Star Wars: The Last Jedi - 8 Big Questions We Have After The Trailer
2. Is Rey Actually Tempted By The Dark Side, Or Is It Misleading Editing?
Let’s talk about that final scene.
The trailer ends with Kylo Ren reaching out to Rey, with the implication being that she’s set to become a baddie and join the dark side… and then it cuts to black.
But don't we all know that Rey won’t actually turn to the dark side? She’s hero to a new generation of Star Wars fans, and it’s hard to imagine the moral corruption of the franchise’s newly-introduced female protagonist inspiring anything but backlash, especially with the way that Hollywood constantly receives flack for the treatment of its female characters. As a business decision, it wouldn’t make sense.
And then there are other reasons, like the fact that it would be a bit predictable, and that if it did happen, this final scene would essentially be a spoiler. Lucasfilm wouldn’t be stupid enough to include it. So then… why include it? Why make everyone think that she’s tempted?
Well... because she might actually be tempted. But that doesn’t mean she’ll go through with it. The struggle between the light and the dark is a big theme of this new trilogy (a theme Kylo Ren embodies) so it makes sense for Rey to have that struggle too.
Let’s say that the way this scene plays out in the trailer is exactly the way it plays out in the film - Rey asks Kylo for help, so he offers his hand. After that, we’re in the dark. Luke or Finn could interrupt them, or Snoke could enter the fray. Hell, Kylo could be flattened by a rogue TIE Fighter. There are a million ways that Rey could reject the lure of the dark side.
Or, let’s say that the editing in this scene is completely misleading, and Rey isn’t tempted by the dark side in any way, shape or form. Rey might not even be talking to Kylo. She could be talking to Luke. Kylo might be holding his hand out to a different person. He might be holding his hand out to reach for his lightsaber. Again, there are a million ways this could play out.
But when the new trilogy is over - and whether The Last Jedi ends on a dour note or not - the good guys will surely win, and Rey will emerge from her internal struggle victorious, a true Jedi. Star Wars has always had dark moments and plot threads, but it always ends with hope.