DO NOT READ THIS UNTIL AFTER YOU HAVE WATCHED THE LAST JEDI!! There are spoilers!*
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED…
Love it or hate it, The Last Jedi presented an interesting situation that made me rethink everything I have believed thus far about the force.
Until Rey, every Jedi has chosen a side. They must face the dark side and TURN AWAY to the light OR JOIN the dark. AND THEY HAVE ALL FAILED. Luke is in hiding and has turned away from the force because all the Jedis have failed.
Rey DOES NOT TURN AWAY! Nor does she join the dark side.
What exactly does this mean for Star Wars canon? Well here is my theory:
We have always been told (and believed) that there must be balance in the force. At first, in episodes 4-6, balances was believed to be created by overcoming the dark side. Later, speculations were thought to mean that balance meant two Jedi and two Sith. (This is actually interesting because Luke does not last much longer than Snoke, so what does that mean?)
Luke is horrified when Rey sees the dark side and does not turn away. In fact, she goes LOOKING for the dark side, hoping it will show her who her parents were. It only shows her herself. She doesn’t turn away, but she realizes it can’t give her what she wants. She says it makes her feel lonely.
What if there aren’t two sides to the force? We are told over and over that the force is all encompassing, so what if the key is embracing the dark and balancing it with the light INSIDE YOURSELF.
Maybe Kylo Ren was on his way to doing this when Luke went to him to kill him. Having his master turn on him made him fully choose the dark side instead of learning to balance.
Can Rey keep this balance? Can she bring this balance to Kylo Ren or will he stick with the dark side and be destroyed?
Maybe I’m completely wrong with this, so here’s an alternative theory…
Did anyone else notice the allegorical nature of this movie? I felt it was way more in-your-face than past movies. A whole planet where people live lavishly, having acquired their riches from wars being fought. Selling arms and spacecraft to both the light and the dark. Sounds a little familiar, doesn’t it? A little close to home???
Well what if (and this is only half serious), the light and the dark realize they actually have the same enemy and team up to destroy the rich?
Kylo Ren and Rey team up to destroy the elite and then the light and dark live peacefully without others pulling their strings and starting wars so that they can make money.
I don’t really think this will happen. These are all just my musings and the things that popped into my mind as I watched The Last Jedi for the first time.
Please tell me your thoughts in the comments!