A new Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker image provides a fresh look at Babu Frik.
In the image, revealed on StarWars.com, Babu Frik is wearing a welder’s helmet and hard at work, with his hands tangled in multicolored cables. The Anzellan is described as able to hack and reprogram any droid, regardless of its security measures, and is based on the frosty planet of Kijimi, where he works and lives among its spice runners (aka smugglers).
Since reprogramming and modifying droids is Babu’s speciality, it wouldn’t be out of the question to theorize he’s the one who turns C-3PO’s eyes red. For one reason or another, the protocol droid has some work done in Star Wars 9, and someone of Babu’s talents could certainly help with that. Also, the fact his toy comes with a Threepio action figure suggests the two are connected in some way. Hasbro likely paired those characters together for a reason. That said, considering how little is known about the Rise of Skywalker plot at this point in time, it’s hard to say with any certainty how Babu fits in. This is merely one theory, and it’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out. During the Force Friday livestream, Anthony Daniels said Babu was one of his favorite characters in the film.
Another clue about the tiny alien’s allegiance is in his location; the other notorious resident of Kijimi is none other than Zorii Bliss, an old acquaintance of Poe Dameron that dwells in Kijimi’s Thieves Quarter.
Directed and co-written by J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Keri Russell, Matt Smith, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams and Carrie Fisher, with Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant. The film arrives on Dec. 20.
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