Red Five, Standing By

There’s been some question as to whether the use of Red Five in The Rise of Skywalker constitutes ‘fan service’. Of course, whether ‘fan service’ is a good or bad thing seems to be beside the point, and the term is often just used in lieu of an actual argument against a scene/film.

A perfect example of fan service in Star Wars is Dr. Evazan and Ponda Baba turning up in Rogue One (a film not even in the saga). They serve no purpose other than to elicit a reaction from old school fans. Newer fans might be confused as the pair never appear in the movie again. Indeed, for this moment to fully work, you’d have to have seen A New Hope from 1977 otherwise they’re just two random bozos brushing up against Jyn and Cassian. Their presence doesn’t serve the plot, themes, character development, etc. It just services anoraks of the franchise. The important thing, though, is that there’s still a story there which works on its own, or if when the fan service elements become an active part of the story that they service, say, the characters’ arcs, and not just the fans watching.

The irony is, the use of Red Five makes more internal logical sense in the sequels than Yoda’s appearance in Episode VIII, as he was never referenced in the trilogy until he just pops in, bar a single line he whispers in Rey’s flashback in The Force Awakens. So if you’ve never seen Episode V or VI, you might be a bit confused as to what exactly is going on, or how Luke knows this little green guy. He even puts on the crazy old Yoda act which only ever appeared in the mid-chapter of the originals, too.

Much like with Red Five, some of the heavy lifting in this sequence, emotionally, is also being done by the Dagobah scenes from Empire Strikes Back. The difference, however, is that Red Five physically appeared in The Last Jedi when we see an X-wing, the starfighter he clearly used to fly there, submerged in the water, laying up a perfect opportunity to serve plot, character, and theme later. In fact, when Luke lifts it from the water in The Rise of Skywalker it not only brings his arc full circle in the trilogy but also the saga. He has grown beyond Yoda and his failure. He fully believes. He is the master now.

Rey made the same mistake as Luke. She had ignited a saber in anger against an unarmed Ben Solo, so rushes to the island like he once did in fear. But just as she contributed to getting Luke off the island to face his fears in The Last Jedi, he returns the favour in Rise of Skywalker, and offers the ship so she can escape. This is an important scene for both as they didn’t properly make up after their fallout in the previous film. This time, they leave together in spirit and head towards Exegol leaving breadcrumbs behind for the Resistance to follow.

So it’s not just a ‘remember when’ moment, as it serves a genuine purpose in the story, and even makes sense without the audience needing to have seen the OT. In fact, the scene would still work even if it were a different ship; but the fact it is Red Five makes the moment even sweeter.

Fans of John Williams know the great man likes to re-use music even when it doesn’t necessarily fit the scene. For instance, Yoda’s theme turns up in the escape from Bespin and when Anakin is on Geonosis. Leia’s theme also plays when Obi-Wan dies in A New Hope. Why? It just sounds good. The use of Yoda’s theme here, however, connects not only three trilogies, but the Ahch-To segments of VIII and XI. It’s not a cheap, throwaway turn but operates as a sort of nexus point in the whole story as we witness a lesson being passed down through the generations between masters and apprentices.