Star Wars: The Last Jediis quite possibly the darkest and most emotional movie in theStar Warsfranchise with surprising plot twists and some comic relief, as well as some important silence. There’s a lot going on, but Rian Johnson found a way to invest heavily in the development of its young characters, in a way that aStar Warsmovie rarely has. The main characters are cracked open and their psychologies examined, making their roles feel more fulfilled as the audience engages more deeply with each one of them. There’s a lot of emotion that comes across on the screen with our new knowledge of these characters and we’re going to examine some of the most emotional moments ofThe Last Jedi. There are major SPOILERS forThe Last Jediahead, so read ahead at your own risk.
10The death of Paige Tico.
The Last Jedistarts off withRose Tico’s sister Paigesetting forth to bomb The First Order so that the Resistance can escape. Poe is leading the charge and many of the crew are killed, which leads us to Paige Tico sacrificing her life to save the Resistance. It’s a heavy way to start aStar Warsmovie and it ultimately sets the emotional tone for the rest of the story. Rian Johnson is afraid to let everybody know right away that this movie isn’t going to be a paint-by-numbers affair likeThe Force Awakenswas, there are risks and emotional story that does not let up.
9Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill on screen together.
Obviously, the first look at Carrie Fisher on the screen packs an emotional wallop, but the scene that takes the cake is whenLeia Organa is reunited with her brother, Luke Skywalker. There was hardly a dry eye in the building when Luke hands over a keepsake from the Millennium Falcon. It’s the first time that Luke and Leia have seen each other in years and the look on Luke’s face while he’s trying to apologize for Ben Solo’s turn to the Dark Side should earn Mark Hamill some praise for his performance. In a movie with a lot of emotional moments, it doesn’t get much better than Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher on the screen together for the first time in over 30 years.
8Luke Skywalker’s return to the Millennium Falcon.
TheMillennium Falconis another element that brings out some pretty heavy feelings. As shown in recent TV spots, Luke Skywalker boards his old friend’s smuggling ship and turns on the lights in the cockpit, looking around and taking off his hood. Harrison Ford’s reunion with the Millennium Falcon does not come close to Mark Hamill’s. Luke is seen going over the memories in his head and making the decision right then and there to train Rey in the ways of the Force to harness her powers. Hamill revealed that the day of filming that scene was a very emotional day for the actor, so much so that he requested to be alone for a few minutes and admitted to shedding some tears.
7The Kylo Ren vs. Luke Skywalker battle.
Luke Skywalker’s battle with Kylo Rencertainly does not go the way that we thought it was going to go. Luke comes back and sacrifices his life to buy the Resistance some time to escape. Luke projects himself to Crait, while he levitates on Ahch-To in a beautiful scene that is reminiscent ofA New Hopein the best possible way. Luke looks off into the sunset and then disappears like Obi-Wan, hopefully becoming a Force Ghost inEpisode IX. It’s pretty amazing that Rian Johnson was able to pull off the scene without it leaking out to the press. It’s an emotional highpoint while also an intriguing plot twist.
6Adam Driver’s performance as the conflicted Kylo Ren.
Adam Driver’s portrayal of the conflicted Kylo Renreaches emotional highs as well when Supreme Leader Snoke tears him down. Snoke is angry that Kylo Ren was not able to defeat Rey and taunts his protégé, saying “You were unbalanced, bested by a girl who had never held a lightsaber! You failed!” It’s at this time that you really get a glimpse of how complicated the Kylo Ren character is and leads to Ren destroying his helmet. UnlikeThe Force Awakens, the anger and frustration comes across as real and human as opposed to a child throwing a temper tantrum. Rian Johnson did an incredible job of showing off the inner thoughts of Kylo Ren, taking him apart and in the end showing the true motivations behind his actions.
5Rey’s family reveal.
Reyis also given a lot of screen time, as questions about her past and origins come up throughout the movie. Additionally, the complicated rivalry between Rey and Kylo Ren is further explored as Rey is (briefly) depicted as a means for his redemption. Rey’s naiveté to bring back Ben Solo reveals an emotional arc as she learns more about her family and comes closer to Kylo Ren, claiming to see his future. Daisy Ridley’s performance is excellent and really shows some unpredictable humanity in Kylo Ren, coupled with the way that Snoke treats him.
4Rose Tico saving Finn’s life.
Rose Tico and Finn spark up an unexpected partnership that becomes romantic, but not until after Rose risks her life to save Finn’s. On the battle of Crait, Finn sees no other choice but to sacrifice his own life to save the Resistance by flying directly into the laser battering ram. Finn rips off his headset and ignores the pleas of Poe and Rose and goes for it, only to be crashed into by Rose at the last second. Finn rushes to get Rose out of her crashed ship and the two share an unexpected kiss that is perfect for the scene.
3Luke’s reunion with R2-D2.
Luke Skywalker is initially very apprehensive about helping Rey learn to harness her Force powers, but a trip down to the Millennium Falcon marks a switch for the elder Jedi. After he examines the cockpit, he explores the rest of the ship and R2-D2 welcomes him. It’s pretty amazing to see such an emotional performance over a droid and Jedi, but Mark Hamill pulls it off flawlessly, especially when R2-D2 convinces him to help out by showing the original hologram message from Leia that was used inA New Hope.
2Vice Admiral Holdo sacrificing her life for the Resistance.
One of the most emotional moments comes from newcomer, Vice Admiral Holdo (Laura Dern). Admiral Holdo takes over for General Organa while she’s injured and makes Poe think that she’s a traitor. However, Holdo and Leia go way back and Holdo has dedicated her life to the Rebellion and the Resistance, which Poe seems unaware of. When Poe learns of this knowledge, it’s too late as we see Vice Admiral Holdo pilot the Resistance ship at light speed, full force into Snoke’s ship, sacrificing her life and giving the Resistance to escape to Crait.
1DJ turning on Finn and Rose.
Benicio del Toro’s DJ character, a master a codebreaker, makes it known immediately that he does not have any allegiances to anybody. He demands rapid payment for his services and takes Rose’s necklace as a down payment. JD gets Finn and Rose where they need to be as promised, but later turns on them for some money and a ship from the Resistance. Finn and Rose are stunned and ordered to be executed by Captain Phasma as DJ takes off and apologizes. It isn’t clear whether he makes it out alive, but it is assumed that he has. There are many emotional moments inThe Last Jedithat come off as genuine, but Yoda returning to Luke wasn’t one of them. Yoda was kind of a jerk and it seems that Rian Johnson may have made a misstep with that decision. Yoda and Luke haven’t seen each other in years, why is Yoda so agitated? Regardless,The Last Jedisucceeds in deep character development that we have never seen in aStar Warsmovie and it is an emotional rollercoaster. ensure to bring some tissues if you haven’t seen the movie because words can’t describe just how heavyThe Last Jedican get. You can read Last JediviaStarWars.com.
