Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker - five things we learned from the final trailer

The final trailer for Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker has been released, offering one last tease of the climactic instalment in the long-running saga.

Director JJ Abrams has said Episode IX will bring a "cohesive" ending to the entire series, which began back in 1977 with the original Star Wars.

Sky News has dissected the latest look at the highly-anticipated blockbuster, which boasts plenty of enticing teases to keep fans on tenterhooks until the film hits cinemas on 20 December.

Are Rey and Kylo Ren going to team up?

The Rise Of Skywalker picks up after the events of The Last Jedi, which ended with the heroic Resistance on the run from the evil First Order - now under the rule of Adam Driver's Kylo Ren.

Fans are eagerly awaiting a dramatic showdown between the villain and Daisy Ridley's Rey, although footage previously released for the highly-anticipated blockbuster hinted she could turn to the dark side.

While the new trailer shows her preparing for an epic duel with Ren, voiceover from the pair suggests they could come to an understanding.

"People keep telling me they know me - no one does," says Rey, to which Ren replies: "But I do."

It may be that Ren switches allegiance rather than Rey, mirroring how Vader redeemed himself to defeat the Emperor at the climax of Return Of The Jedi.

The Emperor is back - but in what form?

Speaking of the Emperor, his possible return was teased in the very first trailer for The Rise Of Skywalker and his presence has been ratcheted up a notch in the new footage.

While there is still no sign of him in the flesh, we do catch a glimpse of his old throne and some new dialogue.

The returning Ian McDiarmid, who debuted as the classic baddie Emperor Palpatine in Return Of The Jedi in 1983 before reprising the role for the prequel trilogy, is heard saying: "Long have I waited, and now, you coming together is your undoing."

Having tried to seduce Luke to the dark side, he may try to do the same to Rey.

Quite how the Emperor is back remains a mystery for now - he seemed pretty dead at the end of Return Of The Jedi.

Is C-3PO going to make a dramatic sacrifice?

Anthony Daniels is the only actor to have appeared in all eight main Star Wars films, but his appearances in the sequel trilogy have so far amounted to little more than cameos.

The new trailer suggests he might have a more significant part to play in Episode IX.

About halfway through, Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron asks: "What are you doing there, 3PO?"

As he is hooked up to some sort of machine by a gremlin-looking creature, the droid rather ominously replies: "Taking one final look, sir... at my friends."

One last hurrah for Luke Skywalker?

Luke appeared to meet his end in The Last Jedi, but his voice has permeated each trailer for The Rise Of Skywalker.

Based on previous entries in the saga, fans are looking forward to the prospect of Mark Hamill returning to the role once again in the form of a Force ghost - much as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda have done.

"Confronting fear is the destiny of the Jedi," he is heard saying in the trailer, possibly during an ethereal appearance to offer guidance to Rey.

An on-screen goodbye for Carrie Fisher?

We have known for a while that the late Carrie Fisher will star as Leia once again thanks to the use of unreleased footage shot for previous films .

Her death in December 2016 came after she finished shooting The Last Jedi and the script was unchanged, leaving her iconic character alive.

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In the new trailer, we see Leia and Rey sharing what looks to be an emotional embrace - which could be offering a glimpse of a final on-screen farewell.