More than six years after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiered in theaters, Marvel Comics has now finished its comic book adaptation of the final Skywalker Saga film. Though the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Adaptation arrives quite late—the series was originally announced in 2020 and later canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic—it still brings fresh elements to the story. This adaptation includes scenes and dialogue absent from the film, including a major change that fans have long requested.
Continue reading to find out what key moment unfolds differently in the final issue, and why this alteration raises some intriguing questions.
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The Rise of Skywalker Adaptation's Biggest Change
Similar to the earlier novelization of The Rise of Skywalker, Marvel’s adaptation doesn't just replicate the film's plot—it adds new scenes and dialogue to expand upon the story. Issue #5 alone contains several significant changes. We finally see the message Lando transmits across the galaxy as he calls for an armada to fight the Sith Eternal fleet. We also witness Rey and Ben Solo communicating telepathically through the Force as their dyad bond grows stronger.
But the most significant change occurs during the pivotal scene where a battered but defiant Rey confronts her rejuvenated grandfather, Palpatine, in his Sith temple on Exegol. In the movie, Rey draws strength from hearing the voices of past Jedi—figures like Anakin and Luke Skywalker, Clone Wars-era heroes such as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luminara Unduli, and Mace Windu, as well as more recent favorites like Ahsoka Tano and Kanan Jarrus.
While that moment honors the enduring legacy of the Jedi, many fans were disappointed that these characters only appeared as voice cameos. The scene clearly leaves room for an array of Force Ghosts in the background, yet they never visibly appear. This is exactly where the comic corrects that shortcoming. Now, on Exegol, Rey is physically joined by the Force Ghosts themselves:
This makes the moment far more cinematic. It’s unfortunate the film didn't take this approach, though coordinating all the actors for a brief group shot would have been a logistical challenge.
This is not the only instance where Issue #5 inserts Force Ghosts into scenes that originally lacked them. During the post-battle celebration on Ajan Kloss, Luke and Leia appear to watch over their friends with pride and share some lighthearted sibling banter.
Director J.J. Abrams faced limitations with Leia’s role, given Carrie Fisher’s passing in 2016. Both the novelization and this comic are free from those constraints, allowing them to expand Leia's presence in the Sequel Trilogy’s conclusion.
The Mystery of Ahsoka Tano
As welcome as this Force Ghost scene is, it raises some puzzling questions. For instance, how are so many Jedi from the Prequel era able to appear at all? The Star Wars franchise has established that manifesting as a Force Ghost is not an innate Jedi ability—it requires special training, which Qui-Gon Jinn passed on to Yoda and Obi-Wan after his death. So why can figures like Mace Windu, Luminara Unduli, Aayla Secura, and Ki-Adi-Mundi now materialize? Is the Force relaxing its rules for this special occasion?
We’re also curious about the inconsistencies in their depicted ages. Why does Anakin appear in his Clone Wars-era prime, while Luke looks like the aged hermit from Ahch-To? And when has Obi-Wan's Force Ghost ever taken Ewan McGregor's form instead of Alec Guinness’s?
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But the most pressing question involves the ghostly cameo of Ahsoka Tano, whose fate during the Sequel Trilogy period remains ambiguous. Ashley Eckstein, who voiced Ahsoka in The Clone Wars and Rebels, recorded a line for the film (before Rosario Dawson was cast in the live-action role), but it was never confirmed whether that meant Ahsoka had died by that time. Dave Filoni has since cast doubt on that theory.
Should Ahsoka's appearance here be taken as a sign she is truly dead? Or is she merely projecting herself through the Force, just as Luke did in his final confrontation with Kylo Ren in The Last Jedi? It may be some time before Lucasfilm gives a definitive answer. For now, Ahsoka’s story after Return of the Jedi is still developing. Dawson will return as Ahsoka in the upcoming second season of Star Wars: Ahsoka, and she is expected to play a key role in Filoni’s upcoming live-action Star Wars movie.
What are your thoughts on the changes made in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Adaptation? Do you think they improve the overall story? Let us know in the comments. And get ready by catching up on all the Star Wars movies and series currently in development.
