The plot of 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi': What the Force Friday toys tell us
From the moment that Darth Vader’s lightsaber struck down Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Star Wars movies have been shocking audiences with top-secret plot twists. True to that tradition, Disney is keeping story details from The Last Jedi under lock and key — which is really just an invitation for fans to speculate wildly about the film’s plot. And now that Force Friday has revealed the first wave of Last Jedi toys, we have plenty of new fodder for speculation. Here at Yahoo Movies, we looked over every single Last Jedi Lego set, action figure, and Hot Wheels car unveiled on Sept. 1, searching for new clues about the film’s story. Combined with previously released info from sources like the EW cover story and our own reporting from Star Wars: Celebration, as well as the trailer and the D23 highlights reel, we’ve constructed a less-than-perfect, no-doubt-wildly-incomplete plot summary that we’re pretty sure gets a few things right. Read on to find out what the toys might reveal about Star Wars: The Last Jedi (in theaters Dec. 15).
Rey and Luke are on a Remote Island, But It’s Not As Safe as it Seems
At the end of The Force Awakens, Rey and Chewbacca landed the Millennium Falcon on the island of Ahch-To, where Luke Skywalker has been living in seclusion. We know that Rey stays on the island to be mentored by a reluctant Luke in the ways of the Force — but at some point, trouble catches up to her. The Hot Wheels Millennium Falcon Track Set features a box image of the Falcon docked at Ahch-To with its lasers firing. And per the product description: “The Millennium Falcon has broken down and must be fixed for battle before the First Order launches their attack.”
Are Rey and Chewie stranded on the island while Rey attempts repairs? Are they forced to leave Ahch-To in a hurry, presumably taking Luke with them, when the First Order learns of their location? That could also explain the porg (an Ahch-To native, one of those little penguin-y aliens you’ll be seeing a lot of this December) hanging out in the Falcon with Chewbacca in this photo. Judging from this picture book, the porgs follow Chewie everywhere.
Supreme Leader Snoke is Taking an Active Command
No longer just a giant hologram in a chair, Supreme Leader Snoke arrives in his Star Destroyer to personally oversee First Order operations, since Kylo Ren messed things up so badly in The Force Awakens. Accompanying him are his red-clad Praetorian Guard (reminiscent of the Emperor’s Imperial Guard from the original trilogy) and the ball droid BB-9E (a Dark Side counterpart to BB-8).
Snoke is revealed to be a very tall man with scarred skin and sharp fingernails, whose robe — though shiny and gold — suggests a past affiliation with the Jedi. He wears a large ring on his left hand, seen on several of the Snoke toys including the Disney Store Elite Series action figure; it’s odd-looking, gold with a pointy black tip, suggesting that it is integral to whatever power he possesses. (Large swaths of the internet believe the ring to be a kyber crystal, of the kind that harnesses the Force in lightsabers.)
Kylo Ren Will Fly Into Battle
Kylo will need to prove himself this time around, and apparently, he’ll do it by piloting his own ship, the TIE Silencer, in a battle against the Resistance. Hasbro’s description for the TIE Silencer vehicle reveals that Kylo has inherited his dad’s pilot skills: “Like his father Han Solo, Kylo Ren navigates the Star Wars galaxy with precision and ease.” Kylo wears a flying helmet with a breathing tube reminiscent of his hero Darth Vader, and his astromech will be none other than BB-9E, who comes with the TIE Silencer Lego set.
Who is he fighting in space? Maybe Poe Dameron, Vice Admiral Holdo (purple-haired Laura Dern), and gunner Paige (sister of new lead character Rose), who are doing “daring raids” on board a ship called a Resistance Bomber (as revealed, again, by a Lego set). Poe, incidentally, is now dressing in a black jacket and white shirt highly reminiscent of Han Solo — another callback to the lost character whose presence will clearly be felt in The Last Jedi.
Finn, Rose and BB-8 Are Off on a More Light-Hearted Adventure
We know that Finn and Rose (a new character, a low-level tech from the Resistance who becomes a major player) are off on an undercover mission to a “casino metropolis” called Canto Bight. BB-8 accompanies them in the Resistance Pod flown by Finn, per the LEGO set. Finn disguises himself, reluctantly, as a First Order general (there’s a Disney Store Elite Series action figure of this). Rose’s disguise remains a mystery. When their true identities are revealed, the duo must quickly flee, Canto Bight police speeders (available in 3.75 inch scale from Hasbro) in full pursuit.
A Battle on Crait will Determine the Future of the Resistance
Crait, the snowy-looking planet from the trailers, is actually a red mineral planet covered in salt, as director Rian Johnson told Yahoo Movies. It’s going to be the site of The Last Jedi’s biggest battle sequence. General Hux leads a land army of First Order troops and Heavy Walkers (the new variations on the AT-AT and AT-ST). The Resistance has Ski Speeders, one of which is piloted by Poe. At some point, Rey flies in to give Poe some backup.
And a Battle on Snoke’s Star Destroyer Might Put Key Players in Jeopardy
Hasbro’s BB-8 2-in-1 Playset, which converts from the beloved ball droid into Snoke’s “Dreadnought” Star Destroyer, features some intriguing artwork on the box. It shows a pitched battle aboard the ship, with Snoke in his throne room flanked by his Elite Praetorian Guards while First Order troopers engage Rey, Rose, Finn, and BB-8. Outside, Poe’s X-wing is seen being pursued by TIE fighters. The illustration is labeled “fantasy scene,” but could this be a glimpse of the film’s climactic battle?
A few more things we’ve learned about The Last Jedi from Force Friday toys:
— Luke doesn’t have a lightsaber in any of his action figure versions, only a walking stick, which suggests that his fighting days are over.
— There’s a new female pilot character named Tallie; she flies for the Resistance in an old-school A-wing. Taking into account Rose’s sister Paige and Laura Dern’s character Vice Admiral Holdo, this is the most women we’ll have seen in combat in any Star Wars film.
— A new kind of First Order soldier, the “Execution Stormtrooper” or “Judicial Stormtrooper”, wields a scary-looking weapon that carries electrical current (or so it appears in the Funko Pop version) between two giant blades. Which of our heroes could be facing execution?
— The Elite Praetorian Guard carries long staffs with blades on either end; in several toy versions, these staffs can be separated into two separate swords, which is likely how they work in the movie. Also: these guards are covered head-to-toe in armor, so if someone from the Resistance doesn’t end up disguised as one, it will be a shocker.
— C-3PO’s red arm has been replaced; it’s now a gold arm once more.
— There are no toys featuring the late Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia.
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