It was only two-and-a-half minutes, but The Last Jedi trailer enthralled us which each passing moment. While it didn’t reveal too much, there were some quick flashes that did reveal some pertinent information about the film. The most interesting aspect was Luke Skywalker’s character. The man who once believed in the best in people is a shadow of his former self. He’s unrecognizable. He’s also fearful of Rey and is hesitant to train her. The reasons for this are unknown. Is it because of his experience with Ben/Kylo? Is Rey his daughter and he gave her up because her power frightened him? We don’t know the answer to these questions, but the trailer sure brought these questions front and center.
“When I found you, I saw raw, untamed power, and beyond that, something truly special.”
The trailer opens with a voiceover from Supreme Leader Snoke. While I don’t believe he’s Darth Plageuis, he is obviously very old and probably more ancient than Emperor Palpatine. The parallels between his relationship with Kylo and Palpatine’s relationship with Anakin are more apparent now than ever. Snoke has probably watched over Kylo his entire life, much like the Emperor did with Anakin. He fed him the idea that he’s special, that he’s being held back (probably by Luke), much like Anakin felt like Obi-Wan and the Jedi were holding back his power. This relationship will be very important in The Last Jedi, especially given that there is some unique bond between Rey and Ben that is hinted at in the trailer.
“Something inside me has always been there. But now it’s awake. And I need help.“
This scene promises to be one of the most emotional in the movie for long-time fans. Anakin’s lightsaber carries so many memories, not just for Luke, but for us, the viewer. The fact that it calls to Rey means something. She has some connection to Luke and even Anakin, and hopefully, that is revealed in the film.
It’s obvious now that the title The Force Awakens refers to Rey’s awakening (if it wasn’t already). What Snoke said about Kylo is even more true about Rey. She doesn’t even know what she’s doing, she can’t control her power, and it’s possible that she’s beginning to lose control in The Last Jedi. This is how Anakin Skywalker should have been portrayed. This lends credence that Rey is either Luke’s daughter or that she is the Chosen One, born of the Force and reincarnated to defeat Supreme Leader Snoke.
“I’ve seen this raw strength only once before. It didn’t scare me enough then. It does now.“
Luke is a shadow of his former self. He always believed in the good in people, even his father who was the worst mass murderer the Galaxy had ever seen. Rey frightens him though. He’s broken. His failure with Ben Solo has scarred him so deeply and he seems to have given up on the Galaxy. He may be referring to Ben/Kylo when mentions raw strength, but there’s also the possibility that his own strength terrified him so much that he exiled himself. Something happens that leads him to begin to train Rey though, much like Yoda before him, but it’s possible he stops halfway. Again, this is a very different Luke than we knew in the Original Trilogy.
“Let the past die. Kill it. If you have to. It’s the only way to become what you’re meant to be.“
After killing his father, Kylo Ren is trying to let go of everything that was Ben Solo. He even appears to target his own mother, although we know from Mark Hamill that Leia does make it through the film. It seems like he has more affection for his mother than his father, as he visibly struggles with the fact that he may be about to take her life (if the trailer isn’t misleading us, and it may be). Kylo is a really complicated character and I have no doubt Rian Johnson will do the character justice. He may even turn on Snoke and once again reach out to Rey, which he does do later in the trailer.
“This is not going to go the way you think!“
It is confirmed now that we will see more flashbacks in The Last Jedi. We will see the destruction of the Jedi Order (at least in part) that Luke had built. We will see the betrayal of Kylo Ren. There is one scene from the trailer that could go one of two ways though.
This could be Luke talking to Kylo in a flashback that we first saw in The Force Awakens. It could also be a part of a scene with Rey that we see on Ach-To when it’s raining. It could go either way, although, within the context of the scene, my bet is that this is a flashback and Luke is exchanging words with his nephew.
“Fulfill your destiny!“
We finally see Supreme Leader Snoke! This is a scene that appears to be with Rey (telling her to fulfill her destiny? what is that?), so it’s apparent that it takes place later in the film. Snoke may be casting Kylo aside, as is the way of the dark side, and trying to turn Rey to the dark side. We see him literally torturing her with the Force. This directly mirrors Return of the Jedi and how the Emperor both tortured Luke and was ready to throw Vader aside. How Rey escapes and what transpires is unknown, but what if Kylo turns on his master and saves her, and then once again asks her to join him? That doesn’t seem so far fetched…
“I need someone to show me my place in all this.“
At this point, Rey seems lost. She’s been alone her whole life. She has no home. She has no belonging. Luke very well may be dead or may have abandoned her. Now that this extraordinary power has awakened within her, she doesn’t know how to handle it. It appears that she’s asking Kylo Ren for help, which is ironic since she tried to kill him when they last met. He doesn’t say a word and merely extends his hand, and then the trailer ends. Lucasfilm may be trying to mislead us, but the lighting in the three shots is consistent.
There were a few more cool moments, like Finn back at full strength fighting Phasma. The highlights of the trailer though were everything with Luke/Rey/Kylo and then the limited amount we saw of Snoke.
From what we’ve seen, I have no idea what to think. All I know is that I’m more excited for this film than ever before. Rian Johnson is a fantastic director and the film all the makings of possibly being the best Star Wars film ever. Of course, this is only a trailer and there is probably a lot of misdirection, but there are quite a few things we can infer from it.
What I really want to know though, is this the Journal of the Whills?