The 10 Most Popular Memes From Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (2024)

Even as one of Star Wars' most controversial movies, there's no denying that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has had an incredible impact on culture - especially with its memes. The Star Wars franchise has a reputation for generating some of pop culture's most recognizable memes, particularly with the prequel trilogy of the Skywalker saga. This is a tradition that the sequel Star Wars trilogy has followed, especially with 2019's The Rise of Skywalker.

Though much about this movie continues to be debated, The Rise of Skywalker has already deeply ingrained itself into pop culture with its memes. Many of them have to do with the absurdity of certain lines and moments in the context of the movie, but others have also stemmed from the internet's shared reaction to random moments in the story. While an entire wealth of memes has been generated from The Rise of Skywalker, there are 10 that remain supreme, five years after its release.

10 Ben Solo Comes To The Rescue On Exegol

Ben Solo's Swift Arrival Gains A New Soundtrack Quite Often

Ben Solo/Kylo Ren

The son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, Ben was manipulated by Palpatine through the Force for most of his life, influenced toward the dark side of the Force. A misstep by Luke Skywalker ultimately left Ben feeling he had no choice but to embrace the dark side, and he became Kylo Ren, a key figure in the First Order. Kylo Ren's heart remained deeply divided, however, even after he ascended to become Supreme Leader of the First Order. He was ultimately redeemed by Rey, with whom he shared a remarkable Force bond, and by the love of his parents.

Created By

J.J. Abrams , Michael Arndt , Lawrence Kasdan

Cast

Adam Driver , Matthew Wood

First Appearance

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens

See Also

Imgur: The magic of the Internet

Died

Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise Of Skywalker

Alliance

Jedi, First Order

Race

Human

Movies

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens , Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi , Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker

TV Shows

Star Wars: Resistance

Franchise

Star Wars

The redemption of Kylo Ren in The Rise of Skywalker is perhaps one of the most shocking moments, even for those who had long since been rooting for the Star Wars villain's return to the light side. His first scene as Ben Solo is thus highly memorable, particularly for the way in which he's shed his Kylo Ren outfit for something much more subtle. While the scene itself is a thrill, his entrance as an unexpected hero has made a different kind of impact, thanks to the video-editing skills of Star Wars audiences.

Ben Solo's debut quickly earned the typical Star Wars meme treatment, with videos of his arrival on Exegol being set to a wide variety of different songs. The most iconic, however, is Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out for a Hero." Made famous in meme culture by Shrek 2, "Holding Out for a Hero" has become an anthem for scenes such as this. It's impossible to rewatch The Rise of Skywalker after watching this video and to not hear Bonnie Tyler's voice singing over Ben Solo's entrance.

9 General Hux's True Pettiness At Last Shines Through

Hux Reveals He's The Resistance Spy For The Most Petty Reason

Another of the most shocking reveals in The Rise of Skywalker is General Hux serving as the Resistance spy inside the First Order. This reveal is coated in plenty of humor, with Poe Dameron insisting he knew it and Finn assuring him that there was no possible way he actually did, but the absurdity of it alone is highly comedic. Hux's sudden switch-up, done only as an act of revenge on Kylo Ren, is utterly wild, which is made obvious when he insists that "I don't care if you win. I need Kylo Ren to lose."

This pettiness, in terms of rooting for the success of a small enemy in order to thwart a larger one, has earned this scene the meme treatment. In the above example, this meme is set in the context of the sports world, where fans will root for one team in the World Cup just so they can see another team fail. It's the perfect template for anyone who's praying on the downfall of an enemy, and has thus cemented its place in popular meme culture.

8 Kylo Ren Walks Out Of Kef Bir's Waters

The Wet Hair Look Has Inspired Many Memes About Weather (& Childhood Nostalgia)

The Rise of Skywalker's pinnacle lightsaber duel actually appears more towards the middle of the movie rather than the end, when Kylo Ren and Rey face off in the ruins of the Death Star on Kef Bir. Due to the raging seas of the planet, the two have to constantly dodge massive waves, causing water to drizzle around them for much of the fight. One such scene sees Kylo Ren emerge from the hazy cloud of a wave's mist, which has since generated a plethora of memes.

This particular example compares the moment to one of childhood nostalgia, when a water park's filled bucket would dump itself out and create an effect similar to this Kef Bir wave. Other memes also depict things such as unexpected rain showers and even just normal showers, with some even poking fun at Kylo Ren himself finally taking a shower in this scene. This small moment proves that anything can become a meme, especially in this particular movie.

