Star Wars: The Last Jedi deleted scenes are revealed
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
Rey and the Raiders of the Caretaker Village
In this scene, Luke and Rey are in the temple on Ach-To. Having concluded their training, Rey looks down and sees lights approaching on the ocean. Luke explains to her that this is a warring tribe that has come to ransack the Caretakers’ village. Rey, who is always sticking up for others, is immediately desirous of action.
However, Luke argues that if they intervene, the warring tribe will just come back later with more soldiers and they will be much angrier in the wake of their defeat. He explains to her that a Jedi would not get involved for fear of making the situation worse. He then asks her whether she’s still sure she wants to be a Jedi.
Furious with his answer, Rey ignites the saber and heads down to defend the village.
This scene is so interesting because it highlights more clearly the reasons for the break between Luke and Rey.
Johnson describes this moment as Rey’s breaking point. She realizes she can’t fully trust Luke and this sets her up to be more susceptible to a connection between her and Kylo. In a sense, they both feel betrayed by Luke, which intensifies the comradery they feel.
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
Luke in Mourning
I wish that they had decided to keep this scene in The Last Jedi because it is so gut-wrenchingly glorious! The scene gives us a glimpse of the grief Luke feels after hearing that his oldest friend, Han Solo, has died. After hearing the news, Luke goes into his hut alone and in this solitude, we see him shed tears for his friend.
Adding to the emotional depth of the scene, the film cuts away to Leia sitting in a similar position aboard the Resistance ship grieving the loss of her husband. This presents a beautiful parallel between the two siblings while momentarily reuniting the big three of the original Star Wars trilogy in a moment of grief shared by the audience.
The scene was deleted for the sake of pacing, but Johnson lamented its loss, citing Hamill’s incredible performance!