Star Wars remade the end of one of its most polarizing movies–but did it also just confirm the death of a beloved character from the franchise?

Serving as the finale to the nine-film epic, Star Wars: Episode IX–The Rise of Skywalker (2019) follows Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) in a last-ditch effort to dismantle Palpatine’s (Ian McDiarmid) sinister “Final Order” on the hidden Sith planet Exegol. Under the guidance of General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), Rey trains as a Jedi and eventually grapples with the truth of her lineage—that she is a descendant of Palpatine. Meanwhile, Kylo Ren/Ben Solo (Adam Driver) continues to wrestle with his allegiance to the dark side and his connection to Rey.

The film reaches its peak with an epic battle, as Rey embraces the Jedi legacy to face Palpatine head-on. Though the movie delivered on action and spectacle, criticism emerged for its dense narrative, abrupt plot shifts, and efforts to undo some of the choices made in Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: Episode VIII–The Last Jedi (2017).

The film’s reception led not only to a polarizing aftermath but also ushered in a period of silence on the theatrical front for Star Wars. No new feature films have hit theaters since. That hiatus ends on May 22, 2026, when Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu makes its theatrical debut. A year later, in May 2027, Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling and Mia Goth, is slated to follow.

Adding to the slate, Kennedy confirmed that producer Simon Kinberg is developing a new Star Wars trilogy set to usher in a brand-new era for the franchise. Reports suggest Kinberg’s trilogy might serve as Episodes X through XII, potentially overlapping with Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s planned continuation of Rey’s story.

Elements such as Palpatine’s resurrection, the limited screen time of the Knights of Ren, Rey and Kylo’s romantic moment, and the late-game introduction of Exegol and the Sith Eternal left audiences split on the trilogy’s finale.

Lucasfilm has since turned to expanded media to fill in the blanks. Tie-in novels, animated shows, and comics have continued to build on the film’s storylines. Marc Sumerak’s “Star Wars: The Secrets of the Sith” (2021) detailed Snoke’s creation, while Dave Filoni’s The Bad Batch explored Palpatine’s experimentation with Force-sensitive cloning.

More than five years after The Rise of Skywalker concluded the sequel trilogy amid heavy debate and unresolved plot points, Lucasfilm has returned to the film, this time through a new lens and with added narrative depth.

J.J. Abrams’ 2019 entry brought the curtain down on the Skywalker saga, though its reception was anything but unanimous. Fans were quick to dissect the movie’s creative pivots—from the revelation about Rey’s ancestry and the unexpected return of Emperor Palpatine, to Kylo Ren’s redemption arc. Now, the studio is revisiting that climactic chapter with a different perspective.

Marvel took a significant step forward last year when it announced a new comic adaptation of The Rise of Skywalker, which includes new material not seen in the theatrical version. These added scenes offer fans a reimagined take on pivotal moments.

“Written by Jody Houser and drawn by artist Will Sliney, the previously-announced five-issue limited series brings 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker film to the page at last,” Marvel.com revealed. “In addition to retelling the Resistance’s desperate last stand, the shocking return of Emperor Palpatine, and more, the series will include all-new scenes not in the final film.”

Debuting in February 2025, the comic has expanded several threads. That same month, Charles Soule returned with “Star Wars: The Legacy of Vader”, a title exploring Kylo Ren’s fixation on Darth Vader in the time between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.

One of the film’s most emotional sequences comes in its final act, when Rey confronts her grandfather, bolstered by the voices of Jedi past. Characters like Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein), and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) all lent their support to Rey in her final battle with Palpatine, but it was never confirmed whether all the characters communicating with her had passed away.

Many of the characters audiences have seen die on screen, including Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), Yoda (Frank Oz), and Kanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze Jr.), but for characters like Ahsoka Tano, their fate was previously unknown.

While the film limited their appearances to audio cameos, “Issue 5” of the comic officially renders these Jedi onscreen, at least in illustrated form. The final battle features full visual depictions of the Jedi supporting Rey, marking the first time this version of the climax has been shown.

The comic book panel includes an array of Jedi, but the confusing part of this is that Ahsoka Tano is seen too, prompting speculation that the character has died before the events of The Rise of Skywalker. Discourse has erupted over this inclusion of Ahsoka in the Force ghost line-up, with some debating whether it could be Shaak Ti–although the illustration clearly has a white lightsaber blade, synonymous with Ahsoka.

Or, Ahsoka’s depiction here could just be symbolic due to her voice reaching Rey’s in the battle. The Togruta former Jedi has been an essential part of Star Wars since appearing almost 20 years ago in Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), so it would be remiss not to include her in this emotional scene.

Had the Force ghost scene been included in the original release, the moment may have landed differently with viewers and essentially altered the perception of the movie in the following years. Now, readers can witness that revised conclusion on the comic page.

“THE LAST HOPE OF THE RESISTANCE! REY races to confront PALPATINE, but can she stop him before the FINAL ORDER devastates the galaxy?” reads the synopsis for the final issue. “Hope comes from unexpected places as the RESISTANCE makes its last stand!”

This isn’t the first retelling of The Rise of Skywalker—Rae Carson’s novelization was released in 2020. Marvel’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Adaptation” launched February 26, 2025, and concluded its five-issue arc on June 11, 2025.

As for the return of Ahsoka Tano on screen, Dave Filoni’s second season of Ahsoka is currently in production and aiming for a 2026 release date. The sophomore season will likely follow The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s big screen release, considering they both are set in the New Republic era. In fact, The Mandalorian and Grogu may directly impact the events of Ahsoka Season 2, especially considering how fractured the former Ghost crew was in the final moments of the first season.

Even if the inclusion of Ahsoka in the comic book panel signals her death before the events of the sequel trilogy, there is always the chance of a retcon. Filoni has been known to amend canon events in favour of new projects. A couple of years ago, the creative retconned E. K. Johnston’s “Ahsoka” novel to retell part of her story in the animated Tales of the Jedi series.

However, if it does mean Ahsoka is dead during the sequels, it stands to reason that Lucasfilm will give the beloved character a big send-off on screen, possibly in the upcoming Mando-Verse/New Republic crossover movie from Filoni himself.