Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Art Reveals Iconic Location Was Considered For Rey & Kylo Ren Fight

By Aeron Mer Eclarinal Posted:
Rise of Skywalker logo, Daisy Ridley as Rey, Coruscant

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker brought a compelling end to the Skywalker Saga, but it's clear that the divisive reaction to Disney's sequel trilogy still hounds the film up to this day. Directed by JJ Abrams, The Rise of Skywalker had a massive responsibility of bringing the Skywalker Saga to a satisfying finish , but the film's attempt for fan service and reversing plot points from The Last Jedi earned criticisms from Star Wars fans.

Still, The Rise of Skywalker had its fair share of positive points, and a good chunk of it was centered on the unique dynamic between Rey and Kylo Ren. The pair's Force Dyad was brought to the forefront in Episode IX , and it provided a whole new perspective of how the mysterious Force works in the galaxy far, far, away.

Given its unexpected nature, the personal connection that is transmitted through the Force Dyad was able to give an added layer of thrill for the audience. As a result, Rey and Kylo Ren's battles throughout the sequel trilogy became a must-see, with The Last Jedi even showcasing an unexpected team-up between the two characters.

Now, a newly-released piece of concept art offers a different look at a pivotal scene between the two Force users from The Rise of Skywalker.

NEWS

Star Wars concept artist Adam Brockbank shared an alternate look at Rey and Kylo Ren's intense face-off during Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker . The concept art showed that the scene was supposed to happen on Coruscant instead of Pasaana.

That moment... but on a devastated Coruscant. Development stage concept...
#starwars #artofriseofskywalker #starwarsconceptart #conceptart #conceptartenvironment #dyad #reylo

Based on the concept art above, it's clear that Coruscant still played a major role in the sequel trilogy at one point. To recap, Coruscant was the home of the Jedi Order during the prequels, but not much was known about what happened to the planet after the events of Revenge of the Sith .

Given this reveal, it seems that Coruscant turned into an abandoned wasteland, which doesn't bode well for its previous inhabitants. Still, previous reports may help explain how Rey and Kylo Ren ended up on the famous Star Wars planet.

Originally, Colin Trevorrow was supposed to helm Episode IX of Disney's sequel trilogy, but plans fell through at the last minute. In Trevorrow's original plan, Coruscant was the base of operations of the First Order. It remains to be seen if this image was from Trevorrow's Duel of the Fates , but it's likely since there were already previous pieces of concept art that emerged online.

Whatever the case, it's nice to see an entirely different look of Rey and Kylo Ren's battle, and it's essentially fitting to see the pair duke it out on the planet that has heavy ties to the Jedi Order.

- About The Author: Aeron Mer Eclarinal
Aeron is a news/features writer and Content Lead for The Direct who has been working for the site since March 2020. From writing about the inter-connectivity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to having an extended knowledge about DC TV's Arrowverse, Aeron's expertise has since expanded into the realm of reality TV, K-drama, animated, and live-action shows from Netflix,  Disney+, Prime Video, MGM+, Peacock, Paramount+, and Max. When he isn't writing and watching all things MCU, Aeron is heavily invested with the NBA (go Celtics!) and occasionally watches thrilling matches in the WWE.