Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Novelization Helps Solve Plot Hole About Luke's X-Wing

Audiences who saw Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker might not have considered it a "plot hole" to see Rey salvage Luke Skywalker's underwater X-Wing to escape Ahch-To, but fans who are familiar with compendiums about the saga knew that the resurrection of the vessel came with some complications, while the novelization of the final entry in the Skywalker Saga helps clarify how such a feat was possible. Simply put, Rey's technological prowess with ships and various components from the wreckage of the TIE she used to get to the remote location allowed her to accomplish the difficult task of salvaging Luke's former ship.

"It was old tech, and it had taken some fast thinking and even faster fingers to get it flight worthy - the wing patched with the door to Luke's hut, shield panels scavenged from the TIE wreckage, and a hefty amount of rewiring," the novelization reads of the X-Wing's revival, per ScreenRant.

Audiences who had seen Star Wars: The Last Jedi had known that Luke's X-Wing wasn't necessarily incapable of flight, though it was in no shape to quickly leave the island. In that regard, having known Rey's skills as a scavenger and a pilot meant many audiences didn't consider the use of the X-Wing a "plot hole," yet fans who had read The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi had additional insight into the state of the ship that would have resulted in this sequence being somewhat confounding.

"Rey explores the island, trying to understand Luke's self-imposed exile from the universe," The Art of book reads. "She comes across a cave, sunk at high tide within the base of the island. Here she discovers Luke's scuttled T-65 X-wing, rusted and rotting away in the water. It was set alight before it sank. It shows Luke's commitment to his exile, as he destroyed his only means of leaving the planet."

Viewers might have noticed that Luke cleverly used a piece of his ship to craft a door for his hut on Ahch-To, with the ship clearly needing a tune-up were it to be used again. While the book might not have explicitly stated that the vessel was destroyed beyond all repair, the implication was that simply adding the panel back to the wing wouldn't be enough to make it fly. The novelization, however, has seemingly cleared up any possibility of this being a plot hole.

The novelization of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker debuted last weekend at C2E2 and officially hits shelves on March 17th.

Had you noticed this plot hole? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!