How Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge Sets Up Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

After the events of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, many fans are eager to find out just how the Resistance will bounce back against the First Order. We still have to wait until Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premieres in theaters, but Lucasfilm just gave us our first look at the story between the last two films in the saga. And it all stems out of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland. The new park is designed to immerse fans of the saga into the storyline itself, and it was recently revealed that all of storylines take place after Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

So how does it set up the next movie in the franchise? Well, all you have to do is explore a bit of the land and it will all come together. If you don’t have the chance to make it there, though, don’t worry — we were on hand for the opening of the park and are here to break it down for you. So how does the new Disneyland attraction set up Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker?

The first thing we should know is that, unlike Star Wars: The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker will once again make use of a time jump. And Black Spire Outpost may play a significant part in what happens in between.

In the storyline of Galaxy’s Edge, the Resistance arrives on Batuu in hopes of gaining resources and allies. General Leia Organa dispatches one of her top spies, Vi Moradi, to the remote Black Spire Outpost. Moradi previously debuted in the tie-in novel Phasma by author Delilah S. Dawson, and she will be the focus of the upcoming novel Black Spire tied to the opening of the new Disneyland extension.

Visitors might notice Moradi herself running around the park. She’ll talk to guests and question their loyalties, hoping they sympathize with the Resistance and would be willing to join her cause.

But there are also Stormtroopers investigating Resistance activity, and one corner of the park is dominated by the First Order’s presence. Kylo Ren will sometimes appear with some intimidation tactics, hoping to scare the citizens of Batuu into revealing key information. When Moradi comes across these foes, she tends to stick to the shadows, waiting to recruit more allies and fight another day.

All of this plays into the ongoing narrative of the fractured Resistance being rebuilt. At the end of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the fighting force has all but been reduced to a handful of members, enough to barely fill the cargo area of the Millennium Falcon.

But in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, it looks like they’ll have more allies — thanks to the legend of Luke Skywalker, and the recruiting efforts taking place on Batuu.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is now open at Disneyland, and will be open at Walt Disney World in August.