The Last of the Jedi

 

“When gone am I, the last of the Jedi will you be,” Yoda’s words as he prepared Luke Skywalker to face Darth Vader and ultimately his destiny.  Until recently, I always assumed that the Jedi were completely wiped out during Order 66 and the following years.  By the time of the original trilogy, they were reduced down to just Obi-wan and Yoda, who trained Luke.  Now things have changed a bit.

Star Wars Rebels has shown us active Jedi in the galaxy just a few years before the events of A New Hope.  Although, Kanan and Ezra have yet to encounter another Jedi in their adventures, with the exception of Ahsoka Tano who turned her back on the Jedi Order.  They continue to carry the torch for the Jedi Order that was.

The big question now is: what are the fates of Kanan, Ezra, and Ahsoka?  Are they still around during the events of the original trilogy?  Recent episodes of Rebels have shown that Yoda was aware of Kanan and Ezra and their growing abilities during his exile on Dagobah.  Does this mean our remaining Jedi have an expiration date already?  Will they give up the lightsaber?

George Lucas has said in interviews that in the time between trilogies there were Jedi who survived the purge, but they had given up on their Jedi ways, possibly even losing their connection to the force, implying that the force can atrophy and if you don’t use it, you lose it.  At what point does one stop being a Jedi?

How does Ahsoka fit into this?  She is not a Jedi in name, but she is still holding to the Jedi ideals and fighting for freedom in the galaxy.  How much does the Jedi dogma count?  Does the force recognize if you are wearing the uniform or not? Or do your actions speak for themselves?  I believe Ahsoka’s story may be coming to a close by the end of this season of Rebels.  Those of you reading this after the season finale airs will know if I was right or wrong.

Kanan and Ezra’s story can work as another warning for what dangers face Luke and his fight against the Dark Side.  The Rebels episode, “Shroud of Darkness” emphasizes the idea of knowing when to fight and when not to fight, as a key component in becoming a Jedi, a piece that was very important in Luke’s defeat of the Sith.  I think it weakens the overall saga story if Yoda has Kanan and Ezra in his pocket as a backup plan.  Kanan and Ezra’s story can be made more dramatic if they have to sacrifice themselves for the greater good or if they realize that they can do more good by turning off their lightsabers and becoming muggles.

Ultimately, the story always needs to come back to the Skywalkers for me.  The Skywalker story is the spine that the whole Star Wars saga hangs on.  The story works best if Luke truly is the last of the Jedi.  He is the “New Hope,” the pathway for “the chosen one” to destroy the Sith and bring balance to the force.

The Cantina Cast

The wretched hive your Jedi Master warned you about!

You can find Paul on Twitter  You can read his other contributions at: EUCantina.net and RebelsReport.com and listen to his podcast at: FanboysTalking.com