The Star Wars: The Last Jedi trailer dropped in earlier today and boy are we stoked. Littered with tons of teases (as all Star Wars trailers do) and cryptic lines that will send any Star Wars fan on a scavenger hunt leading to the movie’s release (including yours truly), we decided to break it down frame by frame (sort of) to uncover the mystery and potential plot of Episode 8.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0CbN8sfihY&w=560&h=315]

The trailer starts with Kylo Ren staring at the docks on what is probably the Finalizer, his personal Star Destroyer. If we recall correctly, it should be untouched following what took place in The Force Awakens. We’d be surprised if this is a different ship altogether and this scene could even have taken place right after Starkiller Base was destroyed.

“When I found you I saw raw, untamed power- and beyond that…” – Snoke

It then cuts to AT-M6 – The Last Jedi’s version of AT-ATs – lumbering to what we assume for the third act of the movie. It was then swiftly followed by an overhead shot of Kylo leading Stormtroopers through a cave opening. While it would be cool if the scene turns out to be part of a flashback of Kylo Ren destroying Luke’s Jedi School to ascend to the dark side, it’s more of an ode to Anakin in Episode III, stylistic-wise.

Ah…killing younglings. The staple entry to Sith-ism 

We then see Kylo Ren picking up his lightsaber which is in pristine condition. This supports the theory that we will get to revisit Luke’s Jedi school massacre in The Last Jedi. It’s all red around him symbolizing the Sith and this should represent the start of his turn to the dark side.

“…something truly special” – Snoke 

Oh hey Rey!

We get a training montage that should start almost right off the end of Episode VII.

“Something … something inside me has always been there” – Rey 

Rey returns Luke’s OG lightsaber and trains under him. We are guessing that sometime later in the movie, based on her ‘visions’, Rey traces her footsteps to probably somewhere forbidden on the island she is training on, or even another planet; possibly discovering her own kyber crystal. We are calling it – we will see Rey abandon Luke’s lightsaber here, and craft a new one for Episode IX.

“Then I was awake. That I need help” – Rey 

So the continuity of Snoke’s line to Rey’s is the biggest sign that there is a connection between the two. Luke’s perplexed look at Rey when he received the lightsaber is sign that he never thought he’d seen his daughter again; more than his father’s lightsaber. Yes. She’s Luke’s daughter. Now there’s a connection between the three. Snoke shares a past with Luke and if we are to guess, was that he helped Luke set up his Jedi School.

“I’ve seen this raw strength only once before. It didn’t scare me enough then…” – Luke

Stones crack due to Rey’s force powers during training and it showed to Luke’s reaction to it. The scene cuts to Luke’s  Jedi School massacre that led him to his current state and the line spoken above. One would assume this is when Luke decides to stop Rey’s Jedi training.  Thing is, this will be a classic mirror of Yoda’s training of Luke in Ep V. In both instances, Luke’s the one who abandoned the training. Rey’s left alone and she’s probably reevaluating her pupilage under Luke. The ‘raw strength’ Luke was referring to surely is Kylo Ren. Also ties in to Snoke’s earlier claim.

“What. The. Eff”

“…It does now”

So it is safe to assume Rey’s got a force potential much larger than Kylo Ren. Camera pans back to Kylo Ren getting rid of his iconic helmet. Some may argue he’s just throwing a tantrum but we don’t recall there’s another scene in the trailer which we saw him wearing it. He got rid of his Ben Solo identity. Him removing the helmet is getting rid of the ‘Kylo Ren’ identity as well.

“Let the past die. Kill it. If you have to. That’s the only way to become what you are meant to be”

Space battle yes! OK so we get to see a Kylo Ren-led starfighter assault on the Resistance convoy and he’s hunting down Princess Leia. He spots her position and it’s another throwback to his scene with him and Han Solo on Starkiller base just before he offs him. Going deeper into the dark side require mental anguish and what better way to raise it by killing his own mother. Will he pull the trigger?

