Rise of Skywalker end credits are littered with Star Wars voice cameos – Polygon, Polygon

  

The Rise of Skywalkertouted a marquee cast: Daisy Ridley,Oscar Isaac, and John Boyega returning as the core team. Billy Dee Williams back as Lando Calrissian. Carrie Fisher resuming her regal role as General Organa thanks tothe magic of Star Wars deleted scenes.Keri Russell, a J.J. Abrams favorite since theFelicitydays, under a Boba Fett-like mask to play Zorri Bliss. The list goes on – and on and on and on.

Star Wars is the kind of property where name actors don’t mind filling small but important roles. TakeLord of the RingsandLoststar Dominic Monaghan, who shows up as a Resistance fighter whokinda sorta knows how the Emperor came back to life.Then there are the straight cameos: inRise,Hamiltoncreator Lin-Manuel Miranda and longtime franchise composer John Williams both pop up in blink-and-you’ll-miss them moments , just because.

But perhaps the most fulfilling, inspired bit of cameo casting comes at the very end ofThe Rise of Skywalker, at a key moment that isdefinitelyspoiler territory.

[Ed. note:the rest of this post contains major spoilers forRise of Skywalker.]

As Rey stands down the Emperor in his dark chamber on Exegol, tempted to strike him down, the good-hearted warrior hears the voices of Jedi past.

“These are your final steps, Rey. Rise and take them. ”

Like Korra in theAvatar: The Last AirbenderspinoffThe Legend of Korra, Rey is not only the obvious candidate to lead a new generation of Jedi, she’s literally possessing the power of every Jedi who walked before her. And as she faces her greatest enemy, her predecessors whisper words of encouragement through the ether. Some of the Jedi are recognizable. Others a viewer would only know if they’d kept up with the last decade of animated Star Wars television. Here’s a rundown of the surprising voices we hear in this key scene.

  

                        **********************)

**************              

                      Image: Lucasfilm Ltd.******************              ************************** Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker

Though replaced by beloved voice actor Matt Lanter inThe Clone WarsTV series, Christensen returns to his role as Brooding Older Anakin Skywalker to remind Rey that the Force “surrounds” her. It’s the first time he has appeared in a Star Wars movie sinceRevenge of the Sith(unless you count his Force ghost in re-edits of (Return of the Jedi).

Christensen’s work as Anakin was not terribly well received, and in (************************************************************************************************************************************************, He took a four-year break from acting.

“I guess I felt like I had this great thing” inStar Warsthat provided all these opportunities and gave me a career, but it all kind of felt a little too handed to me, ”Christensen told (Los Angeles Timesin (*****************************************************************************************************************************************, while promoting the religious dramaMinutes in Heaven. “I didn’t want to go through life feeling like I was just riding a wave.”

                          (***************************************************               

                      Image: Lucasfilm Ltd.******************              (Olivia d’Abo as Olivia d’Abo). Luminara Unduli

despite deepening Star Wars canon since 2011, the mythology of creator Dave Filoni’sThe Clone Warshas rarely crossed over into Lucasfilm’s theatrical blockbusters.Rogue Onewas a milestone, casting Forrest Whitaker to play a live-action version of Saw Gerrera and featuring a cameo by the Ghost, the main ship fromStar Wars: Rebels. Rise of Skywalkerbrings the connections to the canonical animated universe to the Skywalker Saga for the first time, featuring a line-reading from Olivia d’Abo, who breathed life into Luminara after she appeared silently inAttack of the Clones.

  

                          (************************

**************************              

                      Image: Lucasfilm Ltd

             ******************************************Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano

There is no bigger Star Wars fan favorite who has never to set foot on the big screen than Ahsoka. The padawan of Anakin Skywalker, the character was the lifeblood ofThe Clone Warsand later appeared onStar Wars Rebelsto help guide the young Jedi wannabe, Ezra. (Both shows arenow on Disney Plus

, so no excuses.) When or if Ahsoka would appear in a movie has been a sticking point for fans, though they’d have a hard time separating Ashley Eckstein’s vibrant voicework from whoever might play her in a live-action setting. While we’ll hold out for aMandalorianappearance, her voice cameo inThe Rise of Skywalkeris a bit heartbreaking. AfterRebels, it was unclear what happened to Ahsoka, but by the time the First Order crumbles, we know she’s passed on.

