Keeping track of all of the new information leading up to The Last Jedi can feel like an insurmountable task. But we’re here to make it a little easier.
This information has been gleaned from several sources, including cover stories, the Star Wars databank, and interviews. We’ve compiled the material of note into one, easy-to-reference article, to best prepare you for The Last Jedi. It may include mild spoilers, so, if you’re trying to avoid any and all details about the film, turn back now!
We’ll be looking at everything from the locations of The Last Jedi, to the characters, to what to expect from Lucasfilm regarding General Leia Organa’s expected role, in the wake of Carrie Fisher’s unexpected death.
Locations
With Jakuu left far, far behind them (likely to Finn’s eternal delight), Starkiller Base destroyed, and D’Qar’s location known to the First Order, The Last Jedi will be moving to some never-before-seen locations within the Star Wars universe.
We have very limited information so far about those planets, and what — or who — we’ll find on them, but here’s what we do know.
Canto Bight
Canto Bight is a casino city for the galaxy’s ultra-rich inhabitants, located on the desert planet of Cantonica. Featuring the kind of excess you’d expect of somewhere like Las Vegas, director Rian Johnson described the city as, “a Star Wars Monte Carlo–type environment, a little James Bond–ish, a little To Catch a Thief.”
Canto Bight is more than just a casino, as it’ll also feature racecourses and other expensive distractions. “It was an interesting challenge, portraying luxury and wealth in this universe,” Johnson continued. “I was thinking, O.K., let’s go ultra-glamour. Let’s create a playground, basically, for rich assholes.”
Rose Tico — a new addition to the cast in The Last Jedi — will join Finn on an undisclosed mission for the Resistance on Canto Bight. It’s there that they’ll also meet DJ, who we know very little about. But we’ll have more on him a little further on in the article.
Want to learn more about Canto Bight? You’re in luck. A collection of novellas was just released by Del Rey, which follows the misadventures of four different characters in the city. Corruption and excess abound, so don’t expect that Rose and Finn’s mission will be without some complications. You can buy Canto Bight: Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi on Amazon, or your preferred book seller now.
Crait
Crait has been highlighted extensively in the trailers for The Last Jedi. You’ll recognize it as the salt planet, where several Resistance fighters go up against the First Order, spewing red dust into the air.
As suspected previously, Crait has become a safe haven for the Resistance forces fleeing D’Qar. But what you might not know is that the planet was previously used by the Rebel Alliance, during the war against the Empire. The outpost was established by Bail Organa, Leia’s father, as a stronghold for rebel groups to launch missions from — before the Galactic Civil War escalated in the wake of the Battle of Scarif.
The rebels abandoned the planet shortly before that battle, though Luke and Leia visited Crait together whilst considering a new, permanent base for the Rebel Alliance. They ultimately decided to move on, but it appears as though it is the perfect location post-The Force Awakens for the Resistance forces fleeing D’Qar.
Crait isn’t entirely uninhabited, though. It is home to a species of crystalline, fox-like creatures called Vulptices. They burrow and live within the tunnels below the surface of Crait, which could serve as an escape from the First Order, should they come down to the planet. Well, as long as they can navigate them, of course.
Ahch-To
Though we technically got our first glimpse at Ahch-To during The Force Awakens, we’ve since discovered a little more information about the planet that has been home to Luke Skywalker for at least the last decade.
Ahch-To is the location of the first Jedi temple, something that Luke had been seeking to find, according to Han Solo’s account in The Force Awakens. Though its exact location is still unknown, despite the map leading there, many believe it could be part of the Unknown Regions.
Luke hasn’t been alone on the island. The Caretakers of Ahch-To — a species that has yet to be identified or named — have been alongside him, as well as the Porgs. Yes, those adorable creatures that have swept the Star Wars fandom, for better or worse.
Characters
We already caught you up on where we left the characters in The Force Awakens, but we have several newcomers heading to The Last Jedi. We’ll be going into more detail about who they are, and their potential role, in another article, but here’s a quick overview on them for now.
- Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran): A maintenance worker for the Resistance. Rose admires Finn, and is set to head out on a mission with him to Canto Bight. Rose also has a sister called Paige, a pilot in the Resistance’s squadron.
- Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo (Laura Dern): Amilyn Holdo is a long-time friend of Leia Organa. Holdo and Poe Dameron are set to butt heads over the course of the movie. Holdo will be in a leadership role during The Last Jedi.
- DJ (Benicio Del Toro): The most mysterious of the newcomers. DJ is a slicer — most closely akin to a hacker in our terms — and is not necessarily on any particular side. Our heroes will meet DJ on Canto Bight.
The timeline
Unlike previous Star Wars films, The Last Jedi will pick up immediately where we left off in The Force Awakens.
That means there will be no time jump during the opening crawl, and we’ll see the aftermath of the events of Starkiller Base’s destruction.
“I don’t want to skip ahead two years,” Rian Johnson told USA Today about that decision. “I want to see the very next moment of what happens.”
Carrie Fisher
When Carrie Fisher passed in December 2016, the entire Star Wars community mourned her. But an ever-present question remained on our lips: What would happen to Leia Organa in The Last Jedi and beyond?
We know now that reshoots on the film occurred, likely to make the transition to Episode IX without Carrie a little easier. Lucasfilm categorically ruled out the potential of using CGI to recreate Leia, as had happened with Rogue One.
As for whether Leia will make it out of the movie alive? We should brace ourselves for the possibility that we’ll be saying goodbye to our General, our Princess, in the Star Wars universe, as we did in the real world almost a year ago.
Han Solo
Han Solo’s death in The Force Awakens was a blow to many fans. The first of the beloved trio from the Original Trilogy to fall, it took away the safety blanket that any of those iconic characters were safe from death.
But Han Solo won’t be truly gone when The Last Jedi hits our screens.
Rian Johnson, and the cast, have spoken extensively about how Han Solo’s death will propel the characters, and their motivations, moving forward. Particularly in respect to how they each handle their grief.
Additional reading
Still not enough? We’ve got some further reading for you, with more in-depth content — though this isn’t essential, and includes more speculation and theories.
⭐ The Last Jedi panel at Star Wars Celebration: Everything we learned
⭐ The Last Jedi trailer: A complete breakdown and analysis
⭐ The Last Jedi Behind the Scenes video: Breaking down the new footage
⭐ The Last Jedi trailer explained: Everything you need to know!
⭐ The Last Jedi: Where we last left the characters in The Force Awakens