Twitter Thoughts follow:
IT'S HERE.
I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND ANYTHING I JUST SAW BUT I DON'T CARE.
REALLY WANTED NAOMI ACKIE TO BE IN THE TRAILER BUT IF SHE WAS I BLINKED AND MISSED IT.
EXTREMELY LOOKING FORWARD TO ARGUING FOR THE NEXT 8 MONTHS WHO "SKYWALKER" IS REFERRING TO.
My guess is that the 'verse community will elevate Rey to hero status and "Skywalker" will become a title instead of a surname, but that's a GUESS, not a statement of what I want to see happen. That would be an interesting look at how myth-making happens in real-time. Something like "SHE is the new Skywalker" and everyone just forgets that was an actual surname of some guy and not a Fancy Jedi Title.
BUT HEY, on the other side of the Force there's the fact that Kylo could pick a new villain name for himself and he's obsessed with his grandpa. Who was named what, again? (I find that one less likely because he hates Luke with a passion, but on the other hand: what better revenge than utterly ruining your mentor's surname in the minds of the terrified populace?)
AND there's still one last chance for Finn to have Skywalker parentage before the series closes out, so LINE UP AND PLACE YOUR BETS.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A STAR WAR STAR WAR STAAAAAAR WAAAAAR.
My only prediction about the laughter at the end is that Palpatine shows up as a Force Ghost to heckle the protagonists, and Leia kicks his ghosty ass until he crawls away whilst apologizing. Then Leia looks into the camera and says "The Last Jedi was good, fuck you whiny fanboys" while Palpatine cries.
Okay.
I really do think "Skywalker" will be a title, because deconstructing blood-importance for using the Force was basically what Episode 8 was about, and JJ said he was grateful to Rian for his choices, which felt like an "8 is canon, ya'll".
Plus (also in 8) we have the thing where Rey stole the Jedi books and is very clearly planning to continue their legacy in some way. It would make LOADS of sense to call the new sect after a beloved war-hero (Luke) rather than the tainted Jedi.
I mean, "Jedi" as a name has gone from "hokey long-dead religion" to "planet killers" as far as the general populace has gone, while "Skywalker" was a revered hero's name in Ep8. And Luke's decision to retire early meant everyone got to remember him as a Shiny Young Hero.
Then you have the slow zoom on Rey and the words "Every generation has A Legend". She's the legend for her generation. LEGEND. I like that word choice a lot; "legend" carries a connotation of myth-making, of hero worship, of INACCURACY.
In Episodes 7 and 8, the whole galaxy was looking for Luke. He's dead now but, like, 14 people know that. Tops. So this chick shows up with his saber and his books and his training? She must be the NEW Skywalker! I mean, NOT TO GET META, but that's basically the ENTIRE REASON that much of the fanbase has decided she must be Luke's daughter: because why else would she be good at Jedi-ing.
It would honestly be fucking HILARIOUS and I would LOVE IT if the series embraced that and Rey had to deal with random in-universe rumors that she MUST be a Skywalker because how else can you explain her being able to Jedi at things. But I like the idea of her embracing the title because she really isn't sure how to be a Jedi, but she *does* feel like she can honor her crusty old mentor that she has grudging fondness for.
Some of my favorite stories are about "legendary" people having to deal with the made-up shit about them (shout out to BY THE SWORD and Kerowyn and Mercedes Lackey) so honestly the idea of Rey having to patiently explain AGAIN that Luke isn't her biodad tickles my troll heart.
"But you have his saber!"
"Yes. He trained me."
"Because you're his daughter!"
"NO, look, I've EXPLAINED this--"
To abandon the title "Jedi" and take up the title "Skywalker" would also finally explain the title of Episode 8: Luke is the Last Jedi because we're not going to call them that anymore. No one will use that word in the future.
It didn't make a lot of sense for him to be the "last Jedi" because Rey salvaged the scriptures and we saw there are Force-using children out there! That spoke to, you know, a CONTINUATION. But if new future jedi aren't CALLED "jedi", then Luke really was the last.
I also note that the subtitle is "The Rise of Skywalker". Not "A Skywalker" or "The Next/Last/New Skywalker". The rise of skywalker... as a term? As a new title? That makes more sense to me than as a name, because then... which one? Luke? Anakin? They still exist, after all.
@vesaldi. It would thematically match Episode 6 being called Return of the Jedi.
YES, what a wonderful bookend!
Anyway, obviously we won't know until Christmas, but that's my money on the meaning of the titles. Luke is the Last Jedi because Rey isn't going to be called a Jedi, she's going to be called a Skywalker as a title.
Okay, now my serious thoughts on Palpatine, if that's who that laugh was: I think Kylo will open himself up to some kind of Force Ghost Possession.
Kylo has had moments of hesitation and confusion as a villain, and even after taking over after Darth Gollum his primary motivation was "give the finger to Luke". Now that Luke is gone, I'm not sure he'll be able to keep up his rage. I see him wanting Vader to fill that rage-hole in his heart, but Vader is technically Good now (a canon choice I strongly question, but Lucas stuck us with it) so the next best thing is Vader's mentor.
This is where I indulge in a moment of annoyance at Lucas because I think Vader would have made a much better villain for Ep.9 showdown fireworks than Palpatine, but oh well, hindsight is 20/20. I don't know how else Kylo is going to level up in rage, unless he locks himself in a special Death Star room where he watches angry conspiracy theory youtube videos about "Rey Skywalker" 24-7.
@Moonpanther22. And Episode 3 being "Revenge of the Sith." Both the last trilogies ended with a title in the title. Jedi -> Sith -> Skywalker? Also, "Skywalker" sounds like a title, not a name, and always has.
Oooh! Yes!
- Revenge of the Sith
- Return of the Jedi
- Rise of Skywalker
THEY EVEN ALL START WITH "R".
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