The upcoming official Star Wars novel confirms last words spoken by Rey to Ben Solo in The Rise of Skywalker.
After Ben’s passing, the film leaves much to the imagination, but the Rae Carson authored novel clarifies what takes place in the final interaction.
“A voice came to her through the Force, clear and strong,” the book reads. “‘I will always be with you,’ Ben said. She smiled. Let the truth of it wash over her. ‘No-one’s ever really gone,’ she whispered.”
The last line refers to the same one Luke Skywalker said to General Leia at the end of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and which he then repeats in a voiceover for the first trailer for The Rise of Skywalker.
Carson’s book will come out on March 19 in the UK.
Earlier leaked passages of the book show that it also explains how Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) from Episode IX is a clone of the actual Palpatine from the original Star Wars trilogy.
Kylo Ren makes the discovery after arriving on Exegol.
“All the vials were empty of liquid save one, which was nearly depleted,” the book reads. “Kylo peered closer. He’d seen this apparatus before, too, when he’d studied the Clone Wars as a boy. The liquid flowing into the living nightmare before him was fighting a losing battle to sustain the Emperor’s putrid flesh."
It continues: “‘What could you give me?’ Kylo asked. Emperor Palpatine lived, after a fashion, and Kylo could feel in his very bones that this clone body sheltered the Emperor’s actual spirit. It was an imperfect vessel, though, unable to contain his immense power. It couldn’t last much longer.”
While the film has its many fans, there are numerous people who criticised director JJ Abrams’ failure to answer questions that are now being provided in tie-in materials.
