The premiere of Episode VIII in the Star Wars franchise is still about seven months away, but with the recent release of teaser trailer for The Last Jedi, we cannot help but drool at the tempting snippets that have been shared. Not much has been revealed in the teaser, and we didn’t assume we’d be able to glean too much from it. From what we know from The Force Awakens, however, we can surmise that the film will be a much darker installment in the Star Wars saga. As we move ahead, here are some of things we hope to see in The Last Jedi.

Rey’s Parentage Revealed:
There is a lot of mystery surrounding Rey, the scavenger found living in a toppled Imperial AT-AT (All Terrain Armored Transport) on the desert planet of Jakku, at the beginning of The Force Awakens. We know that the Force-sensitive Rey was abandoned there as a child, but we know nothing about who her parents are or why she was left in this arid wasteland to fend for herself. There has been much speculation about her lineage: is she a Skywalker? Is she a Kenobi? Could she be a Solo? Who is this girl and why has her destiny led her to Luke Skywalker? Audiences will not patiently wait until Episode IX to find out, and this is one item we insist to have resolved for us in The Last Jedi.

Why Is Luke Skywalker in a Self-Imposed Exile?
Perhaps the biggest disappointment for Star Wars fans was the lack of Luke Skywalker in The Force of Awakens, showing up only in the final few seconds of the film. Of course, we know that he will be a much-greater presence in The Last Jedi as the teaser seemingly shows him training Rey in the ways of the Force, but there are many unanswered questions as to why he has sequestered himself on an island on the planet of Ahch-To. What exactly occurred that would compel Luke to abandon his sister Leia and the Resistance (formerly the Rebel Alliance) and exile himself is still shrouded in mystery. We want details and The Last Jedi is poised to give us at least a few answers to this festering question.

Where Does Finn Come From?
We know very little about Finn, a Stormtrooper who defects out of a revulsion for the atrocities committed by The First Order, first in an aimless, cowardly way, but eventually joining The Resistance in their mission to destroy Starkiller Base. It is somewhat surprising that more fans aren’t clamoring to know Finn’s origins, especially since he, himself, knows very little about how he came to be a tool of The First Order. Perhaps his journey in The Last Jedi will take him to places that reveal a little bit about who he is, and maybe shed some light on why he appears to have some slight Force sensitivity of his own?

How Does General Leia’s Story Play Out?
With the grievous loss of actress Carrie Fisher this past December, Star Wars fans are wondering how The Last Jedi will have to adjust its scenes to accommodate for her passing. General Leia (to me, she will always be a princess) has been an integral part of the Star Wars franchise, as well as important role-model for many of us, and certainly a fierce and brave leader in the Resistance. Though her scenes for The Last Jedi were already filmed before Fisher’s untimely death, we are hopeful that her story concludes in a way that is befitting Fisher and Leia’s contribution to the Star Wars universe. Though this may not playout until Episode IX, we want to be sure that her character is handled with care and that her story wraps in a way that is befitting a princess.

Why is Kylo Ren So Conflicted?
Petulant, angst-ridden, and enamored with his grandfather (Darth Vader), a turncoat on his family (General Leia and Han Solo), Kylo Ren spent much of The Force Awakens struggling with an internal conflict between the light side and the dark side of the Force. The light side didn’t stop him from assassinating his father with a lightsaber through the chest, but his conflict was palpable throughout the tragic scene. What exactly is tearing at this character’s fabric to make him throw so many tantrums, and why is he exactly so fascinated with Rey and her Force-sensitivity? We can expect some of these questions to be answered in The Last Jedi, but don’t hold your breath for resolution in this episode. We will most-likely have to wait until Episode IX to get to the heart of his issues.

Who the Heck Is Supreme Leader Snoke?
The most baffling questions set into motion in The Force Awakens were inspired by Supreme Leader Snoke, the creature who appears to be holding the reigns of Kylo Ren. We’ve only seen him as a towering, holographic image, in all his ghoulish glory. Is he really this big, or is the holograph deceptive? Who exactly is Snoke and why is he so concerned about training Kylo Ren? There are myriad theories as to his origins, many that suggest he is a reincarnated character from the past trilogies. We simply have very little to go on from The Force Awakens, but it is exciting to imagine the possibilities. Look to The Last Jedi to begin unrolling some answers on his motives, if not his origins, which will probably be saved for Episode IX.

Is Han Solo Really Dead?
We saw the lightsaber go through him. We saw him fall into a chasm that most certainly would end with death, even if the lightsaber didn’t kill him. However, Harrison Ford made a comment in a recent interview suggesting that we may not have seen the last of this beloved scoundrel. Was he talking about flashbacks or was he suggesting something else? Cryptic is a big part of how the Star Wars actors are instructed to play it when asked questions about the films. Honestly, it seems as if we’ve lost him for good, but Star Wars has always been full of surprises, so who knows? It wouldn’t seem right to resurrect him at this point, especially since we’ve grieved him already. Maybe we just like speculating that it COULD happen, and that is enough for us.

What are you most looking forward to in The Last Jedi? Do you have any interesting theories on any of the above questions that we haven’t heard yet? Please share them with us!

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