Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Emperor Palpatine survived by using dark side Force powers to transfer his essence and consciousness to a hidden body after his apparent death in Return of the Jedi. He has been secretly orchestrating events from the shadows, including the creation of the First Order and Kylo Ren's search for him, throughout the decades since the original trilogy.

Foreshadowing: The opening crawl mentions Palpatine's transmissions across the galaxy, hinting at his continued existence.

• palpatine survival
• emperor palpatine
• dark side
• force powers
• first order

C-3PO loses his memory because the Sith inscription on the dagger can only be translated by his programming, but doing so requires him to break his protocol restrictions. To circumvent this, his memory is wiped so he can speak the translation, though his memories are safely backed up in R2-D2's storage.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, C-3PO mentions he cannot translate the Sith text due to programming limitations.

• c3po
• memory wipe
• sith dagger
• translation
• r2-d2

The Wayfinder is a Sith artifact that contains coordinates leading directly to Emperor Palpatine's hidden planetary stronghold. Both Kylo Ren and the Resistance seek it because it is the only reliable way to locate the Emperor, who has been in hiding for decades.

Foreshadowing: The Sith dagger inscription references the Wayfinder's location on Endor's moon.

• wayfinder
• sith artifact
• emperor palpatine
• coordinates
• endor

Rey uses Force lightning during her confrontation with Kylo Ren because her emotions flare up in the heat of battle, and Force lightning naturally emerges from strong negative emotions. This display reveals her immense raw power, though she struggles to control it at this point in her training.

Foreshadowing: Her earlier training with Leia shows her struggling with powerful Force abilities.

• rey
• force lightning
• sith
• powers
• kylo ren

Rey is revealed to be the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine. Her father was Palpatine's son, whom Palpatine created as part of his contingency plan to ensure his bloodline would continue. This makes Rey a direct heir to the Sith Lord's lineage.

Foreshadowing: Rey sees a vision of herself as a Sith Lord when touching the Wayfinder, hinting at her dark ancestry.

• rey lineage
• palpatine granddaughter
• sith bloodline
• ancestry

Kylo Ren reverts to Ben Solo after Leia reaches out to him through the Force during their fight, reminding him of his true self. Rey wounds him mortally, but then heals him using the Force. This act of compassion, combined with Han Solo's Force ghost encouraging him to let go of his past, helps Ben Solo reject the dark side and reclaim his identity.

Foreshadowing: The Force bond between Rey and Kylo Ren has shown their connection throughout the sequels.

• kylo ren
• ben solo
• redemption
• force ghost
• han solo

Rey defeats Palpatine by reflecting his own Force lightning back at him using both Luke and Leia's lightsabers. The voices of deceased Jedi bolster her resolve, giving her the strength to withstand his attack and turn his dark energy against him, seemingly destroying the Sith Lord forever.

Foreshadowing: Luke's Force ghost previously gives Rey his lightsaber, preparing her for this confrontation.

• rey
• palpatine defeat
• force lightning
• jedi voices
• lightsabers

Ben Solo does not die in combat, instead, he sacrifices himself to resurrect Rey after Palpatine's attack leaves her seemingly dead. Using the last of his Force strength, he brings her back to life, but the effort drains him completely, causing his own death. He then joins the Force alongside Leia.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Rey heals Kylo Ren after wounding him, establishing her ability to use Force healing.

• ben solo death
• sacrifice
• force healing
• resurrection
• final moment

Rey takes the name Skywalker to honor the legacy of Luke and Leia, who guided her journey and helped her find her place in the Force. Though she is biologically Palpatine's granddaughter, she chooses the Skywalker name to embrace the family that shaped her as a Jedi and a hero.

Foreshadowing: Luke and Leia both train and guide Rey throughout the film, making their influence central to her path.

• rey skywalker
• identity
• legacy
• ending
• luke
• leia

The Sith dagger is an ancient artifact with Sith inscriptions that reveal the location of the Wayfinder. Its blade is shaped to match the wreckage of the second Death Star, pointing to where the Wayfinder is hidden on Endor's moon. C-3PO translates the text at the cost of his memories.

Foreshadowing: The dagger's design foreshadows its connection to the Death Star wreckage.

• sith dagger
• wayfinder
• death star
• c3po translation
• inscription

General Hux is revealed to be the mole within the First Order. He secretly leaks information to the Resistance hoping to overthrow Kylo Ren, whom he resents for killing Snoke and taking power. However, his betrayal is discovered and he is killed by his own superiors.

Foreshadowing: Early hints show tension between Hux and Kylo Ren throughout the film.

• general hux
• mole
• first order
• betrayal
• resistance

When Rey touches the Wayfinder, she experiences a vision showing herself as a Sith Lord, representing her fear of succumbing to her dark lineage as Palpatine's granddaughter. This vision highlights her internal struggle between the light and dark sides throughout the film.

Foreshadowing: The vision directly foreshadows the revelation of her Palpatine heritage.

• rey vision
• sith lord
• dark side
• wayfinder
• ancestry