Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was full of easter eggs and cameos of fan favorites for every to enjoy (and tear up over). But just because Rise of Skywalker did a good job of tugging at fan heartstrings doesn’t mean a few fan favorites weren’t missing from the lineup.
There was never going to be a way to include every long lost and much-loved character from the Star Wars cinematic universe, but even still, fans had a lot hope for their favorites to get a chance to shine. Here are just a few faces it would have been very fun to see in the finale of the Skywalker Saga.
Max Rebo
One of the most notorious costumed aliens of the original trilogy was blue keyboard band member, Max Rebo. The Rise of Skywalker was a little serious and didn’t have much time for music (unlike Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens) but it still would have been cool to see even a poster of the famed galactic musician.
We could certainly see new fan-favorite Babu Frik being a fan and maybe keeping some paraphernalia around his work station on Kijimi.
Boba Fett
Star Wars: Battlefront made it official in Disney canon that our favorite bounty hunter, Mando, exempt, of course, survived his run-in with the Sarlacc Pit in Return of the Jedi. With this in mind, it would have been cool to see him somewhere in Rise of Skywalker.
Maybe Zorri Bliss could have just name-dropped him when talking to Poe about their old smuggling days. There was no such luck in theaters, unfortunately. But Star Wars fans will continue to wait for the original Mandalorian to make his comeback on screen someday.
Anakin Skywalker
Every other force using relative of Ben Solo’s gets to make an appearance but the original force father figure only gets a tiny little voice over as Rey prepares to take down Emperor Palpatine once and for all.
While Luke gets to appear prominently, Anakin doesn’t get to even wave at his grandson as he helps save the galaxy? It seems like a little bit of a missed opportunity, especially if he was getting a voice-over anyway. Movies are a visual medium and seeing Anakin would have resonated.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
The same way there was always hope for an Anakin appearance there was also hope for a little Obi-Wan screen time as well. Ewan McGregor, like Hayden Christensen, was pulled in for some voice over work as Rey becomes “all the Jedi,” but again, we never see his smiling face.
With an Obi-Wan television series planned for Disney+ soon, it would have been awesome, as well as excellent cross-promotion, to see a little bit of Obi-Wan one more time on the big screen before he hits the small screen.
Yoda
Here is the third and last of the voice-over characters who would have made sense showing their faces in the Skywalker saga finale. Yoda has already set a precedent as a force ghost in the new trilogy by appearing to Luke in The Last Jedi. Rey even returns to Ahch-To, where Luke was hiding out and Yoda had made his appearance, but it is only Luke who steps out to say hello.
Rey doesn’t have a Yoda encounter until the voices come to her on Exegol. Sure, it made sense for Luke and Rey to have a one on one heart to heart, but that doesn’t change the fact that the fandom has always had a soft spot for the little green Jedi.
Lobot
One of the greatest returning characters was, no question, Billy Dee Williams’, Lando Calrissian. There were cheers in the theater when Lando pulled off his disguise to reveal himself to Rey, Poe, Finn, and the audience on Pasaana. What fans did not get to see or cheer for was Lando’s long ago sidekick, Lobot.
Lobot was always there on cloud city to aide Lando and easily contact the city central computer from that fancy technology wrapped around his head. Unfortunately, it seems Lando has been working solo for some time.
Temiri Blagg (Broom Boy)
The name may not sound familiar, but the image certainly should be. Temiri is the young boy from Canto Bight in The Last Jedi.
Temiri assists Rose and Finn in their escape from the casino and, even more importantly, closes the movie by calling a broom to him with the force. That shot alone seemed to highlight his importance if not as a character then certainly as a symbol. We got to see old favorites like Wicket the Ewok celebrating the end of the Sith at the end of Rise of Skywalker but we never do get to see Broom Boy again.
Rose Tico
We know Kelly Marie Tran’s Resistance mechanic does technically appear in The Rise of Skywalker, but it has not gone unnoticed by the public that her role in the film has not only diminished since her appearance in The Last Jedi but has become almost non-existent. Perhaps she is not a part of the “new trio” but Lost star, Dominic Monaghan seems to appear on screen more often than Rose, and that’s unacceptable.
Did Finn ever admit he had feelings for Rose? Did Rose ever get the credit she deserved for saving him and, after seeing how important he was in The Rise of Skywalker, thus saving the entire Resistance? Fans will never know.
Baby Yoda
Admit it, even if you have not seen The Mandalorian on Disney+ you have seen, heard of, and know who Baby Yoda is. You should also admit that you sort of kind of wanted to see him in some background shot waddling or smiling. This fan service would have fit in just as well as Chewie finally getting his medal and Wedge fighting alongside his Rebel mates once again.
Could Baby Yoda’s appearance have been distracting and hurt the film? Of course not, he’s Baby Yoda, and everything he does improves everything around it.
General Organa
There’s nothing anyone could do to add more General Organa to the final film in the Skywalker Saga. Carrie Fisher’s passing in 2016 forever altered the course of the series, one that had long planned to feature her in its final installment. While fans appreciate and love what was able to be included of Fisher’s performance, they will always wonder what more might have been for the actress, the star, and the series if General Organa had been able to do everything she wanted to in the movie.
