After months and months of waiting, the first trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi has finally arrived, and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone from here to the outer rim that isn’t talking about it. From returning characters to new surroundings, from X-Wings to lightsabers, this trailer has everything you could hope for and sets a chilling tone for the long-awaited eighth chapter in the Star Wars saga.
Despite only being two minutes in length, there’s plenty to appreciate, but we wanted to narrow it down to the best of the best for this list. Here are the top 7 moments from The Last Jedi trailer:
Seeing Leia Again
After tragically passing away on December 27, 2016, many wondered whether or not Carrie Fisher would appear as General Leia Organa in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. However, we soon learned that Fisher had already finished filming all of her scenes and that she would, in fact, reprise the iconic role she’s owned since 1977. That being said, it was incredibly emotional to see Fisher in this trailer, despite only seeing the back of her head. Truthfully, it was wise of the studio to avoid showing Fisher’s face, as it’s a deep and impactful moment that should really be saved for the film.
Kylo Ren’s Destroyed Helmet
You might be asking yourself what the significance of Kylo Ren’s helmet being destroyed is. Although it’s certainly a small detail from a visual perspective, Kylo’s helmet represented his character living beneath the shadow of his grandfather, Darth Vader. The shot of the helmet lying in ruins symbolizes the evolution of the petulant man-child with an inferiority complex we saw in The Force Awakens, hinting that the Kylo Ren we see in The Last Jedi will be far more deadly and fearsome than the one who lost to an untrained Jedi on the Starkiller base.
Rey’s Lightsaber Training
Speaking of untrained Jedis, one of the more beautiful shots from the trailer shows Rey training with her lightsaber in a precarious position of the mountainside, while Luke watches on from a safe distance. The rugged terrain and the gorgeous oceanic background make for a scene that’s in stark contrast to the clunky lightsaber training sessions Luke had with Obi-Wan Kenobi aboard the Millennium Falcon in A New Hope.
The New Scenery
With each and every Star Wars movie, it seems as though we’re introduced to new settings, from the icy tundra of Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back to the pristine, sandy beaches of Scarrif in Rogue One. In The Last Jedi, we get our first look at a planet called Crait, as we see speeders flying in formation, ripping up chunks of the terrain and leaving trails of crimson ash in their wake. Director Rian Johnson told Entertainment Weekly that Crait is an uncharted mineral planet that was once home to an old rebel base that’s since been abandoned. It will be interesting to see how this mysterious new planet factors into the plot of The Last Jedi because according to Johnson, it will end up playing a key role in the film.
Actual Space Battles
After the thrilling sense of nostalgia faded away and the rose-colored glasses came off, it became clear what kept The Force Awakens from feeling 100% like a Star Wars movie: space battles! Thankfully, the trailer shows us that the one element that was so sorely missing from TFA is fully present and accounted for in The Last Jedi, as we see an intergalactic melee ensue, complete with X-Wings, TIE Fighters, and massive fleet ships taking part in stunning aerial acrobatics high above the surface of a planet. This single scene might just be worth the price of admission, alone.
The Jedi Temple In Ruins
In The Force Awakens, it was revealed that Kylo Ren betrayed Luke Skywalker and that he and the Knights of Ren destroyed the new Jedi Temple, causing Luke to go into his self-imposed exile. Although the film teased it briefly in flashbacks, it seems as though we might get a better look at how things played out in The Last Jedi. The shot in the trailer shows a hooded figure (presumably Luke) fall to his knees alongside R-2D2, as a building burns to the ground in the distance. Does this mean we’ll get to see the full sequence that was teased in TFA? It’s certainly possible, but in any case, it appears as though we’ll at least have a better idea of how those events truly unfolded.
‘It’s Time For The Jedi To End’
“It’s time for the Jedi to end.” These are the ominous words spoken by Luke Skywalker as the trailer comes to a close. But what do they mean? From everything we saw leading up to this moment, it appeared as though Luke was training Rey to become a Jedi. Is that not the case? Is there a grander plan in place to restore balance to the Force? After all, we do hear Luke say, “It’s so much bigger.” Right now, all we can do is speculate, but thankfully, we have a whole 8 months to try and decipher what Luke means before ultimately finding out that we were most likely wrong once the movie hits theaters.
What about you? What were your favorite moments from The Last Jedi’s first trailer? Let us know in the comments section!