The ending of Rebel Moon Part 2 made it quite clear that Zack Snyder is not going to spare us anytime soon and will release four more mini-episodes revolving around Dora and her adventures. Sorry, I mean Kora, even though the PG-13 version of Snyder’s space saga isn’t any better than children’s cartoons, with the only exception being that cartoons aren’t boring. [Spoiler Alert] Nevertheless, at the end of the film, General Titus revealed that Princess Issa is still alive (as if the fans weren’t already aware of it). This new development in the story sets the stage for Part 3, where we will see Kora and her band of outlaws searching for the missing Princess in the corners of the galaxy and taking her back to the Motherworld so that she can reign over what is rightfully hers. Centering around this storyline, I have a few theories about what we can expect from Rebel Moon Part 3, and so without any further ado, let’s get this started.
How Is Princess Issa Still Alive?
It was quite evident from the flashback scene in Rebel Moon Part 2 that Arthelais shot Princess Issa at point blank and killed her on the spot. If Sir Titus claims that she is still alive, then it could be speculated that it was Issa’s clone that arrived on the Dreadnought on that fateful day. I wouldn’t entertain the possibility that Arthelais used fake bullets or had a hand in bringing a clone to the ship because, in that case, her entire remorse arc wouldn’t make any sense. And she looked pretty surprised, as did everyone else, as the new revelations were made. So maybe the King and Queen already knew about it? Or the Resistance found out about Balisarius’s cruel schemes and acted in time so that the Princess could be hidden in a safe place before she came of age.
Another possibility we can entertain is the fact that Princess Issa indeed has magical powers and is literally the Redeemer. She can whisper life into the dead. And maybe even has the powers to resurrect herself too. If that’s true, it makes her the strongest person in the entire galaxy. Or maybe it has something to do with her soul, which left her original body the moment Arthelais shot her and found a new vessel in some corner of the galaxy waiting for the right moment to attack Balisarius and bring peace to the universe. Even though my theories seem pretty illogical, I really hope Snyder has a better resolution to this conflict; otherwise, the entire storyline would look like a farce in Part 3.
Will the robots join the war against Balisarius?
According to JC-1435, all the war robots laid down weapons after the assassination of the royal family, especially of Princess Issa. But now that she is alive, it suggests the possibility that all the robots spread throughout the galaxy would pledge their allegiance to the Princess and join the rebellion against Balisarius in order to bring down his tyranny for good. The robots long for the age of peace that Issa once promised, and her survival is the only thing that makes it achievable. So even though Balisarius had a powerful army waiting for his command, the involvement of the robots could throw off the entire power dynamics.
Will the Senate turn against Balisarius?
I believe that there is some distrust among the Senate concerning Balisarius’ iron-fist rule, which was the reason why he wanted to capture Arthelais alive so that he could execute the Scargiver in public and gain the trust of the majority. But now, when Atticus “Noob” Noble has failed miserably for the second time, the rumors of Princess Issa’s survival might spread all across the Motherland like wildfire, thereby threatening Balisarius’ position as the ruler of the realm. He would be obliged to step down from the throne and submit to the true heir or else face repercussions for his actions. Additionally, such a rumor could take away some control from Balisarius, therefore reducing the number of fleets at his disposal and making it a fair fight between Arthelais and the Regent in the end.
How Will Balisarius Be Defeated?
It would really be better if Snyder brought an end to Balisarius in Rebel Moon Part 3 because, from the looks of the first two films, he didn’t seem like a promising villain. He could introduce a better and more menacing antagonist . If that happens, we can speculate on a face-to-face clash between Arthelais and Balisarius, where the daughter will take revenge for the betrayal. I also want this arc to end as quickly as possible because it has become quite tedious now. An antagonist’s agenda shouldn’t be out in the open. Instead, they should be mysterious and menacing. For Balisarius, everything is flat-toned. Snyder doesn’t care about his antagonist. The film tells us that he is on a killing spree and wants to destroy everything in his path. But we never get the reason for his actions. Maybe we will never know, or there isn’t any. So it’s better to close the chapter and move on to a bigger threat where there is actually some reason for the protagonist to act in the way that they do.
Final Words
Zack Snyder, who is known for his innovative action sequences and backstories, has made Rebel Moon one of the most disappointing franchises of his career. What is the point of it? There is no underlying message or a unique theme explored in the premise. It is just a half-hearted homage to Seven Samurai and space drama films. At the end of the day, the question everyone wants to ask is: Why keep making films if you have nothing new to say?
