When The Last Jedi introduced the character Rose, she became an unexpected target for angst by a small set of fans. It seemed the general reasons were that they thought her role was forced in to the storyline for no other reason then to add an ethnic token. I personally think that when Rey was going to be off dealing with her big transformation in the movie, there was no one to counter-balance Finn’s self-absorbed and impulsive side. Finn had only really known the Stormtrooper’s life and Rey was the good angel in his shoulder through The Force Awakens. Finn’s struggle between the selfish impulse and his inner hero Roughly mirrored that of Han Solo’s through the Original Trilogy. In that, Princess Leia was his better angel. Rose served to be this for Finn allowing us to see more of his growth and struggle. The entire sequence on Canto Bight worked to further this while bringing a grittiness to the struggle with a look at the awful side effects of the their prolonged violent struggle. This all then built to Rose making the fundamental point of the entire movie: There is more to gain in loving and caring for each other than simply trying to destroy their enemies. This was one of the problems that gradually grew in the Jedi Order and resulted in the rise of the Empire. The Last Jedi continued this narrative and made it a very real part of the new fight.
Now despite my opinion on Rose, there still remains the question of wether or not she was cut from “Rise of Skywalker” promotions to appease angry fans. She is not in the teaser trailer, but very little is. It is only supposed to be a lightning fast sizzle reel to spark interest, so it is not surprising. Rose is not a main part of the core cast anyway, so there would be no reason to make sure she is shown. The two full trailers released only offer a glimpse of her. That is true of other characters, so that might not be a good indicator. There have been posters and promo photos without her, as well, but I don’t think she was really a poster-level role.
It is fair to say she is definitely not in much of the promotional material. What is not fair to say is that we know this is out of fear of ticking some people off or just a function of her characters place in the large mix. She was definitely part of the Star Wars Celebration trailer release panel. This was a huge event with JJ, Kathleen Kennedy and the core cast. J.J. even said he was thankful for many things Rian Johnson gave him, and Rose was one of his favorites. In addition, the character was left in a state where she could easily have not been in episode 9, but she is part of it.
Conclusion, it does not appear there was any real effort to cater to fans angry about Rose, but there is a small amount of undeniable absence of her to at least keep the door open on this rumor.
This post was based on my answer to a Quora question. Check it out here:
Why is the character of Rose missing from the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker trailer? Answered Apr 15
