In footage released prior to the opening of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Luke Skywalker had that tantalizing line about the Jedi Order needing to end. This left many fans wondering if this installment would spell the end for the Jedi Order. After all, the potential for this to happen is even teased in the title of the film. However, in the book The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Rian Johnson revealed that actually ending the Jedi Order never felt like a natural choice to him. Here’s what he had to say:
“When Rey shows up, the first and foremost thing is she needs a mentor. In looking at this grand plan from ten miles up in the air, Luke is missing the thing right in front of his nose. Here’s somebody who needs you, who needs your help. If you think you are throwing away the past, you are fooling yourself. The only way to go forward is to embrace the past, figure out what is good and what is not good about it. But it’s never going to not be a part of who we all are. And that includes Rey, who grew up hearing the legends about the Jedi. So the notion of, ‘Nope, toss this all away and find something new,’ is not really a valid choice, I think.”
SEE ALSO: Mark Hamill regrets his criticisms of Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Well, Luke was right: None of this went the way we thought. Star Wars: The Last Jedi managed to defy expectations at seemingly every turn. Some fans took some serious issue with that fact, while others are celebrating it (here’s what we thought). Remembering the past was certainly an important part of Luke’s character arc in the film, and no matter what you may think about the film, Rian Johnson tends to defend his choices for the film quite well.
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 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) and Warwick Davis joined by new additions Jimmy Vee (Pan) as R2-D2, Kelly Marie Tran (Ladies Like Us) as Rose, Benicio Del Toro (Guardians of the Galaxy) as DJ and Laura Dern (Jurassic Park) as Vice Admiral Holdo.
… You can find Jordan on Twitter, and Facebook.
Originally published December 29, 2017. Updated December 19, 2019.
