Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker final trailer teases Rey’s emotional reunion with Leia on Carrie Fisher’s birthday

THE final trailer for Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker has been released - and teaser Rey's emotional return with Princess Leia.

Returning stars Rey (Daisy Ridley), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), Finn (John Boyega), Poe (Oscar Isaac), C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and BB-8 all feature heavily in the newly-released teaser.

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Rey's potential Skywalker connections are in focus as she continues her mastery of the Force.

“People keep telling me they know me... no one does,” she says cryptically.

Another shot shows an emotional embrace with Princess Leia, made all the more poignant since actress Carrie Fisher's passing.

It's presumed some unused footage from The Force Awakens was used - and the trailer was released last night on what would have been Carrie's 63rd birthday.

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Star Wars 9, directed by JJ Abrams, will focus on the reformation of the Resistance in the wake of major casualties against the First Order and Kylo Ren in The Last Jedi (2017).

Elsewhere in the trailer, fans are treated to high-octane lightsaber duels, as Rey comes face-to-face with Darth Vader amid the wreckage of a space ship.

Other names to make appearances include the likes of Maz Kanata (Lupita ​Nyong’o), General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson), Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) and Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo).

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There are even some returning faces from the original films, with Billy Dee Williams reprising the role of Lando Calrissian, along with Denis Lawson who plays Wedge Antilles, Luke's rogue squadron co-founder.

Ian McDiarmid's return as the nefarious Palpatine has also been confirmed.

Abrams recently said of wrapping up the saga, which has spanned five dacades: ";This is about bringing this thing to a close in a way that is emotional and meaningful and also satisfying in terms of actually answering [as many] questions as possible.

"So if years from now, someone’s watching these movies, all nine of them, they’re watching a story that is as cohesive as possible."

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Unsurprisingly, the footage went down a treat on social media, with fans of the franchise fizzing over with excitement.

"Already know I'm going to be seeing this at least ten times," one gushed on social media.

"Who cares about Christmas when you've got Star Wars?!" another joked.

Elsewhere in the world of Star Wars, spin-off series The Mandalorian had it's release schedule announced yesterday.

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Star Wars droid C-3PO got fans wired and emotional as the trailer suggested he’s for the scrapheap.
It shows a tiny alien working on his circuits as Daisy Ridley’s Jedi character Rey looks on.
C-3PO then says he is “taking one last look . . . at my friends”. One fan tweeted: “The new trailer got me all emotional.”

Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker reaches cinemas on 16 December 2019.

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