Entertainment
The Rise of Skywalker Is The Worst Star Wars Movie And A Secret Triumph
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
With Kathleen Kennedy finally stepping down at Lucasfilm, I found myself looking back at The Rise of Skywalker, otherwise known as the worst film in the Sequel Trilogy. Fans love to give The Last Jedi crap, but that film might as well have been Citizen Kane compared to TROS, a movie that offers nothing more than lazy nostalgia wrapped around an even lazier plot. However, while The Rise of Skywalker is the worst Star Wars movie, it is a secret triumph in how it centers its narrative around Rey’s quest for identity.
The Rise Of Skywalker Does One Thing Right
The original Star Wars films were famously written with Joseph Campbell’s The Hero With A Thousand Faces in mind, which is why the characters are broad and recognizable archetypes (Luke Skywalker is a young man of destiny like King Arthur, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Merlin-esque wizard who gives our hero an Excalibur-like magic sword, etc.). This helped make those films a success, but the later prequels and sequels ended up feeling like a lame retread because creators were once again creating broadly archetypal characters. By contrast, The Rise of Skywalker, even at its worst, was a narrative triumph making Rey three-dimensional in her quest for self-identity.
Obviously, Disney muddled the sequels on almost every level, which is why Rey went from having a possible connection to Obi-Wan in The Force Awakens (a little digital wizardry had Sir Alec Guinness calling out Rey’s name after she got Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber) to being the nobody daughter of nobody parents in The Last Jedi. The Rise of Skywalker infamously made her the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine, and while this is the worst storytelling decision they could have made, it became an accidental triumph thanks to Rey’s realization that self-identity is a social construct.
In practical terms, this means that Rey the character finally realized something that had eluded countless fans and Disney’s own topic executives: that the debate over Rey’s identity is completely meaningless. Everyone wanted to pore over who she might be connected to in the Star Wars universe and how those connections define who she really is. The Rise of Skywalker, however, turned its worst story beat (Rey’s connection to Emperor Palpatine) into a triumph by having our new Jedi realize what almost everyone in the audience eventually realizes: one’s identity does not have to be determined by one’s family.
That may sound like a fairly basic idea, but it’s a concept Star Wars never really embraced before. Most of all three trilogies revolved around how the Skywalkers alternated between dooming and saving the galaxy, making it easy to think the almighty Force only really cares about one family. The Rise of Skywalker, for all its flaws, drives home that our heroes can define themselves and live full lives outside the shadow of their predecessors.
Now, before you say it, I’ll be the first to admit that this doesn’t magically make The Rise of Skywalker a good movie. Everything from the hokey return of Emperor Palpatine to the fetch quest plot to the inexplicable remnants of the Death Star is stupid enough to make you wonder why you fell in love with this franchise in the first place. And even Rey’s revelation that she identifies as a Skywalker made for a goofy stinger of an ending, but that goofiness hides a fairly important message about choosing your own identity.
Once more for the cheap seats: The Rise of Skywalker is the worst Star Wars film ever made, but it’s also a secret triumph because it recontextualizes the entire franchise. After eight films insisting otherwise, the franchise obsessed about cosmic destiny finally admitted that our heroes are free to choose their own paths and their own identities. Hopefully, Star Wars itself can follow suit and its connection to Disney won’t keep it from identifying as a decent franchise ever again.
Entertainment
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
Mother figures are the backbone of the world. Yours may be your biological mother, or maybe she’s your mother-in-law, your best friend’s mom, or simply someone whose motherly instinct has helped you through hard times.
Moms teach you the adulting necessities, give advice even if the problem is your fault, and above all, they put up with your shit and (almost) never complain.
The game plan here isn’t just to snag the last bouquet at CVS just so you’re not the kid who forgot Mother’s Day (but definitely also get flowers). And you don’t even need to spend a lot of money. (Peep our list of Mother’s Day gifts that cost less than $50. Want even more cheap gift ideas?
Skip the generic mugs and show your appreciation with a gift picked just for her: Whether it’s something to make a part of her life easier, something she’s mentioned wanting in passing, or simply something to make her feel like a damn queen, you can’t put a price on everything she’s done for you, but heartfelt gifts certainly help.
After all, they say “No matter how hard you try, you always end up like your mother.” But is that even a bad thing?
Entertainment
Ban subscriptions and get Microsoft Office 2024 for life for just £121
TL;DR: Grab Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for PC or Mac for just £120.54 through June 1.
You wouldn’t keep paying for Netflix if you could own your favorite shows, right? So why are you still subscribing to Office apps you use every day? Microsoft 365’s price keeps going up, but there’s finally a way to break free — and it’ll cost you way less in the long run.
Microsoft Office 2024 is the answer you’ve been looking for. Instead of monthly payments, simply pay £120.54 once and be set for life (reg. £188.37). It’s that simple. And, yes, this lifetime download works for PC or Mac.
What’s included?
This license comes with:
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Word
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Excel
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PowerPoint
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Outlook
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OneNote
The newest version of Microsoft Office is a little different from Microsoft 365. But just because you’re switching to a lifetime license doesn’t mean you’ll miss out on some of the most recent updates. Word and Excel both still have AI integrations for text suggestions and smart data analysis, and PowerPoint still has improved tools for recorded presentations.
Once you’ve redeemed your purchase, you can install your apps on one computer. After that, they’re yours to use however you want. No more subscription fees or sudden price hikes to worry about.
Why rent when you can own?
Mashable Deals
Get a Microsoft Office lifetime license on sale for £120.54 with no coupon needed.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 9, 2025
Oh hey there! If you’re here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we’re serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today’s answer.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
Gibberish.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter T.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
TRIPE.
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
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Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
