1. Star Wars: A New Hope (Episode IV) (May 25, 1977)
2. The Star Wars Holiday Special (November 17, 1978)
3. Star Wars Vintage: The Story Of The Faithful Wookiee (November 17, 1978)
4. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Episode V) (May 21, 1980)
5. Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi (Episode VI) (May 25, 1983)
6. Star Wars Vintage: Caravan Of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (November 25, 1984)
7. Star Wars Vintage: Droids (September 7, 1985)
8. Star Wars Vintage: Ewoks (September 7, 1985)
9. Star Wars Vintage: Ewoks: The Battle For Endor (November 24, 1985)
10. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (Episode I) (May 19, 1999)
11. Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones (Episode II) (May 16, 2002)
12. Star Wars Vintage: Clone Wars 2D Micro-Series (November 7, 2003)
13. Empire Of Dreams: The Story Of The Star Wars Trilogy (September 12, 2004)
14. Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith (Episode III) (May 19, 2005)
15. (Movies) Star Wars: The Clone Wars (August 10, 2008)
16. (Series) Star Wars: The Clone Wars (October 3, 2008)
17. Lego Star Wars: The New Yoda Chronicles - Escape From The Jedi Temple (May 4, 2014)
18. Lego Star Wars: The New Yoda Chronicles - Race For The Holocrons (June 15, 2014)
19. Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars (July 26, 2014)
20. Lego Star Wars: The New Yoda Chronicles - Raid On Coruscant (September 6, 2014)
21. Star Wars Rebels (Shorts) (October 3, 2014)
22. Star Wars Rebels (October 3, 2014)
23. Lego Star Wars: The New Yoda Chronicles - Clash Of The Skywalkers (November 19, 2014)
24. Lego Star Wars: The New Yoda Chronicles - Duel Of The Skywalkers (December 19, 2014)
25. Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales (July 6, 2015)
26. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Episode VII) (December 18, 2015)
27. Lego Star Wars: The Resistance Rises (Shorts) (February 15, 2016)
28. Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures (Shorts) (June 20, 2016)
29. Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures (June 20, 2016)
30. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (December 16, 2016)
31. Star Wars: Blips (May 3, 2017)
32. Star Wars Forces Of Destiny (Shorts) (July 3, 2017)
33. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Episode VIII) (December 15, 2017)
34. “Reflections” – A Star Wars UE4 Real-Time Ray Tracing Cinematic Demo (March 21, 2018)
35. Solo: A Star Wars Story (May 10, 2018)
36. Star Wars Resistance (October 7, 2018)
37. Lego Star Wars: All Stars (Shorts) (November 10, 2018)
38. Lego Star Wars: All-Stars (November 10, 2018)
39. Star Wars Galaxy Of Adventures (November 30, 2018)
40. Star Wars Galaxy Of Adventures Fun Facts (November 30, 2018)
41. Lego Star Wars: Greatest Battles (August 2, 2019)
42. Star Wars Roll Out (August 9, 2019)
43. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge-Adventure Awaits (September 29, 2019)
44. The Mandalorian (November 12, 2019)
45. Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (Episode IX) (December 20, 2019)
46. The Clone Wars Bucket List (April 28, 2020)
47. Disney Gallery / Star Wars: The Mandalorian (May 4, 2020)
48. Jedi Temple Challenge (May 27, 2020)
49. Lego Star Wars: Celebrate The Season (November 5, 2020)
50. Lego Star Wars Holiday Special (November 17, 2020)
51. Star Wars: Mission Fleet (January 28, 2021)
52. Star Wars Biomes (May 4, 2021)
53. Star Wars: The Bad Batch (May 4, 2021)
54. Star Wars Vehicle Flythroughs (May 4, 2021)
55. Star Wars: Visions (September 22, 2021)
56. Star Wars Galaxy Of Sounds (September 29, 2021)
57. Lego Star Wars Terrifying Tales (October 1, 2021)
58. Galaxy Of Creatures (October 14, 2021)
59. Under The Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett (November 12, 2021)
60. The Book Of Boba Fett (December 29, 2021)
61. Galactic Pals (April 12, 2022)
62. Star Wars: Mindful Matters (May 4, 2022)
63. Disney Gallery / Star Wars: The Book Of Boba Fett (May 4, 2022)
64. Obi-Wan Kenobi (May 27, 2022)
65. Lego Star Wars: Happy Celebration 45th Anniversary A New Hope (May 27, 2022)
66. Lego Star Wars: A Gift From Grogu (June 9, 2022)
67. Light & Magic (July 27, 2022)
68. Star Wars: Lightsaber Academy (August 2, 2022)
69. Lego Star Wars Summer Vacation (August 5, 2022)
70. Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi’s Return (September 8, 2022)
71. Star Wars: Andor (September 21, 2022)
72. Star Wars: Tales Of The Jedi (October 26, 2022)
73. Zen - Grogu and Dust Bunnies (November 12, 2022)

