Luke Ending The Jedi: 10 Things It Could Mean For Star Wars VIII
Was their return all for nothing?
The very concept of a Star Wars universe without Jedi is a bit like a steak dinner minus the beef, but Luke Skywalker has spoken.
"I only know one truth: It's time for the Jedi to end," he declares during The Last Jedi's teaser trailer, making the movie's title wholly more appropriate and pouring gasoline on the fires of fan debate in the process.
Luke was last seen in full hermit mode in The Force Awakens following his self-imposed isolation on the planet Ahch-To, with Rey reacquainting him with his trademark Lightsaber during that emotional final scene.
Fans were expecting the original trilogy hero to train the youngster up in the ways of the Force, much like Yoda did for him in the Dagobah swamps back in the day, but it seems they will have a different dynamic.
Although Force-sensitive Rey will no doubt be given guidance in the use of her powers, it doesn't sound like she's going to become a Jedi... so, what then?
This is one of the most pressing questions the apparent abolition of the Jedi Order poses, but it could have many implications for the Star Wars universe going forward...
10. A New Breed Of Force Users
Luke, during his long days of solemn contemplation on Ahch-To, has arrived at the conclusion that the Jedi are no longer the heroes the Star Wars universe needs.
There are a number of reasons why he might feel this way, from losing his faith after the death of his apprentices, to the troubling realisation that evil can never be truly vanquished through the Force alone. Luke does seem to be thinking outside of the box these days, as illustrated in the Last Jedi teaser trailer when he tells Rey that he's discovered there is "more" to the Force.
Obviously he has big plans to replace the Jedi Order with something different, likely a new breed of Force users who sit between its light and dark poles with the ability to draw power from both ends of the spectrum. Presumably Rey will be the first student of this new school of thought, a more modern way of thinking rooted in grey morality, unbound by the dogmatic ways of the Jedi.
Based on what the Star Wars universe has been preaching to us all these years, doing away with the Jedi entirely would be a controversial move, but times have changed since the fall of the Galactic Empire.
The concept of Grey Jedi has been tabled in the expanded Star Wars universe before, used to describe Force users who walk the line between the Force and the Dark Side without succumbing to the latter. They also operate outside of the strictures of the Jedi Code, which Luke has perhaps realised is necessary to defeat the latest threat facing the galaxy.