In “The Force Awakens,” the galaxy’s heroes are up against a brand new battle station. The villainous successor to the Galactic Empire, the First Order, has brought Starkiller Base to the table. This weapon is Death Star-like, but far more massive and powerful. It’s housed within the planet Ilum and uses the power of nearby stars to charge its planetary system-destroying superlasers. The Resistance manages to obliterate Starkiller Base by the film’s end, and it’s not reconstructed in either of the two sequels.
Rather than bringing back Starkiller Base, the sequel trilogy brings moviegoers back to the Death Star II — at least what’s left of it. Rey Skywalker (Daisy Ridley) and her allies are tasked with seeking out a Sith wayfinder in “Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker,” which was located in Emperor Palpatine’s (Ian McDiarmid) observatory on the battle station. Thus, they venture to the Death Star II’s wreckage on Kef Bir, she finds it, and engages in a perilous duel with her sworn rival, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), on the debris.
Thankfully, for those hoping to see the Death Star II, “The Rise of Skywalker” delivers on what the minds at Lucasfilm elected to omit from the “Force Awakens” script.
