As a warning, this post does contain Spoilers for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. So, if you have yet to see the film, look away now! If not then please continue reading!
Rey & Kylo
I've put these two together because they are two sides of the same coin. The Last Jedi goes into detail about the relationship between Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Rey is the force's answer to Kylo Ren's darkness, which explains why she is so powerful. Whilst I think that's a good idea the new films haven't really done much to show just how powerful the two of them are with the Force. So for Episode IX, I would put some effort into the fight scenes concerning Rey and Kylo. Whether they're fighting each other or troopers it would be great to see powerful force wielders using their abilities on the big screen. I know many would use the Mary Sue criticism for Rey again, but would it really matter if it meant we got some visually amazing moments with her using the force? For references to what I'm talking about, I would recommend seeing cinematics from video games like Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2008) and Star Wars: The Old Republic (2011) as both demonstrate how good a fully realised Force wielder could be in combat.
As for where the two are headed as characters, I would like Abrams and Co. to continue with the notion that Rey and Kylo are the polar opposites of one another. When The Last Jedi ends Rey (Daisy Ridley) has chosen to stand by The Resistance whilst Kylo has become the new Supreme Leader of The First Order. So if Rey is going to be a symbol for good then Kylo has to go full bad guy. However, I really would like to still look into this connection that the two seem to have. Do they still empathise with one another? Are they still conflicted over their actions? These are questions I believe should be explored in Episode IX.
The Jedi
Speaking of the Force, Episode IX should really continue the story of the Jedi. In The Last Jedi Luke talks about how the Jedi Order was a vain, decadent order of elitists. Which, if you watch the prequels carefully, he's not wrong. And with the sacred Jedi texts being destroyed the new Jedi will have to start from scratch. Going back to being students of the force rather than the elitist cult that they were in the prequel trilogy. So I believe Rey should be the one to continue her (minimal) training. Try to harness the power she has all by herself. It would be a good self-discovery journey for her and a rebirth for The Jedi. The final scene of The Last Jedi is of a stable-boy on Canto-Bite who appears to be strong with the Force as he ever so slightly moves the broom to his hand. Suggesting that the Force is creating more Force-Sensitive individuals and that a new age of Jedi could be on the horizon!
As for Luke (Mark Hamill), many fans aren't too happy with the way his character was portrayed in The Last Jedi. Not having a lot of hope and being a darker character. Whilst I personally liked this new Luke I can understand why others didn't. So for Episode IX Luke could potentially return as a Force Ghost and give Rey some advice to help put her on the right path. Similar to how Yoda (Frank Oz) did for him in The Last Jedi. This would help redeem the character in the eyes of many fans as he would be the more optimistic character that he was in the original trilogy. Plus it would further empthasise the passing of the torch as Luke takes the role of Obi-Wan and Rey takes the place of young Luke Skywalker.
As for Luke (Mark Hamill), many fans aren't too happy with the way his character was portrayed in The Last Jedi. Not having a lot of hope and being a darker character. Whilst I personally liked this new Luke I can understand why others didn't. So for Episode IX Luke could potentially return as a Force Ghost and give Rey some advice to help put her on the right path. Similar to how Yoda (Frank Oz) did for him in The Last Jedi. This would help redeem the character in the eyes of many fans as he would be the more optimistic character that he was in the original trilogy. Plus it would further empthasise the passing of the torch as Luke takes the role of Obi-Wan and Rey takes the place of young Luke Skywalker.
The Resistance
In The Last Jedi, the resistance takes a serious beating. They lose almost all of their resources, such as weapons and ships, and an overwhelming amount of their army is killed. At the end of the film, there's only a handful of them left. but now they're more determined to defeat The First Order more than ever. Much like the Jedi, the Resistance is going to have to rebuild itself. And I believe that Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaacs) will be the one to do that. With Carrie Fisher not returning due to her tragic passing in December 2016, the Resistance is going to need a leader. In The Last Jedi Poe's story was of a reckless fighter pilot who learns the cost of his actions and so I believe he's a good candidate for the new leader of the Resistance, which could be interesting to see as he's more of a fighter than a leader. So this will be good character development for him.
As for the rest of the Resistance overall, they really need to up their game. Just about every plan they attempted in The Last Jedi was a failure and they barely escaped at the end of the film. And I think the character that embodies the state of the Resistance is Finn (John Boyega), who is never really able to complete a mission. So for Episode IX, I would find a way to get The Resistance back on track. Make them a more competent and serious force to be reckoned with.
The First Order
The First Order is at their most threatening in The Last Jedi. But the film does have a serious villain issue, as I discussed in my review. General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) is a more of a joke than anything else and Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) is just useless. And so for The First Order, I would suggest to fix Hux and make more of a serious character. Hux already has a bitterness against Kylo Ren, perhaps their relationship could be explored a bit more since Kylo is now Hux's superior. This could look into more of Hux's goals and intentions are than just have him say "I don't like the Republic" in an annoying voice. As for Phasma (If they bring her back), have her actually do something! The fight with her and Finn was cool but it added nothing to her. IT feels the only thing she has going for her is her costume. So, overall, make Hux a more serious character and develop Captain Phasma.
Also, another thing that I felt was a wasted opportunity for the film was the Knights of Ren. This order was alluded to in The Force Awakens but we still haven't seen them. So for Episode IX, it would be a good idea to bring in the Knights Of Ren. They could be a serious force to be reckoned with!
Princess Leia
This is difficult to talk about when it comes to the next Star Wars film. I was surprised that Lucasfilm didn't try and reshoot The Last Jedi to give Leia a proper send off. Similar to what Universal did for Furious 7 (2015, James Wan) after Paul Walker passed away. But it was nice that they kept all of her scenes in. But now Episode IX is left with the problem of how they'll say goodbye to Princess Leia. The character means an awful lot to a lot of fans and so they can't just say "Oh she passed away in her sleep". If they decide to go that route the moment everyone realises that she's dead should be a really emotional moment and should echo out throughout the film. Hell, even make her a martyr that rallies forces to the Resistance. But I think this is a subject that should be handled delicately as their treatment of it could make or break Episode IX.
So these are my thoughts on what could happen in Star Wars: Episode IX. What do you think? Did you agree or do you have different ideas? If so then please leave a comment down below. And, if you like what you've read, then please follow this blog for more content. Thank you for reading. :)
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