Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Adaptation #4Star Warshas expanded Leia Organa and Han Solo’s final appearance with their newestRise of Skywalkeradaptation, making Ben Solo’s redemption even stronger. As seen in Marvel’s new graphic novel adaptation of Episode IX, several elements and new bits of dialogue have been incorporated that were seen in the movie’s theatrical release. This includes Leia’s last moments, as well as Ben Solo facing the memory of his father.
InStar Wars: The Rise of SkywalkerAdaptation #4, the third act of the movie has begun. Rey and Kylo Ren are dueling amid the crashing waves ofKef Bir at the site of the second Death Star’s wreckage, while Leia Organa has reached her final moments.Reaching out to her son with her last breaths, this new issue expands and improves Leia’s attempt at redeeming Ben, giving her a far more active role in her son’s redemption than the movie depicts.
Leia Organa’s New Lines Make Her Role in Ben Solo’s Redemption Even Stronger
Going Beyond The Movie’s Limitations
As manyStar Warsfans know, Carrie Fisher tragically passed away in 2016. This meant that her role as Leia Organa inRise of Skywalkerwas posthumously done through unused footage and dialogue fromThe Force AwakensandThe Last Jedi. While this wasa great way to keep Leia inRise of Skywalkerand honor Carrie Fisher’s work, it was not without its limitations.Case in point, all Leia says in the movie before her death is Ben’s name, reaching out before becoming one with the Force.
Of course,Rise of Skywalker Adaptation #4isn’t hindered by those same limitations, meaning Leia gets a much fuller role. Not only does she appear before Ben on Kef Bir, but she also gets to talk to her son, telling him it’s not too late to come home and that she’ll never give up on him.It’s a very powerful moment that gives Leia greater agency in Ben’s redemption, and one wishes we could have had these lines in the actual movie.
Han Solo and Ben Get A Small Addition Too
We Get To See Ben’s Internal Monologue With His Father
It’s also worth noting that Ben and Han Solo get a bit of an expanded interaction as well. After seeing his mother, Ben hesitated and dropped his lightsaber. This allowed Rey to grab the saber and stab Kylo Ren, only to realize too late that he’d paused in reaction to Leia’s death.After Rey uses the Force to heal Ben’s woundsand flees to Ahch-To, Solo is left to watch the crashing waves when he’s approached by the memory of his father.
Han and Ben’s interaction is largely the same as it’s shown on screen. Han encourages his son with the idea that while Kylo Ren is dead, Ben is still alive. He can subsequently help keep alive all that his mother believed in and fought for despite her own passing.
However, the comic uniquely shows the parallel between Ben and Han’s new encounter on Kef Bir and their last encounter on Starkiller Base whenKylo Ren killed Han inThe Force Awakens.However, the best part is getting to see Ben Solo’s internal monologue after Han says, “I know”. It effectively confirms Ben’s understanding that Han knew Ben always loved him, even in his corruption to the dark side.While a smaller expansion of their interaction compared to multiple new lines of dialogue before Leia’s death, both moments are a strong improvement on both Leia’s and Han’s final appearances in theStar Warstimeline.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Adaptation #4is on sale now from Marvel Comics.