Link to Source

Edit: I am NOT the original Bothan Spy. I am really sorry for the confusion, that is something I definitely should have seen coming but just didn't. But I remembered their leaks from last year and figured I was pretty much doing the same thing they did, just a little earlier, so I created my "leak" account in the vein of their name. I simply meant to imply I'm Bothan Spy 2.0 and not a second account of theirs. I'm really really sorry for the confusion.

Hello my faithful Star Wars fans,

This post is going to contain a mild spoiler for Star Wars: Episode IX, so if you don't want to be spoiled, turn away now.

Okay! Welcome!

First off, I want to say that the previous leaks have been BS--or at least mostly. I know Disney sometimes plants leaks that are some truth and some lies, so I'm not 100% sure. I don't know a lot, but I do know something that directly contradicts things in both posts.

Everything I know you'll know eventually. But we have to start small.

Okay, based on some art I've seen for IX, it appears a world from the prequels will be brought back:

Naboo.

I know one of the leaks said Leia's funeral is on Naboo. While I don't know anything that directly contradicts this, deductive reasoning tells me that this isn't true. All concept art I've seen of Naboo have been bright and sunny and focus on the beaches. Not exactly the best place for a funeral.

The only thing interesting about the art other than the confirmation of Naboo itself is that in one of the pieces there was an obscured character in front of the beach backdrop.

Well there you go! That's all I have for now! Stay tuned for more leaks in probably a week or so.

MSW France seems to think it's legit: https://makingstarwarsfrance.net/2018/05/episode-ix-retour-planete-prelogie/

Several elements allow us to think that this rumour can be true.

First, Bothan-Spy2 does not evoke having read any scenario, only having seen concept-arts. However, in 2014, it was through the escape of concept-arts that we had the first real information on The Awakening of the Force.

Then, during the shooting of Star Wars : The Last Jedi, a Reddit user called Bothan-Spy had revealed some information about the film such as :

a hut on Ahch-To leaving in pieces following the use of the Force by Luke in the presence of Rey and Kylo Ren. the Skywalker treatment reserved for a character. What is called the Skywalker treatment is simply the right hand cut off in each second chapter of the trilogies. In The Last Jedi, we have not seen anyone undergo this mutilation. And yet, in the cut scenes, Finn cuts off Captain Phasma's right hand aboard the Supremacy...

However, there is no guarantee that Bothan-Spy and Bothan-Spy2 are the same person...

As for the return of Naboo, shortly after the announcement of J.J Abrams to the direction and script of Episode IX, the director would have said he wanted to link the three trilogies with this film. So maybe Padmé Amidala's home planet is one of those elements.

Translated with Google Traduction.

I finally had a chance to watch the Bladerunner sequel. Good movie. Spoilers for it below

;;;

''''''

In that movie we learn Deckard had a kid with Rachel the replicant. Deckard knew that if the child was discovered it (he didn't know if it was a boy or girl) would be experimented on, bad things, etc. So he exiled himself. Sound familiar? What's more is that Rachel is killed in child birth and the child is hidden. Deckard never meets his daughter.

