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Credit: LucasfilmDisney released a variety of Star Wars merchandise as part of Triple Force Friday last week. But it wasn’t long before fans noticed something wasn’t right. It was pointed out that Disney has seemingly erased one character from several Rise of Skywalker merchandise items, and fans aren’t happy.
Rose Tico, played by Kelly Marie Tran and first introduced in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, is reportedly missing from Rise of Skywalker merchandise. Several have pointed out that she was previously seen on merchandise previewed earlier this year. But those same items have been edited and reproduced without Tran’s character.
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One Twitter user and popular YouTuber, Jenny Nicholson, pointed out that Rose was missing, comparing the scenario to the #WheresRey phenomenon a few years ago. In case you missed it, fans had noticed during the first Force Friday in 2015 that Daisy Ridley’s character, Rey, hadn’t been included in many Star Wars merchandise items. The #WheresRey hashtag took the internet by storm, and Disney later seemingly added Rey to numerous merchandise items.
As fans point out, another female Star Wars character seems to have been edited out of merchandise items, and #WheresRose is the latest Star Wars trend in the Twitter universe.
Take a look at the merchandise in question below, in which two shirts display what seems to be a before-and-after look with and without Rose:
I remember #WheresRey around the first Force Friday, but what makes #WheresRose more insidious is all the evidence of where she was designed into merch and then willfully removed. The fan conduct toward Rose/KMT was shameful and catering to those fans sends the worst message pic.twitter.com/D85iLBghos
— Jenny Nicholson (@JennyENicholson) October 4, 2019
The version of the movie poster featuring Rose from leaked merch designs, vs the version of the poster ultimately going on shirts, trading cards, and tote bags pic.twitter.com/Av4RZqpUvJ
— Jenny Nicholson (@JennyENicholson) October 4, 2019
Whether or not you’d instead buy the “Rebel” t-shirt with Rose front and center, it’s undeniable that she was a main character in The Last Jedi, and she’s expected to have a role in The Rise of Skywalker. Removing her from a t-shirt that looks meant to include the most significant characters in the upcoming movie is pretty strange but not entirely surprising. Here’s why.
Many Star Wars fans ruthlessly and tirelessly criticized the introduction of Kelly Marie Tran’s character in The Last Jedi. Many made questionably racist and sexist comments toward Disney and Lucasfilm regarding Rose being a part of the Star Wars universe. Tran even left social media after experiencing so much cyberbullying and hate from the Star Wars fandom.
As Nicholson pointed out in her Tweet above, it could seem like removing Rose from The Rise of Skywalker merchandise caters to those who don’t want to see her character in the films at all.
One Twitter user later pointed out that Rose wasn’t added too many of The Rise of Skywalker designs until later, although the reason for this hasn’t been explained further.
Okay so I've been talking to a few people and it sounds like a lot of designs couldn't add Rose in until later in the production process. This is why she hasn't been appearing in these early waves of merchandise BUT she will be in them. Hope this helps #WheresRose
— Selene the Whisper (@_selenejade) October 4, 2019
And one company that sells licensed Star Wars merchandise later explained that Rose wasn’t intentionally removed from any of their designs:
Thanks Amber! I see what you mean! We would never remove her – she wasn't included on that design asset from Disney when we first designed the shirt. Will look at addressing this asap if there is an updated asset… our Rose tee from The Last Jedi was one of our best sellers!
— Absolute Cult (@AbsoluteCult) October 7, 2019
Still, this hasn’t stopped fans from believing that Rose was edited out of the merchandise that previously included her:
People tweeting me links to sites like zazzle and buried print-on-demand tshirts in the shopdisney app to "prove" Rose is on merch like that makes it not-weird that all the in-stores merch uses versions of the promo art that she was deliberately photoshopped out of
— Jenny Nicholson (@JennyENicholson) October 5, 2019
Disney has not yet responded to the #WheresRose claims and inquiries. However, we’ll update this article should they explain the seeming exclusion of Rose from Star Wars merchandise. Whether or not you’ve been able to purchase Star Wars merchandise that includes Rose, one thing’s for sure: she will be included in The Rise of Skywalker, and we can’t wait to see her role in the upcoming film.
What’s your take on the #WheresRose Star Wars merchandise conversation? Let us know in the comments!
Source: Comicbook