The final Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker trailer hints at a massive space battle where Star Wars Rebels‘ Ghost ship is a part of – but exactly who’s piloting the ship is a mystery. The modified VCX-100 light freighter first made an appearance in the animated series Star Wars Rebels when it started in 2014. It’s the ship used by the Ghost crew – a group of freedom fighters during who fought against the Galactic Empire.
The Ghost’s crew – Hera, Kanan, Sabine, Zeb, Chopper, and Ezra – eventually became more involved with the Rebellion, having communicated with Mon Mothma and even encountered a young Princess Leia, who was secretly supporting the cause against the evil Empire. The Ghost has already made its live-action appearance in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, partaking in the battle of Scarif, and it seems like it will once again grace the big screen in The Rise of Skywalker.
In final Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker trailer, there’s a massive aerial battle shot where the Millennium Falcon was leading the charge presumably against the First Order. The frame was chockfull of familiar-looking ships from other pockets of the Star Wars franchise, including the Ghost. So considering that Star Wars Rebels ended following the Rebellion’s win against the Empire in Endor, who might be behind the ship’s wheel at this point? The most logical answer is Hera, who piloted the Ghost in the animated series and fought in Rogue One. But it’s more likely that the pilot is Jacen Syndulla – Hera’s son.
Even though Hera typically pilots the Ghost, at this point, we don’t know if she is still alive. Age-wise, it’s possible that she’s still around; however, chances are that she won’t be the one piloting her old ship. Instead, it can be Jacen Syndulla, her son with Kanan who was born after the Jedi was killed saving the Twi’lek freedom fighter from Imperial captivity. Jacen was introduced in the Star Wars Rebels series finale, and considering that he was already acting as his mom’s co-pilot at a very young age, it’s possible he grew up to be a great one like Hera.
It’s unclear exactly what Jacen and the rest of the Ghost crew have done in the years since Star Wars Rebels‘ finale. But given Hera’s strong ties to the Resistance being the daughter of revolutionary leader Cham Syndulla, it’s safe to assume that she and her son remained active with the organization in the immediate years following the Galactic Civil War. While it’s a mystery where they (assuming Hera is still alive) are during the events of the sequel trilogy thus far, the overall theme of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker as a culminating film opens up a great opportunity to bring them into the forefront once again. Director J.J. Abrams did promise that Episode IX will be an cohesive ending to the Skywalker saga, and while Jacen and Hera aren’t directly linked to famed family, their story is still an important part of the franchise’s story.
Key Release Dates
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Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker