The setup for IX, and where the story could go

And it was simply a lack of vision that they punked him out at every turn in TLJ, even though he's supposedly the big commander in 9?

I mean... they did pretty much everything but scream, "This Moron Can't Lead".

I will admit, it would be in line with their Whiplash Storytelling.

 

This is where I feel the story could go (and what I would like to see )....I think there will be a time lapse of 3-4 years, giving time for the characters to develop. The resistance has grown but is still nowhere as large as the FO, who have taken over large parts of the galaxy.

Leia passes away 3-4 years after the Crait escape. She helps re-build the resistance and this will be dealt with in a novel probably.

Luke is dead and a force ghost. He guides Rey and is the one who informs Rey that Leia is no more, and tells her to go home to the resistance base.

Rey works for the resistance but often visits different ancient force sites, guided by the jedi texts prior to episode 9 (covered in comics). In the beginning of episode 9, she completes building a new blue lightsaber and rejoins her friends in the resistance for Leia's funeral. I don't see her training anyone as yet (maybe by the end of the movie or a later trilogy). R2D2 accompanies her everywhere since he has visited many places with Anakin, Padme, Obi-wan, Yoda and Luke, and would be able to help her.

Finn holds the rank of Major and heading the resistance Infantry Division. He teaches recruits the combat techniques he learned in the FO stormtrooper program. He will have a big moment during some major battle where Hux abandons several stormtroopers to die and Finn rescues them, making the FO rank and file question their allegiances. Finn's deed will turn the tide of the war. Rose and he are a couple and their wedding ceremony is held at the end of episode 9.

Rose heads a team that rebuilds black squadron's ships and fixes old vessels brought in by their allies. She is still a little jealous of Rey but her role is more on the lines of a Q to Finn's James Bond, with cool inventions but being more of a background character.

Poe was made Commander again at the end of TLJ according to the Junior novel so I think he will be a General in episode 9. After Leia passes away, he becomes leader of the resistance. Though he still flies missions with black squadron, his new role will have him focus on battle strategy and military alliances. Poe and Rey work together and she teaches him to use meditation to help him be a better and more focused leader.

Poe and Kylo will have a confrontation or a dogfight and Rey intervenes telling them to think of Leia. Poe takes on a leadership role in the Republic at the end of the film (on the lines of Jagged Fel).

Connix becomes head of the Ground Logistics Division.

Maz is now actively involved with the resistance, and has brought in some of her pirate and smuggler friends seen in episode 7 who all hate the first order. She might take on more of what Leia's resistance role. The resistance get access to forgotten separatist bases and droid factories thanks to her. Chewie flies with her and she flirts with him.

Jess Pava and Snap Wexley are back. They still fly missions but appear only briefly.

C3PO is involved with the droid espionage network.

Phasma survives, is no longer part of the FO and is now a mercenary with a cybernetic eye and a new mask. We still don't see her face. She initially comes to kill Finn but then betrays the FO in exchange for weapons and a ship. She leaves, still faceless.

DJ turns out to be a former imperial who lost his memory and forgot his real name. He knew Rey's parents (who could still be random), and why she was left on Jakku.

Hux spends his time sabotaging Kylo's rule behind his back. Phasma kills Hux before leaving to tie up all loose ends.

Kylo is haunted by his past, and he is prone to crazy rages. He tries control the galaxy and bring stability but Hux sabotages his efforts. He'll meet Rey again in the battlefield and they eventually start talking again. Rey will still think there is good in him but she won't trust him any more while he still wants Rey to join the FO.

Somewhere in the middle of the story, Kylo will realise that he was exploited- gettign him to kill Han and Snoke was part of the plan to make him a suitable vessel for the dark side (or Emperor Palpatine's spirit). The people behind this were dark side acolytes who were not necessarily force users but from powerful families who needed a strong force user to be their connection to power and the dark side. Anakin, Luke, Obi-wan and Yoda's force ghosts save Kylo by seizing Palpatine's spirit and dragging it back to the Netherworld for good.

Finally seeing the devastation of war and accepting that he is a jedi at heart, he'll leave a message for the resistance that he is sorry for everything, and he intends to make things right. He also says good bye to Rey and that they will never meet again but thanks her for helping him find his way. There is a massive explosion and everyone assumes that he died along with the other bad guys.

But at the end of the movie, as Finn and Rose are celebrating their wedding, Rey gets a vision through the force of a man in a hooded cape meditating in a faraway jedi temple as a white crossguard lightsaber is being built mid-air in front of him. It is a bearded Ben Solo who has finally found peace. Rey will say- May the Force be with you. He opens his eyes.

----Movie Ends------

 

Connix will become the leader over say Poe or Finn.

 

Neither Finn nor Connix were trained by Leia to eventually become leader of the resistance like Poe, and Connix holds a lower rank than Poe (since he is a Commander once more at the end of TLJ according to the novelisation).

She turned from the screen. “Are you sure about that, Commander Dameron?”
He blinked, unsure of what to say. Was she questioning what had happened out there? And had she just reinstated his rank?

Also, Leia told the resistance survivors to follow Poe into the caves at the end of The Last Jedi, foreshadowing his being the leader.

