It introduces a new Force power. In several instances, Rey uses the Force to heal the injured. It’s a power that creates issues with future narratives as it means it’s easier to bring people back to life and death becomes meaningless. With that being said, we have been shown that to resurrect another, it takes its toll on the user and their life is a sacrifice. It does raise the question of why nobody else used it in the past.
There are still unanswered questions. In The Rise of Skywalker, Finn makes a big point of needing to talk to Rey about something. It causes friction between him and Poe (seriously, why not just put them together?) yet as the credits roll we have no idea what he was going to say to her.
It’s a bad move to introduce something like that and not give any payoff on it. It’d be different if there’s another movie to come but this is the final word on Rey, Finn and the others.
Confirmation: At a Rise of Skywalker performance J.J. Abrams confirms Finn is Force-sensitive.
The Knights of Ren are ridiculously underused to the point they aren’t needed. They fight Ben at the end to stop him from reaching Rey. Effectively, the Knights of Ren are glorified Stormtroopers. They are another casualty of the overcrowded Star Wars universe.
The shipping in The Rise of Skywalker is forced (pardon the pun). Poe reunites with an old flame and suddenly he’s asking her for a kiss and things like it. It seems strange that Poe’s never shown much affection (unless it’s toward Finn) and now his plot revolves around him flirting with a newly introduced character.
It’s also a shame that shipping appears to be all that Finn’s story is good for. He deserves more.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is another entertaining, but flawed, entry in the Star Wars universe. It’s a good swansong for the Skywalker saga but had the potential to be more.
