The next installment in the ongoing Star Wars trilogy — previously only known as “Episode VIII” — has officially been given a title. The sequel to The Force Awakens will be called The Last Jedi.
The news was announced on Monday on the official Star Wars Twitter account, making it 100% true and official. After much speculation, including several reports about alternate titles, this title reaffirms what the current trilogy’s story seems to be all about: the return of the Force, and the rediscovery, and perhaps, resurgence of the Jedi Knights.
But who is “the last Jedi?” At first glance this seems to refer to Luke Skywalker, last seen in seclusion at the end of the The Force Awakens. Or perhaps the title refers to Rey, who will likely become a Jedi Knight during the course of this film. And if that’s true, why would Rey be the last Jedi if Luke was still hanging around? Could the title itself suggest Luke Skywalker will perish, or at least become one with the Force by the end of the film? Since it’s possible that this trilogy will wrap up the story of the Skywalker family forever, no one, not even Luke Skywalker, is safe.
Notably, this is the first time a Star Wars film has reused a proper noun in its subtitle; Episode VI is subtitled “Return of the Jedi.” And according to director Rian Johnson, this title was in “the very first draft” he wrote of the script.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is scheduled to open in theaters on December 15, 2017, according to IMDb.