 

Just throwing this out: do you guys think the Rebels Season 4 Finale epilogue might have any impact into Episode IX? (the characters we saw surviving, the new ones, and the ones whose fate is uncertain?).

 

Maybe on the Easter Eggs/cameo list, but not too much else.

 

When someone reads the novels for many decades, there are some rules noticable , and hints that simlply corespodent to a rule of writing a novel.And this is novel written tightly with Rian Johnson's inputs.

The Last Jedi Novel:
Near end.
Luke has gone. Caretakers clean up mess, take Luke's belonging, including his Star Compass to safe place.
And caretakers lame about Skywalkers "bad niece", and than again mention in between themselves that reckless "niece", and than at the end, still "know" someone will visit their island again some time.

That's the starting point.

 

Just because nobody responded to the signal sent from the Resistance doesn't mean they didn't receive it. This all happened shortly after the Starkiller base took aim at the Hosnian Prime system. Perhaps people are too scared to respond, lost all hope.

 

Or maybe they're afraid to be punked on the phone by Poe, like he did with Hux.

 

Chewie takes Rey, Finn, and Poe back to Kashyyyk to meet Itchy and Lumpy, hilarity ensues.

 

I believe there will be subversion on a massive scale. The important part is that the light remains something people reach for and the darkness is seen for what it is. To me, the story would turn on that.

 

Kylo Ren is a tyrant but has brought peace. No war for several years. The Rebels want to fight back but can't get enough support since many are reluctant end the peace.

Rey has started a new Jedi order who await for the right time to fight the First Order (or New Order.)
Ren finds Rey and asks her to join him again. Rey sees into Ren's mind and sees only darkness and pain. She begs him to come back to the light. Ren is too consumed by darkness to be saved (or so he claims). They fight. Rey gets her butt kicked by Ren. Luke shows up to save Rey before Ren deals the final blow. Ren tells Rey that he is done being a peaceful ruler and will destroy everything in the galaxy.

Luke gives Rey words of encouragement. Rey asks why she was chosen by the Force seeing that she's a nobody. Luke responds that it is because of her pure heart that she is a perfect vessel for the Force. Jedi spirits have been guiding her during her years on Jakku. Rey asks about the third lesson. Luke tells her it is the same one Yoda taught him. "Failure is the greatest teacher."

Rey calls out to Finn through the Force for help. Finn turns out to be Lando's son and Mace Windu's grandson and is force sensitive. Rey and R2 are taken by a group of Snoke's disciples. They reveal that Snoke was the second apprentice of Plageus and banished to the unknown regions.

Rey and R2 are rescued by their friends and they safely make it back to the Rebel base. R2 plays a hologram of Ren revealing his plan of destruction. Everybody is on board now with fighting the First Order.

Meanwhile Ren gets together with the Knights of Ren. They put down a mutiny led by Hux. Ren kills Hux. They call out all the First Order ships for battle. They are met by the Rebel army. Big giant space battle ensues. I mean really really big. And there is a land battle involving a Jedi army on the First Order capitol planet. The Knights of Ren fight a group of Jedi. The Rebels win. The Knights of Ren die. Kylo Ren lives but is soundly defeated. Rey gives him the Anakin/Luke blue light saber (now fixed). Ben Solo is left alive to bear the burden of all his sins.

The heroes celebrate. Many force ghosts appear. Ben Solo exiles himself to find peace and redemption.

Credits roll

 

Anakin needs to sit Kylo down and have a long, hard chat.

 

Probably along the lines of lost and found not sure what that will lead to but perhaps a narrative that could be a tool.

 

If JJ wants to please the angry fans, he will need to retcon some stuff.

Snoke back from the dead because he is Plageus and can cheat death.

Kylo gets his mask back so he can look scary and intimidating again.

Luke comes back as Luke the White and has a pet fathier named Shadow Fathier that he will ride.
He rides into battle killing lots of bad guys.

Luke kills both Kylo and Snoke by dropping a Star Destroyer on them.
Rey says “So it is time...for the Skywalkers to end.” Luke responds “No. I am your Father.”

Snoke comes back from the dead again. Luke kills him again.

Finn learns he is Lando’s son and Mace Windu’s grandson.

Rose also has a Star Destroyer dropped on her. First shot of the movie.

Poe blows things up.

--- Double Post Merged, Aug 9, 2018, Original Post Date: Aug 9, 2018 ---

Rey should have taken Kylo’s Hand in TLJ. That would have actually created balance.

 

Snoke should stay dead and have relevance to story by haunting Kylo. No Plagueis needed, but he could still be Plagueis...

I loved Kylo's mask, but he doesn't need his mask to be intimidating. Furthermore destroying the mask was a pretty big development for his character. You don't want to ruin this.

It's not Luke's story anymore. And it shouldn't be. Yes, Luke will appear in IX. I hope it will be either for haunting Ren (like Snoke) and/or to guide Rey. That's it though.

Okay, now I know you're not serious. Haha!

That's a given.

 

No, it would have turned her into a subject of emotional abuse. His offer at that moment was not pure. Someone on Twitter pointed out that when Rey and Kylo touched hands Kylo took off his glove, while during the post-Throne Room fight he still had his glove on. There was something else, some sort of caveat.

 

That relationship already has been a subject... you have heard of Reylo right?