7 The Absolute Absurdity Of "They Fly Now?" "They Fly Now!"

Finn & Poe Dameron Are Shocked By Jetpacks They've Already Seen Before

Finn

Brainwashed as a stormtrooper for the First Order, Finn was able to resist his conditioning - likely due to his Force-sensitivity. Initially unwilling to ally with the Resistance, he nonetheless eventually chose to side with them, and became a good friend to both Rey and Poe Dameron. Finn led a squad of ex-stormtroopers during the fateful Battle of Exegol, a conflict that saw him finally embrace the Force.

Created By

J.J. Abrams , Lawrence Kasdan , Michael Arndt

Cast

John Boyega

First Appearance

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens

Alliance

Resistance

Race

Human

Movies

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens , Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi , Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker

Franchise

Star Wars

Finn and Poe Dameron are completely flabbergasted when the stormtroopers pursuing them on Pasaana begin to use jetpacks in their chase. This leads to them exchanging the iconic "They fly now? They fly now!" phrase, which is nonsensical in the greater context of the Star Wars galaxy. Not only have stormtroopers, and even clone troopers, been using jetpacks for many years, but Poe himself came across jumptroopers, who also utilize jetpacks, in the comic series Star Wars: Poe Dameron.

The absurdity of this moment has thus caused it to become a beloved meme. Even actor John Boyega has pointed this out, reminding his co-star Oscar Isaac that "They been using [jetpacks] since the Clone Wars" in an interview. Boyega and Isaac's playfulness with this line has made it all the more hilarious, causing it to become one of the movie's most memorable meme moments.

6 Babu Frik Celebrates His Success With C-3PO

The Anzellan Has Become Iconic To All Star Wars Audiences

One of the best things to come out of The Rise of Skywalker for many viewers was the debut of Babu Frik, the beloved Anzellan droidsmith. The character was so celebrated by Star Wars audiences that the return of Anzellans in The Mandalorian season 3 trailer became one of its biggest highlights. Babu's way of speaking and interacting with his environment made him an instant classic, especially his iconic "Hey hey hey!" celebration.

As any good Star Wars viewer would do, the meme treatment was quickly extended to Babu. These Babu Frik memes usually dwell on his catchphrase and uplift him in a dramatic way, giving his role in the movie much more weight than it actually carried. At the time, Babu was also compared to Grogu, or "Baby Yoda," whose debut was taking place at the same time - thus adding even more emphasis to Babu's popularity campaign.

5 Kylo Ren Throws His Lightsaber - & It's Caught

General Grievous Strikes Again In This Memorable Meme

Kylo Ren's turning point in The Rise of Skywalker arrives when Leia uses the rest of her strength to reach out to him through the Force. Her death is what turns him back to the light, and an appearance from his late father - not quite a Force ghost, but an apparition of sorts - encourages him even further in that act. This leads to Kylo throwing his crossguard lightsaber into the Kef Bir sea, which many viewers already deemed a questionable choice.

This moment, of course, couldn't go un-memed when General Grievous exists. As Star Wars' iconic lightsaber collector, audiences were quick to get Grievous in on this one-of-a-kind lightsaber. The edited video sees Grievous leaping into the Kef Bir sea after Kylo's lightsaber, eager to add "another fine addition to my collection." This marriage between the prequel and the sequel trilogies in a meme format is highly memorable and, of course, perfectly hilarious.

4 Anakin's Lightsaber Is Buried In Sand

Rey Unintentionally Makes Anakin's Worst Fear Come True

Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

Conceived by the will of the Force itself, Anakin Skywalker was the prophesied Chosen One, destined to bring the Force into balance. Anakin struggled to balance competing attachments to the Jedi Order and his wife Padmé Amidala, and ultimately fell to the dark side, becoming Darth Vader. For years he served as Palpatine's right hand man, but he was ultimately redeemed by the faith of his son, Luke Skywalker. Now a Force Ghost, Anakin continues to act as an agent of balance.

Created By

George Lucas

Cast

Bob Anderson , Hayden Christensen , James Earl Jones , Matt Lanter , Matt Lucas , Jake Lloyd , David Prowse , Sebastian Shaw

First Appearance

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

Died

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi

Alliance

Jedi, Sith

Race

Human

Movies

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope , Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back , Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi , Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace , Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones , Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith , Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

TV Shows

Star Wars: The Clone Wars , Star Wars Rebels , Obi-Wan Kenobi , Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi , Ahsoka

Franchise

Star Wars

At the end of The Rise of Skywalker, Rey is the only one left who has some kind of tie to the Skywalker family. Having been trained by Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, Rey has taken on both their lightsabers, one of which used to belong to Anakin Skywalker himself. In a moment of tribute, Rey boxes up the two lightsaber hilts and buries them in the Tatooine sand outside Luke's former home, but many Star Wars viewers know this may not be what Anakin wanted for his old weapon.

