Warning: massive spoilers for Star Wars: The Last Jedi ahead! Read forward at your own risk!
Now that Star Wars: The Last Jedi has officially debuted in theaters, it looks like the Star Wars franchise will never be the same. It leaves the galaxy far, far away in a position that we have never seen before, and it's evident that Rian Johnson has made some radical moves with his take on the franchise.
In the wake of the film's critical and commercial box office success, we're going to dive in and discuss the major questions that Episode VIII leaves us with. On that note, let's dive in and kick things off with a burning question about everyone's favorite Star Wars princess-turned-general.
How Will Episode 9 Deal With Leia?
If you have seen Star Wars: The Last Jedi, then you already know that it raises more questions than it answers. One of the most essential of the bunch is the question of how J.J. Abrams' Episode IX plans to deal with the passing of Carrie Fisher last year. Leia Organa is still very much alive at the end of the most recent Star Wars movie, which means there is in-universe rationale to keep her alive. The tragic irony that Leia managed to wake up from her bed rest in The Last Jedi's final act is not lost on those of us who hoped that Ms. Fisher would do the same, and we now need to know how the Star Wars universe will explain her abridged role.
Is That The Last We Will See Of Luke?
Given the grand finale that Star Wars: The Last Jedi gives Luke Skywalker, it has us wondering whether or not we will ever actually see Mark Hamill return as the farmboy turned Jedi Master in a future film. The way he fades away seems to indicate that he may eventually turn into a Force Ghost in the same way that Yoda and Obi-Wan both transformed upon their respective deaths, which would open a possible door for him to return and guide Rey through the remainder of her Jedi training. It would make sense, given the history of the franchise as well as the fact that Carrie Fisher is no longer around to play her role, but it could also cheapen Luke's final stand.
Was Kylo Ren Lying About Rey's Parents?
After two years of waiting, we finally got an answer to the burning question of Rey's parentage. Despite all of the complicated fan theories, it wasn't nearly as complicated as many people had assumed, when Kylo Ren confirmed to Rey that her parents were nobodies. She's not a Kenobi or a Skywalker; she's just the child of two people who sold her for a quick buck. It's an emotionally-gripping moment for the film, but it raises the question of whether or not Kylo Ren was telling the truth by helping Rey see this version of the story. We know that The Force can be used to mislead people and make them see what you want them to see, so it's possible that Kylo did the same.
How Did Leia Survive In Space?
One of the most shocking moments in Star Wars: The Last Jedi comes when General Leia is blasted into space after pilots from The First Order bomb the bridge of her Resistance cruiser. She's hurled into the black vacuum, but she soon turns the tide by showing that she can briefly survive in space -- which leads to an awesome moment in which she uses The Force to pull herself back into the airlock of her ship. It's clear that The Force plays a massive role in her ability to return to her allies, but it's never made entirely clear how she survives the initial blast. The moment would be enough to kill the average Jedi, so is Leia hiding even more powerful Force abilities than we ever thought possible? It's a question that demands an answer going into Episode IX.
Just How Much Of The Resistance Is Left?
At the end of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, it looks like the remainder of General Leia's fleet of Resistance fighters can actually fit on-board the Millennium Falcon when Rey and Chewbacca (and a few porgs) show up to save the day. The Last Jedi racks up a considerable body count (which even includes our beloved Admiral Ackbar), so we have no idea how many members of the Resistance are actually left in the galaxy. Do the people on the Falcon represent a majority of the old Resistance left in the fight (which means a significant recruiting effort will need to take place in Episode IX), or are there reinforcements out there waiting to get in on the action once everyone has regrouped, refueled, and reloaded?
Is There Another Death Star In The Works?
Everyone knows that the Star Wars franchise loves the Death Star, as most of the movies have made reference to the giant space station, or actually shown a version of it in some form or another. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is no different in that regard, as the final act entirely revolves around The Resistance battling a miniaturized Death Star canon on the salty surface of Crait. The First Order has clearly scaled down its methods since Starkiller Base in The Force Awakens, but the fact that it still accesses to this particularly deadly technology has us wondering if we could potentially see yet another Death Star show up at some point in the future. Galen Erso's legacy from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is definitely reaching farther than we ever thought possible.
