Star Wars: Episode IX: The 5 most important scenes from the trailer

LAS VEGAS – MAY 29: Actor Ian McDiarmid’s Emperor Palpatine character from the Star Wars series of films is shown on screen while musicians perform during “Star Wars: In Concert” at the Orleans Arena May 29, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The traveling production features a full symphony orchestra and choir playing music from all six of John Williams’ Star Wars scores synchronized with footage from the films displayed on a three-story-tall, HD LED screen. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The Emperor’s Laugh

Emperor Palpatine is a man who managed to manipulate and control the galaxy to take control over it. The one person he couldn’t control would be his undoing — Luke Skywalker.

But was he?

That’s the question we have now as The Rise of Skywalker trailer ended with that sinister laugh Star Wars fans have come to know so well. It followed Luke Skywalker saying no one is ever truly gone. Usually, we take that to mean the heroes we love such as Luke, Yoda, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gonn.

But the same could true for the other side as well with Darth Sidious. He would have learned to become a Force ghost just as Qui-Gon and the others did, so why hadn’t we seen him until now. Perhaps, he has been the one manipulating Kylo Ren this whole time — or not. We truly don’t know.

Yet, the laugh at the end adds something more to Episode IX and something incredibly dark. While Snoke seemed to be the puppeteer of the First Order, it may just be that Palpatine was pulling the strings the whole time.

It’s the last thing we hear before the trailer ends and the one thing that will stick with us for quite some time.