ST Episode IX Story Discussion

If the original plan was to have Leia redeem Kylo, then I suspect we'll still see that to some degree. We already saw that Kylo has a soft spot for his mother when he declined to shoot her down. If she's dead in Episode 9, then perhaps something about what caused her death will ultimately steer Kylo towards the light. I really think they'll find a way for Leia to still have an impact on Kylo's story in some way, assuming that was the original intention.

 

Rey had been tortured by Snoke, fought the Praetorian Guards, had a Force contest with Ren and had never lifted anything heavier than a Lightsaber. After all that she lifts several dozens massive boulders with apparent ease.Yoda is exerting effort right away.

Rey does save the day as such because only she could move those rocks which she does with complete ease that Yoda in AOTC couldn't pull off without effort.

If she doesn't lift the boulders then what Luke does won't matter. He doesn't even tell them to get out. The First Order can still quickly advance (as Hux tells him to). That isn't down to Luke but Ren's incompetence. The Ren who was able to outmaneuver Snoke only minutes earlier completely disappears and he reverts to type because the plot needs and theme outweigh the characters and story.

Nevermind complaints. Characters and story first. The most basic of basics is for characters to overcome struggles (or not) but to have them. Rey effectively has none (meaning next to nothing as to have any real meaning going forward).

Having a novice struggle and exert herself is hardly some wild idea. Again Yoda must exert himself and is tired afterwards while Rey doesn't break a sweat and is not seen to be effected in any way.

 

Would you like this trilogy to have 4 films?

 

It's funny to me. I've heard from people who are pro-Kylo redemption and people who are anti-Kylo redemption and both come to the conclusion that a 4th film is needed to complete this saga. That tells me RJ made a massive mess.. TLJ is like the 5th Harry Potter movie. You can skip it and not miss a thing except the cool fight between Vold and Dumbledore and you might miss C. Black die. (cough Luke) WELL DONE RJ.. standing ovation. on topic I don't believe Kylo redemption is the end game. I think the movie ends with Kylo seriously injured but alive, putting him in "limbo"- fade to black.

 

Kylo needs a purpose. He's rid of Skywalker. He's over his Vader wannabe-ism. He has no master to serve and please. Is he that interested in ruling the Galaxy? Not sure about that. RJ asked the question, "Why is Luke on the island?" and the rest of the story flowed from there apparently. Kylo's purpose now is I think a key to the plot for IX. At least it's what I'm considering for the treatment contest, amongst other strands.

 

I'm sad there isn't potential for a Leia/hux interaction where she tells him she recognized his foul stench when meeting

 

Everytime I try to think of what will happen in IX, I reach a point where I realize there are so many possibilities (many of which would be great IMO), and I just kind of throw my hands in the air.

There are however some main things I think will happen:

-Firstly, I'm convinced that Episode IX will take place several years after the events of TLJ.
-I think Rey will learn "the truth" about her parentage, which I'm convinced we have not been told yet.
-Rey-with perhaps the help of some others, maybe even ghost Luke-will have sought out other potential Force users in the galaxy and begun not necessarily training them per se, but uniting them for good, and to help fight the First Order.
-Kylo Ren will have become more powerful, more angry but still would struggle with Rey, who is apparently his counterpoint in the Force.
-I fully believe Kylo Ren will turn good, and die by sacrificing himself to save either Rey, the new Jedi, or the galaxy as a whole from the First Order (or Snoke if he really is still alive-which I doubt), Vader in ROTJ style. Finishing what he started, indeed!!!
-I also think they will portray Leia as off in the galaxy as an ambassador or something, "recruiting" people to their cause against the First Order, which would be the reason for her absence-and perhaps old stock footage could be used for some type of hologram cameo.

The one main thing I HOPE to see in Episode IX is.......LANDO. I could imagine something like this: he arrives with a coalition of smugglers or industrial dealers or something, sent by Leia, at a crucial point just before the climax, in order to offer help to the Resistance in their final battle against the First Order. Kind of like the Elves coming to help Rohan at the battle of Helm's Deep sort of thing. Could be a very moving and effective way to enhance the climax, as well as bring Lando Calrissian back in finally.

I also predict Chewbacca will die. Not sure how, but Chewie and the Falcon both destroyed somehow by the time the ST is done, preferably in some blaze of heroic effort to save members of the Resistance.

 

No more deaths please. I liked all of this except the death. Not chewie or the falcon. I don't need Star Wars to hit me with more deaths or show me that anyone can die to make it realistic or up the stakes. I don't want this to be like a tv show or lost or walking dead where characters you like get offed for shock.

So yes. No more deaths. Except maybe hux

 

Totes...Nice.


