Star Wars: The Last Jedi has proven to be one of the most divisive films in recent memory. The Star Wars fandom has always been very vocal but we've never seen a reaction quite like the one that accompanied this film. Some called it the film that ruined Star Wars forever, while others called it the best film in the franchise.
Regardless of what you personally thought of the film, it must be said that it was an ambitious film that tried to do something new with the series and delivered a lot of shocking moments. Rian Johnson continued to show his skills as a filmmaker and gave fans a lot to talk about. Here are the most shocking moments from The Last Jedi.
The Blue Milk
The blue milk has always been a subject of fascination among fans of the series. It was first seen in A New Hope as the strange and intriguing beverage Luke is drinking. Since then, the drink has popped up several more times and remained popular with fans.
The Last Jedi decided to shed some light on the mystery by showing fans where the milk comes from. While on Ahch-To, Luke is seen milking the substance from a strange creature on his isolated island and then drinking it. In that moment, the magic of the blue milk disappeared forever.
Luke's New Attitude
The Force Awakens ended with a tantalizing cliff-hanger as Rey finds Luke Skywalker living a reclusive life. She presents his old lightsaber to him, asking him to join the Resistance once again. The Last Jedi picks up from that moment as we finally get to see Luke's reaction to this moment. In a stunning move, he throws the lightsaber away.
Right away, we realize that this is not the Luke Skywalker we used to know. He has been through some terrible experiences and he no longer believes in his path as a Jedi Knight. While it is certainly an interesting direction to take the iconic character, many fans were shocked and appalled by the change.
Leia Uses The Force
In news that devastated Star Wars fans everywhere, Carrie Fisher died shortly after finishing filming of The Last Jedi. With General Leia thought to be a key character going forward in the series, there was a lot of speculation as to how the film would deal with her passing.
Early on in The Last Jedi, it appeared Leia was killed off when the First Order attacks her ship and sends her drifting into space. However, Leia opens her eyes and uses the Force to fly back to the ship to safety. It was a totally unexpected moment from a character we've never seen use those abilities before.
Force Projection
Leia's powers were not the only display of new Force abilities that were introduced in The Last Jedi. One of the biggest and most significant reveals is that Jedi's have the ability to project versions of themselves using the Force.
It is an ability that allows Rey and Kylo to communicate throughout the film as they build on the strong connection between each other. It makes for some of the movie's most compelling moments. The ability also plays a big role in Luke's final stand later in the film.
Yoda's Return
Despite most of the main cast of the original trilogy returning for this new trilogy, it was still quite a shock to see a familiar puppet make his return to the franchise. As Luke is at his lowest moment, he plans to burn down the Jedi Temple. Then he gets a visit from an old friend.
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Seeing Luke and Yoda interact once more was a very special and poignant moment. Even those fans who can't find too many nice things to say about the film must admit to smiling at this particular scene.
Snoke's Death
Snoke (played by Andy Serkis) was the mysterious villain behind the scenes in The Force Awakens who felt very familiar to the Emperor. He mentored and controlled Kylo Ren in his immersion into the Dark Side, but much about him was left a mystery.
As fans came up with countless theories about who he really is, Snoke made his return in The Last Jedi and met his end. It was a very cool reveal in the movie but one that divided fans. Many were disappointed that the character had been built up and killed off so quickly, but Rian Johnson clearly felt differently about Snoke.
Kylo's Turn
After Kylo's surprising assassination of Snoke, he stands back to back with Rey as they engage in a spectacular fight against Snoke's remaining guards. Seeing the new trilogy's main villain team with the main hero is a thrilling moment and made fans wonder where things will go from her.
However, just as quickly, Kylo reveals he is still a twisted person and plans to take down the First Order as well as the Resistance, so that he can rule the galaxy himself. It is a compelling turn for the character going into the final chapter of his story.
The Holdo Maneuver
Vice Admiral Holdo was a frustrating character to some fans as her secret plans and distrust of Poe Dameron seemed to make the plot of the heroes needlessly complicated. However, once all that mess is cleared up, Holdo gets one of the film's coolest moments.
Holdo decides to stay behind on the ship as the rest of the Resistance makes their escape. When Snoke's ship begins firing on the fleeing vessels, Holdo rams Snoke's ship at lightspeed. It is a move we've never seen in these films before and the way the moment way captured is truly stunning.
Rey's Parentage
Daisy Ridley's Rey is certainly the new hero of this trilogy and her character as introduced on The Force Awakens feels very similar to Luke Skywalker from A New Hope. One of the key aspects of Rey that fans latched onto was her mysterious parentage. Many assumed she would revealed to be a Skywalker herself.
Rian Johnson decided to answer that mystery as well, explaining that they were no one special and they sold Rey for money. Some fans felt this was an anticlimactic answer while others thought it was a refreshing idea that anyone can be a Jedi Knight.
Luke's Death
Not only was Luke Skywalker a very different version of the hero than fans were used to, but The Last Jedi killed him off without seeing him leave his isolated planet. With the Resistance surrounded, Luke sends a Force projection of himself to distract Kylo as the others escape. The move works but drains Luke of his life and he dies along while watching the sun set.
To kill off Luke Skywalker in the second film of the trilogy was a shocking and bold move. Even Mark Hamill seems disappointed by the move, but it does solidify the notion that this new trilogy is meant to focus on the next generation.