In December of 2017, Star Wars fans will be able to watch the saga’s 8th episode in the central Skywalker continuity: The Last Jedi.
Unlike Rogue One and the yet untitled spin-off films based on characters such as Han Solo and Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Last Jedi will push the Star Wars story further, picking things up right where The Force Awakens left off – which, in the franchise’s timeline, is thirty years after the events of Return of the Jedi.
Written and directed by Rian Johnson (who became known for his work in Looper and Breaking Bad), Episode VIII is succeeding one of the highest-grossing films of all time – The Force Awakens – and exploring the storylines of some of the most beloved and well-recognized characters in the history of cinema. While it is inaccurate to say that making The Last Jedi is a risky move, the movie does carry a lot of risk in regards to how it will further the Star Wars saga.
Hopefully, The Last Jedi will surpass the financial expectations brought by The Force Awakens, capture people’s attention like A New Hope, and become a critically-acclaimed masterpiece such as Empire Strikes Back.
This is Every Character Confirmed To Appear In Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi.
REY
The central star of the current Star Wars trilogy is undoubtedly Rey, who was introduced in The Force Awakens and will remain as the protagonist of the saga until, at the very least, Episode IX.
The Last Jedi will pick things up right where The Force Awakens left them off, which was with Rey encountering Luke Skywalker and handing him back his original lightsaber. According to some reports, she will train with Luke to become a better Jedi and learn the deeper meanings in regards to the Force. While there is no confirmation whether we will finally learn who Rey’s parents are, it seems like that information will indeed become more evident during this new installment of the Star Wars saga.
Daisy Ridley will reprise her role as Rey. In 2017, the actress will also be seen in Murder on the Orient Express. She is also currently attached to another franchise, titled Chaos Walking, which is slated to premiere in 2019.
FINN
Finn was badly hurt by the end of The Force Awakens, but we are led to believe that he will make a speedy recovery just in time to be up and running for The Last Jedi.
Much of Finn’s storyline in The Force Awakens had to do with his escape from the First Order, his befriending of Rey and Poe, and his newly-made commitment to the Resistance. By the time Finn wakes up in The Last Jedi, all cards will already be on the table, and we will most likely get to experience more of his true self as opposed to seeing him in runaway mode.
Reprising his role as Finn is John Boyega, who in 2017 was also seen in The Circle and Detroit. For 2018, the actor is already confirmed in Pacific Rim: Uprising, the sequel to 2013’s Pacific Rim.
POE DAMERON
The best pilot in the galaxy, Poe Dameron, will also be back for The Last Jedi.
Due to script revisions, Poe disappeared for most of The Force Awakens, even though he was an integral part of the entire beginning of the film. Poe had to disappear for Finn to wander around, and for BB-8 to seek Rey, and for Rey and Finn to trust each other so quickly - plus J.J. Abrams had originally planned for Poe to die in the crash.
However, it seems like Poe will have a much bigger (and present) role during The Last Jedi, forming a special bond with Leia and probably being involved in the aerial fights against First Order.
Oscar Isaac will be back as Poe Dameron in this new Star Wars installment. The actor has had a much longer career than fellow newcomers Daisy Ridley and John Boyega, most notably in the films Inside Llewyn Davis, Ex Machina, and X-Men: Apocalypse.
KYLO REN
Though he lost the fight in a major way during the events of The Force Awakens, Kylo Ren will be back with a vengeance for The Last Jedi, leading the First Order against the Resistance. Now he's got a personal grudge against Rey, Finn, and the others.
Kylo Ren truly revealed the side he wants to take when he killed Han Solo, his own father. In The Last Jedi, we can probably expect more tantrums, and will definitely see how his relationship with Supreme Leader Snoke develops. It is also believed that Kylo will be a stronger fighter in this next installment and will probably defeating Rey at some point, which would mirror Luke’s defeat to Darth Vader in Empire Strikes Back.
Adam Driver will reprise his role as Kylo Ren. After being the breakout star in HBO’s Girls and landing this major Star Wars character, the actor has gone on to do very interesting films such as Paterson and Silence – both from 2016.
