With The Rise of Skywalker, John Williams has brought his scoring of the nine-film Star Wars saga to a conclusion. As with each sequel in the saga, Williams added several new themes to the musical collection while recalling and building on many earlier ones as well. To appreciate just how large this collection has become, one need only peruse music theorist Frank Lehman’s majesterial thematic catalogue which, along with listing each theme, offers a host of musical Star Wars goodies. The analysis I present below will offer interpretations of the five new themes that appear most prominently in The Rise of Skywalker: Victory, Friendship, Anthem of Evil, the Knights of Ren, and Poe’s Heroics.
Full article: New Themes and Their Meaning in The Rise of Skywalker, by Mark Richards