The Next Star Wars Movie is Called "The Last Jedi" For a Surprising Reason
Since the revelation that the next Star Wars episode would be titled The Last Jedi, fans have [...]
Since the revelation that the next Star Wars episode would be titled The Last Jedi, fans have worried: does that spell doom for one or more of the main Light Side characters? The end of the Jedi Order as we know it? The end of the Episode films?
ComicBook.com has actually advocated for the end of the Jedi Order as a storytelling device in the past, and after having seen the teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, it now seems as though Luke Skywalker is on board with us.
In the final moments of the trailer, the aging Jedi Master tells his Padawan that he knows a "truth" -- that the Jedi have to end. Of course, without further context we can't definitively say what it is he means by that -- but we think we can guess.
When audiences first met Luke Skywalker forty years ago, the character lived in a world where, despite being less than a generation removed from the Jedi's massive contributions in the Clone Wars, the order had been all but relegated to "myth" status, with only Sith Lords really functioning. Luke changed all of that, coming out of retirement and stopping the reign of Emperor Palpatine and his student, Luke's father, who ultimately redeemed himself in his final moments of life.
Along the way, though, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader caused a lot of grief for a lot of people, and during the time that he was acting as the Emperor's vicious and merciless right hand, untold billions of people were likely slaughtered (including Leia's adopted homeworld).
While Anakin may have redeemed his own character, and Luke might feel pretty good about that, the fact remains: developing Anakin's Force powers was, on balance, a pretty terrible thing for the galaxy. Fast-forward a couple of generations, and Luke himself was the Qui-Gon who sought to train Ben Solo -- a decision that ended with a new generation of Sith rising to power within the First Order, the deaths of the other younglings Luke was training to be Jedi, and ultimately the murder of Han Solo.
It seems that Luke has decided, essentially, that the Jedi themselves are a danger, and that it would be better not to develop people's Force abilities and to minimize the likelihood of another Vader/Kylo Ren, rather than spending a lifetime trying to create balance by having Light Side and Dark Side space wizards hacking away at each other with laser swords.
It's certainly an understandable position for him to take -- especially as someone who has been so personally touched and lost so much as a result of the war between the Jedi and the Sith -- but whether it's actually a position that makes sense, or whether the end of the Jedi could just lead to the rise of something much worse? Well, that's a question only the film can answer...!
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is one of the most anticipated movies of 2017 worldwide, but how do our readers feel about it? Rate it on our Anticipation Rankings below and let your voice be heard!
More Star Wars: The Last Jedi news:
Teaser Poster For Star Wars: The Last Jedi Released
First Trailer For Star Wars: The Last Jedi Released
Star Wars: The Last Jedi, from writer/director Rian Johnson, is in post-production now for a December 15, 2017 release. The film follows-up and continues the story of the next generation of the saga as Rey, Poe, Finn, and Kylo Ren find their place in the galaxy and follow the legacy of Luke Skywalker, Leia, and Han Solo. Daisy Ridley returns to star as Rey, with other returning stars John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Domhnall Gleeson, Gwendoline Christie, Peter Mayhew, Andy Serkis, Anthony Daniels, Lupita Nyong'o Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa. Benicio Del Toro and Laura Dern join the cast in as-yet-unrevealed roles.