LUKE SKYWALKER
Luke Skywalker was mostly absent from The Force Awakens (aside from the very end), but he is poised to be featured as a major character once again during The Last Jedi.
Just like Yoda in Empire Strikes Back, it is believed that Luke will fulfill the role of Jedi Master and train Rey just like he was once trained by Yoda. Like Yoda, it seems lthat Luke will probably be a very reluctant Master who does not believe in Rey at first glance. Producers attached to the film have said, however, that the similarities will end there, and that the Luke-Rey relationship in The Last Jedi will be completely different from the Yoda-Luke relationship in the original Star Wars trilogy.
Reprising his role as Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill will rejoin the Star Wars saga in The Last Jedi, and this time... with actual dialogue! In 2016, the actor reprised his voice acting work as The Joker in the Batman: The Killing Joke animated movie.
LEIA ORGANA
Though Leia Organa wasn’t as absent from The Force Awakens as Luke, she definitely wasn’t as present as Han Solo, which is something that will change in The Last Jedi.
General Leia appears to be a central figure in this new Star Wars installment, commanding the entire operation in the Resistance and serving as a leader for both veterans and newcomers. On a personal level, she will most likely be suffering from the loss of Han Solo – the love of her life – and also from the fact that their very own son was the killer.
Unfortunately, due to her passing, The Last Jedi will become the last project the legendary actress Carrie Fisher – who plays Leia Organa – will have worked on. While it is fitting that her most iconic character will be her last, she will be sorely missed in the Star Wars films, and the team behind the franchise is still trying to figure out how they will address Leia’s death in the saga.
MAZ KANATA
Maz Kanata is a character who had only a brief appearance in The Force Awakens, but one that was certainly significant and will lead onto a bigger importance in the Star Wars saga. In The Last Jedi, her part should be even smaller.
Maz is a pirate, smuggler, and the manager of a tavern on the planet of Takodana that was destroyed by the First Order during the events of The Force Awakens. Maz is a longtime friend of Han Solo and Chewbacca, and seemingly had some sort of connection to Luke Skywalker, since his lightsaber ended up in her hands (and was then given to Rey).
In The Last Jedi, the character of Maz Kanata will once again be played by Lupita Nyong’o. The actress’ entry in the Star Wars saga marked the beginning of a very successful relationship between her and Disney. Between 2015 and 2018, all of the movies the Lupita has been involved with are Disney properties: The Force Awakens, The Jungle Book, Queen of Katwe, The Last Jedi, and Marvel’s upcoming Black Panther.
GENERAL HUX
General Hux served as the ultimate foe to Kylo Ren as they clashed due to their power struggles within the First Order. Even though Kylo is Force-sensitive and an apparent a favorite of Supreme Leader Snoke’s, Hux was shown as the more authoritative and intelligent one of the two. Both characters were introduced in The Force Awakens and will come back for The Last Jedi.
The challenge that the First Order will be facing in The Last Jedi has to do with their catastrophic losses in The Force Awakens. Starkiller Base was destroyed, and now they have to rebuild their capabilities. We will surely see more conflict between Kylo and Hux, especially in such a time of crisis.
Domhnall Gleeson will reprise his role as General Hux. The actor had previously portrayed Bill Weasley in both parts of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and worked with Oscar Isaac (who plays Poe Dameron) in Ex Machina.
R2-D2
Like Luke, R2-D2 was absent (or asleep) during most of The Force Awakens. We only got to see the white and blue robot in action by the end, as he mysteriously woke up and completed the missing pieces the Resistance needed to locate Luke Skywalker.
A staple in the Star Wars saga, R2-D2 has been featured in every single movie of the franchise (including Rogue One), and will certainly be back for The Last Jedi. In the film’s teaser trailer, the robot was seen seemingly facing the First Order – including Kylo Ren – alongside a person (supposedly Luke) covered by a cape.
Actor Jimmy Vee has now overtaken the role of R2-D2 from Kenny Baker, who was responsible for the character’s performance in the original trilogy. In The Force Awakens, Vee and Baker shared the credits for portraying R2-D2. In The Last Jedi, however, it will be all just Jimmy Vee.
