Five deleted scenes from Star Wars: The Last Jedi have been revealed ahead of the film's home media release. After a successful box office run that earned $1.3 billion worldwide, the eighth chapter of the Skywalker saga blasts into living rooms later this month. Besides watching the movie again, fans are most excited for the collection of bonus features. In addition to the ubiquitous behind-the-scenes featurettes and feature commentary from director Rian Johnson, the Blu-ray includes 14 deleted scenes that viewers will eagerly want to check out.Most times, sequences are left on the cutting room floor because they're filler, but certain Star Wars deleted scenes have a weight to them. For example, The Force Awakens had a noteworthy one where Kylo Ren stepped aboard the Millennium Falcon. Surely, some of the Last Jedi deleted scenes will play as fluff, but the first ones detailed flesh out some plot elements and depict emotional character moments.EW had the rundown of a handful of Episode VIII deleted scenes, and the story behind each. There are still several left to be unveiled, so we'll be sure to update this post as the others are revealed.UPDATE: Now that The Last Jedi is on digital, all deleted scenes are now available.

Alternate Opening

John Boyega as Finn in Star Wars The Last Jedi

The Last Jedi begins with an action-packed sequence of Poe Dameron and the Resistance bombers' daring attack on the Dreadnaught. Combining all the classic Star Wars elements, it did a great job of establishing several key story aspects (the Resistance's vulnerability, the First Order threat, Poe's arc) while also being a blast to watch. However, the film originally started in a different way - one that (per Johnson) was clever, but didn't entirely work.

Instead of picking up right when the First Order arrives amidst the Resistance's escape from D'Qar, this scene begins with Finn awakening from his coma (the pan down after the crawl is his medical bed) and realizing he's aboard a ship. As Resistance members flee in transports, Lieutenant Connix tells Poe they need more time, which leads to his Dreadnaught gambit. In the commentary, Johnson said this was trimmed since it wasn't as direct, and the filmmakers decided in the editing room they wanted to jump right into it without the additional set-up.

Paige Tico's Gun Jams

Last Jedi Paige Tico Deleted Scene

One noteworthy addition to the Star Wars galaxy in Episode VIII was Rose Tico, but it's her sister Paige who plays a meaningful role in the opening sequence. Paige dies during the bombing run, giving up her life to save the rest of the fleet. In the finished film, she doesn't have much screen time, so it's nice to see her pop up in the deleted scenes. This is your standard Star Wars space battle beat, depicting Paige shooting down TIE fighters, dodging a bullet as she fixes her gun just in time.

Per Johnson, this loss was "collateral damage" after restructuring the opening sequence. As it stands in the film, the Resistance bombers aren't introduced until later in the attack, so in order to maintain a natural flow, the scene was cut. This bit does further illustrate the bond between Paige and Rose (the necklace symbolism), but it wasn't entirely necessary for the full story to work. Rose's love for her sister is made quite clear throughout, especially in her meeting with Finn.

Poe Dameron: Not Much of a Sewer

Last Jedi Finn Poe Jacket Deleted Scene

One of the many highlights of The Force Awakens was the instant bond between Poe and Finn. Though they had just met, their dynamic while escaping from the Star Destroyer immediately sold viewers on their friendship. Sadly, they didn't have much time together in Episode VII, so many were looking forward to seeing their relationship evolve in The Last Jedi. In this sweet character moment, it's revealed Poe stitched up Finn's jacket after Starkiller base, sewing up the gaping hole Kylo Ren's lightsaber left. Johnson was inspired by the Hoth scenes in Empire Strikes Back, as extras actually walk between Finn and Poe during their talk.

This scene was reinserted in the novelization, where its primary purpose is to make Finn feel a little guiltier about wanting to leave the Resistance during their time of need (Poe even tells him this is where he belongs). Johnson admits he loved this scene, but it was a fairly easy one to cut when they realized this wasn't a needed bit of set-up. Several fans would have appreciated this deepening of Poe and Finn's friendship, but it does stop the movie in its tracks as Poe recaps information the audience already knows. Going right to his demotion was a smarter move.

Rey's Goodbye to Finn

Finn watching BB-8 hologram in Star Wars: The Last Jedi

At the end of The Force Awakens, Rey left a comatose Finn behind to travel to Ahch-To and find Luke Skywalker, meaning the two friends spend nearly all of The Last Jedi separated. Finn was still recovering from his injuries when Rey left, so he didn't actually see the moment. Lucky for him, BB-8 recorded it all and in one deleted scene, plays it for him in hologram form. In what would have been one of the film's funnier lines, Finn tells his droid companion, "That's kind of creepy you recorded that."

The original purpose of this scene was to illustrate the relationship between Rey and Finn, but Johnson felt it was a little redundant. He told EW Finn's motivation for wanting to find Rey is made clear through conversations Finn has with Rose Tico. Johnson does have a point. After Rey and Finn spent The Force Awakens together, audiences didn't really need something like this to hammer home they are friends. Episode VII did all the legwork in establishing their dynamic, and all The Last Jedi had to do was give fans the catharsis of seeing to two reunited after an emotionally-draining journey.

