A teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of the Skywalker received buzz this weekend when it was screened at Disney’s D23 conference, and now the footage has been released online. Among other intriguing scenes from Episode IX, it shows the series protagonist Rey wielding a red lightsaber and generally looking rather dark side-esque.
We glimpse Rey ready to lock lightsabers with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) in a showdown that mirrors the Star Wars poster image released over the weekend. And at another point, the camera holds on a dark-hooded Rey as she turns on a double-sided red lightsaber — a moment that had “Dark Rey” trending on Twitter. The contrast is stark; earlier, we see her wield a blue lightsaber in the brightly lit woods.
From there the focus shifts to the Force users. Rey slices through trees with her lightsaber, and we see a brief look of Rey’s duel with Kylo Ren from the poster released over the weekend. After an ominous voice says “Your journey nears its end,” the final shot shows Rey in black robes and wielding a dual-bladed red lightsaber–telltale signs of a Sith. There are a variety of theories to explain Rey’s appearance, including the idea that she could be a clone or that it’s simply a dream or vision.