C-3PO
The oft-annoying but always lovable C-3PO will also come back in The Last Jedi. Since R2-D2 was asleep or absent for most of The Force Awakens, C-3PO was for the most part seen alongside Leia as she led the Resistance and searched for Luke. The robot even joined the rescue team that picked up Finn, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and BB-8 from Takodana.
Little is known about C-3PO’s role in The Last Jedi, but since it has been teased that General Leia will play a significant role in the movie, it can be assumed that C-3PO will provide major assistance to her and maybe even have new iconic moments with R2-D2, his longtime pal.
Anthony Daniels will once again reprise his role as C-3PO. The actor has, so far, played the robot in every single Star Wars movie.
BB-8
The most adorable addition to the Star Wars franchise was BB-8, who will certainly keep being the comedic relief in The Last Jedi just like it was in The Force Awakens.
Hailed by some as R2-D2’s natural successor, it seems like BB-8 has earned its own spot in the saga and will be of upmost importance to Rey, Finn, and Poe, just like R2-D2 and C-3PO once were to Luke, Leia, and Han Solo. There is no official word as to what BB-8’s role will be in The Last Jedi, but it can be assumed that the robot will not be as important as it was in The Force Awakens.
BB-8, unlike R2-D2 and C-3PO, does not require a performance by an actual actor. The character is a mixture of CGI and an actual robot built by the film’s production team.
CHEWBACCA
Besides Leia, the character that will most likely be feeling the most amount of loss in The Last Jedi is Chewbacca. The death of Han Solo will certainly have consequences for all the characters in the Star Wars saga, but for Chewbacca, it will certainly feel even more personal.
During the final events of The Force Awakens, the adorable giant Wookiee went with Rey to find Luke Skywalker, so he will probably be featured heavily (even if in the background) while Rey and Luke interact. Chewbacca has a long history with Luke, so his presence will probably be helpful to Rey as she tries to bond with the Jedi Master.
For The Last Jedi, Peter Mayhew will once again reprise his role as Chewbacca, but just like in The Force Awakens, he will share those duties with the much younger actor Joonas Suotamo. Suotamo is already scheduled to portray Chewbacca in the yet untitled Han Solo spin-off, so it certainly looks like Disney and Lucasfilm are slowly letting Mayhew pass his torch to a younger actor.
CAPTAIN PHASMA
Even though Captain Phasma was heavily advertised in new Star Wars merchandise, the character had a tiny significance to The Force Awakens, which is something that will probably change in The Last Jedi.
Phasma is the commander of the First Order’s Stormtroopers, and as that group has to rebuild from the loss of their Starkiller Base, she will most likely play an instrumental role. While there is no official word in regards to her duties in The Last Jedi, it is safe to assume we will probably get to know Phasma better, and maybe even see her without a helmet.
The incredible Gwendoline Christie, known for her work in the Hunger Games franchise and as a regular character in Game of Thrones, will reprise her role as Captain Phasma in The Last Jedi.
SUPREME LEADER SNOKE
One cannot truly say that Supreme Leader Snoke was seen in The Force Awakens, even though that was technically the character’s introduction to the Star Wars saga. He only appeared in hologram form – which made his appearance and size questionable – and wasn’t even there when the Starkiller Base was destroyed. Though he is the leader of the First Order, Snoke was strangely in some sort of retreat, but will now have to be more present in order to command Kylo Ren and General Hux.
The motion-capture legend Andy Serkis will once again be responsible for the performance that brings Supreme Leader Snoke to life in The Last Jedi. The actor has been credited for his work as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit series of films and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy.
DJ
Though we have yet to get to know Maz, Phasma, and Snoke better, there is certainly no other The Last Jedi character more mysterious than DJ.
As a matter of fact, we only know that DJ is called DJ because director Rian Johnson told Vanity Fair in an in-depth interview that this was the character’s name. In a different interview, this time with John Boyega, it was revealed that DJ is the best codebreaker in the galaxy, but that just like Han Solo, his reasons to take any gig are purely financial. It seems like DJ has taken no side in the Resistance versus First Order war… No side but his own.