Although I will say that for me, Chewie dying in some heroic act-along with the Falcon would serve more of a symbolic end to the saga we know, and/or an emotional final sendoff for his character-and the ship (similar to Yoda's death), rather than just for shock value (which is exactly how Han's death played out).

 

Personally, Id love a left field ending where Chewie kills Kylo to fulfill his life debt to Han - twist being he does this after he's actually redeemed. A nice tie-back to TFA and the OT.

Be nice to have something going on in this trilogy that isn't just in Rey or Kylo's heads.

Maybe Kylo is critically injured after an epic finale with Rey thinking on all he's done.

Luke's Ghost appears to him.<insert epic speech that saves the Saga and brings tears to everyone's eyes>

Long story short Luke forgives him. Ends by saying, that while he can forgive him, he cannot save him.

Force Ghost disappears and turns into Chewie.

Chewie stands over him. Kylo knows there is no true redemption for killing Han. He nods at the wookie he'd grown up with, who'd protected him as a child.

Chewie then chokes him to death. Because he has to. And Kylo lets him. It's over.

Not shipping this idea. Just an example of how the ending can be complex.

Won't happen. But it'd be nice for Chewie to do something in this series with a little weight to it.

 

No more deaths.
You start on the downbeat note of Leia's funeral, and then work upwards to give the audience an uplifting ending.

"No More Deaths."
JJ needs this thrown at him as much as possible.

 

How can we have no more deaths and start with leia's? How about no more major deaths period. And please throw that book at him.

But I would kind of like to see Poe have a "metal bikini" moment. An homage to Carrie. I bet Oscar would be open to sharing some skin in some sort of slave outfit.

 

If Leia can go "somewhere else" without it being too much of a mess, I'm all for it.

But whatever they do, Chewie, Threepio, Artoo, and even Nien Nunb all survive, okay? Okay, Mr Abrams?

 

Well, one of the first things everybody should recognize is that the original setup was essentially mother vs. son with sort-of girlfriend/sort-of daughter in between. And then go from there.

 

I feel like anything could happen in episode IX. Especially concerning Kylo Ren. Personally I feel like Rey, Finn, Poe and Rose all survive the trilogy, but with Kylo, I'm not so sure.
As many others have already speculated, I think there has to be a time jump (at least 2 years).

The First Order:
I think we're going to see Kylo more powerful than ever (on the outside). He probably has some new Force abilities like Force lightning or maybe something entirely new, something we haven't seen yet in SW. He is going make efficient and ruthless decisions, and seem to be in perfect control. At the beginning I think it will seem like the FO stands united and strong, but there is clear inner conflict under the surface. Hux will play the obedient dog all the while trying to come up with a plan to off Kylo. Kylo needs Hux as a military commander, but is super paranoid about Hux behind his cool Supreme Leader act. This is where the Knights of Ren come in. They are definitely going to appear in ep. 9. They will be Kylo's inner circle, the only ones he will trust and he will use them as a weapon for his reign of terror as well as his personal guards. Maybe he has isolated himself because he knows Hux is after him. After what happened to Phasma (unfortunate!) I think we are introduced to a new female villain with a prominent role. She could be an officer but I think it would be cool if she was a knight of ren. She could be Kylo's most trusted advisor seemingly very devoted, but really plotting to overthrow him (with Hux? I'm getting carried away heh ). It could be fitting that he would be betrayed by the family he chose and being suspicious of Hux while it's his closest confidante who stabs him in the back. Character-wise it makes sense that Kylo has someone to latch onto (Snoke played this part in TFA as did Rey in TLJ). Maybe Hux takes the role of a villain, who will do someting truly awful to Kylo on a personal level to sabotage him. He might have something to do with Leia's death. There might be another possibility though...

The Force bond: I don't think the bond was entirely forged by Snoke. Something happened on the Starkiller Base when they were in each other's minds and that served as a basis for the bond that Snoke created/enhanced. To me it does not matter if it was artificially made, because it was real. We saw that the bond still existed after Snoke was killed (of course this could serve as evidence that Snoke didn't die, but I think/hope he's dead for good). Many seem to think that Rey closing the door on him means that the bond no longer matters. I think Rey has been blocking the bond for years, but the Force Skyping sessions are coming back with a vengeance, and this is where Hux comes in surprisingly enough. Even though Rey has been blocking the connection the bond has been growing stronger while it's been dormant. There might be physical consequences with the bond and by that I mean injuries. Maybe Rey gets hurt and Kylo not only feels it but also gets injured almost as badly. Hux will find out about it and decides to use it to destroy Kylo. Maybe he witnesses Kylo going down and bleeding in the middle of some trivial meeting with no reason and hears later from one of his officers that Rey was shot and injured in a similar way and he puts two and two together. The moment she gets injured the bond is going to activate and they see each other and understand what's happening. This is going to echo Luke and Vader ep. 6: Rey does not want to face Kylo, but the severity of the bond and its severe concequences won't allow her to ignore it any longer. Hence she can't ignore it any longer and they will face each other. Rey will tell Finn about the bond (parallels with Luke and Leia scene, in which Luke tells her that Vader is his father and she is his sister and tells her she has to face him). Finn is horrified and hurt that Rey didn't tell him earlier. Maybe he suggests killing Kylo ASAP not knowing the consequences it could mean for Rey.

