One of the new additions to that galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is Zorii Bliss, a dark horse candidate for coolest helmet in the franchise. Frequent J.J. Abrams collaborator Keri Russell will wear the helmet in the film, and very little is known about the character or her place in the upcoming sequel, except that her history with Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron will come into play. Speaking in an exclusive interview with ComicBook.com’s Brandon Davis, Russell opened up about her character and delivered some new personal details about the character with a tease of what to expect.
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“What I can say is Zorii is sort of a character of possibly questionable morals,” Russell said. “She’s a survivor. She lives on a snowy planet, of Kijimi. And I think actually what we can say about her, which is already visible in her costume, kind of tells you about who she is. I think there’s not a part of her that is seen, and on an occupied planet, which is where she lives, you have to get by doing whatever you need to do to get by. And I think anonymity is safety or freedom to move freely where she needs to go, because she’s doing some sketchy stuff. And I think the introduction of Zorri helps inform some details of Poe’s past, and those scenes we got to do were really cool.”
After word got out that Russell had joined the film, fans began speculating about what sort of role she would be playing, with the prominent theories being that her character would have a direct connection to Rey and not that she’d play a bounty hunter figure. Upon learning that she would be required to wear a helmet for the role, Russell joked with the Associated Press, “I was like, ‘That is my dream job. I can see everyone. No one can see me. Hello. Amazing!’”
Whether Russell’s character will take her helmet off throughout the film remains to be seen, but if the inspiration behind her character is to be believed, we may not see her face at all.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will also star Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd. New cast members include Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant, with returning veteran actors including Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Billy Dee Williams, and Ian McDiarmid as the Emperor. The official synopsis for the film reads:
“Lucasfilm and director J.J. Abrams join forces once again to take viewers on an epic journey to a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the riveting conclusion of the seminal Skywalker saga, where new legends will be born and the final battle for freedom is yet to come.”
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens in U.S. theaters on December 20.
