Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #10
6 years after the release of Rise of Skywalker, the Star Wars franchise has remarkably reincorporated concepts from Episode IX’s original script into the official canon. Before J.J. Abrams was brought back on to direct Rise of Skywalker, Episode IX was going to be written and directed by Colin Trevorrow with the title Duel of the Fates.
With the original script having leaked online in the years that have followed, it’s fascinating to see how Star Wars has taken some key moments and reused them as set-up for Rise of Skywalker. This can be found in Marvel’s new and canonical Legacy of Vader #10, which sees Kylo Ren attempting to rid himself of Luke Skywalker’s spirit in between The Last Jedi and Rise of Skywalker.
Kylo Ren Encountered Luke’s Force Ghost (Just Like He Would Have In Duel of the Fates)
In Legacy of Vader #10, Kylo Ren reveals that he has constantly felt the presence of his old master since The Last Jedi, always watching and observing him.
Meditating and accessing a major vision through the Force, Kylo Ren does remarkably succeed in facing Luke’s Force ghost. Learning that Luke’s spirit cannot be killed, Kylo Ren is simply told by Luke that he’ll always be there for Ben Solo, serving as some key foreshadowing for Kylo Ren’s future redemption.
While Luke’s Force ghost does not physically appear before Kylo Ren in Rise of Skywalker, he would have in the Duel of the Fates script, effectively haunting Ben Solo while aiding Rey in her efforts to defeat the Supreme Leader (seen in Duel of the Fates concept art below from artist Christian Alzmann).
While some Star Wars fans would have preferred for Lucasfilm to have stuck with the original Episode IX plan and director, it is pretty cool that we now have a moment with Kylo Ren feeling haunted by Luke’s Force ghost and ultimately facing him, even if it is before the events of the final Skywalker saga movie.
Additionally, this new Star Wars issue also uses another key concept we would have seen in Duel of the Fates.
Kylo Ren Has Also Visited The Netherworld of the Force (Which Rey Would Have Done)
It’s also worth noting that Kylo Ren didn’t just encounter his uncle and former master in the physical realm. He accomplished it by accessing the Netherworld of the Force, effectively the Jedi afterlife, where multiple Force ghosts are shown residing, including the likes of Qui-Gon Jinn, Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Luke Skywalker himself.
Kylo Ren reaching this nexus speaks volumes about his future redemption in the Force, though it’s also notable that Rey would have done the same in Duel of the Fates.
Following her duel with Ren, Rey would have reached the Netherworld, where she would have interacted with Luke, Obi-Wan, and Yoda’s Force ghosts before being offered the choice to return to the physical realm or remain in the cosmic Force. While it wasn’t meant to be in Rise of Skywalker, it’s again cool to see Duel of the Fates concepts being reused as some key set-up for Episode IX.
Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #10 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.
- Release Date
-
December 18, 2019
- Runtime
-
142 minutes
- Writers
-
Chris Terrio
- Producers
-
Kathleen Kennedy, Michelle Rejwan, J.J. Abrams
