Ever since the title for Star Wars: Episode VIII was announced, people have been speculating just what the name “The Last Jedi” really means. Is Rey the final member of the Jedi Order? Is the word “Jedi”  in this context plural, referring to Rey and Master Luke? Well, as it turns out, the most obvious interpretation of the title is the correct one.
According to The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson, the title isn’t any kind of spoiler, as it is merely a reference to our long established last Jedi hero Luke Skywalker. Speaking to the New York Times, Johnson said, “It’s in the opening crawl of The Force Awakens. Luke Skywalker, right now, is the last Jedi. There’s always wiggle room in these movies — everything is from a certain point of view — but coming into our story, he is the actual last of the Jedi.”
Of course, none of this should be a spoiler in any way for any Star Wars fan who has been paying attention. In Return of the Jedi, Yoda tells Luke, “When gone am I, the last of the Jedi will you be.” Sure, Luke trained a new generation of Jedi Padawans at some point between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, but the most recent film told us they got taken care of by Kylo Ren and the Knights of Ren. By process of elimination, that leaves only Luke Skywalker.
As Johnson suggests, there’s still room for a little bit of speculation. Although I don’t believe the director is lying when he said the title refers to Luke, I think it’s safe to say that by the time credits roll on the film, the title will take on a plural double meaning, and it will also be a reference to Daisy Ridley’s character Rey. She isn’t holding that lightsaber in the poster for nothing, you know.
Do you think Luke will remain the last of the Jedi Order by film’s end? Be sure to let us know down below in the comments.
Images: Lucasfilm
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