Warning! This post contains spoilers for Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 4.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, even better. The highly-anticipated series took an unexpected turn when Leia was revealed to be the reason the titular character comes out of hiding. Rather than stay on Tatooine to watch over Luke Skywalker, Kenobi travels across the galaxy to save the former's twin sister from the clutches of the Empire.
In doing so, the show places a heavier focus on Leia before the events of Star Wars, something that hasn't happened in the franchise up to this point. Not only does one of Star Wars' legacy characters receive even more backstory and complexity, but episode 4 specifically draws parallels with the main character from the sequel trilogy. This only goes to improve one of the core relationships of the final film in the Skywalker saga, The Rise of Skywalker.
One of the main aspects of Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 4 was Leia being interrogated by the Empire for the location of the Path's headquarters, an underground anti-Imperial network. At one point, Leia is interrogated by Reva through the use of a Force mind probe, something that has been done by both Maul and Kylo Ren at different points in the franchise. It is the latter in which a parallel between Leia and Rey from The Rise of Skywalker is evident. In The Force Awakens, Kylo also attempts to mind probe Rey. Both Leia and Rey resist these mind probes, meaning Reva and Kylo Ren are unable to receive the information they need. This is because both are strong in the Force, as well as strong-willed. This parallel draws a deeper connection between the two characters decades apart, which makes Leia's Jedi training of Rey in The Rise of Skywalker all the more meaningful. Leia's guidance of Rey after the death of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo is made more significant by these subtle parallels found in Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Also, another smaller detail that draws a parallel between the two is in the actresses who play both Leia in Obi-Wan Kenobi and young Rey in the sequel trilogy. Vivian Lyra Blair fantastically portrays Leia in Obi-Wan Kenobi, with young Rey being portrayed by Cailey Fleming. The actresses look similar and have similar characteristics which subconsciously creates a link between the two characters.
All of this only goes to further benefit the relationship between Leia and Rey in The Rise of Skywalker. This not only improves the relationship within the film but makes one of the final shots of the Skywalker saga much deeper. At the end of The Rise of Skywalker, Rey travels to Tatooine and begins going by the name Rey Skywalker. She also sees Luke and Leia's Force ghosts, with the latter being deepened by the subtle parallels created by Obi-Wan Kenobi between the two characters.
New episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi release every Wednesday on Disney+.
