The 21 biggest questions we have after seeing 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'

July 2024 ยท 10 minute read
2017-12-15T18:40:15Z

Warning: There are spoilers ahead. Do not read on if you have not seen "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" is finally in theaters and fans are having a lot of different feelings about it.

Maybe you loved it. Maybe you're mad at the number of unresolved answers provided from 2015's "The Force Awakens." (We want to know who Snoke is, too!) Maybe you're just wondering what some of those weird scenes were about. The more you think about "The Last Jedi," the less some of it starts to make sense.

Whatever you're feeling about "TLJ," we hear you. Let's wade through this together.

Keep reading to see the biggest questions we have after the movie.

1. Who is Rey?

No, really. Who are you? Lucasfilm

Let's start off with an easy one. 

Yes, we know Kylo Ren gave us some sort of answer. He said Rey is no one, a nobody from Jakku with nobody parents who sold her for money. Could Ben Solo have been lying? Rey seems way too advanced without proper training in the Force to not have some Jedi lineage. 

If that really was the big reveal, boy was it a letdown.

You can read more on Rey's reveal and what we know (or don't know) about her here.

2. So, who was Snoke?

Does it even matter who this guy is at this point? Disney/Lucafilm

Another letdown. "The Force Awakens" built up this mysterious villain, spawning two years worth of theories on his identity, only to kill him off without giving us any backstory whatsoever on him.

Sorry, gang. Your theories didn't matter. And that's a plot point which is most likely going to fracture the fandom โ€” annoying those who invested so much time in something that had absolutely zero payoff.

If you decided to pick up any of Disney's tie-in novelizations you got a little more of a peek into Snoke (but not really). You can read more on the character here.

3. Is Luke dead?

In short, yes. Luke finally made peace with his demons and found some sort of resolve with his nephew. Now, he's one with the Force. Maybe we'll see him return as a Force Ghost like Yoda.

And if you're not convinced, director Rian Johnson confirmed as much during a post-screening Q&A. 

"I had huge hesitance," said Johnson. "I was terrified. It was a growing sense of dread when I realized this was going to make sense in that chapter."

4. But is Luke going to appear in another "Star Wars" movie?

Who knows at this point? Disney/Lucasfilm

Maybe with Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher out of the picture, Hamill decided it was his time to move on, too. 

At the film's post-screening Q&A, Hamill seemed hopeful he could return.

"I'm just still holding on to the line, 'See you around, kid.' I can be in Episode Nine!" Hamill said. "I might consider catering the film just so I can hang out."

You can read more about Skywalker's departure from "The Last Jedi" here.

5. Will R2-D2 stay awake or will he go back into his droid hibernation?

R2 has seen some stuff. Disney/Lucasfilm

We know R2 was deep in droid sleep because he was sad his master Luke went into exile. 

Though he woke up at the end of "The Force Awakens" when Luke's location was found and was overjoyed to reunite with him in "The Last Jedi," what will he do now that Luke is gone? Will R2 go back into a deep slumber or will he go back to hanging out with his best bud, C-3P0?

6. Is Carrie Fisher going to be in the next "Star Wars" movie?

It seems weird that Princess Leia is still alive at the movie's end. Disney/Lucasfilm

One of the most surprising reveals of "The Last Jedi" is that Princess Leia made it through the movie alive. Does that mean we'll see her in "Episode IX"?

Disney CEO Bob Iger has said the company would not use CG to bring Fisher's character to life.

7. What was that entire scene with Leia floating in space?

I'm sorry, but it felt like Disney was toying with our emotions a bit on this one. Disney

Perhaps the most mind-boggling scene in "The Last Jedi" โ€” and there are several โ€” is one that occurs early in the movie. It looks like Princess Leia is going to be killed off, but then the rug gets pulled up from under us. 

The camera comes back to Leia floating in space and she slowly wakes up and gets herself to safety.

What gives? Can people all of a sudden breathe in space? What sort of Force powers does Leia have where she can wake up (in space) and fly through the air like Peter Pan to safety?

We're just going to sit tight and wait for answers right now.

7. Why is there a Force-sensitive kid on Canto Bight?

You can be a Jedi and you can be a Jedi. Everyone can be a Jedi! Lucasfilm

Perhaps the strangest (and most unnecessary) reveal was that one of the kids in the casino city Finn visited is Force-sensitive. That revelation leads to a lot of questions.

Is that child related to a famous Force user? Are there more Force-sensitive kids on Canto Bight? Is the casino city a dumping ground for potential Force-sensitive kids or can anyone be Force-sensitive now? 

In the larger scope of "Star Wars" lore, is this how we're explaining Rey's mysterious Force powers? 

10. How does Rey know how to swim?

Shouldn't she have drowned? Disney/Lucafilm

Rey falls into a body of water on Ahch-To and masterfully makes her way to shore without a problem.

This girl has only ever lived on a desert planet her entire life. When did she learn to swim?

