Did Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Include the World Between Worlds?

Some Star Wars fans might only follow the live-action exploits of the galaxy far, far away, completely ignoring the events of exciting ancillary adventures, including the animated Star Wars Rebels. The four-season series not only featured compelling characters and exciting adventures, but it also expanded on the overall mythology of the franchise in unexpected ways. Now that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is in theaters, fans are seeing some connections to Rebels and its captivating lore, with some audiences theorizing that the animated series' "World Between Worlds" plays a role in the final chapter in the Skywalker Saga. While there might not be a clearly defined answer, Rise of Skywalker does offer some hints at the concept.

WARNING: Spoilers below for The Rise of Skywalker

In the animated series, the World Between Worlds was a realm visited by Ezra Bridger in which he could experience events that occurred across the galaxy at various points in time. The burgeoning Jedi could hear voices of a number of famous Jedi throughout time, while portals allowed him to actually step out into different points in history to impact those realities. Ezra notably traveled back in time to visit Ahsoka Tano when she was having a lightsaber duel with Darth Vader, changing the course of that character's trajectory.

During Rey's finale battle with Palpatine, he temporarily overpowered her, as she laid on her back looking towards the sky while his Force lightning devastated the Resistance's starships. However, as she gazed at the sky, the ships began to disappear, leaving her looking at a clear, starry sky. Partnered with these visions were the voices of Jedi throughout time, from Qui-Gon Jinn to Yoda to Anakin to Luke Skywalker, empowering her to rise up and face Palpatine.

While the film didn't definitively confirm this sequence featured the World Between Worlds, Rebels fans can't help but notice the similarities the scene had to the animated series. Rey might not have physically entered the realm and there might not have been portals visible, but the voices heard from across space and time clearly draw heavy influence from the animated series.

The sequence will likely frustrate and excite fans in equal measure, with the live-action film tapping into the lore of Rebels, despite not fully embracing the notion in more overt ways. As fans discover more details about The Rise of Skywalker by the day, we won't be surprised to discover a stronger connection between the two properties, thanks to supplementary texts.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is in theaters now.

Were you glad to see the film incorporate the mythology? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!