What was Zorii Bliss doing before her movie debut in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker? Despite being the final installment of the Skywalker saga, 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker introduced a selection of newcomers to the iconic movie franchise. There was Jannah, who may or may not be Lando Calrissian’s daughter, Beaumont Kin, General Pryde and, of course, Babu Frik. Ever since its theatrical premiere, The Rise of Skywalker has been criticized for trying to cram too much into its run time, and for not fully explaining some of the concepts introduced, such as Palpatine’s resurrection and the Force dyad. In a similar vein, many characters are given very limited screen time, including the aforementioned Kin and The Last Jedi‘s Rose Tico.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

Another new character who suffers from under-development in The Rise of Skywalker is Zorii Bliss, played by Keri Russell. Bliss first appears when Rey, Poe and the gang arrive on Kijimi, looking for a way to translate the Sith writing etched onto an ancient dagger. Although Bliss accosts the Resistance faithful at first, she soon directs them to Frik who is able to reboot C-3PO and allow the dagger’s secrets to be revealed. While Bliss takes a distanced approach to helping the Resistance, it transpires that she and Poe have a shared history of spice running in the Star Wars world, and she wasn’t talking about oregano. Eventually Bliss comes good and is piloting one of the many ships in the Battle of Exegol.

As is often the way in the Star Wars universe, Bliss’ film appearance only scratched the surface of her character. Although his parents were proud members of the Rebel Alliance, Poe struggled with the death of his mother, Shara Bey, and struck out on his own, eventually landing on the planet Kijimi and falling in with the spice running gang operating there. With his piloting skills and natural commanding aura, Poe quickly became the group’s leader and, according to The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary, struck up a romantic relationship with fellow runner, Zorii Bliss. This was hinted at in the actual movie, but the extent of the pair’s relationship wasn’t explicit.

After coming out of his teenage rebellion phase, Poe decided to follow in his parents’ footsteps and fight for the New Republic. The Spice Runners of Kijimi didn’t necessarily support Poe’s career choice, as his departure left them to deal with Kijimi’s impending occupation by the First Order alone. Presumably because she was closest to Poe, Zorii Bliss took over from her former lover as the spice running gang’s new leader and attempted to navigate them through tough times under First Order rule. When Poe returns to Kijimi in The Rise of Skywalker, this resentment and ill-feeling spills over after years of going unsaid. During her time leading the Spice Runners of Kijimi, Bliss dwelt mainly in the planet’s Thieves’ Quarter, which was once occupied by the Brotherhood of the Beatific Countenance, a religious outfit introduced in Rogue One. The heavily robed followers of the Force abandoned the area purely because of the prevalent spice running, leading to the formation of Thieves’ Quarter.

While details of Zorii Bliss’ pre-movie existence are scant for now, her backstory and relationship with Poe will no doubt be detailed further in the upcoming Poe Dameron: Free Fall novel by Alex Segura. And there are certainly many questions still to be answered about Bliss. Unlike Poe, it’s still not clear what brought Bliss to the Spice Runners of Kijimi. Her redemption in The Rise of Skywalker betrays a good heart, so why was Bliss a common criminal for so long? Furthermore, what’s the story behind Bliss’ ever-present helmet and unique costume? Despite being a organic character, Bliss looks almost droid-like at a glance. Could she possibly have any connection to fellow morally-gray helmet fans, the Mandalorians? On a more personal level, why did Zorii not leave Kijimi with Poe, and how badly did the pilot’s departure go down with his former smuggler friends?

Daniel Radcliffe Reveals His Top 3 Celebrity Crushes

About The Author


Craig Elvy
(3623 Articles Published)

See also  Where Are They Now? The Cast Of Parenthood

Craig first began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016, several years after graduating college, and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a darkened room. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig’s interest soon turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally came into its own.
Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS.

Since joining the Screen Rant fold, Craig has been involved in breaking news stories and mildly controversial ranking lists, but now works predominantly as a features writer.
Jim Carrey is Craig’s top acting pick and favorite topics include superheroes, anime and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy.

More From Craig Elvy