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Will Luke Skywalker die in Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi?

By David Harris (Razor)

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Now that we know the official title for Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi — Star Wars fans are in a tizzy over what that title means. Will Luke Skywalker die, leaving Rey to become the last Jedi? We speculate…

Lucasfilm set the internet afire today, as it officially announced the title of Star Wars: Episode VIII as The Last Jedi. Star Wars fans immediately reacted on social media, worrying about the fate of everyone’s favorite self-exiled Jedi Master, Luke Skywalker. We felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, concerned Luke would die in Episode VIII, and those voices have yet to be silenced. Star Wars fans truly do fear something terrible has happened to dear old Luke.

So, which character in Star Wars: Episode VIII is the last Jedi? Would Lucasfilm and director Rian Johnson actually kill off Mark Hamill’s much-beloved character — Luke Skywalker? And, perhaps a better question is: Since we know that Lucasfilm is not (at this time) pursuing permission from the estate of Carrie Fisher, in order to digitally recreate her character, General Leia, for future Star Wars movies, would the company really risk killing two major characters from the Star Wars saga in the same film?

Episode VIII director Rian Johnson recently stated that The Last Jedi will focus on Luke Skywalker’s path and his decisions that brought him to stay hidden on the remote planet of Ahch-To.

"A large part of the movie will be spent addressing why Luke’s there and what he’ll do next."

Image Credit: Lucasfilm

In The Force Awakens, Supreme Leader Snoke tasks Kylo Ren to find the map that would lead to the location of the last Jedi (Luke Skywalker), but the Force had other plans, as it awoke in Rey, a scavenger on the desert planet of Jakku. And, with the help of some new friends along the way, she was able to find Luke’s location and return his old lightsaber to him.

Now, Star Wars fans are left wondering what will happen between Luke and Rey in Episode VIII. Will the old Jedi Master — considered by the First Order to be the last Jedi — consent to train Rey in the ways of the Force? All signs point to yes, but it’s the journey through Rey’s training that will drive the new film, according to Rian Johnson:

"“I don’t want to skip ahead two years. I want to see the very next moment of what happens. Part of what’s she’s dealing with is the realization that she has this power and this gift. She’s taking her first step to coming to terms with this thing inside her that she never knew was there and is just starting to reveal its potential.”"

Image Credit: Lucasfilm

This all leaves us with the nagging question that will haunt us all year long: Will Luke Skywalker die in Star Wars: The Last Jedi? While we can only speculate at this point, it is interesting to note that the word “Jedi” is both singular and plural, meaning that Luke doesn’t have to die and that both he and Rey could be the last Jedi left alive, in the galaxy.

We also know that in the new Star Wars canon, there are Force sensitive people living throughout the galaxy. Perfect examples of this are Supreme Leader Snoke, Kylo Ren, and Maz Kanata from The Force Awakens and Chirrut Îmwe in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

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So, for now, we wait until December 15, for the answer to the big question. And hopefully, we won’t be losing our most beloved Jedi, Luke Skywalker, in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

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