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One of the most emotional moments in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has been fleshed out thanks to the upcoming “Expanded Edition” novelisation. Not only does it feature a slightly tweaked final moment between Kylo Ren and Rey, but it includes a callback to one of the most iconic lines in a galaxy far, far away.
Post-battle with the Emperor on Exegol, Kylo and Rey share one final piece of dialogue together. In the original, there’s a kiss and a moment of silence as the now-reformed Ben Solo dies and goes to the great Force party in the sky. In the Star Wars novel, things end slightly differently (H/T Digital Spy):
“A voice came to her through the Force, clear and strong. '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."
So, ‘Reylo’ fans that were left disappointed that the fledgling romance between the two ended so abruptly can rest easy that the Rae Carson-penned book – which is due out on March 17 – creates a more tender moment and shared connection between the pair.
That even means Kylo taking Luke Skywalker’s threat that he will ‘always be with you’ if struck down in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and spinning it into a more benevolent promise. “No-one’s ever really gone,” of course, is a reference to Luke’s quick cameo in Rise of Skywalker.
The Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker novelisation, meanwhile, continues to provide answers to questions that were left tantalisingly poised on the big-screen but were never followed up on. We now know Palpatine is a clone – and there should be plenty more revelations to come later this month.
Relive the Skywalker Saga with our guide on how to watch the Star Wars movies in order