So maybe Mark Hamill's "made up" backstory is actually the real backstory. Mom dies, he exiles and Rey is hidden away from every one.

This is the only way I can see Rey being Luke's daughter.

Leia's role? She hid Rey away on Jakku. BUT NOT with Unkar.

And Rian, if you are reading, if this is the true backstory both you and JJ arrived at then you have to explain the hand sex reference because if you secretly know this then that is creepy AF.

I was attentively re-watching TLJ's mirror cave scene the other day, and noticed there was prominent patterned breathing in the background starting when Rey first touches the mirror. Although the breathing sound is most likely from Rey, it's not in real time. It's occurring in the background as it doesn't match her mouth or chest/lung movement.

Now, one could argue that it's just there for stylistic and dramatic effect purposes, but you have to remember that behind that are a team of sound editors, and vetted (or possibly even requested by) Rian Johnson. I would be surprised if none of them stopped to think how this reminds them alot of Vader's patterned prominent breathing.

My theory is that it was put in there for that reason: as a subtle tie to Darth Vader. Remember, LucasFilm has said that TLJ was designed to be watched many times, with subtle things hidden throughout to be eventually discovered over time. I think this is one of them.

Rey is a Skywalker, descendant of Anakin. I still believe!

taken from this page from the novel

"And so Snoke had drawn upon his vast store of knowledge, parceling it out to confuse Skywalker's path, ensnare his family, and harness Ben Solo's powers to ensure both Skywalker's destruction and Snoke's triumph."

Hmm, what family are they referring to here? Also interesting, what did he do to ensnare "them".

(notice the author is alluding to more than just Ben being ensnared)

Definition of Ensnare: catch in or as in a trap. Synonyms: capture, catch, trap, entrap

The revival of Maul for the The Clone Wars TV series has given us an interesting look at a character that never fell, but was raised with the dark side. At its heart, Maul is a cautionary tale about the futility of revenge.

Original Post

Born to Mother Talzin of Dathomir, Maul was abducted by Darth Sidious at age six to be his Sith apprentice. Deprived of any personal connection, Sidious saw to it that his new apprentice was driven purely be hatred for the Jedi. Sidious exposed him to the the battlefield of Malachor, once a battleground between the Sith and Jedi, creating a void that could never be filled. Even after killing his first Jedi, a padawan, Maul found his hunger just grew.

Indeed, even after being bisected by Kenobi on Naboo, the desire for vengeance was the only thing sustaining him. Yet he still formed a bond of sorts with his brother, Savage Oppress, and his mother, Talzin, even as he allied with them in the name of vengeance against Sidious. Alas, both were killed and the thirst for revenge was all he had left once again.

Turning his attention to the Sith, Maul sought out a means to destroy them, leading him to the ancient Sith super-weapon on Malachor. Unfortunately for Maul, Darth Vader and the Lothal Spectres intervened before he could make use of it and he was forced to flee. After failing to make use of the super-weapon on Malachor to destroy the Sith, Maul was left without purpose. Seeking out and manipulating Ezra Bridger, he combined a Sith and Jedi holochron with the goal of finding something to give him hope, but learned Obi-Wan Kenobi was still alive instead. Once again taking up the cause of vengeance, Maul left to find him. Eventually finding Obi-Wan watching over Luke in the sands of Tatooine, Maul confronted him and his inability to move on from the past finally caught up to him. Obi-Wan quickly cut down Maul after the latter tried to use the same technique he had used to kill Qui-Gon Jinn decades before on Naboo. Having lost everything and unable to find anything else to live for, his thirst for revenge finally cost him his own life and he died broken and alone save for the compassion of a man he considered his enemy.

