SPECULATION How Might the Movie End?

Luke is gone rogue into killing Snoke.
Leia has sacrificed herself in saving the Resistance (Destroying the Super Duper Star Destroyer)
Ben tells Rey that Luke is falling into a trap, they go together at the end of the movie into saving him.

 

another cliffhanger

 

Leia's sacrifice, whatever it may be, will be what pulls Luke out of his misery and into action. Luke and Ben will (re)bond over it and go off together in search of Rey who has been taken hostage by Snoke.

 

Rian Johnson already stated his movie won't end on a cliffhanger. So, TLJ should end with a definite ending.

I would like it to end with Kylo Ren on the edge of the conflict. He's in between the Resistance and the First Order. Yes, he could be fully redeemed by the end of TLJ, but IMO that's too fast of a development. Furthermore an almost redeemed Kylo could be used as a gleam of hope after the defeat of the Resistance. On the other hand you could see that as a cliffhanger. I don't know. Haha!

The ending shot will either be Rey or Kylo. Maybe they show Kylo first and then Rey. => Two halves of a protagonist.

 

I'm calling his bluff on this one.

 

Snoke : at last, Luke skywalker
Luke : your aprentice tried once to corupt me , don't bother ... ignites ( green ) light saber

 

A shot of Luke that watches proudly Rey from the above and says "My baby girl"

 

It'll end the way I have thought it would since I left the theater for TFA...my standing ovation...oh, wait, you meant the actual movie? How the heck would I know that

 

@NinjaRen i lean towards agreeing with @master_shaitan on this one, though I think what we're defining as a cliffhanger opens up this conversation to further interpretation. Whilst TESB and AOTC both ended by setting up a key event in the next film, I wouldn't define these as cliffhangers in the same way that I would TFA's ending.

Ultimately, I think we're seeing an ending that doesn't lead directly into the next movie like TFA, simply based on historical precedent, but of course leaves us asking questions in the two-year wait for IX.

And, honestly, I think the questions are going to be surrounding Ben Solo/Kylo Ren. Many, myself included, believe that Driver's representation of the character in TFA quite clearly leaves the door massively open on how his arc in this trilogy will end: will he redeem himself? Will he go darker? Or is there another path he could take?

To add to this, I think that the big question - and the ending of this upcoming film specifically - revolves around him because it makes little sense for the focus to lie elsewhere when it comes to it in this case.

We can already predict with quite a bit of confidence that Luke will return to the Resistance, that Rey will either be captured by the First Order or stay with the Resistance, etc., and Leia's arc will most likely not leave us asking too many question due to the unfortunate passing of Carrie Fisher last year (may she rest in peace). But what about Kylo? I think it's quite clear that he has a choice to make come the end of this trilogy, and whilst I think TLJ will open our minds up to whatever it might be, I think we could see Rian Johnson lean into an ambiguous ending for the character to leave us all with questions to be asked.

I've said it elsewhere, but I'll say it again here: whichever way Kylo goes, we're going to see an extremely solid foundation for it set around the turning point (second act) of The Last Jedi. We could see him join Luke and Rey at the Battle of Crait but find himself not welcomed by The Resistance (duh), witness Leia's death from afar and as a result of this, or otherwise, even see him challenge Snoke and the Praetorian Guards.

Which makes me think that the film ends with him leaving wherever he is at the end of the film, possibly in a stolen starfighter, during or shortly after the Battle of Crait, flying into the planet's upper atmosphere, his theme swelling in the background mixed with Rey's, Leia's or even Snoke's (depending on what interaction spurred him to leave) as he punches in some coordinates. We get a wide shot of the never-ending spatial abyss before him, and...he jumps out of perspective and into hyperspace.

Cue the Finale and end credits.

 

An issue with Ben Solo's redemption is that it would be very hard to play out. Sure, he hasn't done as much evil stuff as Vader did per se, but can he be forgiven in-universe and out-universe for killing Han? This could very well be something they play out on screen - Ben saying he wants to make amends and everyone else not wanting his help. But perhaps if Rey is in danger and she is the hero everyone needs, they will have to accept his help and from there he can find a way to make amends somewhat? I feel that if Ben is redeemed at the end of the trilogy, the same questions that cloud Anakin's return will linger over him. The discussion about it needs to happen on screen. Ben needs to explain himself and then have time to do the right thing but also be accepted by others. Leia never got a chance to forgive her father. I think it would work better if everyone had a chance to forgive Ben. That's why I think he will return in TLJ and do the right thing. At the same time though, I think Rey will be heading in the other direction, hence why only he, who has walked that path, can save her...