Will We Ever Learn Where Snoke Came From?
The death of Supreme Leader Snoke stands out as one of the best and most surprising moments in the history of the entire Star Wars franchise. It's doubtful that many people saw it coming, and it caps off the canonical history of one of the series' most enigmatic characters in a phenomenal way. With Snoke dead, Kylo Ren has officially stepped up as the major antagonist of the series, but it leaves us wondering if we will ever actually receive any definitive answers about where the malevolent force actually came from. Is his backstory going to play a significant role in the events of Episode IX, or is he merely a red herring that doesn't actually mean anything going forward? At this point, neither option would surprise us in the slightest.
Will The First Order Ever Learn How Snoke Died?
One of the most exciting developments in Star Wars: The Last Jedi is Kylo Ren's sudden ascension to power after the murder of Supreme Leader Snoke, as well as the fact that he makes that rise based on a lie to the other members of The First Order. They think that Rey is responsible for the death of the death of the evil dictator, when in reality it was Kylo who delivered the death blow. Power built on a lie seldom lasts in the Star Wars universe, so the possibility of the truth becoming public could have disastrous implications for Kylo Ren as the franchise moves forward. Hux is already willing to kill Kylo Ren if the opportunity presents itself, and the truth will likely make that even more possible.
Will We See DJ Again?
As far as scene-stealing new characters go, Benicio Del Toro's DJ stands out as one of the coolest new additions to the Star Wars galaxy. The Last Jedi newcomer plays both sides of the field (very much epitomizing the thematic moral ambiguity of the entire film), and he exits the story in a way to suggest that he's still out there somewhere. Given his willingness to work with both The First Order and The Resistance, there are plenty of ways to bring DJ back for a future story in the Star Wars galaxy, but it remains to be seen whether or not that will actually happen. Is he merely a one-off character for this film, or will he play a major role in the series as we move forward?
How Many More Jedi Might Be Out There?
Star Wars: The Last Jedi very much ends with the reveal that the film's title is a complete misnomer. Luke Skywalker will not be the last of the Jedi Order as the franchise moves into the future, and the lineage of the ancient religion like won't end with Rey either. We know that the little boy seen on Canto Bight has natural Force abilities of his own, but the film leaves us wondering exactly how many potential Jedi there are out there in the universe. Is this young boy going to become the key to Rey's brand new Jedi Order, or is he merely a way of visually conveying the fact that other Force-sensitive individuals will soon enter the Star Wars universe? It's a significant question, and one that will have huge implications going forward.
What Is Kylo Ren's Relationship To The First Order?
It's pretty clear that Kylo Ren and General Hux have never been the closest friends, but the death of Supreme Leader Snoke destroys the one definitive connection between them. The former Ben Solo has apparently taken control of the First Order in the wake of the unexpected death, but it remains to be seen how his connection fascist army will evolve over the next film. Will he command the same level of respect seen by evil dictators like The Emperor and Snoke, or will he find himself undermined by dissenters who don't see him as a faithful member of The First Order? The ending of The Last Jedi implies that Kylo has a tenuous grasp on power, so we will need to see where it goes from here as we charge towards Episode IX.
What Killed Luke?
Star Wars: The Last Jedi arguably has one of the most emotionally resonant third acts of any entry in the franchise, and much of that has to do with Rian Johnson's decision to kill off Luke Skywalker. The beloved farmboy from Tatooine went out in a blaze of glory by facing off against Kylo Ren on the surface of Crait -- only for us to discover that Luke had merely projected himself into the fight from the safety of his island. Apparently worn out by the experience, Luke slowly fades away until his body quite literally disappears into the sunset, but what exactly killed him? Was it the strain of using too much of the Force after so long? We need to know.
What Do Porgs Taste Like?
Last, but certainly not least, we come to perhaps one of the most pressing questions of the entire film: what do those little, puffin-inspired porgs really taste like? We saw Chewie get ready to chow down on one before the dead porg's friends gave him the sad look of guilt, but we do not know if that was enough to deter him from actually eating the thoroughly cooked animal. The scene never definitively confirms whether or not Chewbacca actually made the decision to take a bite of his roasted porg, but if he did, then we are going to need some clear answers as to whether or not they are as delicious as they look.
