Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is still proving to be divisive amongst fans and critics alike, however many seem to agree that the concluding battle between the Final Order and the Resistance was one of the best parts of the film, if not the entire sequel trilogy.
Although we’ve already established all the ships that have been spotted in the battle, there are plenty of pilots that we think could have been operating these spacecraft. Here are 10 characters that may have been involved in this final galactic fight.
DASH RENDAR
The Expanded Universe has been officially branded as Legends and removed from the main Star Wars canon. However, that doesn’t mean that elements can’t be brought back in, as was the case with Thrawn who has been enjoying a resurgence.
Dash Rendar is a character that has become well known as a buddy to Han Solo and was brought into the Star Wars universe once again with a mention through a book relating to Solo. His ship, the Outrider, can be spotted amongst the rest.
LUMPAWAROO
Lumpy as he has become nicknamed, is the infamous son of the Wookie Chewbacca. He’s been a major part of the Star Wars universe for quite some time due to his appearance in the often mocked Holiday Special.
However, with further appearances in the wider canon, including in the Aftermath series, Lumpawaroo is very much still a part of this battle. The likelihood is, therefore, that Lumpy joined his father in battle, in a Wookie spacecraft similar to one we saw in the prequel trilogy.
HONDO OHNAKA
Hondo the space pirate is a fan favorite amongst audiences. After being introduced in the Clone Wars animated series, the quirky criminal has been used in all sorts of other media, including his latest appearance as part of Galaxy’s Edge in the Disney Parks.
With Hondo still in possession of his prized Crucible, which is shown as part of the film, clearly he has been persuaded by Lando to help the cause. He probably saw some kind of financial gain from defeating the Final Order and could be in for a big payday.
KETSU ONYO
There are always rumors circulating about any Star Wars project that major characters could return; especially the bounty hunter, Boba Fett. While Fett is not in this film, a Mandalorian by the name of Ketsu Onyo could actually be part of the battle.
She has been introduced in the animated series Rebels and has been well established as an ally against the Imperials. Her ship, the Shadow Caster, is seen as part of this fight, so it’s extremely probable that she’s helping the cause one last time.
CLONES
It’s rather ironic that the clones could have played a part in the downfall of the Empire for good, but there are a number of clone ships that have been included in this battle. While this could be a nod to the prequels, there’s also the possibility that clones are piloting them.
We’re not sure how old a clone can actually grow to, or whether there are even any clones left, however, we’d love to think a really old Captain Rex could be behind the controls of a cruiser. Regardless, of which clone it is, there might be at least one in this fight.
BALA-TIK
Bala-Tik isn’t exactly a household name, even amongst die-hard Star Wars fans, but he actually played an important part in the Force Awakens. He’s the leader of the Guavian Death Gang, who ambushed Han Solo and the gang on the Eravana.
The Eravana can be spotted in the battle, which Bala-Tik had taken over. There’s been speculation that someone else must have stolen this ship, however, there’s every possibility that the Resistance was just paying more for the Guavian Death Gang’s services.
HERA SYNDULLA
Hera is well known amongst fans for being one of the key characters in Star Wars Rebels. She survived the series and has actually been spotted in a few other live-action projects, including Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Hera captains The Ghost, which became largely the home of the characters in Rebels. It’s now a pretty recognizable ship and therefore easy to spot amongst the rest in the Rise of Skywalker battle. Perhaps Hera has come out of retirement for the Resistance.
BATTLE DROIDS
Battle droids were the largely useless villains of the prequel trilogy, however, they have since been modified and used in a variety of ways. Indeed, we’ve seen Mr Bones in Star Wars canon, a particularly dangerous and lethal battle droid.
With a number of Separatist ships featured in the final battle, we could be looking at a number of Droids that have been recommissioned and used to fight against the Final Order. This would provide the Resistance with a number of disposable soldiers very quickly.
JAS EMARI
Jas Emari also appeared in the Aftermath series and is a bounty hunter with loyalties to General Leia. If the call came, therefore, Emari would likely jump back into her ship and enter the fray without any concern for the consequences.
The niece of the Zabrak Sugi, also took possession of her Aunt’s ship, the Halo. While this cannot be seen as of yet in the conflict, a famous vessel like this is probably in there somewhere, with Jas Emari in the cockpit.
ACE SQUADRON
The Ace Squadron is one of the main teams in the animated Resistance show. The team has their loyalties with the Resistance, as you can tell from the name of the series and are actually in operation around the time of the rise of the First Order.
Their ship, the Colossus, has been spotted in this huge war and we can only assume therefore that this crack team of pilots have jumped straight into the conflict once more. It’s one of the many brilliant cameos that make up this astounding army.