Maul demonstrates the dark side cannot give, only take; the more you give it, the more it wants. Much like Vader and Kylo Ren after him, every attempt to fill the void with blood just resulted in it growing bigger until it finally consumed him in the sands of Tatooine. Interestingly, he still had strong loyalty to his mother and brother (and they to him), even pleading with his mother to use him to become stronger as she faced Sidious. Rather than outright consuming him like it did those before and after him, the dark side seems to have just broken him, perhaps because he was never given a choice.

From the Leak sub:

"Meta: Rey is Luke's niece. At least that what Luke tells the caretakers."

From this post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWarsLeaks/comments/7zz0ta/tlj_novel_tidbits_part_2/?st=je32a7rs&sh=178c1d50

And literally zero people are talking about it.

Luke. Thinks. Rey. Is. His Niece. In TLJ.

I really hope this is the case after other leaks from the novel pretty much kill the idea of Rey being Luke's for good.

This also sets up Kylo as being a master manipulator (in the darkish tradition). He convinces Rey she is "no one" yet he knows exactly who she is I'm betting.

The memory she had of her parents was an implant by Snoke. Luke could feel Snoke’s growing power and knew any children of his would be a target of Snoke’s seduction. (Tie in books are only canon until proven otherwise)

Her mother died of illness shortly after Rey’s birth (Mara Jade becomes reintroduced into the canon). Luke placed her into the care of Han and Chewie since they never stayed in the same place too long. A few years later, a deal went south on Jakku. Han had no choice but to leave Rey behind (“I’ll come back for you sweetheart”).

I’ve just came back from seeing TLJ again and I noticed something in the scene where Luke asks Rey who she is. She says she’s no one from nowhere, he asks her where nowhere is and she says Jakku. Then she changes the subject to Leia and the Resistance. Now here’s the interesting part, at no point in this conversation does she tell him her name.

He out of the blue, calls her “Rey” from nowhere. She never reacts to this which is why I think most of us missed it.

Now, does this without a doubt prove she’s his daughter? No, but it’s a strong case for it. At least, I think so.

The Legends of Luke junior novel came out a week ago and one the chapters, ‘Fishing in the Deluge’, adds quite a bit to our understanding of the lore and mechanics of the setting.

It’s told from the PoV of a twelve year old human girl named Aya who is one of the inhabitants of a small village of people. We learn very early that Aya is sensitive to the Force as is her twin brother. In fact the whole village seems to be strong in the Force and has it’s own associated philosophy and tradition called the Tide. Indeed, this tradition is what brings Luke to the world and we learn more about it from Aya’s grandmother:

The elder continued in a dreamy tone, as if speaking to herself more than to Seeker. “The Tide is a powerful force, and it can drown you as well as uplift you. Long before they came to Lew’el, our ancestors had learned how to ride the Tide. For a time they were the brightest stars in the galaxy, drawing the interest of those who loved power and sought my ancestors’ aid in their quest for more of it. Some of my ancestors succumbed to the temptation and believed that they could master a force that sustained the very fabric of existence; others believed that it was impossible as well as morally repugnant to try to turn the Tide, the ether that connects everything to everything else, into an instrument for domination. The war between them brought great suffering and devastated a thousand worlds before it finally burned out. The survivors came to Lew’el to hide, vowing never again to allow knowledge of the Tide to be used to pervert it.”

Liu, Ken. Journey to Star Wars The Last Jedi: The Legends of Luke Skywalker (Star Wars: Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi) (Kindle Locations 1083-1090). Disney Book Group. Kindle Edition.

Aside from a glimpse of early galactic history, the biggest revelation here is a village founded by Force sensitive human refugees has maintained that sensitivity for thousands of years. While we’ve had several known related Force sensitives and references to the Force being passed down family lines. This is the first time we’ve seen direct evidence of it being maintained in population over an extended period of time. From this we can infer children born to Force sensitive parents have a high chance of being sensitive themselves.

Originally posted on the Shadow Council weblog.

Hi,

I've lurked SWS for a time now and discovered this little gem of a sub through that lurking. This seems to be the place for a good chat and I feel I have an angle on things I haven't seen discussed. Apologies in advance if this has already been chewed on.

