Fantastic Fools

As part of our ongoing coverage of Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, we’re conducting an exclusive interview with the true writer of the film: reddit user u/StarWarsRox_69

FULL SPOILERS FOR THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

FF: Kelly Marie Tran’s Rose Tico had a big role to play in The Last Jedi but almost nothing to do in The Rise of Skywalker, what was your thinking there?

u/StarWarsRox_69: Urghh, I almost forgot we had to put her in, thanks for reminding me. I wanted to cut her out completely but there was a studio mandate for some “forced diversity” so I couldn’t just cut her out complexity.

Look, I don’t have a problem with Asian people, or with… females, but Rose is an Asian AND a woman; and that I just cannot abide. That’s two goddamn diversity birds killed with one stone and I will not be having it.

Tran was bullied mercilessly online with sexist and racist taunts after The Last Jedi, did you feel a need to support Kelly after this hard time?

If there’s one thing this movie should teach you about Star Wars, its that the fans are right all the time. And when I say fans, I mean the people who use the same forums as me.

We really didn’t want to challenge, dispel, or dissuade any fans with this movie, we wanted to cater to their every whim, and if they didn’t like the fact that she was Asian, who am I to call them wrong?

But by reducing her role you essentially validate their racist tyrades…

Exactly! This movie is all about validating fans.

Do you have any regrets about how you handled the character?

Yeah, looking back I really wished we had killed her, lol.

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More rise of Skywalker coverage:

REVEALED: RISE OF SKYWALKER WRITTEN BY A REDDIT USER

STAR WARS WRITER U/STARWARSROX_69 REVEALS HAN SOLO WAS ALIVE ON A DIFFERENT TRANSPORT

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