Originally published September 7, 2017. Updated November 30, 2022.
Since the title of Star Wars: Episode VIII was first announced as Star Wars: The Last Jedi, there’s been a lot of speculation as to which character – or characters – the title refers to: is it Luke Skywalker? Rey? Both? Well, speaking to The New York Times, director Rian Johnson has provided a definitive answer, stating that:
“It’s in the opening crawl of Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” said Johnson. “Luke Skywalker, right now, is the last Jedi. There’s always wiggle room in these movies — everything is from a certain point of view — but coming into our story, he is the actual last of the Jedi. And he’s removed himself and is alone on this island, for reasons unknown.”
Johnson also discussed Luke’s ominous “It’s time for the Jedi to end” line from the teaser trailer, stating that: “That’s [Luke]. It sounds pretty dire. That’s something that we’re definitely going to dig into. The heart of the movie is Luke and Rey. It follows all the other characters, but its real essence is the development of the two of them. And it’s absolutely tied up in that question of, What is Luke’s attitude toward the Jedi?”
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So, if Luke is the last Jedi, does that mean that Rey will become the first of a new order under Luke’s tutelage, perhaps combining aspects of both the light and dark side of the force a la a Gray Jedi?
In Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of The Force Awakens join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is set for release on December 14th in the UK and December 15th in the States and sees returning cast members Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron), Lupita Nyong’o (Maz Kanata), Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Gwendoline Christie (Captain Phasma), Billie Lourd (Lieutenant Connix), Andy Serkis (Supreme Leader Snoke), Peter Mayhew and Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca), Tim Rose (Admiral Ackbar), Mike Quinn (Nien Nunb), Simon Pegg (Unkar Plutt), and Warwick Davis joined by new additions Jimmy Vee (Pan) as R2-D2, Kelly Marie Tran (Ladies Like Us) as Rose, and Benicio Del Toro (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Laura Dern (Jurassic Park).
