December might have just become the most awaited month of the year as fans of the legendary Star Wars series take to the internet to analyze and dissect the meanings behind the recent reveal of the title for the saga’s next entry Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi.
I have been a major fan of the series since I was a child and, like many of the people theorizing about what will happen in the newest installment, I can’t help but wonder if we are only to take the title — The Last Jedi — literally. Within the Star Wars universe, the term Jedi can be used in singular and plural forms, which begs one of the internet’s biggest questions: who is/are the last Jedi?
Websites and publications have begun to come up with all of the possible answers to this question, and some internet publications like Quartz have even listed names and the reasoning behind their picks. Their picks range from fan favorites such as Luke Skywalker to the often joked about Jar Jar Binks. However, there are others, including myself, who believe Luke is the last Jedi because of how clearly he is referenced in The Force Awakens’s opening crawl, as well as several other times within the film.
“Luke Skywalker has vanished. In his absence, the sinister FIRST ORDER has risen from the ashes of the Empire and will not rest until Skywalker, the last Jedi, has been destroyed.”
Because Rey was able to find Luke at the end of The Force Awakens, there might be more pressure on the First Order to redouble their search for the fabled Jedi. The biggest reason I am looking forward to The Last Jedi is in hopes that director Rian Johnson will reveal the heavily discussed Knights of Ren and how fearsome they really are.
The ominous red color the Star Wars title finds itself doused in is one of the major indicators as to what type of tone the film might have. Everyone knows the infamous color of the Sith lightsaber, and if the original trilogy is any indicator, The Last Jedi may follow the footsteps of the second film The Empire Strikes Back, in which the original trio of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Leia Organa suffer at the hands of Darth Vader and the Empire. In addition, Snoke declared that he would complete Kylo Ren’s training after he suffered defeat at the hands of Rey, which could mean we will see a more determined Ren.
Regardless of which tone Johnson chooses to take, The Last Jedi will most likely pass the latest addition in the franchise, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The film earned $801.9 million around the globe after only three weeks in theaters.
With Disney planning to release a Star Wars film surrounding the earlier years of Han Solo in December 2018, the time to be a fan has never been better.
CORRECTION: Due to a reporting error, a previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Gareth Edwards would be directing the upcoming Star Wars film. Rian Johnson will be the movie’s director. This story has been updated.