The Caretaker Eyes Rey

To say Rey and the Caretakers had a tumultuous relationship would be an understatement. The Last Jedi found some comedy in the matrons of Ahch-To taking displeasure in Rey's antics, beginning with her blasting a hole through her hut. This deleted scene is just an extra bit of levity, as a Caretaker glares disapprovingly at Rey as she follows Luke for her first lesson. Luke has a brief conversation with one. The novelization reveals he told the Caretakers Rey is his niece.

Johnson stated in the commentary this was one of the last things to be deleted, and it's probably for the best it was. It's certainly worth a chuckle to see a Caretaker giving their disruptive visitor the stink eye, but it draws the sequence out and doesn't add much in terms of story. Viewers understood the Caretakers didn't like Rey very much as they bemoan having to clean up her mess. Additionally, the part where Rey accidentally destroys a Caretaker wagon is a funnier illustration of their dynamic.

Rey and the Caretaker Village

Caretaker Village Sequence The Last Jedi: 7 Deleted Scenes That Should've Made The Cut (And 8 We're Glad Didn't)

Perhaps the most famous deleted scene of the bunch so far, this sequence finds Rey spotting boats sailing towards the Caretaker village on Ahch-To. Luke Skywalker notes that they are raiders arriving to ransack the village, which causes Rey to want to fight and save the Caretakers. In a cruel teaching moment, Luke says that if Rey retaliates, the raiders will arrive with more reinforcements and attack again. A Jedi, Luke says, would let this all play out and not get involved. Viewers have already seen a portion of footage from this scene, where an upset Rey admonishes Luke for failing to live up to the myth she built up in her head.

The scene was designed to play up the divide between Luke and Rey, underlining why Rey would ultimately choose to side with Kylo Ren. However, Johnson felt Luke and Rey's falling out was more powerful without this bit. By removing the Caretaker village sequence, the director noted he left their dynamic in a more hopeful place following Luke's lesson at the Jedi Temple. "You get the sense the she and Luke were actually making progress, as opposed to, oh, things were messed up." Many had presumed this scene was Skywalker's third lesson to Rey, but Johnson said it actually is not. He won't reveal what the lesson was, of course, but teases the film has things open to interpretation.

Luke Mourns Han

What made the death of Han Solo even more tragic was that he never got an opportunity to reconcile with Luke after things went south. With Skywalker in isolation shut off from the Force, he didn't even know his best friend had been killed in the moment it happened. Instead, Luke makes the harrowing realization when he learns Rey and Chewbacca arrived on the Millennium Falcon. In the finished film, all Luke says is, "Where's Han?" before the audience moves on, but a deleted scene fleshes this moment out more. Skywalker sits alone in his hut and fights back grieving tears. The scene would have cut back to Leia on the Raddus having a similar moment.

Longtime fans definitely would have wanted this scene to stay in the movie, as it arguably would have given them more closure with Han. Johnson, who expressed sorrow in cutting it, explained pacing was the issue here, as he wanted to shift gears to Luke's "day in the life" montage depicting his daily routine on Ahch-To. This is also another section that might have played as redundant. Luke's scene in the Falcon (which symbolizes Han) makes it very clear he is filled with regret over what has happened, wishing he could see Han again. There's no denying this would have been very resonant, but it may not have added much to the overall story.

Extended Fathier Chase The Last Jedi: 7 Deleted Scenes That Should've Made The Cut (And 8 We're Glad Didn't)

Extended Fathier Chase

As Finn and Rose break out of Canto Bight prison, they make their big getaway by riding Fathiers through the casino and the city. This deleted scene is simply a lengthier version of this set piece, as the creatures make their way through (among other things) a massage room. In the footage, some of this is pre-vis, meaning the entire sequence wasn't completed before the decision was made to cut it.

Johnson mentions in the commentary he was concerned about "diminishing returns" if he left the full chase in the film. Watching it, it does run a bit on the long side (nearly 6 minutes of screen time) and benefitted from being condensed in the finished movie. The side quest to Canto Bight was one of the more divisive aspects of The Last Jedi to begin with, so many are probably happy to spend less time there. Admittedly, there is some fun and cool-looking elements here, but with The Last Jedi clocking in at 152 minutes, trimming this down seems like a smart choice.

Sneaking Aboard the Supremacy

Last Jedi Finn Tom Hardy Stormtrooper deleted scene

After Daniel Craig cameoed in The Force Awakens as a stormtrooper, it seemed the "celebrity stormtrooper" would be a sequel trilogy running gag. Reports indicated Tom Hardy would fill that role in Episode VIII, but his scene was ultimately cut. According to the rumors, the Hardy trooper would recognize Finn as the former FN-2187 infiltrates the Supremacy and congratulate him on a promotion within the First Order. It sounds like the scene plays out similar to this, implying Finn's defection was covered up by First Order leaders to avoid embarrassment. They made it sound like he had been transferred and is now part of an undercover unit.