10. How does Ben and Rey's Force talk work?

It's like they were Skyping. Disney/Lucasfilm

We know Snoke was responsible for connecting them together, but they were still able to speak to each other after the Supreme Leader was killed. 

And how were they able to see each other while connecting? It's never seemed to be that way in the past (that we know of). Luke and Leia and Luke and his father would communicate, but it only ever appeared that they heard each other.

Is Disney just making its own Force rules now?

11. If Snoke was linking Ben's and Rey's minds why did he connect them together when Ben was shirtless?

We appreciate shirtless Adam Driver, but that was weird. Disney

Did Snoke think seeing Ben shirtless was going to get Rey to come running to their ship? That's a bit invasive.

12. What was up with that trippy mirror scene?

Was Rey looking into the Mirror of Erised? This felt like something out of "Harry Potter." Disney/Lucasfilm

Rey didn't get any answers about her parents from this magical Force cave in "The Last Jedi." For whatever reason, she didn't bother asking Luke about the mirror cave when he may have been the one person who knew what it was.

12. Why was Yoda the only Force ghost in this movie?

Is everyone else on vacation because we were hoping to be reunited with Obi-Wan. Lucasfilm

Where's his Force ghost dad or his old pal Obi-Wan Kenobi? We know Ewan McGregor wants in on some more "Star Wars" movies.

13. Why don't all Stormtroopers have chrome suits?

It seems like it would be cost effective in the long run. Disney/Lucasfilm

There's a scene where Rose tries to shoot Captain Phasma late in the film and blaster fire bounces off of Phasma's chrome armor. 

If blaster beams bounce off of chrome armor, shouldn't all Stormtroopers get with the times and wear chrome armor? Is it too expensive? Just leave Phasma with that awesome cape to stand out.

15. Why didn't any allies respond to Leia's cry for help near the end of the movie?

Leia told the Resistance to use her code specifically when they reached out to allies on Crait. Universal Studios

Is everyone else dead who aligns with Leia or is there no hope left in the galaxy?

16. Is Rey going to have a double-bladed lightsaber in the next film?

Imagine this as a lightsaber. Disney/Lucasfilm

Rey and Kylo Ren snapped Luke's original lightsaber in half near the film's end. Rey sat with the broken lightsaber next to Leia at the film's end.

We're hoping the kyber crystal from the weapon can be used to build her a new weapon and one that would resemble the staff she's used to wielding.

17. Do the Jedi matter anymore?

This is a real question. Lucasfilm

We seem to get some differing opinions on this matter from Luke Skywalker and Yoda. It's a bit confusing and a bit frustrating.

Most of the movie, Luke preaches that the Jedi need to end.

I get it. Luke makes some good points about the Jedi giving rise to Darth Vader and Darth Sidious. They're not perfect. The perfect balance of the Force would be something in between a Jedi and Sith, a true balance of light and dark which Luke never suggests.

Here are a few things he says about the terrible Jedi:

When Rey leaves him to find Kylo Ren, Luke goes to burn down a sacred Jedi tree. He pauses, but then Force ghost Yoda shows up to finish the job. The two sit around laughing and smiling as they watch the tree go up in flames and decide that the Jedi are over. 

A few scenes later, Luke meets up Kylo Ren (in hologram form, but whatever) and tells him that the Jedi will not end with him. There's another. The scene cuts over to Rey.

What? You just said the Jedi were done Luke. Which is it?

18. Will "Episode IX" take place in the future?

"Episode VIII" doesn't exactly leave you excited to see the next chapter right away. Lucasfilm

Actually, what will "Episode IX" even be about? "The Last Jedi" sits nicely on its own as a standalone movie. 

I guess the Resistance still has to take down Kylo Ren and whatever is left of the First Order, but what's the real end game here? Are they trying to bring down Kylo Ren or turn him to the light side? Leia seemed to give up all hope on her son by the end of "The Last Jedi."

The fact that Leia Organa is still alive at the end of the movie also makes it difficult to believe the film won't have some sort of time jump. Disney has said it won't CG her into future movies. Otherwise, the character would need to be awkwardly written out.

19. How did Rey get on the Millennium Falcon near the movie's end?

Great to see you Rey, but when did you get on that ship? Disney/Lucasfilm

After Rey leaves Kylo Ren, General Hux says that she took Snoke's escape ship. When we next see Rey, she's aboard the Millennium Falcon on Crait. Rey had to have stopped somewhere in between to ditch Snoke's ship and get on the Falcon. For all we know, Snoke's ship is just floating out in space. 

20. Does Rey have the sacred Jedi order texts?

You may have missed this moment. Disney/Lucasfilm

We thought we spied them tucked aboard the Millennium Falcon in a drawer, but we're not 100% sure. (Others have told us they spotted them, too.)

Luke never made it into the Jedi tree to get them out. Yoda simply told him Rey had all the tools she needed to carry on.

21. Is Reylo going to be a thing?

Please don't let them be related. Disney

We were totally getting those vibes and we support it.

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