Warning! MAJOR SPOILERS for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ahead.
In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Rey hears the voices of several Jedi as she seeks their guidance during her final fight with Emperor Palpatine. The big bad from both the prequel and original Star Wars trilogies, Palpatine’s return in The Rise of Skywalker cements him as the ultimate villain of the Skywalker saga. And as the last remaining Jedi, it’s up to Rey to defeat him once and for all.
During the climactic battle in The Rise of Skywalker, Palpatine has Rey on the ropes and all hope of saving the galaxy seems lost. In that moment, Rey reaches out for help through the Force and hears the many voices of all the Jedi who came before her.
These voices of the dead Jedi come to Rey in her time of need and bestow on her the strength she needs to rise and defeat Palpatine. Some of the dead Jedi heard are people all fans will recognize, while some are more obscure Jedi who’ve appeared outside of the main movies. Here’s every Jedi voice Rey hears in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, who they are, and what they say.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
“These are your final steps, Rey. Rise and take them… Rey… Rise.”
The first voice Rey hears when she connects with the Force is that of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi Master to both Anakin and Luke Skywalker. He dies during a duel with his former apprentice Anakin, now Darth Vader, sacrificing himself so that Luke and others can escape the Death Star in A New Hope. Later films would see him return to mentor Luke as a Force Ghost, an ability that allows a Jedi to retain their consciousness after death and one he learns from his since deceased master, Qui-Gon Jinn. In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Obi-Wan is also one of the voices Rey hears during the Force vision she experiences when she first touches Luke’s lightsaber.
In Star Wars: The Force Awakens‘ Obi-Wan cameo, the line is mostly spoken by Ewan McGregor – the actor who portrays Obi-Wan in the three Star Wars prequels and will again in the Disney+ Obi-Wan series – but there is a small piece of audio taken from Sir Alec Guinness’ performance as the character from the three original trilogy films mixed in, creating a moment in where both Obi-Wans are heard in the line, “Rey… these are your first steps.” They achieved this by pulling the sound “Rey” out of a recording of Guinness saying “Afraid.” It’s a neat trick that gets repeated for the scene of Rey hearing the Jedi voices in The Rise of Skywalker, with McGregor again speaking most of Obi-Wan’s lines, but with the second utterance of “Rey” coming from Guinness.
Anakin Skywalker
“Rey… Bring back the balance, Rey, as I did… The Force surrounds you, Rey… Let it lift you.”
The next Jedi voice Rey hears is that of Anakin Skywalker, Luke and Leia’s father, Ben’s grandfather, and the prophesied Chosen One who fell to the dark side and became Darth Vader. He dies in Return of the Jedi after saving Luke by killing Emperor Palpatine – an act of redemption that ultimately returns Anakin to the light and brings balance to the Force, fulfilling the Chosen One prophecy. He later appears to Luke as Force Ghost alongside Obi-Wan and Yoda, confirming that in death Anakin is once again a Jedi.
The sequel trilogy hasn’t been all that concerned with Darth Vader or Anakin Skywalker, but in having him speak to Rey in The Rise of Skywalker, it’s finally recognizing that Anakin was no longer Vader when he died. His dialogue in this scene – spoken by Hayden Christensen, the actor who portrayed Anakin across the prequel trilogy films – is also a reminder that Anakin did manage to balance to the Force when he killed Palpatine the first time. Unfortunately, that balance has been undone by Palpatine’s return, so Anakin implores Rey to “Bring back the balance,” as he once did.
Ahsoka Tano
“Rey.”
Following Anakin is, appropriately, his apprentice, Ahsoka Tano. She made her debut in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, an animated film set between Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, and continued her journey as Anakin’s apprentice on The Clone Wars animated series. Ahsoka becomes a formidable Jedi, but an incident in where she is framed for murder leads to her becoming disillusioned with the Jedi and she later leaves the order. She is last seen in the final scene of the animated series, Star Wars Rebels, leaving for the Unknown Regions shortly after the Battle of Endor.
