With the Star Wars closing the book on their historic Skywalker Saga in The Rise of Skywalker, this seems like the last (or at least best) chance to reintroduce characters from the classic trilogy that need some closure. And if a fan’s recent discovery is any indication, it looks like Lando Calrissian may be bringing along his old friend Lobot for the ride!
Take a look at the supposed evidence for yourself, below:
Within the big shot of Billy Dee Williams’ returning scoundrel sitting in the Millennium Falcon cockpit alongside Oscar Isaac’s roguish Poe Dameron, you can see that Lando is surely rocking a very familiar looking bracelet that has been seen in The Empire Strikes Back.
Looking at the detail in the recent Anne Liebowitz photo shoot for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and comparing it to a shot of Lando using the bracelet in The Empire Strikes Back, co-writer/director J.J. Abrams seems to have called upon classic Star Wars history yet again to realize his vision of its future.
The character of Lobot has an interesting history, starting with his original appearance as played by John Hollis in 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back. The character started life as a cyborg aide to Lando Calrissian, and was integral to freeing Princess Leia and the rest of the Rebels being held on Cloud City, after the freezing of Han Solo.
But, as with a lot of supporting characters in the Star Wars universe, there was quite a bit of background filled into Lobot’s backstory before and after the classic trilogy’s run. But even with this rich background of material, there is one pretty big snag to bringing back Lobot into the Star Wars fabric, should this eagle eyed Twitter user be onto something.
Actor John Hollis passed away in 2005, which could rule out his return entirely, depending on whether or not Lucasfilm has the right clearances to use his likeness. In the best case scenario, there’s a possibility they’ll work some digital magic to animate Hollis’ face onto a body double.
Though, should this not be an option, we could end up seeing another AJ^6 cyborg construct in the employ of Lando, and just as willing to serve faithfully in the fight against the First Order. As is with most Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker theories, we’ll have to wait for further information to prove or disprove this valid possibility.
Every day the playing field narrows, with new figures and old being introduced into the roster. And with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker only getting closer as time ticks on, it feels like we’re going to see some big surprises headed our way in these crucial hours.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker jumps into theaters on December 20th
