Here's why you recognise that medal in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker trailer

The newly-released trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker features a shot of a mysterious medal, and here's what it symbolises.

For die-hard fans of the movies, you may remember Luke Skywalker and Han Solo each receiving this medal of honour at the end of 1977's A New Hope.

This new footage appears to show General Leia Organa holding the beautiful piece of gold (we assume it's her, anyway), as a memento in remembrance of her deceased pals.

Related: Star Wars: Episode 9 deals with Carrie Fisher's passing in a "really beautiful way"

There's plenty of other material to unpack from the trailer, too - which premiered today (April 12) at the Episode 9 panel at Star Wars Celebration in Chicago.

Billy Dee Williams' Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca cruise through space together in the Millennium Falcon, while Daisy Ridley's Rey shows off some neat flip skills in a desert wasteland.

And that only covers a tiny portion of it!

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Actor Oscar Isaac has previously discussed how this trilogy-closer will see the audience "blown away" by the end credits.

If there's anyone we can trust in this world, after all, it's Poe Dameron.

Star Wars Episode IX will be released on Thursday, December 19 in the UK and Friday, December 20 in the US.

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Dan Seddon

Reporter, Digital Spy 

Dan is a freelance entertainment journalist. Beginning his writing career in 2014, Dan's work first graced the pages of cult publications Starburst magazine and Little White Lies before moving onto Total Film, Digital Spy, NME and Yahoo Entertainment. 

In the film and TV universe, he kneels at the altar of Jim Carrey, Daniel Plainview, Mike Ehrmantraut and Paulie Walnuts.