Ahsoka’s small cameo in The Rise of Skywalker – performed by actress Ashley Eckstein – marks the first time the character has ever been included in a live-action Star Wars movie. It may also, sadly, confirm that Ahsoka is dead by the time of the film since every other voice featured in the scene comes from a known deceased Jedi. But if that’s true, then the scene also confirms Ahsoka did, at least spiritually, rejoin the Jedi order.
Kanan Jarrus
“Rey… In the heart of a Jedi lies their strength.”
The next Jedi voice Rey hears is that of Kanan Jarrus, one of the few Jedi who survived Order 66 and lived in secret, hiding his true name, Caleb Dume. He is a lead character on the animated show, Star Wars Rebels and dies during the events of that series – which is set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope – while protecting his Padawan, lover, and friends from a devastating explosion. Kanan never appears as Force Ghost after his death, but he does manage to somewhat manifest his will through a pack of Loth wolves and assist his Padawan, Ezra Bridger, in driving the Empire off the planet, Lothal. Kanan’s voice is performed by actor Freddie Prinze Jr., and in the scene of Rey hearing the voices of previous Jedi in The Rise of Skywalker, he delivers one of the more prominent lines.
Luminara Unduli
“The light. Find the light, Rey.”
Another of the Jedi voices Rey hears during The Rise of Skywalker is that of Luminara Unduli, a Jedi Master during the Clone Wars who is killed by Order 66. Her death doesn’t appear on screen, but it is later revealed that after her execution, the Empire uses her remains to trick other Jedi into believing she’s still alive and lure them into a trap. One of these Jedi is Kanan, who after escaping capture, helps to spread the word of Luminara’s death in order to stop any other surviving Jedi from falling into the Empire’s trap. Luminara appears in both Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (portrayed by Mary Oyaya and Fay David, respectively), but it isn’t until the animated Clone Wars series that she’s given spoken lines. In that series, actress Olivia D’Abo plays Luminara and she also provides her voice for the scene with Rey in The Rise of Skywalker.
Qui-Gon Jinn
“Every Jedi who ever lived, lives in you… We stand behind you, Rey… Rise.”
Of all the voices Rey hears in this scene from The Rise of Skywalker, that of Qui-Gon Jinn may be the most important seeing as he is the Jedi who first discovers how to preserve his consciousness after death. First appearing in Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace, he dies in a duel with Darth Maul and with his dying breath asks his Padawan, Obi-Wan, to train Anakin. Qui-Gon later speaks to Yoda from beyond the grave, explaining he has learned how to retain his will upon becoming one with the Force. In time, he teaches this ability to Yoda, who (along with Qui-Gon) teaches it to Obi-Wan. However, since he only came to learn this ability after death, Qui-Gon is not able to manifest as a Force Ghost but only a disembodied voice.
In The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon is played by Liam Neeson, and the actor has returned to provide the disembodied voice of Qui-Gon on the animated series, The Clone Wars, and here again in The Rise of Skywalker. Presumably, it’s even possible Neeson may return for the Disney+ Obi-Wan series, where he could be heard continuing to train his former apprentice in the ways of living on in the Force.
Aayla Secura
“Let it guide you.”
Another of the voices Rey hears when connecting with the past Jedi is that of Aayla Secura, a Jedi who took part in the Clone Wars and is killed during Order 66. Unlike Luminara, Aayla’s death is portrayed on screen in Revenge of the Sith when she is gunned down by her own squadron of Clone Troopers. However, very much like Luminara, Aayla’s role in the prequel trilogy films is a minor, non-speaking one (she is portrayed by Lucasfilm employee, Amy Allen), and not until the animated Clone Wars series would her character receive a voice. Performed by Jennifer Hale, she returns to voice Aayla in this scene from The Rise of Skywalker, urging Rey to let the Force guide her.
Mace Windu
“Feel the Force flowing through you, Rey.”
A Jedi who hardly needs an introduction, the next voice Rey hears in The Rise of Skywalker is that of Mace Windu, a Jedi Master who sat on the Council during the Clone Wars. He dies prior to Order 66 and at the hands of Palpatine himself in Revenge of the Sith, hurled from the window of Palpatine’s office by Force lightning. Windu had become suspicious of then-Chancellor Palpatine, but when he and his fellow Jedi confronted him it was already too late, and the Sith Lord’s plans to corrupt Anakin and establish the Galactic Empire were already in motion. Samuel L. Jackson plays Mace across all three of the prequel trilogy film and can be heard speaking to Rey in this scene.
