Death Star Appearance In Episode 9: Rise Of Skywalker Trailer Connects Back To Sidious' Laugh

Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise Of Skywalker got its big debut at Star Wars Celebration, complete with a teaser-trailer loaded with moments to please fans and raise intriguing questions about the final chapter of the Skywalker Saga. One of the biggest questions comes from a moment in the trailer that shows some kind of ancient ruins. The curvature looks an awful lot like the dish used for the Death Star's super laser.

The scene sees Rey, Finn, Poe, C-3PO, BB-8, Chewbacca, and brand-new droid Dio spying the wreckage, while the voice of Luke Skywalker says, "No one's really gone." The screen then cuts to black, and the laugh of Sheev Palpatine, aka Darth Sidious, can be heard.

Although nothing has been confirmed, what Rey and company most likely discover is the partial remains of the second Death Star--last seen exploding at the end of Return of the Jedi. And although Luke's words are seemingly meant to be reassurance for Rey, they can also be interpreted as a warning that the Force allows all manner of beings to remain even after they've died. Considering this line is spoken while looking out at the wreckage of what appears to be the second Death Star, the final resting place of Darth Sidious, and immediately followed by the laugh of said Sith Lord, it's implied that Palpatine might not be really gone after all. His body may have died, but his evil endures.

Of course there's another theory: Sidious never really died, and the laugh we hear is from the man himself. Sidious' master Darth Plagueis used the dark side of the Force to both prolong his life and mask his presence from the Jedi. We know Sidious mastered the latter before he killed his master--it's how he managed to hide his true nature from the Jedi Council for so long--so he might have also learned the former too. And much like his first apprentice, Darth Maul, who was seemingly killed by Obi-Wan, perhaps Sidious isn't really dead. He's just been in hiding for years, biding his time to take revenge and using the Force to both mask his presence and extend his natural life.