On December 15, 2017, we will experience, as it is now officially called: Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi.

What could the title mean?

So many possibilities!

Is it a reference to Luke Skywalker himself? In VI: Return of the Jedi, Yoda says to Luke…

“When gone am I, the last of the Jedi will you be. Pass on what you have learned.”      – Yoda

Could this be the great Jedi Master Luke Skywalker tale we’ve always dreamed of? Just how powerful has Skywalker become as a Master? Just how much has he dabbled in the ways of the Light Side…or perhaps the Dark…depending on your point of view.

VII will be told from Rey’s point of view, but all eyes will be on Luke Skywalker.

When you think about it, we experienced the life of Obi Wan Kenobi spanning six films, first as a Padawan Learner, becoming a Jedi Knight, and finally, a Master.

The same can be said about Anakin Skywalker. From little boy yelling “Yipee!” while Pod Racing to Clone Wars Jedi Knight, and ultimately Lord Vader, we are witness to an entire lifetime of a character across multiple episodes.

But with Luke, we’ve only seen the equivalent of a Padawan Learner turned Jedi Knight. In Return of the Jedi, Luke needed to confront Vader to become a true Jedi. Essentially, though, Luke was behaving like a Knight in that film. By the end, he has earned the right to be a Jedi Master. But what happens to Luke after this?

The Last Jedi could very well be the final chapter, the culmination, of the life of the single most important character in the entire Saga.

It doesn’t mean he has to die at the end!

In fact, I’m really hoping Luke survives this trilogy. He’s earned the right.

He deserves a Vito Corleone ending.

See, when Han Solo gets his, one could argue he’s flirted with death his entire life, his morals have been questionable at times, and it was really only a matter of time before his luck ran out.

His is more the Sonny Corleone demise – cold blooded at the hands of his enemy.

Luke Skywalker, on the other hand, has been noble and heroic as long as we’ve known him. He deserves a bona fide hero’s end – by riding off into the sunset Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade-style.

You don’t kill off Luke for the same reason you don’t kill off Indiana Jones or James Bond. These characters are too important to have them meet their demise pathetically at the hands of a bad guy. They remain immortal in our pop culture, and this is why, in the case of Bond, he can even be portrayed by different actors.

Luke deserves to transform into the Force either on his own or due to natural causes many years after he retires for good.

It’s also an appropriate “thank you” as well to Mark Hamill. Has there ever been a more gracious and respectful custodian of a Hollywood blockbuster franchise? His happens to be the biggest of all-time, his character, the single most important one. Through it all, Hamill has always appeared appreciative, humble, enthusiastic, and thankful for the opportunity.

It’s why Luke deserves the Vito Corleone ending. The survivor’s ending. The dignified ending.

We don’t have to see it at the end of VIII either. There’s no reason Luke can’t come back in IX.

I love the title.

It has an Akira Kurosawa vibe. It has a mystical warrior feel.

It’s a strong title. Confident.

There’s an obvious sense of “finality” and yet in cinema, that can always signify a beginning as well. A rebirth.

The Last Jedi.

This is going to be big.

by JERHOW

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