The Rise of Skywalker Returning Cast & New Character Guide

Here’s the full cast and character guide for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Billed as the end of the Skywalker saga – although not as the end of Rey’s story – Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker brought the forces of light and dark into head-on collision. Directed by J.J. Abrams, it brought back an array of familiar faces from the past 40 years, in addition to the younger new cast members.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker didn’t receive the strongest response from either viewers or critics, but the casting certainly hit the nostalgia spot. Meanwhile, there were several other unexpected cameos, notably with surprising names voicing droids and alien species. Of course, there’s also a number of unannounced, fan-pleasing cameos that hark back to Star Wars‘ history. Here are the names and faces that are in the midst of the galactic action.

Related: Every Star Wars Movie, Ranked Worst To Best

Main Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Characters

Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa

Given top billing after her passing in 2016, Carrie Fisher will always be known as the iconic Princess Leia from the original Star Wars trilogy, although she later achieved wide acclaim for her novels and autobiographies. Leading the Resistance since Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Leia is the only surviving member of the original trilogy’s core trio and continues to propel the Resistance forward. She is training Rey in the ways of the Force when The Rise of Skywalker begins.

Related: How To Watch Star Wars Movies In Order

Daisy Ridley as Rey

The protagonist of the Star Wars sequel trilogy remains in training, now under the tutelage of Leia after Luke Skywalker’s death in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Determined to bring down the First Order, Rey soon learns that her family history is even darker than she suspected. Daisy Ridley was a relative unknown before heading to the galaxy far, far away, but has since featured in Peter Rabbit and Ophelia, and will return as Rey in an upcoming New Jedi Order movie.

Adam Driver as Kylo Ren / Ben Solo

The son of Han Solo and Princess Leia, Kylo was christened as Ben Solo, but adopted his current moniker after turning to the dark side while training under Luke Skywalker. After killing Supreme Leader Snoke in The Last Jedi, Kylo Ren has taken full control of the First Order, but despite a burning hatred for the Resistance, he still harbors hope of turning Rey to his cause. Driver was best known for his role in Girls prior to joining Star Wars, but has since starred in Marriage Story and BlacKkKlansman.

John Boyega as Finn

Rising to fame in cult British movie favorite Attack The Block, Boyega has also been seen in Pacific Rim Uprising, though Star Wars‘ Finn remains his most famous role. A former Stormtrooper who abandoned the First Order and fell in with the Resistance, Finn has struggled to overcome his fears and hides a secret that hopefully sets him up for a bright Star Wars future..

Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron

The Resistance’s crack (or, indeed, spice) pilot and Leia’s successor as leader, Poe is known for his reckless abandon and heroic deeds, though his pre-Resistance life is somewhat vague. Poe’s best friend is the lovable droid known as BB-8, but he quickly develops a firm bond with Finn. Isaac is arguably the most recognizable of the modern trilogy’s cast, having appeared in Ex Machina, X-Men: Apocalypse and Inside Llewyn Davis.

Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine

Making his triumphant return as The Rise of Skywalker‘s main villain, McDiarmid has portrayed the evil Emperor through both the original and prequel Star Wars trilogies, though has primarily been a stage thespian. Palpatine was thought killed by Darth Vader at the end of Return of the Jedi.

Supporting Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Characters

Anthony Daniels as C-3PO

Another actor known primarily for his on-stage performances, Daniels has portrayed the neurotic protocol droid of Star Wars since the very beginning of the franchise. C-3PO remains an important, if somewhat unwilling, ally of the Resistance. He proves surprisingly important to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, a fitting coda for his story.

Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian

Another classic character making his first appearance since Return of the Jedi, Lando is an old friend of Han’s who once presided over Cloud City, but is later convinced to lend a hand to the Rebellion. Calrissian is played by Billy Dee Williams, who was also the Harvey Dent of Tim Burton’s Batman. His character’s life between the trilogies is explored in Adam Christopher’s Shadow of the Sith.

Joonas Suotama as Chewbacca

The beloved Wookiee was originally played by the late Peter Mayhew. Joonas Suotama has worn the hairy brown suit since 2017, and will soon play another Wookiee in The Acolyte. Despite losing his best friend Han Solo, Chewie remains a stalwart ally of the Resistance and accompanies the new group on their adventures in the Millennium Falcon.

Jimmy Vee as R2-D2

Similarly to Chewbacca, the ever-chirpy R2-D2 is traditionally associated with the late Kenny Baker. Since Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Artoo has been played by Jimmy Vee, who has racked up an impressive array of alien credits on Doctor Who. Artoo proves key to helping C2-PO survive his latest ordeals.

Richard E. Grant as Allegiant General Pryde

A newcomer to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Allegiant General Pryde is a key player in the First Order. He’s a leftover from the glory days of the Empire, and swiftly proves to have no loyalty at all to Kylo Ren. Star Richard E. Grant will forever be known as the Withnail of classic British comedy, Withnail & I.

Naomi Ackie as Jannah

Also debuting in The Rise of Skywalker, Ackie might be familiar to fans of The End of the F**king World. Her Star Wars character, Jannah, is encountered on Kef Bir leading a group of former Stormtrooper mutineers. She strikes up a friendship with Finn and joins along with the Resistance.

Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux

A ruthless First Order leader, General Hux was a follower of Snoke, but is now forced to execute the commands of Kylo Ren. It doesn’t take him long for his true motives to be revealed. The British actor Domhnall Gleeson memorably played Bill Weasley in the Harry Potter movies, and has since appeared in Goodbye Christopher Robin and Ex Machina.

Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico

Introduced in The Last Jedi, Rose is an idealistic Resistance mechanic with a soft spot for Finn. After a brush with death, Tico survives to fight in the final chapter of the Skywalker saga. Another relative unknown prior to Star Wars, Tran has also starred in Sorry For Your Loss.

Keri Russell as Zori Bliss

A mysterious new character to the Star Wars mythology, the masked Bliss is connected to Poe’s past and has a degree of moral flexibility. A spice runner, Zori Bliss’ background is revealed in Alex Segura’s Poe Dameron: Freefall. Keri Russell enjoyed starring roles on TV in both Felicity and The Americans.

Other Characters In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

• Lupita Nyong’o as Maz Kanata – A infrequent character of the Star Wars sequels, Nyong’o provides the motion capture performance for Maz Kanata, an invaluable ally to the Resistance with a keen eye for Jedi relics. The Oscar-winning Nyong’o starred in 12 Years A Slave, Black Panther and Us.
• Dominic Monaghan as Beaumont Kin – Widely known to fans as either Pippin from The Lord of the Rings or Charlie from Lost, Monaghan makes his Star Wars debut as a member of the Resistance with a knack for timely exposition.
• Shirley Henderson (voice) as Babu Frik -…