hamlet; it’s part of so many great stories.
Atonement with the father is more than an archetype. It is something we all need. We have all, in sin, betrayed our heavenly father. Rey’s act of mercy opened the eyes of Ben Solo. Christ can do the same for us, so that we can approach God the Father with humility and submission, asking for forgiveness. Han Solo always wanted his wayward son to come home. As the parable of the prodigal son teaches us (Luke 15:11-32), God longs for his wayward children to come home as well.
Laying Down Your Life
The Rise of Skywalker showed us a new Force ability: Force Healing. Technically, Star Wars fans were first introduced to Force Healing in the new Disney+ show, The Mandalorian, when The Child (aka, Baby Yoda) displayed this unique ability. But Force Healing and self-sacrifice was a big theme in The Rise of Skywalker. First, Rey heals a giant serpent creature, giving some of her life force in the process. She later performs the act on Kylo Ren after she wounds him in their epic lightsaber duel. Leia seems to give up all her strength reaching out to Ben during his fight with Rey. Even the droids join in on the acts of sacrifice. BB-8 is seen giving some of his battery power to fire up D-0, and C3Po gives up his memory to help his friends.
The ultimate sacrifice comes when the redeemed Ben Solo gives up all of his life force when he heals Rey, who apparently died in her battle with Palpatine. It was a fitting end to Ben Solo. He knew he deserved death for the horrible things he did in his life as Kylo Ren, but he got to experience mercy and redemption. With that in mind, he didn’t hesitate to show the same mercy to Rey.
1 John 3:16 says:
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
God calls Christians to lay down their lives for their neighbors in light of how Christ laid down his life for them. When we see our brothers or sisters in need, we should not hesitate to help, even if we have to make real sacrifices of our time, energy, money, and, in some cases, our physical body. If we don’t, we should wonder, as John does: How does God’s love abide in you?
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As you can see, a movie like The Rise of Skywalker can be a fun film when you see how it reflects elements of the greatest story ever told throughout the whole Bible. May the force be with you!
Mark Morikawa 