'Long have I waited': Final trailer drops for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker that will conclude the epic space opera saga.

"Long have I waited, and now your coming together is your undoing," says the voice of the evil Emperor Palpatine in the final trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker that brings back Luke, Leia, Palpatine and a C-3PO protocol droid that seems to be saying goodbye.

J.J. Abrams is the director and produced the film together with producers Kathleen Kennedy and Michelle Rejwan.

Both Luke (Mark Hamill) and Leia (Carrie Fisher) make an appearance in the rousing final trailer, while several scenes and characters hint at a finality and a sense of closure that might very well not mean happy endings for everyone involved.

"People keep telling me they know me," says Rey (Daisy Ridley) in the trailer. "No-one does." Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) appears, as does an older Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams).

In an already hauntingly emotional scene, the golden protocol droid C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) stares at his group of ragtag friends after he's asked what he's doing. "Taking one last look, sir, at my friends" as the rousing, iconic Star Wars score swells.

Other cast returning for the final instalment includes Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o and Kelly Marie Tran, and adding Richard E. Grant and Keri Russell.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will have its release on 20 December 2019 and will bring to a close George Lucas' sprawling space opera saga as the 9th and final film in the Skywalker story.