Star Wars: Why Luke & Leia’s Rise of Skywalker Flashback Was Cut Short

Luke and Leia’s now famous flashback scene in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was edited down for one major reason. As the final film in the Skywalker Saga, The Rise of Skywalker sees the family name continue in Rey, but it also pays tribute to the past, even revealing a never before seen moment of Luke training Leia to be a Jedi.

Originally, The Rise of Skywalker was going to have Leia be “the last Jedi” before Carrie Fisher’s tragic death. Director J.J Abrams found a way to rewrite the plot after Fisher’s passing, without neglecting Leia’s closing chapter. Abrams cleverly utilized unused footage of Fisher from Return of the Jedi to create a flashback scene where Luke and Leia train with lightsabers. The scene is quick, but extremely revealing for Leia’s character. Fans learned from the flashback that not only was Leia also training to be a Jedi, but she gave up pursuing the goal when she sensed that Han Solo and her’s son would perish if she continued on the Jedi journey.

In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, The Rise of Skywalker’s Stunt Coordinator Eunice Huthart elaborated on the Luke and Leia flashback scene, explaining that the fight choreography was originally more complicated, but Huthart understands why a majority of the scene had to be cut.

“I think it’s just that the story changed slightly. I think it didn’t fit the time length of the movie, because that scene was about a minute and 20 seconds. It was brought down to something like 20 seconds, so I did hear back that it was just for the time. The reason a lot of action doesn’t make the movie is because, if it’s not story related, they can’t use it to take time in the film. And to be honest, the fighting wasn’t story related. It was just the beat at the end, to let Luke know she was pregnant. So, the only bit that they held on to was the very end of it.”

Upon first viewing, the flashback scene between the Skywalker siblings is a welcome surprise. It’s a poignant tribute to see the young Princess Leia in action wielding a lightsaber (and especially when adding in the fact that Carrie Fisher’s daughter Billie Lourd was Fisher’s body double in the flashback scene.) While the major thrust of the movie’s plot is Rey defeating Palpatine and rejecting her bloodline, ultimately her final choice to take on the Skywalker name was the ultimate way of honoring Leia and Luke’s legacy. It would’ve been even better if the final movie could’ve explored Leia’s potential as a Jedi, but it was nice to be able to see Carrie Fisher one final time in a Star Wars movie regardless.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker debuted to mixed reviews from fans and critics alike last year. However, no fan can argue that the production team did a fantastic job paying tribute to Star Wars icon Carrie Fisher in spite of her untimely death. Star Wars films have graced the galaxy since 1977, and Luke and Leia (plus that scoundrel Han) are the heart and soul of the movies. Although it’ll be interesting to see where Star Wars films will venture next, it certainly won’t be the same without the Skywalkers.