Maz Kanata's Role In 'The Last Jedi' Revealed

Joe Schmidt

11/09/2017 05:15 pm EST

When Star Wars: The Force Awakens first hit theaters, the movie presented more questions than answers as it introduced a wide range of new characters in the battle between the Light and Dark sides of the Force.

But while Episode VII in the Star Wars saga stressed the importance of newcomer Maz Kanata, fans didn't learn much about her or why she ended up with Luke Skywalker's old lightsaber. We might get some answers in the next movie, as we now know what role she'll play in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Played by Lupita Nyong'o, Maz is Force-sensitive "pirate queen" holed up on Takodana. She runs a bar for traveling smugglers in a place that's seemingly overlooked in the battle between the First Order and the Resistance.

Of course that's all gone after TIE Fighters and a garrison of Stormtroopers came and took out her castle while attempting to secure BB-8.

Han Solo went way back with her but didn't know how she came to possess the lightsaber built by Anakin Skywalker. That's a story for another time, but with her home and business destroyed, she might have to get more hands on in the fight against the Dark Side.

Find The Force

Fans learned from the series Entertainment Weekly articles that Maz Kanata's role would be minor in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. But compared to what? Her role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens was already small.

It remains to be seen if the screen time in Star Wars: The Last Jedi will be comparable, but she will have a significant role in the movie.

Maz Kanata will actually serve a vital part in Finn and Rose's mission to infiltrate the First Order when she puts the Resistance members in contact with Benicio del Toro's new character. We don't know his official name in the Star Wars universe yet, but he's being called "DJ" on the set and in the film.

The information comes courtesy of Making Star Wars, where a fan commenter who participated in the "Find the Force" campaign for Force Friday II.

Maz apparently introduces the resistance to DJ. She helps the Resistance by pointing them toward a "mysterious new ally". Maz has been forced to become more mobile and take more of a role in the criminal underworld.

We know that DJ will be a mysterious criminal based on the casino planet of Canto Bight, but that's about the extent of it.

Of course, with Star Wars fans being rabid in their attempts to decipher any and all hidden meanings in the lore, some speculate DJ could stand for "dark Jedi." But he is, assuredly, a criminal.

Force Sensitive or Force Wielder?

So how does Maz know him?

Given that the mysterious alien operated a haven for pirates and smugglers on Takodana, it's not outside of the realm of possibility that Maz knows DJ from criminal activities.

And given that DJ has been described as the leader of a criminal organization based on Takodana, this adds up. The official description for a Lucasfilm-branded scavenger hunt makes it seem even more legit.

But what if the whole "dark Jedi" thing adds up?

A deleted scene from The Force Awakens indicated that Maz wasn't just Force-sensitive, but that she was a Force wielder.

When Han Solo, Chewbacca, Finn, and Maz attempted to escape First Order forces in the tunnels under her castle on Takodana, they end up getting caught before they could exit. A portion of this scene can be viewed on the home video version, but the significant part was cut.

Maz actually uses the Force to bring the ceiling crashing down on top of the troopers, allowing them to escape.

This scene obviously raises more questions about the character's relationship with the Force as well as the balance of Light and Dark and how it's utilized. How well can a non-Jedi utilize its abilities? And does this have any relevance for the plot of The Last Jedi?

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

All of this remains to be seen, but we can expect to learn more about Maz Kanata when Star Wars: The Last Jedi premieres in theaters on December 15.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the second film in the new Star Wars sequel trilogy that began with Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015. The film will deal with Luke training Rey to become a, and possibly the last, Jedi. Meanwhile, the Resistance, including Poe Dameron and First Order defector Finn, continues to fight against the First Order, led by General Hux, while Supreme Leader Snoke and his Dark Side follower Kylo Ren continue their mysterious plot.

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