DJ will be played by Benicio del Toro. This is DJ’s introduction to the Star Wars saga and, therefore, the actor’s first film in the franchise.
AMILYN HOLDO
We know Amilyn Holdo’s name, that she is a Vice Admiral, and that her allegiance is to the Resistance. Besides that, there are not many official reports on the character.
Amilyn will be introduced in The Last Jedi, and the few rumors that have come out from the film’s production are that she might have power struggles with Poe Dameron within the Resistance and, with Carrie Fisher’s passing (and therefore the inability to keep going with the character of Leia), Amilyn Holdo might emerge as the new leader of the Resistance.
Laura Dern, known for her work in Jurassic Park, Wild and, most recently, in the Big Little Lies miniseries, will portray Amilyn Holdo in The Last Jedi. As of yet, she has not been officially confirmed to return in Episode IX.
ROSE TICO
A huge part of Finn’s journey in The Last Jedi will take place alongside Rose Tico, a new character that is being introduced to the Star Wars saga.
Along with Poe, Leia, and Amilyn, Finn and Rose will be busy with their missions in relation to the Resistance’s efforts to destroy the First Order. Their dynamic is reportedly much lighter and easy-going than that of Luke and Rey’s, who will be “stuck” by themselves on an archipelago trying to figure each other out and learn more about the force.
Kelly Marie Tran will play Rose Tico in The Last Jedi. The Vietnamese-American actress will be a very welcome addition to the Star Wars cast since, other than Rogue One, the franchise failed to feature a prominent character portrayed by an actor or actress of Asian descent.
NIEN NUNB
Introduced in 1983’s Return of the Jedi as a Rebel Alliance pilot, Nien Nunb came back to the Star Wars franchise in The Force Awakens, where he was seen piloting an X-wing starfighter alongside Poe Dameron as they destroyed the Starkiller Base. Nien Nunb will once back be back in The Last Jedi, possibly being involved in another aerial fight between the Resistance and the First Order.
Nien Nunb is of the Sullustan species. He was originally an arms dealer and became friends with Lando Calrissian, but joined the Rebel Alliance later to defeat the Galactic Empire.
The puppeteer Mike Quinn will once again reprise his work as Nien Nunb in The Last Jedi. Besides his involvement with Star Wars, Mike did extensive work in The Muppets franchise.
ADMIRAL ACKBAR
Like Nien Nunb, Admiral Gial Ackbar is another Return of the Jedi fan favorite – famous for his “it’s a trap!” line – who returned to The Force Awakens and will once again be featured in The Last Jedi.
Admiral Ackbar is of the Mon Calamari species, and a commander of the Rebel Alliance during the original trilogy. In The Force Awakens, he is seen working alongside the Resistance and even helped Rey to find Luke Skywalker. It is expected that the character will once again play a role in the leadership of the Resistance along with General Leia.
In The Last Jedi, actor and puppeteer Timothy D. Rose will reprise his role as Admiral Ackbar. In Return of the Jedi, Timothy was also credited for the characters Salacious Crumb and Sy Snootles.
PAIGE TICO
Paige Tico is not only Rose Tico’s older sister, but also a Resistance gunner who will probably be seen in the front lines of the war against the First Order. Not much is known about Paige, however, since Star Wars films are always surrounded by secrecy.
Like Rose, Paige is a very welcome addition to the Star Wars franchise since both characters will be played by actresses of Asian descent. Besides 2016’s Rogue One, the saga has arguably been pretty bad at including Asian actors.
Actress, singer, and model Veronica Ngo will play Paige Tico. Like Kelly Marie Tran, Veronica is also of Vietnamese descent, and actually had a pretty significant music career in Vietnam, having released five studio albums.
In 2017, besides The Last Jedi, Veronica will also be seen in David Ayer’s Bright, starring Will Smith.
---
Which characters are you most excited to see in The Last Jedi? Let us know in the comments!
