SPOILERS: STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI - All New Reveals And Shocking Surprises From The Novelisation
We've combed through the recently released novelisation for Star Wars: The Last Jedi to bring you all the biggest new reveals and surprises which didn't make it to the big screen. Hit the jump for details!
Earlier this month, Disney released the official novelisation for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Featuring insight from writer and director Rian Johnson, the book included scenes which didn't make it into the movie (or the upcoming Blu-ray release) and details on character histories and motivations which change how you'll look at certain moments in the movie and what comes next for the franchise.
What you'll find here is an in-depth look at all the biggest revelations and most shocking surprises from that book, detailing everything from Supreme Leader Snoke's past to what the deal was with Luke Skywalker and even key sequences revolving around the likes of Han Solo, Kylo Ren, and Rey.
To check out the entire list, all you need to do is click below to either view it all in one go or page by page. By now, you've no doubt seen The Last Jedi, so the only spoilers here are those for the book itself. Once you've finished reading, be sure to let us know your thoughts down in the usual place.
The Emperor Knew Of Supreme Leader Snoke's Existence
There's been a lot of speculation about Snoke's "true" identity and his ties to the Emperor and this book reveals that Darth Vader's master actually sensed his existence shortly before his demise. He just wasn't entirely sure what he was sensing through the Force and didn't act on those feelings as a result.
Rey Was Born Of The Force
While Rey wasn't conceived without a father the way Anakin Skywalker supposedly was, it's revealed that her powers came as a result of the Cosmic Force, a.k.a. the will of the universe. That fell dormant once the Sith were defeated but reemerged once Luke went into exile and it became clear that the Galaxy needed a new protector. This goes some way in explaining why Rey is so powerful.
Luke Skywalker's Fantasy Life
The book kicks off with a prologue revolving around a sequence revealing what Luke's life would have been like if he'd never left Tatooine on the Millennium Falcon. In this dream, Luke is never attacked by Tuscan Raiders, never meets Obi-Wan Kenobi, and never becomes a Jedi Knight. Instead, he marries his friend Camie and takes over his uncle's moisture farm, and lives a peaceful, contented life.
Sure, it's in a Galaxy ruled over by the Empire but that's not Luke's problem! When the hero wakes from his dream, he interprets it as a sign from the Force that big changes are coming to his life and it's obviously not long after this that Rey makes her arrival on Ahch-To to confront him.
Han Solo's Funeral
A lot of Star Wars fans are understandably upset that we never got to see Han Solo's funeral and the fact he's dead isn't really referenced all that much in The Last Jedi. Well, the book gives the fallen hero a well-deserved send-off because Leia holds a small service for her old flame as the Resistance hurries to evacuate D'Qar. She admits Han probably would have hated it and with no body to bury, she instead buries a wooden figurine he carved for her the day before the Battle of Endor.
Kylo Ren Wanted To Save His Mother
When it came time for Kylo Ren to pull the trigger and kill his mother, he couldn't do it and it was actually two other TIE Fighters that made the decision to blast the Resistance General. The novel reveals that his hesitance came as a result of the villain knowing that his mother wasn't angry with him and it's noted that he would have used the Force to stop those missiles had he actually had time.
Why Luke Was Wearing His Jedi Robes
If Luke had no interest in remaining part of the Jedi Order, why was he still wearing the robes when he first crossed paths with Rey? Well, the book addresses this plot hole by revealing that he'd donned them because he was in the process of mustering up the courage to burn the tree containing the sacred Jedi texts and wanted to be dressed for the occasion. It's a pretty weak explanation in many ways but it works and should help put the minds of at least some fans at ease now.
Leia And Chewbacca's Reunion
Fans were not pleased about Leia essentially snubbing Chewbacca at the end of The Force Awakens but this book more than makes up for that by having these two share a tender moment aboard the Millennium Falcon as they more for Luke and Han. This helps Leia muster up the courage to take charge of the Resistance and lead them into the future after the many losses they suffered on Crait.
Luke Skywalker And Supreme Leader Snoke Met
Unfortunately, not much is revealed about what happened when these two crossed paths but it's confirmed in the book that Luke met Snoke while he was exploring the Galaxy looking for Jedi artefacts.
