Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Is Rey the Main Hero of the Franchise Now?

Similar to how Luke Skywalker dominated the original trilogy, The Last Jedi shifts most of its focus to the new hero and primary lead of the franchise, Rey.

If you have been anywhere near the Internet lately, then you know that the first trailer for The Last Jedi dropped. And for the most part — mind you, we’re not complaining — you got a little over two minutes of Rey and Luke Skywalker. But really, it was mostly Rey. Rey running, Rey training, Rey lifting rocks with the Force, Rey with a lightsaber and Luke finally speaking some very ominous words.

Now, you can take that one of two ways: First, you can accept that the saga films focus on the Skywalker family and it’s time for Luke to pass the baton to someone else. Or you can be really upset about the fact that The Force Awakens introduced three heroes, but all the trailer gave us on that was Finn in a pod and Poe in some apparent trouble. Obviously, Disney doesn’t want to give too much away … but come on.

For comparison’s sake, here’s the trailer for The Empire Strikes Back, the second release of the original trilogy. There’s a lot happening and it’s not just about Luke.

In addition to the trailer, Star Wars also released a sweet poster and we have a lot of thoughts about it. Despite the two giant heads above her, Rey really catches your eye. She’s the only thing not cloaked in red, she’s posed like a hero and she’s got the iconic blue lightsaber that’s flaring in a way that will keep everyone speculating for the next eight months.

Just look at it:

Again, it’s not that we’re upset about it but let’s call a spade a spade. It’s Rey’s trilogy, so it should be marketed like it is. Which means, her toys need to be on shelves all over the place. And if Disney wants to keep everything fair and square, they should step up their game and show off / talk about Finn and Poe more. Heck, they should’ve given us a glimpse of Kelly Marie Tran’s Rose.

(Does anyone remember how mad the Internet was when they found out that Finn wasn’t a Jedi and it was really a bait and switch in The Force Awakens?)

The world deserves powerful female characters, sure. But from a marketing standpoint, let’s not forget that this was Rogue One‘s trailer. Let’s be honest, people weren’t overwhelmed with Jyn Erso at first either.

Perhaps Rey is more established and people like her, so it’s okay. But just like the Force needs balance, so does a movie. Is Rey iconic enough to overtake Luke Skywalker? Not quite.

But the real question is: Is that what Lucasfilm is setting her up to do?

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We won’t know for sure until The Last Jedi opens in theaters this December. But what do you think, is it time to let Rey take the Jedi reins once and for all? Would you be upset if Luke was gone? Let us know in the comments below.