Who Were The Guest Cameos In ‘The Rise Of Skywalker’?

Though critical reviews thus far have been mostly negative, audiences have added fuel to the fire by granting “The Rise of Skywalker” a clean 86% audience average on Rotten Tomatoes. As the divisive critical and fan reception continues to plague the “Star Wars” movies, fans scour the internet in search of the many guest appearances they may have missed upon their first viewing of the “Star Wars” entry.

Potential spoilers from “The Rise of Skywalker” follow, so proceed with caution if you have not seen the movie.

According to Vanity Fair, a total of 25 different celebrity cameos made it into “The Rise of Skywalker,” despite some of them being prior “Star Wars” characters.

Mirroring both “The Force Awakens” and “The Last Jedi,” what would a modern-day “Star Wars” movie be without its guest British stormtroopers? “The Rise of Skywalker” boasts not one but two, played by Ed Sheeran and potentially Harry Styles, that is if Mark Hamill is to be believed. Previous British icons who have donned the stormtrooper armor include Tom Hardy, Daniel Craig, and Princes William and Harry, though Hardy and the royal princes eventually saw their scene deleted from the finished product.

One scene at the end of the movie, where Rey (Daisy Ridley) confronts Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) all by herself, the supposed last Jedi hears the voices of fallen Jedi before her. These include prequel “Star Wars” characters, such as Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson), Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), and Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor), as well as animated ones, like Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) and Kanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze Jr.)--even Yoda (Frank Oz).

If all these many “The Rise of Skywalker” cameos weren’t enough, there’s still plenty more. Director J.J. Abrams himself appears in the film as the roller-droid D-O.

“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” star Shirley Henderson, who played Moaning Myrtle, guest stars in “Rise of Skywalker” as new “Star Wars” character Babu Frik. Jodie Comer, from “Killing Eve,” also appears as Rey’s ill-fated mother alongside “Dunkirk” actor Billy Howle as Rey’s father.

Even John Williams, renowned “Star Wars” composer, also makes his first-ever on-screen appearance in a “Star Wars” movie as a bartender named Oma Tres (an anagram for Maestro). Behind the legendary composer are references to films he worked on in the past.

And, what would “The Rise of Skywalker” be without one of the most iconic villains in cinema? James Earl Jones reprises the heavy-breathing voice of Darth Vader.