Star Wars: The Last Jedi has finally hit the big screen and it’s even better than we expected! Fans, of course, have different opinions on the matter (most of them beyond delightful), and like so many others we believe it’s one of the best movies of the new Star Wars era. What was so good about it? Well, the Good vs. Evil trope that is as old as the Universe itself was played out a bit differently this time and it’s one of the most refreshing things we could see in a movie that revolves solely around this topic. We’ve got more than a few decent plot twists, a whole bunch of cute otherworldly creatures, and a totally new (or some might argue – very-very old) interpretation of the Force and the way it works. Yep, Jedi aren’t what they used to be, but there’s a reason for that! The movie is packed with all kinds of cameos, nods to the extended universe, shared universe connections, and secret backstories. So, if you haven’t watched the movie yet, be prepared for some spoilers because we’re about to reveal 10 of the most awesome things you’ve missed in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Rey’s been a bad girl
Many have missed this little detail at the very end of the movie, but the camera did focus a few seconds on Rey’s stuff back on the ship, which included all of the sacred Jedi books she took from the tree that got so conveniently burnt down by none other than Yoda himself. Luke and Yoda did have quite a funny interaction when Skywalker wanted to burn the tree, but couldn’t, and Yoda mentioned that Rey already had all the knowledge of the tree, so he might as well just go with it. He told it like the girl was wiser than all those old-looking Jedi texts, when in fact she literally had them with her! Which, of course, Yoda already knew because he’s cool like that.
The kid and the broom
This moment was quite obvious, but so swift that most people actually missed it completely. So, in the very end of the movie we see a kid on Rose’s home planet – he actually uses the force to grab the broomstick! This is quite a big deal because as it has been explained to us in the movie, the Force kind of acts on its own according to the Universal balance of things. This means you don’t have to be of ‘noble’ or whatever force-bearing bloodline like Skywalker, Palpatine, or Kenobi – now anyone can be born a Jedi! Just like Rey is a girl from an ordinary family with no Jedi history whatsoever, we should expect more people like her to appear real soon. It is also a nod to the whole slave-boy-using-force-to-escape story like it happened with Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
A few cameos that are hard to spot
Rian Johnson’s new instalment of Star Wars is packed with starry cameos. For example, that handsome codebreaker that Finn and Rose never got to recruit for their mission was none other than Justin Theroux from The Leftovers, while Joseph Gordon-Levitt got to voice the panic-stricken alien that showed the police where Rose and Finn illegally parked their vehicle in front of the casino. And you’ve probably recognized the devilishly charming Benicio Del Toro playing the treacherous codebreaker that sold out the whole Resistance.
Those dice are pretty special
It’s hard to pick a memento that would 100% remind fans of Han Solo, so the creators of Star Wars: The Last Jedi decided to be smart about it. It appears Han’s golden dice that became such a focal point in the new movie actually has a history. At least, if you go back to the original trilogy you’ll find the very same dice hanging in the Falcon’s cabin. Although it hasn’t been an object of interest in the previous movies, die-hard Star Wars fans will recognize it in a matter of seconds. Luke also resurrected Han’s most recognized line: ‘See you around, kid’. And did it in a very Harrison Ford-esque voice!
Crait is more important than you think
Planet Crait might have been new to most of the fans and Resistance heroes that were running for their lives, but not for Princess Leia. The planet was first introduced in the novel Leia, Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray, who depicted it as a tiny world covered in salt flats. Seemingly insignificant, this small planet was receiving a considerable amount of supplies, which made young Leia suspicious. When she finally came to Crait, she found out that the supplies were meant for the Rebel Alliance led by none other than Bail Organa, her father. This is where she joined the Resistance as a teenager, so it would be only fitting that she should seek shelter in the very same place when all hope is seemingly lost. Marvel’s Storms of Crait comic series also delves into the events of those days.
A shout out to Beastie Boys (again!)
The Abednedo alien race first appeared in The Force Awakens and has been in Star Wars ever since. Most fans are familiar with these species, but what most people don’t know is that each Abednedo gets his name from a Beastie Boys song! Yep, that’s right. It all started with Abednedo Ello Asty, whose name was inspired by the hit song ‘Hello Nasty’ – guys from the creature department thought it would be hilarious to name the alien this way knowing that J. J. Abrams was a big fan of the group. And the rule stuck! We now have all kinds of funky Abednedo names: Brasmon Kee (derived from ‘Brass Monkey’), Ilco Munico (from ‘Ill Communication’), and Roodown (from ‘Root Down’). The Last Jedi has its very own Abednedo called Slowen-Lo (from the Beastie Boys song ‘Slow and Low’) – we first see him on Canto Bright talking to police officers about Rose, Finn, and their illegal parking. Yep, that’s the alien voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt!
The disturbing green milk scene was there for a reason
Blue milk has become somewhat of a staple drink for the Star Wars Universe, so no wonder each producer tries to include it in his own movie. We’ve seen it in the first ever movies of Star Wars, as well as in Rogue One, and, naturally, Rian Johnson wanted to include some, too. He went even further and graced the viewers with a slightly different take on the legendary milk produced by Banthas – he created green milk that Luke gets from laid back thala-sirens on Ahch-To. We believe this scene was included not only for fun, but also to show how similar (and different at the same time) the last days of Luke Skywalker are to his childhood on Tatooine where there was plenty of blue milk. And solitude.
Amilyn Holdo and her star cuffs
Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo didn’t come from nowhere and you could feel it in the way Leia and Amilyn interacted with each other – there’s obviously some history between the two we just aren’t aware of. The character was introduced much earlier in Leia, Princess of Alderaan, a novel written by Claudia Grey. Leia and Amilyn met during their teenage years and formed a friendship that surpassed time, turning Holdo into one of Princess Leia’s most trusted friends and aliases. Amilyn Holdo is very poised and reserved, with a character reflecting her home planet’s culture. Yet her crazy hair colour hints that there’s much more to the woman than meets the eye. As a reminder of where she came from, Amilyn Holdo carries with her cuffs decorated with stars – those are the very constellations that can be seen from Gatalenta, her home world.
The ancient tree of Jedi
It appears that trees and Jedi have a long history together. Jedi’s love for trees is quite famous, at least for a certain strand of trees. The appearance of the huge ancient tree on Ahch-To in the last movie was definitely symbolic, hinting to the one that used to grow on Coruscant in a Jedi Temple before all of that got destroyed by the Emperor. We don’t know whether the two trees are related in any way, but they are definitely part of the Jedi-tree mythology that is larger than one might think. In Rogue One we’ve seen a staff made of uneti-wood, and it is said that Luke found the sacred island of Ahch-To by following the uneti-wood saplings. Everything’s connected!
Clues that point to Luke’s force projection
In this episode of Star Wars Luke went all Yoda on us and, just like the grand master that he was, went out of his body and astral-projected himself to ‘fight’ Kylo Ren. This whole stunt came as a major surprise to most of the viewers (including us!) as almost nothing hinted to what was about to happen. He even gave the golden dice to Leia and kissed her on the head! And yet, there were a few clues that a more attentive and less emotional viewer might have spotted. If you take a closer look, Luke looks much younger compared to his last appearance on the island with Rey. Less wrinkles and no grey in his beard – he looks just like he did in the Jedi Temple flashback! Threepio’s reaction was also kind of funny and if you re-watch the moment the two meet together you’ll understand that he also knew the truth about Luke being all air. Him walking without leaving a trace of red on the white salty land of the planet is yet another hint that he’s not actually there. And, of course, fighting without actually fighting – he dodges all Kylo’s attacks without ever making any contact. All that just to buy the Resistance more time!
