If you didn't know, Star Wars Celebration: Orlando recently occurred and along with cosplays and panels, fans got one of their biggest wishes filled: the official teaser for "Star Wars Episode VIII:The Last Jedi". Now, if you haven't watched it, watch it now:
I could go on and on about the trailer and what possibilities lie in store, but there's something else that needs addressing. In an interview with Fandango, Mark Hamill had one simple response to the question of "The Last Jedi" the end of Luke?" which was "To be determined". Does this mean Luke will die? Let's look at some facts.
He has yet to face Kylo Ren OR Snoke
Go ahead, roll your eyes and tell me that Kylo is a weak sith or whatever you want to say. Plus, we don't know who Snoke is and either one of them could be stronger than Luke, especially after he's spent 30 years on a rock in the middle of an ocean.
It follows a pattern
We all remember the ending of "The Phantom Menace" (Stop groaning, it's canon so deal with it) when Qui-Gon gets stabbed by Darth Maul. Fast forward to "Return of the Jedi" and Luke's completion of How to be a Jedi 101, taught by Yoda. What happens after that? Yoda dies. It makes sense that the main character is trained by the mentor, who then is killed/dies of old age.
Luke is not the star anymore
Sure, it was great to see Luke at the end of "Force Awakens", but there's a reason he's at the end. He may play a pivotal role in "Last Jedi", but he is no longer the star. That honor is now on Rey. Luke is now the mentor and, as I just mentioned, that puts him at risk for a death.
Han is dead, Carrie isn't in Episode IX, so...
That heartbreaking moment still haunts my dream. You think Kylo Ren will be helped by his father when BAM, Han is stabbed. With Carrie Fischer's death, Disney confirmed that she won't be in Episode IX (All her scenes for "Last Jedi") were shot before her death. Now, this doesn't mean Leia will definitely die, but it makes sense to give the character a proper sendoff. Perhaps it will be offscreen, or perhaps it already happened. But why, then, does this matter? They're the heroes. Think back to the original Star Wars and the main characters: Luke, Obi-Wan, Han, Leia, Vader. We know Vader and Obi-Wan are dead, as well as Han. Leia is most likely going to die and that just leaves Luke. The new "Star Wars" focuses on Rey, Finn, Poe, and Kylo. Luke is more of an accessory to the new heroes than a hero.
He can die but still be in the movie
Hello, force ghosts! But seriously, it happened in the original movie, so why not this one? Luke dies but becomes one with the force. He then helps Rey as Obi-wan once helped him. Who knows, maybe we'll even see Luke sacrifice himself like Obi-Wan did.A rose by any other name...
One of the first things we hear Luke say at the end of the "Last Jedi" trailer is " I Only Know One Truth: It's Time For The Jedi To End. " Now, that in itself is scary. But what if Luke is a Jedi. More specifically, what if his name is the association with the Jedi. Similar to how some religions have alternate names for their members (Brother Kyle instead of Mark or something like that). What if in ending the Jedi Luke takes away his name and renames himself? I admit, it's a bit of a stretch, but it's possible.
Regardless of what is going to happen, "The Last Jedi" is going to be amazing. Unfortunately, we have to wait until December to see it, but that gives us lots of time for fan theories...
May The Force Be With You.