‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’: Fans Bring Up ‘Rogue One’ to Prove You Don’t Need a Kiss to End a Movie
Much of the controversy surrounding Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stems from a kiss. Fans who are not happy about the kiss would like to point out that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story ends a romantic relationship in a similar way, but better. Let’s take a look at the differences between the two endings.
[Warning: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story spoilers ahead]
What happens at the end of ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ that has fans so upset?
When the first movie in the sequel trilogy came out, Star Wars: The Force Awakens divided fans over the relationship between Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Kylo Ren (Ben Solo). Many fans supported the ship, which they named “Reylo.” Viewers love the natural chemistry between the two as well as how they bond through the Force.
During Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the strong bond continues throughout the movie. In the end, Ben Solo redeems himself, and he and Rey kiss before he dies. Many fans celebrated this moment, while others hated it.
The relationship began with abuse, and Kylo Ren killed Rey’s mentors. For many, it is a disturbing ending that she would then kiss the man who destroyed so many people.
How is ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ similar, yet different than ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’?
Rogue One grossed over $1 billion worldwide, making it the 35th-highest-grossing film of all time (20th at the time of its release), the second-highest-grossing film of 2016, and the third-highest-grossing film in the Star Wars franchise. The Rise of Skywalker will likely hit $1 billion, but it is not clear yet if it will beat out Rogue One.
The critics’ consensus for Rogue One is infinitely better than that of The Rise of Skywalker. The first movie has an approval rating of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, while the latter has only a 53% overall rating.
Throughout Rogue One, there is a small romantic subplot between Rebel soldier Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and Captain Cassian Andor (Diego Luna). During much of the film, the two hated each other, refusing to trust the other.
However, by the end, they held each other as they died. The two never kissed, and many say that made their relationship more realistic.
Fans argue that ‘Rogue One’ shows that ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ would be better off without the Reylo kiss
“See, this movie shows you don’t need a kiss to end out a budding relationship,” wrote one fan on Reddit. “It proves that kissing is so done in a standard movie, that it has no kind of hold on people. If it’s a physical connection that you need after you’ve accepted your fate of dying, one last desperate cling to the living world around you shows so much more emotion than locking lips with that girl next to you.”
Many other fans agree that the fact that Jyn and Cassian do not kiss is what makes their romance better than Rey and Ben’s.
“If they kiss, it still would’ve been better than kissing a person who tried to kill you multiple times, and also a person who killed your mentors,” adds another Redditor.
Although unhappy fans cannot change the ending to The Rise of Skywalker, they can hypothesize about what might have been.