Adi Gallia
“Rise, Rey.”
The last of the female Jedi who Rey hears from in The Rise of Skywalker is Adi Gallia, another Jedi on the High Council who served during the Clone Wars. She is killed by Savage Opress, the brother of Darth Maul, while on a mission with Obi-Wan during the animated series, The Clone Wars. In The Phantom Menace, Adi is played by Gin Clarke, but Angelique Perrin provides her voice on The Clone Wars and does so again in this scene from The Rise of Skywalker.
Yoda
“Rise in the Force, Rey.”
Perhaps the most distinct Jedi voice Rey hears is that of Yoda, the Jedi Master who at one point trains just about every Jedi, from Qui-Gon to Luke Skywalker. He dies a peaceful death during the Return of the Jedi while in the company of Luke on Dagobah, the remote planet he exiles himself to at the end of Revenge of the Sith. There he mourns the many Jedi who die because of Order 66 and grapples with his guilt over not sensing that Palpatine was the Sith Lord all along. It’s also there that Luke is instructed to find him by Obi-Wan, needing the Jedi Master’s tutelage in order to complete his training. Yoda later appears as a Force Ghost alongside Obi-Wan and a redeemed Anakin at the end of Return of the Jedi, and he appears again to Luke in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, imparting one final lesson to his student.
Yoda is considered to be one of the most powerful Jedi who ever lived, but even he was blind to Palpatine’s true intentions. In speaking to Rey through the Force in this scene from The Rise of Skywalker – and as always, voiced by irreplaceable Frank Oz – Yoda makes amends for his earlier failings and helps her to do what he could not: defeat the Sith.
Luke Skywalker
“Rey, the Force will be with you. Always.”
The final Jedi voice Rey hears is that of Luke Skywalker, the son of Anakin, twin brother to Leia Organa, and the Jedi who first instructs Rey in the ways of the Force. Luke dies in The Last Jedi after exerting all of his energy to Force project himself across the galaxy to duel Kylo Ren and buy the Resistance time to escape. His death is another peaceful one and done with purpose, but with his death, Rey is last Jedi left to face Palpatine. Luke himself was in a similar situation during the original Star Wars trilogy when he was the galaxy’s last hope and the only Jedi left to fight Palpatine the first time around. He succeeds by helping his father turn from the dark side, with Vader once again becoming Anakin and with his last act, kills Palpatine – or so it was thought.
With Palpatine’s return, Luke also returns as a Force Ghost to council Rey in The Rise of Skywalker, helping her to accept not only that she is the granddaughter of Palpatine, but that it’s up to her to defeat him once and for all. Luke words are the last she hears before Rey rises to face Palpatine, channeling all the Jedi who came before her and now firmly focused on the task of ending the Sith.
Full Text Of Jedi Voices In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Obi-Wan Kenonbi: “These are your final steps, Rey. Rise, and take them.“
Anakin Skywalker: “Rey.”
Ahsoka Tano: “Rey.”
Kanan Jarrus: “Rey.”
Anakin: “Bring back the balance, Rey, as I did.“
Luminara Unduli: “The light. Find the light, Rey.“
Qui-Gon Jinn: “Every Jedi who ever lived, lives in you.“
Anakin: “The Force surrounds you, Rey.“
Aayla Secura: “Let it guide you.“
Mace Windu: “Feel the Force flowing through you, Rey.“
Anakin: “Let it lift you.“
Adi Galia: “Rise, Rey.“
Qui-Gon: “We stand behind you, Rey.“
Obi-Wan: “Rey.”
Yoda: “Rise in the Force, Rey.“
Kanan: “In the heart of a Jedi lies their strength.“
Obi-Wan: “Rise.”
Qui-Gon: “Rise.”
Luke Skywalker: “Rey, the Force will be with you. Always.“
- Star Wars 9 / Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)Release date: Dec 20, 2019
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