Primarily I'm not one to get into stuff that is way out there and I'm also one who feels things are pretty simple when it comes to the saga. I'm also an older bloke so when Rian said "Rey and Kylo are almost two halves of our protagonist" I couldn't help but recall several years ago, sometime after the Prequels were finished, George Lucas saying something to the effect that Anakin was the main character of the saga films.

It seems to be widely accepted that the Sequels are dealing with Anakin's legacy. Perhaps the underlying question of the trilogy might look something like 'is it Anakin's legacy or Darth Vader's?" To personify this question it makes perfect sense to do so with grandchildren.

I hope this is the starting point for a good chat so I'll leave things there. Thoughts?

I can't consider myself a true fanboy but I have seen all of the movies and I follow as much as I can of the Star Wars saga.

There is one rule in the Star Wars saga that remains true in all movies, universes, etc: There are only 2 Sith and this is where I believe the plot for episode 8 and 9 will go to.

Consider this:

• Luke is being speculated to be a grey Jedi
• Rey will not turn out to the dark side and there are more than enough theories that support that (my favorite is that she is a Disney hero)
• Kylo Ren will either die or turn to the light side (most likely the latter)
• if not on episode 8, Snoke will die on episode 9

This means that there will be no Sith and, based on the balance between light and darkness that can't happen and considering that my focus goes back to Luke. He might end up as a Jedi on the movies but there is a good chance that he will slowly move to the dark side. Friends are dead with the exception of Chewey, Family is dead and he is pretty much alone. Part of the trailer says that he was afraid of the raw power, which kind support this.

It is not common for a hero to fall and become the anti-hero as long another one takes his place, hence, Rey.

Thoughts?

I've made some substantial changes to Finn and Poe's stories based on new information and other information I wasn't aware of.

####Act I

The first act is an exploration and deconstruction of Luke as a legend. Rey has heard grandiose stories about his exploits and TFA built him up as a messiah. It's with these expectations that Rey (and us) first encounter him.

Stage 1: Setup

The opening is tricky since TFA ended on a cliffhanger. Traditionally, all Star Wars movies open in space, but that can't really be done for Ahch-To. With Finn still in a coma and Kylo en route to Snoke, it's also unlikely to open with an attack on D'Qar. Given the tradition of opening with a Star Destroyer in the shot, he natural place to start is with Kylo going to Snoke. TLJ will likely follow tradition and pan down (or up) to a First Order Star Destroyer with Kylo's shuttle emerging and going to Snoke's Super Star Destroyer. There gold-robed Snoke will chew him out for his failure on Starkiller and tell him they need to find Luke and Rey quickly. Snoke will order Kylo to join the attack on the Resistance at D'Qar and to bring the map to him. Kylo probably throws a tantrum when he's away from Snoke.

Next up is D'Qar. With Finn in a coma, he's the perfect expy for reminding the audience of what happened in a movie many of them last saw two years ago. He also needs to be back on his feet so the rest of the movie's action can happen. So, we'll see Finn wake up, have a brief scene with Poe and get a quick recap of what happened and whats about to happen. Finn will naturally want to know about Rey, which nicely sets up the next scene. In the mean time, the rest of the Resistance is preparing to evacuate and many surviving ships from the New Republic have joined them. Admiral Holdo will appear and talk to Leia and then she and Poe will head to orbit.

Finally, we go to Ahch-To and watch what we've all been waiting two years for. As shown in the BTS reel, Luke does go to and accepts the lightsaber. He senses he knows her, but dismisses it as a delusion (1). Rey tells him she's there on behalf of Leia and they need him. Shocking her, Luke hands back the lightsaber and tells her he can't and walks away. Despite Rey's pleas and arguments, Luke shuts himself in a hut, telling her to leave, and the main challenge will become apparent.

Inciting Incident

After the introduction to Ahch-To the plot will shift to defining the main conflict - Luke's in despair. His statement that the Jedi must end will serve to underline just how defeated he feels.

