History ContinuityNod / TheRiseOfSkywalker

* The search for the Sith world of Exegol mirrors the search in TheForceAwakens for Ahch-To, birthplace of the Jedi order.

* One of the background Resistance members, Junn Gobint, is a Mythrol, a species of amphibious humanoids with [[FishPeople fish-like]] traits that made its debut in the very first episode of ''Series/TheMandalorian''.

* The plot of Palpatine returning by taking over a clone body, and attempting to subjugate the galaxy under a new Sith Empire is very similar to ''[[ComicBook/Dark Empire]]''. Along with that, Exegol bares some similarities to Byss, and the ''Xyston''-class Star Destroyer is similar to the ''Eclipse''-class Super Star Destroyer both featured in the comic. One wonders just how much of this is deliberate.

* The plot of Palpatine returning by taking over a clone body, and attempting to subjugate the galaxy under a new Sith Empire is very similar to [[ComicBook/Dark Empire''. Along with that, Exegol bares some similarities to Byss, and the ''Xyston''-class Star Destroyer is similar to the ''Eclipse''-class Super Star Destroyer both featured in the comic. One wonders just how much of this is deliberate.

** At least two Nabooian [[https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/N-1_starfighter N-1 starfighters]], last seen in ''The Phantom Menace.''

** From ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsResistance'' come [[https://twitter.com/BlueJaigEyes/status/1214672122712330242?s=20 the Fireball]], Blue Ace, and Yeager's as-of-yet unnamed racer.

** A certain [[WesternAnimation/StarWarsResistance supertanker fuel depot.]]
*** [[https://twitter.com/BlueJaigEyes/status/1214672122712330242?s=20 The Fireball]], Blue Ace, and Yeager's as-of-yet unnamed racer.

** [[https://twitter.com/BlueJaigEyes/status/1214672122712330242?s=20 The Fireball]].

* The Ewoks make an appearance during the victory celebration as does Cloud City on Bespin and the crashed Star Destroyer on Jakku. For bonus points, the Ewoks are Wicket (with Warwick Davis [[RoleReprise reprising his role]]) and his son Pommet (played by Warwick Davis' [[RealLifeRelative real-life son Harrison.]])

* When Kylo/Ben says 'Dad' and Han answers 'I know,' this is a call back to the scene between him and Leia in "Empire Strikes Back". He knows his son loves him.

* The resurrected Palpatine is wearing red robes under his black cloak, similar to those he wore in ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' when he was arrested by Mace Windu and the other Jedi masters for treason.

* In Rey's vision, her Sith counterpart wields a double-bladed lightsaber with a folding handle, akin to the weapons of [[WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars Pong Krell]] and [[WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels the Jedi Temple Guard]].
* When Rey hears the voices of the dead Jedi speaking to her, the camera pans upwards to a field of stars, which calls to mind a similar scene from the final season of ''[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels Rebels]]'' where Ezra hears voices from the past, present, and future in the World Between Worlds.
* The design of Palpatine's temple on Exegol (a black stone ziggurat-like structure illuminated by lightning strikes) is strongly visually reminescent of the Sith Temple on Malachor in the Season 2 finale of ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels''.
* While being briefed about the Sith Fleet, Allegiant General Pryde points out what a bad idea it was to put so many resources into Starkiller Base instead of a proper fleet. That very point has been brought up repeatedly in the Expanded Universe about the Death Star (and many, ''many'' other superweapons).

* Rey retreats into exile on Ahch-To at the first Jedi Temple and is ready to cut herself off after defeating Kylo Ren on the Death Star II remnants. She is talked out of it by Luke (in Force ghost form), who telekenetically lifts his old X-Wing fighter out of the water where he had left it when he was there much like Yoda did on Dagobah.

* In ''The Last Jedi'', General Hux briefly considered shooting an unconscious Kylo Ren dead, but stopped when Ren woke up. Here, he goes through with treachery by shooting the Stormtroopers who were about to kill Finn, Poe, and Chewie.
* One of Rey's first scenes in ''The Force Awakens'' features her dreaming about becoming a Resistance pilot by gazing up at the sky while wearing a Rebel pilot's helmet. Here, she finally gets to wear one for real - ''Luke's''.
* A star destroyer above Endor is split in half, apparently due to a ship ramming it at lightspeed, a move Snap Wexley called the "Holdo Maneuver".
* Finn and his companions are once again brought before a firing squad organized by General Hux. This time, it's ''Hux himself'' who saves him at the last minute.
* Lando is wearing a nearly identical outfit (featuring a yellow shirt with blue cape) to what he was wearing for most of ''Film/{{Solo}}''.

