New Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker concept art reveals a very different Star Destroyer

The final instalment in The Skywalker Saga, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, almost introduced a massive double-decker Star Destroyer.

Emperor Palpatine’s Final Order boasted a fleet of ships that could destroy planets – and it seems that Kylo Ren’s First Order nearly got some new gear too. LucasFilm VP and Executive Creative Director Doug Chiang shared a look at concept art for the ship’s design on Instagram with the caption: “A new First Order Star Destroyer concept for EP9! I thought a double-decker might be fun.”

A new First Order Star Destroyer concept for EP9! I thought a double-decker might be fun 😁 #starwars #spaceship #conceptualart #design #digitalillustration Doug Chiang
A photo posted by @doug_chiang on Jul 12, 2020 at 11:42am PDT

While it might look like the new PS5 on its side, fans have pointed out that the double-decker Star Destroyer could have made for some very cool movie moments. Instagram user @berubefilms commented: “...that trench could allow for great camera moves during dog fights. I love it. “

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The Rise of Skywalker divided critics in its attempt to bring closure to a cinematic saga more than 40 years in the making. But Chewbacca star Joonas Suotamo provided the definitive statement of neutrality on Twitter. “I woke up to see that #TheLastJedi and #TheRiseOfSkywalker are both trending. Debating movies is a healthy and natural part of filmmaking, but I loved working on both of these films and collaborating with everyone involved.” He added, “I might be biased though. Rawrrgh!”

Though the Skywalker Saga is over, the world of Star Wars is still full of stories worth telling. Earlier this year, Star Wars finally revealed that the mysterious Project Luminous was, in fact, The High Republic. The series of interconnected books and comics set 200 years before the Skywalker Saga will reportedly feature Wookiee Jedi.

Elsewhere, it has also been announced that a new Star Wares series titled The Bad Batch will premiere on Disney Plus in 2021. The animated series will see the iconic Dave Filoni back at the helm and follows a squad of genetically mutated clones who we first met in The Clone Wars. So it’s clear that there will be plenty more adventures in the galaxy far, far away to sink your teeth into very soon.

Here's every upcoming Star Wars movie and TV show we know about.

Millicent Thomas was once a freelance games and film journalist, writing for publications including GamesRadar, Total Film, Space.com, GamesIndustry.biz, Wireframe, Little White Lies, Culturess, SciFiNow, and more. She is now in international PR and marketing.