 

For what it's worth, that's why I think Ben might go rogue.

He'll be disillusioned of Snoke, and (perhaps inspired by Vader's final moments) think that he could seek sanctuary with the Resistance. The Resistance, however, will turn him away, for reasons that aren't totally unreasonable.

Plus, given the medieval themes of the ST so far, a rogue knight would seem pretty appropriate for his character.

Spoiler: Aftermath Books Spoiler

This isn't totally without precedent, either. LFL seems to like to "test" out storylines and ideas in their multimedia stuff, and Sloane's storyline by the end of Life Debt is kind of similar to this.

 

with credits.

 

Absolutely agree: it has to be handled on-screen. Exposition won't at all do in this case, whatever way Ben goes.

As for him killing Han, I think this is precisely why we won't see his arc come to a point where he is absolutely after redemption by the end of this film, as it would be far too fast a turnaround for many people's likings, I'd imagine. He would have killed his own father at best, what, a month ago by the end of the film? I feel like this is why it has to be played out over both VIII and IX, but I absolutely think he can still be redeemed. Whilst I agree that him killing Han might come off poorly in a certain way to fans if Kylo redeems himself, I think, in-universe, Han knew that there was a chance - however slim - that Kylo might kill him as soon as he stepped out onto that gangway on SKB, and that he still went ahead regardless simply because he knew that there was a chance of redemption for his son. The alternative is that Han died for no reason at all, which would be dastardly in a universe as rich in story as this.

As for Rey going dark, I don't think she actually will, but I feel that she could struggle with finding a balance in the same way that Ben clearly did, so Ben could train her to not give in similarly to how Zuko trained Aang in firebending in ATLA.

 

Good point, though Ren did immediately regret his decision. He then tried to bury this with his anger but after losing to Rey, can probably see more clearly the error of his ways. But yeah, I don't think we're looking at an instant redemption but that his decision to actually reject Snoke/Dark Side will occur towards the end of TLJ. I agree completely re: Han's sacrifice. If Ben isn't redeemed, then it would be for nothing. I'd hate that.

Re; Rey - I think it important that we see her walk the dark path and are unsure of her future choices. Her character desperately needs conflict to be relevant and interesting. Her relationship with Ben and a conflict with Luke would provide this - especially if her parents' fate is tied into it somehow...

 

I think the movie will end with the FO broken into different groups with their own agendas. I think Kylo wants to rule the galaxy as his grandfather was attempting to do before him. Hux and Kylo do not get along, but don't underestimate Phasma. She lowered the shields for her own personal reasons. She isn't what we think she is.

 

I've said I could see them doing something like this - now that was going off the info that the Sith are gone, and that getting rid of the Jedi would "balance" that out, but if Snoke is in fact an ancient Sith...... - with the New Republic apparently destroyed, changing up the status quo and making the galaxy more de-centralised. Having planets and systems and collections of systems forming their own governments, and different force traditions popping up in different areas of the galaxy would 1) Certainly change things up and 2) Give more story avenues then - Jedi vs Sith, Republic vs Empire.

The downside is, you might end up with Dragon Post Dragons of Summers Flame - which no one liked.

 

The one thing that's different from the original trilogy is that the dark side force user has an agenda that doesn't line up with his master. Kylo wanted the map for his own reasons which Hux pointed out. As many have complained with Phasma she lowered the shields without a fight. Maybe she intended for the shields to be lowered so the FO could be crippled from within. She said FN 2187 went in for reconditioning, but that obviously didn't pan out, so what happened or didn't happen?

 

Kylo's reasons where because Snoke ordered to him get it. We've been through this - there is no scene or line int he movie were Kylo's motives differ from Snoke.

Snoke wants the map to find Luke before the Resistence (if the potential spoilers are true, we know why Snoke wants him). Kylo is apparently acting on Snokes orders for the entire movie.