Stage 2: New Situation

Frustrated and needing to regroup, Rey goes back to the Falcon. On her way, she notices a large sea creature menacing what appear to be a number of bird-like creatures and their nests. Feeling compelled to act, Rey intervenes and fends off the sea creature gaining the gratitude of the birds (Porgs). It turns out Luke has also witnessed her defense of the Porgs and she's earned his grudging respect and curiosity. Luke tells her she can spend the night with him if she wants and he'll try to explain, but she needs to leave afterwards. In the meantime, Chewie befriends the porgs.

D'Qar:
On D'Qar, the Resistance is frantically trying to leave before the First Order arrives. With their location known, the First Order is going to waste no time attempting to wipe out the only remaining organized opposition to their domination of the galaxy. Leia will tell Finn Maz has contacted her and knows somone who could help them. She asks Finn to meet with her on behalf of the Resistance, but Finn will initially turn it down, wanting to find Rey and get away from the conflict. While waiting for a ship, Finn will meet Rose who is in awe of him. Surprised by the attention and not wanting to disappoint her, Finn plays along claiming he's going on a mission from Leia. The First Order will arrive and institutes a blockade while the Dreadnought moves into position to punch through the shield and destroy the base. Finn and Rose procure a transport, but are unable to leave while the blockade is in place.
Poe, meanwhile, rallies the Resistance starfighter and bomber corps and plans to punch a whole in the blockade. The starfighters engage the FO's fighters and protects the bombers as they head towards one of the blockading destroyers. Poe attempts an attack on the Dreadnought, but fails to get through the shields. In desperation, they attack one of the escorts and managed to disable it. Resistance transports manage to get through the hole with heavy losses. Finn and Rose join the exodus, frantically evading TIEs on the way, but make it to hyperspace and head towards Canto-Bight. While this is happening, Kylo will arrive (likely with friends) and infiltrate the base in search of the map. Leia and him see each other from a distance and share a look before events force them apart again. Kylo will succeed in obtaining the map and leave, but instead of returning to Snoke, he will head straight for Ahch-To. After he leaves, the FO dreadnaught gets in position and annhilates the base.

Plot Point 1: Change of Plans

Up to this point, Luke has been steadily humanized as a person. Now, an event will take place that fundamentally transforms his and Rey's relationship. Towards the end of stage 2, Rey will experience a Forceback similar to the one at Maz's castle showing the major events in Luke's past from most recent to earliest (it's possible Luke himself shows her it). The last part of the vision will be of the most painful event of Luke's life - losing his daughter, Rey. The shot of Rey collapsing from the teaser is likely the immediate aftermath. The vision will also leave Rey thinking Kylo was the one to abandon her.

####Act II: Confrontation

Where Rey approached Luke as a legend in Act 1, she now approaches him as her father.

Stage 3: Progress

The first stage of Act II will consist of the reunion of Rey with her father, Luke. It will be during this stage that an ecstatic Luke shows her what he's learned about the Force and when the scene with Rey swinging her father's old lightsaber (now passed to her) takes place. (2) It's likely we'll hear a bit about Rey's mother as well. It will seem like Rey is getting everything she ever wanted and the goal of bringing Luke into the fight will appear within reach. Their reunion will be interrupted, however, when they sense Kylo and his friends arrive. Based on third party reports, it's likely Kylo's fighter is somehow brought down, while his comrades shuttle lands intact. Further, it appears the new arrivals attack the heroes, with Kylo going after Rey and his friends attacking Luke (who easily defeats them). This signals the arrival of the 'turning point'.

Canto-Bight:
(3) Rose and Finn arrive on Canto-Bight and set about finding where Maz is. First they try the Casino. Rose learns she's at a local cafe, but Finn gets distracted by the excitement and manages to win big. Unfortunately, this insenses one of the players he has beaten who sends his henchmen after Finn. Rose and Finn make thier way to the racing stables and steal a horse. A chase ensues, but Rose manages to throw off the pursuit and they ride to the cafe where Maz is. Maz tells them a master slicer known as DJ might be willing to help the Resistance, but he's currently held in the Canto-Bight jail. Rose and Finn manage to locate and break him out and he agrees to go with them. They reach DJ's ship after shaking off Canto-Bight's law enforcement.

