Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker introduced the Force Dyad - and a new tie-in book has finally revealed what it looks like in the Force.
Star Wars has finally revealed what the fabled Force Dyad in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker really looks like in the Force, in in-universe notes sourced from Emperor Palpatine himself. The mysterious connection between Rey and Kylo Ren was one that concerned Luke Skywalker deeply, with the Jedi Master fearing Ben Solo's influence upon his last student. It was only when Rey and the redeemed Ben Solo stood before Emperor Palpatine himself that their bond was finally explained; they were part of a Dyad in the Force, a legendary source of power that Darth Sidious was able to use to rejuvenate his clone body.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker only provided a little cursory information on the Force Dyad, but some clarity was offered through the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Visual Dictionary and Rae Carson's novelization. These revealed the Force Dyad is a natural phenomenon that can be cultivated, with Kylo Ren unwittingly giving Rey access to his powers when he attempted to invade her mind in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The events of the sequel trilogy had strengthened the Force Dyad between Rey and Kylo Ren, and the key seems to have been in the fact the two members of the Dyad were strong in both light and dark sides of the Force. According to Carson's novelization, their bond was "refined in the fire of mutual searching, shared grief, rage and hate, but also of compassion and empathy."
Lucasfilm's latest tie-in book, Secrets of the Sith, has finally revealed what exactly Palpatine knew about the Force Dyad. It's supposedly a collection of the Sith Lord's notes on the dark side of the Force, and Reddit user Obversa has shared a page featuring Palpatine's observations and a stunning image of the Dyad itself. "There are few secrets of the Force that I am yet to master," the Emperor observes proudly, "but our Order's ancient prophecies speak of one fabled manifestation unseen for generations - a dyad. This pairing of two beings strong in the Force, linked together by an unbreakable bond, creates a power as strong as life itself." Palpatine notes that the Sith Rule of Two is based on the Dyad, and he mentions some of the unique powers available to participants in a Dyad; Rey's unique Force healing, or the ability to transport objects through time and space. The image is a stunning one, perfectly representing the idea the Dyad are "the two that are one."
It's interesting to note the alien beings shown as part of a Force Dyad look very similar to the creature shown in the mural of the Prime Jedi in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, perhaps suggesting this phenomenon has not been seen since the dawning days of the Jedi Order. That fits with the idea both light and dark are required in order to create a Force Dyad, because the mural envisioned the founder of the Jedi as an agent of balance, not an adherent of either light or dark. Presumably the Dyad became lost when the Jedi schismatized, with one group swearing to use only the light side and the Sith offshoot becoming captivated by the dark. Both the Jedi's Master-Padawan bond and the Sith Rule of Two feel like ill-understood attempts to reproduce the Force Dyad.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker may not have been especially well-received, but it added a lot of new concepts and ideas into the Star Wars saga. Lucasfilm is using Star Wars tie-in books and comics to explain these, helping to embed them in the franchise's overarching narrative. In the case of the Force Dyad, the image offers a fascinating glimpse into what Palpatine potentially saw through the Force when Rey and Ben stood before him in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