The iconic "I hate sand" meme from the prequel Star Wars trilogy strikes again in this moment. As soon as Rey began to bury Anakin's blade, viewers were quick to jump on what Anakin's reaction to the sand would be. This has made the burial of the lightsabers highly memorable, mostly for the way Anakin's Force ghost was no doubt screaming in rage about the rough, coarse, and irritating material getting all over his precious blade.

3 Klaud's Iconic "Live Slug Reaction"

Klaud The Slug Has Now Reacted To Many Events

In a similar vein to Babu Frik, the slug Klaud quickly became a random fan-favorite after The Rise of Skywalker. Klaud's role in the movie is mostly composed of him screaming on board the Millennium Falcon before standing alongside various Resistance allies throughout the movie. His most famous appearance, however, is at the end, when he's caught staring off into the distance.

This made him the defining figure of the already-existing "live reaction" meme template, adding the phrase "live slug reaction" to make Klaud's blank stare react to just about anything. The most popular trend of this meme sees Klaud reacting like this to couples, as seen in the above example. Though not as widely shared now as it used to be, "live slug reaction" is still one of the internet's most recognizable memes from the Star Wars sequel trilogy.

2 Rey Takes On The Skywalker Family Name

Rey's Adoption Of "Skywalker" Has Inspired Others In... Different Ways

Just after burying the lightsabers in the Tatooine sand, Rey is given the chance to cement her legacy as a Skywalker. She's approached by a stranger who asks her to introduce herself, and when Rey fails to provide a surname, the stranger adds, "Rey who?" Rey then gives the name "Rey Skywalker," which is still a highly debated decision - but is also one of the movie's most iconic memes.

It didn't take long for Star Wars viewers to start substituting other names and ideas at the end of the "Rey who?" question. In the particular example above, Rey shares her identity with the Razor Crest, the trusty ship of The Mandalorian's Din Djarin that was unfortunately destroyed on Tython. This template continues to be used to this day, proving that only one other meme has superiority over it.

1 Oscar Isaac Will Never Escape His "Somehow, Palpatine Returned" Line

Poe Dameron's Anticlimactic Announcement Of Palpatine's Return Will Follow Him Forever

Poe Dameron

A gifted pilot, Poe Dameron briefly flew with the Spice Runners of Kijimi before making his way to the Resistance. He became one of the Resistance's most important figures, even leading after the passing of Leia Organa. Poe is particularly notable for his close friendship with Rey Skywalker and Finn.

Created By

J.J. Abrams , Lawrence Kasdan , Michael Arndt

Cast

Oscar Isaac

First Appearance

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens

Alliance

Resistance

Race

Human

Movies

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens , Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi , Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker

TV Shows

Star Wars: Resistance

Franchise

Star Wars

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the most popular meme from The Rise of Skywalker is Poe's "Somehow, Palpatine returned" line. With Palpatine playing such a key role in The Rise of Skywalker, much to the shock of viewers who witnessed his death in Return of the Jedi, it seems as if there will be a good explanation for how he returned. Instead, Poe offers the simple explanation of "somehow" - and thus content such as The Mandalorian and Star Wars: The Bad Batch has been working to define what "somehow" really means.

Time hasn't had any effect on how this meme is used, with the post above serving as a very recent example. It's become one of the most popular Star Wars memes to date, fitting in truly any scenario possible. Though, in the greater context of The Rise of Skywalker, this moment is a disappointment, it's ironically become the movie's most memorable moment - and it will no doubt continue to inspire memes for many more years to come.

Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Fantasy

Sci-Fi

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

*Availability in US

This is the third installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy and serves as the culmination of the Skywalker saga. The film sees Rey (Daisy Ridley), Poe (Oscar Isaac), and Finn (John Boyega) team up to put an end to the First Order after Palpatine mysteriously returns. Jurassic World helmsman Colin Trevorrow was originally named director back in 2015 when the film first entered development, but he parted ways with Lucasfilm due to creative differences over the script. In September 2017, Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams signed on to finish what he started.

Cast

Carrie Fisher , Oscar Isaac , Anthony Daniels , Joonas Suotamo , Mark Hamill , Adam Driver , Ian McDiarmid , Kelly Marie Tran , Billie Lourd , Keri Russell , Richard E. Grant , Daisy Ridley , Lupita Nyong'o , Dominic Monaghan , John Boyega , Domhnall Gleeson , Billy Dee Williams , Naomi Ackie

Director

J.J. Abrams

Release Date

December 20, 2019

Studio(s)

Lucasfilm

Distributor(s)

Disney

Writers

Chris Terrio , J.J. Abrams

Runtime

142 minutes

Franchise(s)

Star Wars

Budget

$275 million