On Wednesday, Vanity Fair dropped their much-anticipated look at The Rise of Skywalker, and there’s plenty to sift through! Perhaps most significantly, though, it gave us our first official look at the characters newcomers Keri Russell and Richard E. Grant are playing in the upcoming film.
Keri Russell as Zorri Bliss
First up is Keri Russell, whose career took off in the show Felicity (created by J.J. Abrams) but who has come to be well-known for other roles as well, including The Americans. As was reported by Making Star Wars previously, Russell plays a character named Zorri Bliss. Here’s our first look at her:
According to Vanity Fair, Zorri Bliss is a “masked scoundrel,” and that the mask conceals “both her identity and her motives.” This photo shows Zorri “in the Thieves’ Corner of the snow-dusted world Kijimi.”
So there are a couple of things to note. Firstly, this confirms yet another report from MSW, as they got both the name and the look right (as well as the fact that she is seen on a snow planet!). So this isn’t actually surprising, since we heard it reported previously – but it’s nonetheless nice to have official confirmation. Secondly, more than just official confirmation, we actually get our first look at the character! She is rocking a pretty cool-looking purple outfit with a helmet and twin weapons at her disposal around her waist. She is described as a scoundrel, and she certainly fits the look of so many other scoundrels we have come to know in Star Wars. I’m very curious to know what her role is in the film, whether she takes a side, and how the scoundrel/criminal underworld elements will come into play. Thirdly, we are introduced to a brand new planet, Kijimi. The only things we are told about it is that it is a snow planet (though it doesn’t sound all that similar to Hoth), and that there is a place known as the “Thieves’ Corner.” So I’m guessing that, at the very least, this planet has a decent amount of scoundrels roaming around. One thing that is far from confirmed but that I wonder, based on the look? Whether the planet seen in TROS teaser is actually Kijimi.
Richard E. Grant as Allegiant General Pryde
Richard E. Grant, another key newcomer to the final chapter of the Skywalker saga, has a wide range of acting credits, including the recent Can You Ever Forgive Me? Many had guessed that Grant would be playing a First Order officer, and that proved to be correct: Grant plays a character named Allegiant General Pryde of the First Order.
Grant is pictured here sitting in front of Domhnall Gleeson’s General Hux aboard Kylo Ren’s Star Destroyer (possibly the Finalizer, but it’s equally possible that Ren has a new flagship, since he’s had time to establish himself as the First Order’s new Supreme Leader). It’s quite significant to get our first look at the character, as well as his name, but beyond that we don’t really get much information whatsoever. We do know that he’s a First Order officer, and a General at that, though we don’t know anything beyond that as to his rank – primarily as it pertains to his interactions with General Hux. The only clue that we have to go on is the word “allegiant,” which is a previously unknown title in Star Wars but which in our world denotes loyalty. So we can guess that this means that Pryde is a loyal follower… but of who? Is he a loyal follower of the First Order? Was he loyal to Supreme Leader Snoke? Depending on where his loyalties lie, there could easily arise conflict within the First Order leadership.
Star Wars Thoughts 