While thousands of fans were tramping around this year’s Star Wars Celebration, ABC News was busy behind closed doors getting the inside scoop on Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Thanks to a short segment that aired over the weekend, we finally know who the last Jedi actually is. And, according to director Rian Johnson, it’s a simple matter of semantics.
In an exclusive sit-down interview with members of the cast and crew, ABC’s Paula Faris finally cornered Johnson on the issue of who precisely is the last Jedi.
It all started with a disputed bit of trivia. Faris asked, quite plainly, if The Last Jedi was singular or plural.
“It’s so funny,” Johnson said, seeming amused by the whole situation. “When the title was announced, I never even pondered that question. That seems like, to me, the most uninteresting question. In my mind it’s singular. In my mind it is. Absolutely.”
So is Luke Skywalker the last Jedi, Faris asked?
“If you say so,” Johnson said, looking suddenly defeated. “I mean, they say so in The Force Awakens. He’s going to find the last Jedi temple, and Luke is the last Jedi.”
So there you have it. Now we’re only left with the temporal nature of the word “last.” Is Luke the last Jedi for the duration of the film? At some point does Ridley’s Rey become the second Jedi, temporarily doubling the sum total of Jedi in the universe before Luke vanishes — as Jedi are wont to do? We haven’t got a clue.
The balance of ABC’s interviews portray a cast conflicted by the direction of the film.
“It was as shocking to me to read what Rian had written,” said Mark Hamill, “as I’m sure it will be to the audience.”
“I went to Rian’s office,” said Daisy Ridley, “I was like, ‘We need to have a talk about what’s happening here.’”
You can watch the whole segment here. The Last Jedi is due in theaters this December.