Rey And Kylo Ren's Connection
Rey very quickly seems to master the Force, a surprise considering how long it took Luke back in the original trilogy. Well, an explanation of sorts is provided here as we learn that Supreme Leader Snoke's decision to connect her mind with that of Kylo Ren resulted in some of the villain's knowledge and skills being imprinted on her brain, thereby making her at least a little more capable.
About Leia's Force Powers...
General Leia's "Mary Poppins" scene was extremely controversial, mostly because it revealed that she appears to have experience of wielding the force we've never heard about before. The book elaborates on that, though, revealing that Leia is able to use the Force to take stock of how many soldiers she has left and how they're all feeling, a sign that she's actually been using her abilities for a while.
That probably won't satisfy some fans but the book may have also laid the groundwork for how she's going to be killed off between The Last Jedi and Episode IX as it's mentioned that she was exposed to cosmic rays while out in space (we're assuming she won't join the Fantastic Four, of course).
Rey Picks A Side
One of The Last Jedi's coolest moments comes when Rey and Kylo Ren team up to do battle with Supreme Leader Snoke's Praetorian Guard. Unfortunately, it's an alliance which doesn't last particularly long and, in the movie, she vanishes after Luke's old lightsaber explodes. However, we learn here that Rey actually thought about killing Kylo while he was unconscious (as did General Hux).
She ultimately decides that's not the right move, though, and seems optimistic that he could still turn away from the Dark Side and that he clearly has a role to play in the future of the Force.
Snoke Considered Killing Kylo Ren
Snoke humiliates his "apprentice" Kylo Ren quite a few times in The Last Jedi and that eventually boiled over when he decided to slice his master in half. However, it's revealed that had Kylo killed Rey as Snoke intended, the villain was still considering killing the former Ben Solo once the Resistance was defeated because he would have served his purpose by that point. So, yeah, not a nice guy!
A Deleted Scene
The upcoming Blu-ray release of The Last Jedi is going to be crammed full of deleted scenes and one of them is actually detailed here. The sequence features Rey spotting what she believes to be a group of raiders heading towards the Caretaker village, something Luke explains happens every month and needs to take place to avoid them returning with even greater numbers.
She's furious that he believes the Jedi should only intervene if its to preserve balance and races into action to save them before learning that he's deceived her and this was just another test.
Interestingly, Rey and Luke later share a dance at the Caretaker's festival but she leaves after being upset by him. Whether or not this part of it will be on the Blu-ray remains to be seen for now.
Luke Skywalker, The Reluctant Teacher
It turns out that Luke didn't really want to become a Jedi Master in charge of a group of pupils. He spent years travelling the Galaxy to find various Jedi artefacts (including those sacred Jedi texts) but it was when he sensed the power within his nephew that he realised it was time to start a Jedi Academy.
What Luke didn't realise is that Snoke was manipulating him to head down this path because he had had visions of the future revealing that Ben's training would end in tragedy and that it would result in him going into exile, taking Luke off the board and stopping him from interfering with his plans.
Rose And Paige
Rose was something of a divisive character in The Last Jedi but the book fleshes out her history, specifically with her sister Paige. We learn more about their family history on Otomok (which was ravaged by The First Order) and Rose frequently mentions Paige, giving her a larger role in the story as a result.
How The Empire Became The First Order
We still don't know when or where Supreme Leader Snoke's history will be further explored but the book does shed further light on how the villain rose to power. Apparently, the Emperor had a plan called "The Contingency" which, in the event of his death and/or the fall of the Empire, meant that weapons and resources were hidden in the Unknown Regions of the Galaxy for the group to utilise.
In this instance, the likes of Commandant Brendol Hux and Admiral Rae Sloane took charge after retreating following the Empire's final defeat at the Battle of Jakku but when life in that part of the Galaxy proved tough, it was Supreme Leader Snoke who took charge and helped the former Imperials survive (specifics as to how that came to pass aren't revealed but he was clearly powerful).
The Rise Of The First Order
It was after Snoke took charge that Hux (not the version from The Last Jedi; his father) started assembling a new group of Stormtroopers based on what he knew about both the Jedi and the Clonetroopers. He started stealing children at a young age to become his soldiers and forced the unwilling recruits to become loyal to The First Order by making them blindly follow their orders.