A first look at Maz Kanata in Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker is revealed, and it is easily one of the most detailed CG models in the series to date. The popular character was confirmed to be returning in the upcoming ninth and final installment in the long-running Skywalker Saga, and now we can see how she’s going to look.

Voiced by the award-winning Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years A Slave) and brought to life via motion capture technology, Maz made her first appearance in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, where she won over fans with her soothing voice, wise demeanor and humorous on-again/off-again romance with Chewbacca the Wookie. A retired space pirate and well-versed in the ways of the Force, Maz headed a tavern on the planet of Takodana. It was there that she provided shelter for her old friend Han Solo and his two young companions Rey and Finn, as well as presenting them with Luke Skywalker’s long thought to be lost blue lightsaber. She would later make a small appearance in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, where she told Finn and Rose about a master codebreaker on the casino world of Canto Bight.

On Twitter, Star Wars News Net posted several images from today’s global press conference for The Rise Of Skywalker’s upcoming release, including an incredibly detailed picture of Maz Kanata herself. In addition, the cast and crew of the film held a panel to answer non-spoiler questions about the film, although Nyong’o was sadly not on hand.

Not much is known about Maz’s role in The Rise of Skywalker, but she will likely be joining the heroic Resistance in their final battle against the wicked First Order. Fans are hoping for her to reveal the mystery about how Maz managed to obtain the Skywalker family lightsaber, as she previously brushed off Han’s question on the subject as “a story for another time.”

Whatever her role in the new film may be, Maz is certainly looking good for her old age. She was already a technical marvel onscreen in the past movies, but this newest picture is simply amazing, and could easily be mistaken for a practical effect if one didn’t know better. Looking at it in comparison to screenshots of the already impressive model from The Force Awakens serves as a striking look into how far computer animation and rendering have come in the span of a mere four years, and the care and attention that special effects powerhouse Industrial Light and Magic have put into their craft is well apparent. It’ll certainly be a treat to see Maz again once Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters, alongside the countless wonders that will no doubt be on display as the era of the Skywalker family comes to a close.

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Source: Star Wars News Net/Twitter

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