Rey is establishing a new order of Force Users, using the sacred texts. The way they use the force is going to be the "purest" and the most authentic and balanced form, before it was "messed up" by the Jedi or the Sith. ( a sidenote: I have heard speculation that ep. IX title could be A New Order and as I'm writing this the more convinced I am this is the case!) It would be awesome if Finn was one of these new order force users, but I fear they won't go there. Finn will probably be Mr. Big Deal in the Resistance, for real this time, the second in command. Otherwise I'm not sure what they are going to do with his arc. I suppose he is fully married with the Resistance ideas (and Poe?), when earlier he was really concerned about him and Rey being safe, not really caring/too affraid to pick a side. In TLJ it was established that he is now committed to the Resistance. His info about FO will be valuable to the Resistance, but I think that there might be a twist that is similar to ep.6: the Empire feeding false information about Death Star not being fully operational. Maybe Finn has information that seems really useful, but then suddenly.."IT'S A TRAP!!"

 

Prediction! Episode 9 ends on the happiest note possible then Rian Johnson's trilogy picks up forty years in the future and everything has gone to crap.

 

Rian's forty-years-in-the-future trilogy could have a scene where a time-traveling Lando, played by Donald Glover, visits an old friend. While on the porch, a speeder full of Ugnaught miscreants floats by:
"Hey, Lobot!!!" pew-pew pew-pew-pew-pew pew-pew pew-pew-pew
A bit like this scene, but not as excessive....

Spoiler

 

I think you probably have to have Leia's death in the crawl. Just mention the it happened and show how this then causes the events in the movie to start. Maybe it starts with her funeral, or just after the funeral. Maybe Kylo is secluded himself off from everything, and finds himself mourning. I dunno... Maybe show the nether plane of the Force realm and Luke is there with Leia. Since it's a different plane of existence wouldn't have to worry about getting Carrie's likeness or have her 'act' out a scene. Nothing inappropriate. Just a simple scene with Luke placing his hand or her shoulder and welcomes her..something simple and sweet. Just a thought.

 

Edit: ...then Rian Johnson's trilogy picks up forty years in the future and everything ends up being crap.

 

My predictions:

1) Rey Kenobi dies or gets mostly destroyed by Kylo who is seeking revenge for what Obi Wan did to gramps.
2) Han Solo is still alive. Saved by Maz and has been in hiding to be protected from Kylo.
3) Leah dies in an explosion early on. She will be part CGI, part images from prior filming.
4) Force Ghost Luke will be like he never even died as he will so present and capable.
5) Hayden Christensen will reprise role in some way.
6) No Lando....
7) Snoke is alive and well. The Snoke fromTLJ was a projection. He was cut in half and no blood.
8) Finn and Rose happens
9) Poe leads the resistance to victory, but his character never really reaches his potential.
10) Han kills Kylo to end movie in after Rey is destroyed.

Everyone leaves the movie with an empty feeling again.

 

There are going to be more deaths...at least villain deaths. I'm not sure they can kill any more light side characters...who is left? Rey, Finn, and Poe, all of which I highly doubt they'd kill (though they could explore some ideas here and do just fine), the droids, Chewie, and Rose. There's literally. Like. No. One. Left. Get ready for several more new characters in IX, or else it'll feel claustrophobic again.

 

Going off the theory that Leia was to be the redeemer of Kylo, the movie could start with her going off to re-establish some sort of government with other planetary leaders, that are or were friendly to the Resistance. I would expect they could use already shot footage to give her a couple of lines to establish this plot point pretty easily. The last act of the movie could begin with Kylo finding out that the First order isn't loyal to him, but to let's say Hux, and Leia is tortured, and used to blackmail him, but eventually even killed. This could be the event that breaks Ben and turns him back to the light.

It's just an idea, and to be honest I don't think this is remotely what we will actually get. I think Kylo is being built to be the big bad for maybe even the next trilogy.

 

I think without Snoke's influence their bond is like Luke and Leia's bond