Theories Surrounding “The Last Jedi”

Rey is a Kenobi/Solo/Skywalker

There are theories across basically the entire internet about who Rey’s parents are, all of them interesting. If Rey is related to Obi-Wan, that would mean that he’d had a child before his first interaction with Luke on Tatooine—a child that he never mentioned and that never played any role in the original trilogy or the prequels. Making her a Skywalker would almost be too easy, I think, but it also raises a lot of important questions. Who is Rey’s mother if Luke is her father? Why did Luke abandon her—did it have something to do with Kylo Ren’s switch to the dark side?

I think the most interesting possibility here is that she’s a Solo. This theory, as well as the Skywalker theory, destroys the Reylo theory (more on that later) by making Rey and Kylo related. Making Rey and Kylo siblings could be an interesting play on Luke and Leia’s relationship in the originals. It also complicates her relationship with Han and Leia. However, I think a major flaw in this theory is the age that Rey was apparently abandoned on Jakku. If Han and Leia decided to abandon their second child on Jakku, for whatever reason, she was old enough at that time that Han and Leia would recognize her when they encounter her in The Force Awakens. I can’t think of any reason that they would choose not to reveal this to her—or, for that matter, why they would choose to abandon her in the first place.

Personally, I hope that Rey’s parents are just regular people. This could potentially explain why they abandoned her: if she showed signs of being Force-sensitive at an early age, they might have decided she wasn’t worth the trouble. It also frees her from any expectations set by fans based on her parentage. Rian Johnson, who is writer-director of the new film, has also stated that in the next trilogy, the plot will be “separate from the episodic Skywalker saga” that has encompassed all of the films so far. While this doesn’t necessarily mean that Johnson is taking this angle in The Last Jedi, it certainly opens up the possibility.

Rey and Kylo Will End Up Together

Part of me wants this to be true, and another part of me really really really wants it to not be true. While it would definitely be a nice romantic twist if Rey somehow redeems Kylo (or Kylo brings Rey to the dark side!) and they fall in love, it would also be kind of a strange turn. As this article from Fansided points out, the mental battle scene between Rey and Kylo in The Force Awakens was kind of super, extra creepy. Having them end up together after that would be…not great. Plus, it’s awesome that The Force Awakens had such a successful plotline without utilizing any romantic factors! Rey receives help from various characters, and she doesn’t fall in love with any of them. The story is purely about the strengths and complexities of the characters, not their romantic tendencies, and I would really like to see that continue.

Of course, there is the issue of the trailer for The Last Jedi. It definitely seems like Kylo and Rey end up together in some way, whether it’s a romantic connection, a change in alliances, or something entirely unexpected. Or, Lucasfilm and Disney could be totally throwing us off the scent with misleading shot combinations. If Rey ends up with anyone, I think it would be more appropriate for her to be with Finn. They have a history together, and they’re really good friends by the end of The Force Awakens. (However, I am also very much here for the Poe-Finn theory.)

Luke Skywalker Has Become a Gray Jedi/Gone to the Dark Side

According to the entry for “Gray Jedi” on Wookieepedia, the concept has “two meanings. First, it was used by Jedi and Sith to describe Force-users who walked the line between the light and dark sides of the Force without surrendering to the dark side, and second, it described Jedi who distanced themselves from the Jedi High Council and operated outside the strictures of the Jedi Code. However, those who were considered to be true Gray Jedi met both qualifications and did not belong to any particular Force tradition.” There’s good reason to think that Luke Skywalker may have gone down this path after exiling himself on Ahch-To, the site of the first Jedi temple. The movie’s teaser trailer contains plenty of potential clues: the books that may have been written by the first Jedi, and the chilling line where Luke declares that “it’s time for the Jedi to end.” Perhaps he’s changed his mind about the sometimes-questionable tenets of the Jedi Code.

Aside from these actual pieces of the movie (whatever their true context may be), fans have speculated that much of the advertising for the movie reveals a potentially sinister truth about Luke. The poster for The Last Jedi features Luke looming largest in the background, and some people have noted that in the posters for all other Star Wars films, the villain always occupies that space. Another two-sectioned advertisement features Rey, Leia, and Finn on one side, while Kylo Ren and Captain Phasma are present on the other; Luke is featured on both sides. Whether this truly has any bearing on the movie or is just Lucasfilm toying with us again remains to be seen. I think it would be very interesting to see Luke as a Gray Jedi, as this could potentially be why Rey appears to join forces with Kylo in some way during the trailer.

There’s not much longer to wait for the new movie, but that doesn’t mean fans will stop speculating any time soon. I’m pretty sure that I’ll be discussing all the possibilities as I walk into the theater. Regardless of which theories prove true and which don’t, it’s almost certain that this next movie will answer some of our questions and also leave us with plenty of new ones.

Image Credit: Feature, 1, 2, 3