A new Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker behind-the-scenes image has been revealed, showing Dark Rey – the Sith mirror to the Jedi played by Daisy Ridley glimpsed only in one action scene – sitting proud and triumphant on Granddaddy Palpatine’s throne.
While the shot, which you can see below, didn't make its way into the finished cut, it hints at Rey's vision of being evil perhaps being initially longer than what was shown. Daisy Ridley, for her part, looks like she’s having the time of her life on the Exegol interior set.
I never knew that I needed a smiling Dark Rey. There should have been more of Dark Rey! 😭 pic.twitter.com/V7LiDZGatpMarch 13, 2020
Instead of Empress Palpatine, we got Rey going toe-to-toe (and lightsaber to double-bladed lightsaber) with her dark doppelganger in the worn-out husk of the Emperor’s old Death Star throne room. There, Rey is thrown back by Dark Rey and later confronted by Kylo Ren.
This follows on from a handful of revelations about Rise of Skywalker deleted scenes that have emerged since the movie’s release.
One scene involving the Eye of Webbish Bog, a Lovecraftian spider guiding Kylo Ren to the Sith wayfinder, was actually filmed and the creature built but was never used.
The novelisation, out this week, also adds further depth to Rey, with a touching addition to Kylo Ren’s farewell scene, while the question of Palpatine’s big return was also answered in the same book by Rae Carson. The reason? Clones, naturally.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is out now, having been released digitally four days earlier than originally planned.
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