Johnson admitted watching this play out always made him laugh, but it was another instance of pacing. The fear was the film would "slow down" a tad if this was all included in the finished film. Also, this portion of the movie was intercut with Rey meeting Kylo Ren on the Supremacy, with the tension ratcheting up to enormous heights. Star Wars has always had a spot for humor, but an argument can be made a comedic beat with Hardy may have undercut the drama a bit. This is another instance of something that would have been fun, but doesn't feel like a vital piece of the larger whole. In the commentary, Johnson said this was the one that hurt the most to cut, but it helped the pacing of the film.

Rose Bites Hux

Rose and General Hux in Last Jedi

This is an extra bit after DJ's betrayal, where General Hux taunts Rose and Finn about their failure. In retaliation, Rose bites Hux's hand and shakes him up before the execution order is given. Hux then walks away, shaking the pain off while BB-8 watches it all unfold from his hiding spot.

Johnson described this as a strong character moment for Rose, but wanted to get back to the exciting action in Snoke's throne room quicker, so he decided to cut it. In the commentary, he compliments Kelly Marie Tran's performance for making Rose stand out even without this portion of the scene included. Like many of the deleted scenes, this is included in the novelization.

Rose and Finn Go Where They Belong

Rose And Finn The Last Jedi: 7 Deleted Scenes That Should've Made The Cut (And 8 We're Glad Didn't)

Finn's arc in The Last Jedi is becoming fully committed to the Resistance's cause as opposed to looking out for his own best interests. His relationship with Rose is really what spurs this change, and originally the film included a tiny moment between the two to cap it all off. When escaping from the Supremacy in a shuttle, Rose asks Finn where they're going, and Finn says they're going where they belong - to the Resistance on Crait. In addition to punctuating Finn's journey, it's also a callback to what Poe said to him in another deleted scene.

Though a part of the novelization, this scene didn't really serve a meaningful purpose in the movie. Johnson says in the commentary he felt Finn's arc was already well-illustrated. One can make the case Finn proudly referring to himself as "Rebel scum" to Phasma before killing her really hammers it all home.

A Different Phasma Fight

Note: Scene starts around 1:30 in the embedded video

The Last Jedi may not have had as many reshoots as Rogue One and Solo, but (as with all big blockbusters), pickups were required to complete the film as seen. In addition to revising Finn and Rose's expedition to Canto Bight, another key alteration in reshoots was Finn's showdown with Captain Phasma. In the finished movie, the two enemies have a brief one-on-one duel, with Finn eventually gaining the upper hand and sending Phasma to her probable death. Originally, this sequence was more played out.

In the first version, Phasma has Finn dead to rights, and that's when the ex-stormtrooper starts telling the story of Phasma's betrayal at Starkiller base (where she disabled the shields). The other soldiers seem uncomfortable with this revelation, but Phasma blasts all of them away before they can take action. When she reengages Finn, Phasma is killed by blaster fire and falls to her demise. Johnson expressed a desire to condense this part so it didn't take as much time. The Last Jedi clocks in at 2.5 hours and has a lot on its plate as is, so this was a smart decision on Johnson's part. Phasma obviously doesn't have the biggest role to play in the sequels, so it's not necessary for her to have a protracted sendoff.

Rey and Chewie in the Falcon

Daisy Ridley as Rey and Chewbacca in the Millennium Falcon cockpit in Star Wars The Last Jedi

Another scene revived for the novelization, this is an extra beat during Luke's stand on Crait. Rey and Chewie are flying the Falcon and see the First Order firing at a concentrated point on the ground (where Luke is standing). It's not clear if the two know Skywalker is there.

Nothing is really lost here by cutting this scene. If anything, it disrupts the flow of the climax, and the movie definitely plays better by keeping the focus squarely on Luke until right before he dies (see: Rey lifting rocks). Audiences were so invested in Luke's confrontation with Kylo that jumping to this extra sliver might have been a little jarring.

Canto Bight B-Roll

The last thing included in the deleted scenes section isn't a scene, but a compilation of unused footage from Canto Bight, showcasing the impressive sets and creature designs that went into making the location a reality. Fans can watch some of the galaxy's high-rollers gamble their nights away and admire in the craftsmanship. A lot of work went into Canto Bight.

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These are all the deleted scenes included in the Last Jedi home media release. None of them jump out as something monumental that would have improved the film, but it's still fun to see them. Let us know which one was your favorite in the comments!

MORE: The Last Jedi's Deleted Scenes Clear Up Controversial Plot Lines

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is available on digital March 13 and Blu-ray March 27.

Source: EW

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