  

                        (****************************************************              

                      Image: Lucasfilm Ltd.******************              **********************************************

Jennifer Hale as Aayla Secura

If you’ve spent an inordinate time looking at background shots of Jedi battles, you know Aayla Secura, who appeared in bothAttack of the ClonesandRevenge of the Sith. Dave Filoni and his team ofClone Warswriters carved out more backstory and adventures for the Rutian Twi’lek, but Aalya is especially notable for not being a creation of George Lucas . She first appeared in Dark Horse Comics ’Star Wars: Republic, only becoming modern canon through her inclusion in the prequel films. Hale, who played her onClone Wars, keeps the legacy of the character going into the sequel trilogy.

         

               **********************************************              

                      Image: Lucasfilm Ltd.******************              ************************************************** Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu********************

If viewers could pick out any of Rey’s motivators’ voices, it’s probably Jackson’s, who along with being a force of god on screen, has a reputation for great voiceover. After narratingInglorious Basterdsfor longtime accomplice Quentin Tarantino, the actor delivered Oscar-worthy work speaking the words of James Baldwin in the recent documentaryI Am Not Your Negro. The man cantalk.

Mace Windu had a life after the prequel trilogy, with Terrence C. Carson performing the role onThe Clone Warsfor years. But in a recent interview with Stephen Colbert

, Jackson he’d be interesting in returning to the role. “I’d really love to get one more run at Mace Windu in Star Wars,” he said. Lucasfilm, are you listening?

  

                        **********************               

                      Image: Lucasfilm Ltd.******************              

Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi

No one in all of the Star Wars galaxy matched the concentrated charisma of McGregor, so it’s not surprising that Disney and Lucasfilm are actually giving the actor one more run in his old Jedi robes. August, Lucasfilm formally announced that Ewan McGregor, who filled the shoes of Alec Guinness in Lucas’ prequel films,

would return to the Star Wars universe in a new Obi-Wan TV series for Disney Plus

. We’re already dreaming of the possibilities

, and his voice cameo inRise of Skywalkeronly got us more pumped.

  

                         

() ************               

                      Image: Lucasfilm Ltd.******************              

Frank Oz as Yoda********************************* OK, we take that back about Sam Jackson: there’s no Star Wars voice more recognizable than Muppet veteran Frank Oz’s elderly Yoda voice. After appearing in the rubber flesh forThe Last Jedi, the OG Yoda returned to inspire Rey in theRise of Skywalker‘s pivotal scene.

(Fun fact: veteran voice actor Tom Kane assumed the role forThe Clone WarsTV series, and while there wasn’t room to squeeze him into the voice-heavyEpisode IXscene, he already has a place in the sequel trilogy pantheon: He picked up the role of Admiral Ackbar after original actor Erik Bauersfeld passed away.

                         ************************              

                      Image: Lucasfilm Ltd.******************              ************************************************************************

Angelique Perrin as Adi Gallia

Like Aayla Secura, Adi Gallia was a Jedi who appeared on screen in the prequel trilogy but didn ‘ t have much to do. Unlike Aayla Secura, the Adi of theClone Warsseries is, like her live-action counterpart, played by a woman of color. Angelique Perrin, who most recently voiced characters inCannon Busters, voiced the role over seven animated episodes and returned forThe Rise of Skywalker.

  

                        (************************ () ****************************************              

                      Image: Lucasfilm Ltd.******************              **************************************************************************** Freddie Prinze Jr. as Kanan Jarrus

Easily the biggest surprise to any millennial Star Wars fan who did not keep up with the animated expanded universe, formerShe’s All ThatandSummer Catchheartthrob Freddie Prinze Jr. pops up for a second inRise of Skywalker’s aural Jedi collage. We don’t want to spoil too much ofRebelsfor the uninitiated, but Kanan is the rare mix of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, a Jedi who put down his saber for a blaster and life as a smuggler after his brethren were killed in Order

. His story inRebelswill pull your heartstrings, making his inclusion inRise of Skywalkeremotional for a certain sliver of fans.

  

         

                (**************************              

                      Image; Lucasfilm Ltd.             ******************************************************************************** Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn

(Last but not least, Neeson’s formidablePhantom MenaceJedi returns to the sequel trilogy to hep Rey battle a villain he did not live long enough to know as a villain. While Qui-Gon’s untimely death at the hand of Darth Maul kept him out of the main narratives ofThe Clone Wars, he did appear as a Force Ghost to instruct his former padawan Obi-Wan. And unlike most of the prequel trilogy actors, Neeson actually

returned to play him.

(******************************************************************************************

******************************************************************************** ******************************************************************************** Read More********************************************************************************** (************************************************************************************************