* Finn meets several former Stormtroopers who defected from the First Order after refusing to gun down unarmed civilians, just like he did.
* Finn refuses to retreat when the command ship resets itself knowing he was on a one-way trip. This time, no one blocks him (like Rose did in ''The Last Jedi''), but he does make it out alive from destroying the ship thanks to Lando and the ''Falcon''. Also like in ''The Last Jedi'', said attack involves him targeting a massive First Order vehicle armed with a Death Star-caliber turbolaser.
* The resurrected Palpatine is wearing red robes under his black cloak, similar to those he wore in ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' when he was arrested by Mace Windu and the other Jedi masters for treason.
* One of Finn's first acts of rebellion in ''The Force Awakens'' was launching a smaller craft from inside a Star Destroyer, using its cannons to cause damage to the larger vessel, and then fleeing in the smaller craft. Here, it's inverted: he lands ''on'' the surface of a Star Destroyer in a smaller craft, then hijacks the Star Destroyer's own cannons to destroy it from the outside.
* Luke's first appearance in ''The Last Jedi'' had him tossing his father's lightsaber over a cliff in disgust after Rey handed it to him. His first appearance in this movie has him ''catching'' it after an anguished Rey threw it aside.
* Luke's Force ghost is able to affect the environment around him (making his X-Wing surface), just as Yoda's ghost made lightning strike in the previous film.
* Finn again rescues a prisoner from a Star Destroyer. The first time it was Poe, now Poe assists him in rescuing Chewie.
* The Resistance flagship is a repaired ''Tantive IV''.

* When Kylo/Ben says 'Dad' and Han answers 'I know,' this is a call back to the scene between him and Leia in "Empire Strikes Back". He knows his son loves him.
* Kijimi's destruction is very reminiscent of the destruction of Jedha and Scarif from ''Film/RogueOne''. Instead of an instantaneous explosion like Alderaan, the surface level of the planet is first destroyed as the laser bores into the planet, causing huge shock waves and planetary devastation, leading up to the planet exploding.
* The final battle features the ''Millennium Falcon'' charging into battle at the head of a ''massive'' fleet of ships from all over the galaxy, [[GondorCallsForAid coming to the aid of the Resistance]], and...[[ContinuityCavalcade hoo boy, let's just say this might take awhile.]] Among the ''many'' spaceships visible are:
** [[WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels A certain VCX-100 light freighter]], directly to the left of the ''Falcon'' and slightly above.
** A certain [[WesternAnimation/StarWarsResistance supertanker fuel depot.]]
** [[https://twitter.com/BlueJaigEyes/status/1214672122712330242?s=20 The Fireball]].
** Resistance heavy bombers from the previous film.
** B-wings, last seen in ''Return of the Jedi''.
** At least one [[Film/RogueOne U-wing.]]
** [[https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Fang_fighter Mandalorian fang fighters]].
** At least two Nabooian [[https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/N-1_starfighter N-1 starfighters]], last seen in ''The Phantom Menace.''
** [[https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/MC75_star_cruiser MC-75 star cruisers]] (the same model as Admiral Raddus' flagship from ''Rogue One''.)
** ''Pelta''-class [[https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Pelta-class_frigate frigates]] from ''The Clone Wars'' and ''Rebels''.
** ''Sphyrna''-class corvettes (''Rebels'' and ''Rogue One'').
** And perhaps most surprisingly, at least two ''Munificent''-class [[https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Munificent-class_star_frigate Trade Federation frigates.]]
* The Orbaks ridden by Jannah's people are essentially horses adorned with thick furs and tusks, which is a nod to how Mardji the elephant was [[{{Slurpasaur}} dressed up]] to portray ''A New Hope'''s banthas.
* [[AllThereInTheManual Supplementary material]] confirms that the Resistance's Mon Calamari pilot is the son of Admiral Ackbar.

* One of the early scenes features a festival that happens once every 42 years. The original film was released in 1977, 42 years before ''Rise of Skywalker''.
* When Rey is scaling the wreckage of the Death Star II, she climbs up a platform that resembles the tractor beam control on the first Death Star.

* Just like in ''The Last Jedi'', Rey checks BB-8's antenna to see it is properly set - she found it bent after the scuffle with Teedo in ''The Force Awakens''.

* Wedge Antilles is in the gunner's seat of the ''Millennium Falcon'' during the Battle of Exegol.
* The ''Millennium Falcon'' has a hard landing similar to the one on Starkiller Base.

* One of the background Resistance members, Junn Gobint, is a Mythrol, a species of amphibious humanoids with [[FishPeople fish-like]] traits that made its debut in the very first episode of ''Series/TheMandalorian''.
* At the Festival of the Ancestors on Pasaana, an Ithorian and a Snivvian, two species that made their debuts in [[Film/ANewHope the very first film of the saga]] can be seen attending the festivities in the background. The Ithorian is particularly noticeable when Lando shoots a stormtrooper to buy our heroes some time to get away from the First Order's patrols.

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* Rey visits the abandoned Lars homestead on Tatooine and buries the two Skywalker lightsabers (Anakin's and Leia's).

* Wedge Antilles is in the gunner's seat of the ''Millennium Falcon'' durign the Battle of Exegol.
* The ''Millennium Falcon'' has the a hard landing similar to the one on Starkiller Base.

* In the final scene of the movie, Rey displays a lightsaber constructed from pieces of her quarterstaff. It also has a unique ''golden'' blade, making her the first person other than Mace Windu to have a uniquely colored lightsaber in a live-action film, the first appearance of a golden lightsaber since ''The Clone Wars'' and ''Rebels'', and first canon character period to have a golden lightsaber who wasn't a Jedi Temple guard.