Based on everything that the TFA & TFL trailers (and teasers) have dished us in addition to real life events, we think this is the end for Princess Leia. Regardless of her recent passing, we feel this is the way Carrie Fisher would want to see her character go in the Star Wars universe.

“We are the spark that will light the fire that will burn the First Order down” – Poe Dameron 

Blast montage time! We finally get to see the other characters and of course the Millennium Falcon. Chewie and Porg is innit and if we are to guess, it’s them to the rescue of the Resistance force during the second act. Poe Dameron is in it and while we saw his fighter getting blown up in the teaser, he’s still rockin’ his helmet. New X-Wing coming up surely. Captain Phasma is back and she’s down to settle some score with Finn whose chosen weapon is a Riot Stormtrooper baton. It’s a dark background but it may be part of the final (third) rescuing Rey act.

“This is not going to go the way you think” – Luke to Rey. Or us. 

Short cuts of more merchandising opportunities for Hasbro. Ice fox ayy! Different costume for Leia ayyy. Wet Rey ayyyy. More battle scenes featuring AT-M6s, explosions and what may be the third act of TLJ. Finn’s captured (we assume) and did we mention he’s got a new suit on?

“Fullfill your destiny” – Snoke 

We finally get a close-up of Snoke as he uses the force to torture (?) Rey in what appears to be a First Order installation or ship before the screen goes dark.

“I need someone to show me my place in all this” 

Rejected by Luke, tortured by Snoke. Who else can Rey turn to? Enter Kylo Ren. While we am still very unsure about how they are related, our best guess is that they are cousins. Rey is a Kenobi – Skywalker (we are still sticking with that theory!) which explains her force potential. Kylo Ren tutoring Rey will be a poignant reverse of how his grandfather used to train under her grandfather.

So there you have it. A brief analysis of The Last Jedi trailer. In case you are still confused on how we project the movie to be like, here they are in order:

1. Movie cuts right after Force Awakens with Kylo recovering and gaining new powers. Scene cuts to him recalling destroying Luke’s Jedi School. Part of Rey’s history teased.
2. Rey heads to train under Luke who shared some background story on how Kylo Ren came to be. Training montage, she grows very competent. More on Rey’s background.
3. Kylo Ren is still troubled by his choices and starts to drift away from Snoke who is now obsessed in catching Rey rather than training him. Snoke also blames Kylo for the destruction of Starkiller Base.
4. Kylo Ren felt he need to do more to level up on the Sith-ness so he goes on a solo mission to off his mother – who is in a convoy to convince other systems to rise against the First Order.
5. Luke starts to see Rey as being a threat due to past experience – that how Snoke may manipulate her. He abandons her training before she crafts her own lightsaber – cuz that was the point when Kylo turned bad. But she’s learned so much already. She’s been getting visions on obtaining her own kyber crystal. She promptly leaves Luke in search for this.
6. Rey locates the planet to get her crystal, and Chewie leaves her there in order to help Leia’s convoy. Kylo’s attack was kind of successful but he failed to kill Leia. Poe loses his X-Wing in the attack which saw Chewie save the day. Finn awakens.
7. Kylo Ren somehow finds out where Rey was based on Falcon’s last log. He heads there. Everyone heads there. Snoke got there first and tried to get Rey on his side.
8. Battle ensues for The Last Jedi. Finn vs Phasma, loses and got caught by FO. Rey was rescued by Kylo as Snoke bolts during the battle. Kylo offers to teach her and craft her own lightsaber – Rey agrees. Leia dies during the battle.
9. The movie ends in a cliffhanger with all our heroes in different places. Finn under First Order arrest, Rey with Kylo Ren and Poe leading the Resistance. We would love to see Luke train Poe the ways off the Jedi. Now that would be friggin awesome.

So there you go. Our analysis of the trailer as well as prediction and projection on how The Last Jedi will come to be. What do you think? Comments section is down below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter! 

Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits cinemas December 15 2017.