Star Wars 9: Is this the HEARTBREAKING way Leia will be crucial in The Rise Of Skywalker?

The iconic actress, who passed away in 2016, will be seen as Leia thanks to unused footage she recorded for The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi.

How exactly she will tie in to the new story remains to be seen, but one popular theory from a Star Wars fan also neatly complements claims that C-3PO will have a heightened role.

Anthony Daniels’ droid is widely believed to have much more to do in Star Wars 9 than he did in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi – and Leia could be the catalyst for his prominence.

Writing on Reddit, ThatGeek303 said: “We know Threepio will have a relatively more significant role in The Rise of Skywalker while Leia will have a smaller role due to Carrie Fisher’s passing.

“Leaks have suggested that Threepio is important to the film’s plot, but what if his prominence is also to act as a surrogate for Leia?”

They added: “He could be middle man between our new group of heroes and Leia, giving her character more of a presence in the film despite not actually being on screen.

“Personally, I think that’d be a very fitting and touching way to make this still feel like Leia’s film while also giving Threepio more to do.

“Either way, Leia and Threepio are the two characters I’m most excited to see in The Rise of Skywalker and I can’t wait for December!”

The theory has been 81% upvoted on the Star Wars Speculation section of Reddit.

Speaking at Star Wars Celebration in April, writer-director JJ Abrams spoke about Fisher’s involvement in the movie.

“Carrie was the best, she was glorious, she was amazing,” he said.

“It was impossible – what are you gonna do? You don’t recast that part, and you don’t have her disappear.

“The weird miracle of having a number of scenes that had gone unused… looking at those scenes and understanding there was a way to use those scenes and continue her story.

“The idea of having a CG character was off the table, we’d never want to try.

“So the idea of ‘what if we could work scenes around her’? And emotionally, every day it hits me that she’s not here but it’s so surreal because we’re working with her still.

“She’s in scenes, and so alive in the scenes. The craziest part is how not crazy it is.

“In some scenes with Billie [Lourd], her daughter… Princess Leia lives in this film in a way that is kind of mind-blowing to me.”

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is out on December 19 in the UK.