Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Our top 5 picks for who the Last Jedi could be

Lucasfilm released the title of STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII yesterday morning and in true Star Wars fashion, all it takes is a title to spark a firestorm of speculation. THE LAST JEDI is a simple and straightforward title, but the real question is who the titular Jedi is. We here at JoBlo have taken all the information into account and have come up with 5 guesses as to who the last Jedi could be!

1. Luke Skywalker

There's no better place to start than with the obvious, and that's Luke Skywalker. He's certainly the only Jedi that we know of in this new Star Wars trilogy, and the title itself may be a riff on what Yoda said before he passed away in Jedi. "When gone am I, the last of the Jedi will you be", were some of the dying words from our little green friend. To further corroborate this, the first paragraph of the opening crawl from THE FORCE AWAKENS even refers to Luke as "the last Jedi". Take a look:

Luke Skywalker has vanished. In his absence, the sinister FIRST ORDER has risen from the ashes of the Empire and will not rest until Skywalker, the last Jedi, has been destroyed.

Sometimes the simplest answer is the right one. All the evidence points to Luke, and if we didn't know any better, we'd end our list right there. However, there's something wrong with this answer; it's too obvious. We know the folks over at Lucasfilm like to play it pretty secretive with their plot points, so let's examine who else that title could be talking about…

2. Rey

THE FORCE AWAKENS was as meta as Star Wars gets with its titles, but also referred to a couple of young force users who had an awakening; Kylo Ren and Rey. As any Star Wars fan can tell you, not all force users are Jedi. While the rulebook in the films regarding the requirements to become a Jedi are a little shaky, we can assume that one trained in the ways in the Jedi can become a Jedi. Simple as that. FORCE AWAKENS ended with the assumption that Rey would be trained under Luke Skywalker. So while she's not a Jedi yet, she may become one by the film's end.

It's worth noting that Luke walked away from his teachings and the Resistance for, as far as we know, reasons unknown. Sure, he pulled an Obi-Wan and completely failed in teaching Kylo Ren, but there might be more at work here. With that said, it's completely possible that Luke doesn't even see himself as a Jedi anymore. Perhaps if he no longer feels a connection to the Jedi Order, he'll be more inclined to pass his teachings along to Rey so that they be preserved. She would, in turn, be the last Jedi.

There's also speculation that Luke may die, leaving Rey to be the last Jedi. This is entirely possible, however unlikely, given that Mark Hamill has alluded to returning for EPISODE IX. That and the fact that our heroes generally don't die in the second film of either the original or prequel trilogy. It's like poetry, you see…

3. Luke & Rey

The tricky thing about the word "Jedi" is that it remains the same when referring to a single person or to a group of people. Luke is sure to train Rey in EPISODE VIII and in doing so, she may become a Jedi by the end of the film. As we've mentioned before, Luke's already been established as the last Jedi. Perhaps Rey will turn what looks like its singular use into a plural.

Now, we don't really know how much time will pass during the course of EPISODE VIII, but when you think about it, Luke didn't spend much time training under Yoda throughout the course of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI. Granted, we can argue about what specific point Luke actually became a Jedi, but he did so mostly on his own. Rey has shown significant progress in her use of the Force, much like Luke has. In fact, this also may be the key to Rey's lineage.

In the press release for the title announcement, Lucasfilm refers to the main Star Wars films as the "Skywalker saga." That's a strong title to use for a trilogy that seems to have only one Skywalker in it. Granted, the Skywalker blood runs through Leia Organa and Kylo Ren/Ben Solo's veins as well, but the release specifically states, "Skywalker." If Rey is the daughter of Luke, maybe that would help to explain her high midichlorian count proficiency in the force, despite her lack of training. The Skywalkers have always been adept to learn and grow on their own, and Rey certainly seems to carry on that tradition. If she proves to be Luke's daughter, I don't see why she wouldn't join her father in becoming the last of the Jedi by the film's end.

4. Unknown Character(s)

This is the outside chance, but it's certainly worth taking into consideration. The entirety of EPISODE VIII will not take place on Ahch-To, and eventually Luke and Rey will have to leave the planet for…reasons. So what's the catalyst for them leaving? There are certainly theories floating around and set-report speculation that I won't get into here, but let's look at what we learned about Luke in THE FORCE AWAKENS. He attempted to start a new Jedi Order and also attempted to train Ben Solo. That is, until Supreme Leader Snoke stepped in. The details of how and why are unclear, but Kylo eventually joined the Knights of Ren, who are said to be Dark Force users under the command of Snoke. Kylo, and the rest of the Knights, seemingly wiped out the new Jedi Order, and left Luke in such a state that he felt he had to flee, or seek solace – for REASONS!

It's unclear if there were survivors from this purge, and whether or not any of those survivors were considered Jedi. Probably not, but it's certainly possible that they became Jedi on their own, or that they found a teacher who had been in hiding. The Skywalker Saga thus far has led us to believe that there were never more than a handful of Jedi alive following Order 66, but EPISODE VIII could change that. THE LAST JEDI could refer to those that Luke and Rey seek out before the end credits.

5. Kylo Ren/Ben Solo

Our final choice is a long shot, but one that becomes gratifying the more you think about it. So, let's break down what we know about Kylo Ren: We know he's Han and Leia's son. We know that he trained under Luke. He idolizes Vader, who was a Jedi before he turned. We also know that Han Solo seemingly came close to turning him, before Kylo Ren resorted to patricide. Much like like Luke and Anakin before him, there's a lot of conflict in Kylo Ren. What will happen when he faces his previous master or his mother? There's even a connection he feels with Rey, as evidenced by him wanting to teach her come the end of THE FORCE AWAKENS. I get the sense that Kylo is not completely set on his Sith ways. But wait, there's more!

Lucasfilm didn't just announce the title of EPISODE VIII, but they also released a picture. The classic Star Wars title is a deep red. This may be suggestive of the dark undertones of the film, but could this reflect the viewpoint of Kylo Ren. It's entirely possible that he considers himself to be a Jedi, or rather, what the Jedi should have been. And what of Vader's turn on the Emperor? Does he know the details of that betrayal, or is the truth being shrouded from him by Snoke? Could Kylo Ren be turned and become Ben Solo, the last Jedi?

Note that the Sith haven't been mentioned yet. Snoke appears to have some great influence, but it's unknown if he's actually a Sith. Then there's Luke over on Ahch-To, who's seemingly walked away from his Jedi principles. It almost appears as if the Jedi and Sith philosophies have been abandoned in this new trilogy, making way for something different. If that's the case, and Kylo Ren turns, it's possible that he may come to understand and respect the Jedi Order, and attempt to uphold what he believes are their true ideals.

Any way you slice it, THE LAST JEDI is a title that makes for a great discussion. We won't know for sure who the title is referring to until December 15th, but in the meantime, we can speculate! Let us know in the comments who your best guess for the last Jedi is, and come the end of the year, we'll see if one of our picks were right!

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI opens in theaters on December 15, 2017.