By Loud Josh
Earlier this morning, Star Wars dropped some mega news: the official title of Star Wars VIII is “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”.
Let that sink in for just a moment. The Last Jedi. The LAST Jedi. What could this possibly mean? We have approximately 11 months to talk about and over analyze it, so we might as well get started now!
There are a few different definitions of the word “Last” that could come into play here:
1) Last-occurring or coming after all others, as in time, order, or place
2) Last-most recent; next before the present; latest
3) Last-being the only one remaining
4) Last-final
If we use either the first or third definition of the word, the title lends itself as a reference to Luke. After the Jedi had been extinguished from the galaxy, only Luke remained to rebuild the Jedi order, his plans were crushed by the betrayal of Kylo Ren as his new order was seemingly wiped out completely by the Knights of Ren. Therefore, Luke has been The Last Jedi for years. The second definitions lends itself to being a reference to Rey. While she isn’t a full on Jedi yet, by finding Luke to seek his training she will become The Last Jedi. The fourth definition is much more bleak. Whether The Last Jedi is Luke or Rey if they are the final Jedi, the future of Star Wars is going to get very dark indeed. This definition seems to be the least likely as Star Wars without Jedi going forward would be a bad business decision for Disney: lightsabers are cool and very profitable toys/collectibles.
So the most obvious choices for who The Last Jedi is/are (Jedi is plural of Jedi) are most definitely Luke and Rey, but could it be referring to someone else entirely? Let’s take a closer look at all the possibilities—as far fetched as they might seem.
The Probable
Luke: Luke is the most obvious choice for The Last Jedi. The reference in this case would be to Luke’s past more than any reference pointing towards the future. By the end of the destruction of the Second Death Star, Luke is the only Jedi remaining. Leia, though born with the Force, has placed more importance on politics and the New Republic than beginning her Jedi training. We know from Rey’s Force Vision that Luke attempted to rebuild the Jedi Order but that most or all of it was destroyed by the Knights of Ren, sending Luke into seclusion, once again becoming The Last Jedi.
Rey is clearly on the path to becoming a Jedi. The Force Awakens leaves us with her seeking out Luke for training/answers. If Rey is The Last Jedi then we are looking at a title that rather than focusing on the past is a glimpse into the future. This is a little troublesome as 3 of the 4 definitions of the word last mean that Luke’s death is assured: a possibility I’m not willing to accept at this time.
Luke/Rey Hybrid-Given the fact that the plural of Jedi is in fact Jedi, The Last Jedi could very well mean both Luke and Rey, Master and Apprentice. With this possibility, we have a title that is both a reflection on the past and a vision for the future, without placing a death sentence on Luke’s head. Together they are The Last Jedi and together they shall restore peace to the New Republic, and so long as they aren’t the final Jedi there is hope for the future of the Jedi Order.
The Possible
Ahsoka Tano/Kanan Jarrus/Ezra Bridger: I’ll put all three of these together because the evidence for all of them is essentially exactly the same. With Rogue One we saw that Disney was not afraid to blend their cartoon world with the live action, while thus far it has been contained to easter eggs, it is not out of the realm of possibility that one of these three Jedi has survived and has been living in seclusion much the way Obi-Wan and Yoda were. Luke and Rey would then have to find one of them because they hold the secret to defeating Supreme Leader Snoke. It’s thin, but not entirely implausible. Things from here on out are only going to get thinner.
Ben Solo: To believe this one, you need to believe that Kylo Ren is a facade. Ben Solo is deep undercover to get close to Snoke and killing his father was a sacrifice he had to make to maintain his identity as a double agent. If Luke has given up (evidenced by his seclusion) and forsaken the title of Jedi, then Ben sacrificing everything to stop the ultimate evil is definitely worthy of being called The Last Jedi.
The Improbable
Finn: Wielding a lightsaber does not a Jedi make, however, it is still possible that Finn could have developed his own Force powers and will become a Jedi in his own right.
Someone New-What if someone else survived the slaughter at Luke’s Academy? What if they held the key to bringing down the First Order? What if Luke and Rey needed to go find this Last Jedi [left alive from the new order]?
A Planet of Jedi: Not that long ago in Legends, there was found the “Lost Tribe of the Sith” marooned on an undiscovered planet with no way off, an entire culture of Sith developed over thousands of years. Take that same story but make it Jedi. An entire culture of “true Jedi” marooned on an uncharted planet that Luke and Rey must discover in order to stop Supreme Leader Snoke. This culture of Jedi believes that all other Jedi have gone extinct and their name for their Order is “The Last Jedi”.
The Next to Impossible (But I’m Corellian so never tell me the Odds)
Mace Windu: Samuel L. Jackson has stated his desire to come back to the series and his belief that Mace only fell out of a window and could have easily survived, prompting many theories that he is actually Snoke. Maybe he is The Last Jedi.
Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Clone: There was once a Young Adult series called “The Last of the Jedi” that focused on Obi-Wan between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. If a sample of Obi-Wan’s DNA had been obtained and a clone grown from it, Obi-Wan could retain his (non-canon) title of The Last Jedi.
Corran Horn/Mara Jade: I’m only including this because of my deep desire to bring them both into the official canon. Make it happen Disney. I’m begging you.
So who do you think is The Last Jedi? Did we get it right or did we miss someone? Let us know in the comments!
MTFBWY and Viva La Nerdolution!
Matt Goodman
via The Nerd Machine
http://www.nerdhq.com/who-is-the-last-jedi-an-in-depth-look-at-episode-viiis-new-title/
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