5 Questions We Hope To See Answered In The Last Jedi

It’s hard to believe that it’s already been two years since The Force Awakens came out and introduced Star Wars to a new generation of audiences, not to mention reacquainting older fans with some familiar faces. The film did experience criticism for relying too heavily on nostalgia, to the point where many accused it relying too much on series tropes, as well as a number of unresolved threads in the story—most notably the fate of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), whose big return to the franchise didn’t leave him with much to do.

The latest chapter in the space saga The Last Jedi, now just days away, will have to do a lot of heavy lifting—both in terms of injecting more originality into the narrative and answering the many lingering questions we still have. While it has already been stated by producer Kathleen Kennedy that not every mystery will be revealed, we still hope that some questions from The Force Awakens receive some sort of resolution.

Here are our most pressing inquiries going into the next installment of the biggest movie franchise in the galaxy:

1. Who exactly is Rey?

We know Rey (Daisy Ridley) was orphaned on Jakku as a child, is Force-sensitive, and the Resistance’s great hope. The vision she received while visiting Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong’o) suggested some deeper significance. J.J. Abrams stated she was deliberately not given a surname for The Force Awakens. Theories suggest she is a descendant of the Skywalker clan or even related to Obi-Wan Kenobi. Even so, her path in this film suggests a battle between the dark and light side of the Force, being trained by Luke and then encountering Kylo Ren with a more trusting connection. The sense of grey area depicted in The Last Jedi trailers makes us believe she will dabble in both.

2. Can Kylo Ren be saved?

The moment Kylo Ren took off his Darth Vader-esque helmet to reveal Girls star Adam Driver, it was hard to take him seriously as the most fearsome villain in the Star Wars universe. After witnessing him kill his own father Han Solo (Harrison Ford) though, we all felt more reasons to hate him.

It’s interesting to see that in The Last Jedi trailers though, that Kylo Ren may experience some form of redemption, as evidenced by a scene of Rey reaching out to him. This, coupled with orders from his shadowy teacher Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) to eliminate his mother Leia (Carrie Fisher) may lead to Kylo Ren having the most interesting arc of the story. At this point, it’s fair to hypothesize that Kylo Ren and Rey will both be intertwined in ethical dilemmas that link them together. Or perhaps, that they form a yin-yang relationship that reveals hidden truths that otherwise would never come to light?

3. What has Luke been up to?

The moment Luke Skywalker re-emerged in the final few seconds of The Force Awakens was an awe-inspiring moment, so much that the instant wipe to the film’s credits didn’t bother many of us. But now, that cliffhanger is set to become the crux of The Last Jedi’s story, as Rey trains with Luke on the planet Ahch-To and unravels her Force abilities. We know that Luke had tried to bring back the Jedi Order but failed with Kylo Ren, and it appears that his exile has been plagued by thoughts about ending the Jedi once and for all. His motivation for doing this is perhaps the biggest mystery of The Last Jedi, but it may have to do with the properties of the Force, and how it expands beyond positions of good and evil energy.

4. Who is the main villain?

We only got a tease of Supreme Leader Snoke in The Force Awakens via hologram, but it appears that his time we will get to see him in full physical form. Much is still not known about who Snoke is; he has been around since the Clone Wars and had authority over the Knights of Ren. Serkis has stated that he is a completely original character, though fans have speculated he may be a character from the prequel trilogy in a new form. A surface-level reading alone would indicate he is the big bad, but recent fan theories have hypothesized that perhaps a more sinister, shrouded character, such as Benicio del Toro’s DJ who has been kept mostly out of the film’s marketing, or even a long-time fan favorite character will turn heel.

5. Will we see Luke and Leia together again?

The untimely passing of Carrie Fisher in late 2016 was a shock to everyone, one that has taken us time to adjust to. Fisher had filmed most of her scenes for The Last Jedi, but was expected to play a major role in Episode IX. Disney has stated that they will not make a CGI double for her, as done previously in Rogue One, so the way her character’s presence works in the overarching story will certainly be altered.

We haven’t seen Leia on-screen with Luke since Return of the Jedi, so the idea that they wouldn’t be paired together on screen feels like it could be a disappointment. We do know that Luke will be reunited with the Millennium Falcon, but will his journey lead him back to his sister?

Much has changed between them character-wise, as they have been jettisoned into different paths. Leia, now a headstrong general in the Resistance, and Luke, rendered into isolation for countless years, broken by his past failures. For the sake of long-time fans, their potential reuniting could easily rank among the best moments of The Last Jedi, but if one of their character arcs were to end before then, it would be one of the most painful.

Bonus question: What are Porgs?

Since their first reveal, the new species of creature created for The Last Jedi known as a ‘Porg’ has received instant comparisons to the role the Ewoks served in Return of the Jedi—something cute and seemingly harmless meant to move a lot of merchandise. Already a hot holiday item and a source of Internet memes for months, they’re a cute distraction to some, and a grave annoyance to others. While it’s highly unlikely Porgs will serve a vital storytelling component in The Last Jedi’s narrative, their presence alone has already made waves with fans and led to a great deal of opposition, serious or not.