The Last Jedi: Predicting Who Lives And Who Dies

Before you riot, remember that Luke dying doesn’t necessarily mean that Mark Hamill won’t still reprise his role in Episode IX. Much like Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original trilogy, Luke could easily return as a Force ghost. Plus, if he did, he’d still probably get more screen time than Alec Guinness did in Episodes V and VI combined. The simple fact is that if we’re going to take Kylo Ren and Supreme Leader Snoke seriously heading into the final chapter of the sequel trilogy, the stakes need to be raised, and them killing off Luke is a surefire way to raise them sky-high, in addition to giving Rey added motivation to defeat them. Perhaps he dies while rescuing Rey from Snoke, which would certainly help legitimize the Supreme Leader in the eyes of the viewer.

If you kill off Kylo Ren, all you’re left with in terms of big bads is Supreme Leader Snoke. Kylo is clearly the type of character who’s being set up for a three-film arc, which could culminate with some sort of redemption story, so it’s highly unlikely that he’ll be removed from the playing field at this stage in the game.

This one’s a bit of a stretch because we already know that John Boyega will be returning for Episode IX, but who’s to say his role isn’t just a flashback? In any case, this theory stems from the fact that we see Finn go toe-to-toe with Captain Phasma in the first full trailer. At one point during the skirmish, while they two combatants are at an apparent stalemate, we cut to a shot of Phasma’s chrome helmet, which shows Finn’s reflection staring back at him. While this might not seem like a big deal, this year at Star Wars Celebration Orlando, Delilah S. Dawson – writer of Star Wars: Phasma – tweeted, “The thing about Captain PHASMA is that when she kills you, you have to watch yourself die,” along with a photo of her own reflection in a Phasma helmet. Sorry, Finn.

An argument could be made for Kylo Ren killing Supreme Leader Snoke and becoming the sole big bad of the sequel trilogy. However, it’s far more likely that Snoke will remain safe until Episode IX, where he’ll presumably die in a climactic battle.

Aside from the Starkiller base (and those who were left on it), the First Order has yet to suffer any major casualties. Heck, even the Galactic Empire lost Grand Moff Tarkin when the first Death Star was destroyed. With Han Solo dead, expect the Resistance to try and level the playing field by taking out the First Order’s only truly expendable figurehead.

After being presumed dead for two-thirds of The Force Awakens, the likelihood of Poe Dameron dying in The Last Jedi is slim to none. Plus, if Finn does die, keeping Poe around to mourn his loss would be a great way to double down on the emotional beats of the film.

We don’t know much about Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo yet, which is all the more reason it makes sense for her to die in The Last Jedi. Much like General Hux, she’s an expendable figurehead who can be easily killed off to increase the opposition’s credibility without overwhelming the audience.

In the same vein as Poe Dameron, it would be pointless to kill off Captain Phasma after leading us to believe she was already dead for a good chunk of The Force Awakens. The Last Jedi needs to do serious damage control to redeem Phasma, which could be achieved if she were to kill Finn, as we predict she will. Killing her, though? All that would do is further the notion that she’s a useless character.

Be it by the First Order or by natural causes, it would hardly come as a surprise if Maz Kanata were to die in The Last Jedi. In fact, given her apparent age and the similarities between her and Yoda, Maz dying peacefully would be a fitting way for the character to go.

Given the tragic death of Carrie Fisher, what happens with Leia in Episode IX is anyone’s guess. However, despite the trailers teasing her death at the hands of Kylo Ren, it feels uncharacteristic of Lucasfilm to kill Leia on-screen. Plus, since Carrie already finished filming all of her scenes before she passed away, there’s no real reason to rob fans of their final full Star Wars movie with the Princess-turned-General.

Benicio Del Toro’s “DJ” is described as a “shady” individual with “unclear allegiances.” That makes him perfect to fill the role of the loveable antihero who, despite only seeming to care about himself, decides to sacrifice himself to save the heroes. It’s a trope we’ve seen in countless films before, and it would hardly come as a surprise if we see this archetype in The Last Jedi, as well.

Outside of Leia, Chewbacca is the audience’s strongest remaining tie to Han Solo. Unless Lucasfilm really wants us to forget about Han altogether, the odds of them killing off Chewie are about the same as them destroying the Millennium Falcon, which is a tried-and-true merchandising cash cow. Expect everyone’s favorite Wookiee to stick around for Episode IX.

Described as a Resistance gunner, Paige Tico is likely to have a far less significant role than her sister Rose in The Last Jedi. However, her death could easily be used as a motivating factor for Rose to join Finn in his quest to take down the First Order from the inside.

If Paige dies, it wouldn’t make sense to kill off Rose, as well. After all, she’s a new character, so her death likely wouldn’t strike an emotional chord with viewers. On the contrary, though, her sticking around to mourn the loss of her sister would immediately help viewers connect with her on an emotional level, so plan on Rose pulling a Lando by arriving in part two and returning for part three of this trilogy.

What about you? Who do you think will live and die in The Last Jedi? Let us know in the comments section!