By Joe Liddle

If you haven’t been living under a rock, you’ll know that a few weeks ago, the next Star Wars movie, which will be the eighth episode in the epic saga, has finally been given an official title. Directed by Rian Johnson, known for the 2012 movie, Looper, the eighth installment of the new Disney led trilogy will be a continuation of Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, which was released December 2015 in cinemas worldwide.

The title in question, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, which will be released December 2017, exploded among fans, giving way to one question; who is the title referring to? Sure, there are many other questions left unanswered, and some may even be answered in The Last Jedi. Some of these questions include the parentage of Rey, and the true guise of the mysterious Supreme Leader Snoke, both of which have been theorized to death. If you’re interested in hearing said theories, YouTube is a great place to get your fill.

For now, I’m going to focus on the “Last Jedi” and cover a few theories regarding the title. For those of you who saw The Force Awakens, you’ll know that the movie ended with Rey coming face to face with hero, Luke Skywalker, the only living Jedi in the Star Wars universe (that we know of). This is without a doubt the most obvious verdict for who exactly the “Last Jedi” is, but what fun would that be? Sometimes, the most obvious choice is not always correct.

I’d love to delve into more reasons as to why Luke is the obvious candidate for the title’s namesake, but there really isn’t much to say on the matter. So, who else could it be? Rey would be another obvious choice. Judging by her actions in The Force Awakens, we can see that she’s unusually force-sensitive, so the gift is already there. Not only that, but we now know that she is with the exiled Luke at the end of the movie. So, judging by the information we have, maybe Luke is going to train Rey, who will in turn become the “Last Jedi”, the new Luke Skywalker of the trilogy. If you think about it, this is much like Luke’s meeting with Yoda in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back; an old Jedi Master and a young apprentice, training on a barren planet.

Kylo Ren would be another choice, though maybe not as obvious as the other two. In The Force Awakens, we learn that Kylo Ren’s true name is Ben Solo, son of Han and Leia, and we learn that he massacred the new Jedi Luke was training, which in return led to Luke’s exile. The theory is, albeit a basic and dubious one, is that Kylo will redeem himself and turn to the light side of the Force, and that Rey will do the reverse, thus making Kylo Ren the “Last Jedi”, but to me, this theory is way too far-fetched and would not make sense this early on.

Of course, there’s always the possibility of a mysterious Jedi revealing themselves; maybe someone from the past or a survivor of Luke’s Jedi school. Some theories go as far to say that the “Last Jedi” is in fact Anakin Skywalker, and that Supreme Leader Snoke, with the help of Darth Sidious, had him cloned or brought back to life through experimentation. An interesting theory, I suppose, but again, too far-fetched. There are many, many more theories regarding the official title, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, but you’d most likely need a tin foil hat to sit through them.

One final thing I’d like to mention is the official title picture itself. Unlike previous Star Wars movies with the classic black and yellow letters, The Last Jedi is red and black instead. Personally, I think this is a big hint that the dark side will be playing a huge part in Episode VIII, teaching us more about Supreme Leader Snoke, his intentions, and maybe even the return of the Sith. This would answer a lot of questions about the purpose of the First Order, Snoke’s plan for Kylo Ren and the future of the Jedi.

For all we know, Luke Skywalker most likely is the “Last Jedi” the title refers to, and that every theory otherwise has just been blown out of proportion. This is the case with most theories in film and television, especially with popular franchises like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead. Either way, all will be revealed 15 December 2017, and I for one will be looking forward to seeing it.

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