Resistance Fleet:
Poe, Leia and Admiral Holdo discuss what to do next and their discussion gets increasingly heated. The admiral will likely favor an attack on the FO, while Leia and Poe will argue for finding a place to consolidate or to continue the fight. At some point they do engage the FO fleet and it results in the loss of Poe's X-wing.

Midpoint: Turning Point

Kylo arrives, but is shot down and crash-lands. Luke tells Rey not to fight Kylo, but Rey is overcome by intense anger from what she thinks her cousin did to her and confident from her previous vision attacks him anyway. Kylo has his henchmen attack Luke, who easily dispatches them without a Lightsaber. In the mean time Kylo and Rey spar and she accuses him of taking her from her from Luke. Kylo tells her he didn't abandon her, he tried to save her and Luke was the one who left her. This wrecks Rey's concentration and Kylo manages to force her over a cliff and then runs. Luke is forced to rescue Rey (who never learned to swim) and let him get away.

Stage 4: Complications and Higher Stakes

Luke pulls Rey from the water and the two return to Luke's hut, where Rey adopts her new look. (Symbolically, her submersion represents a baptism and the change in attire her transition to adulthood). The two go looking for Kylo (who possibly sets fire to the tree to get their attention). Knowing Kylo wants her alive, Luke allows Rey to be separated from him and Kylo takes the bait, cornering Rey in a cave (the waterfall scene with Kylo in the trailer). Luke appears, and easily subdues Kylo. They bring him back to the village and restrain him. Luke leaves Rey with him to save the temple. While Luke is away, Kylo starts talking to her about their respective pasts and shared heritage, eventually leading to Rey entering Kylo's memories (aided by their blood-driven Force connection).

Canto-Bight:
Rose contacts the resistance and learns they're heading to Crait. Somehow the FO has learned of their location and Finn and Rose realize the Dreadnought has to be disabled. DJ says he can disable the ship's main weapons, but needs them to get him a link inside the ship. the two make it aboard the ship and make their way to fire control. They're able to give DJ the link he needs and he sabotages the weapon. On their way out, they're discovered. In a running fight, they make it to a hanger bay and wreck many of the ships there. It looks like they'll get away, but Phasma and a contingent of stormtroopers enter and engage them. Although they're able to dispatch the stormtroopers with quick thinking, Phasma engages Finn in one on one melee combat. Phasma will probably gain the upper hand at some point, but forget about Rose, who distracts her long enough for Finn to recover. Finn takes off her arm and likely kills her.

Resistance Fleet:
The dispute between Poe, Leia and Holdo has come to a head and Holdo has Leia removed from the bridge (possibly imprisoned or confined to quarters). Realizing he needs to act now, Poe gathers loyal Resistance members and stages a mutiny, seizing the bridge. He has Leia released and leads the fleet to Crait.

Plot Point 2: Major Setback

In a second Forceback, Rey experiences Kylo's memories in ascending chronological order. During it, she sees things from Kylo's perspective, including the effects of her disappearance. She also sees one of her own memories - Luke leaving her on a desert planet. Crucially, she (and we) can't tell which desert planet, but she assumes it's Jakku. At the end of the vision, she sees her father in a very different light and it devastates her (3). Luke returns and she accuses him of abandoning her and the rest of his family. Unleashing years of grief and frustration, Luke loses control for a moment as he emotionally denies it and unleashes a massive display of the Force, wrecking the hut they're in. Rey and Kylo are unharmed, but Rey is now terrified as well. Deciding her family wasn't worth the fourteen years she spent waiting, she decides her real place is with her friends. Abandoning her family, as she believes they once abandoned her, she boards the Falcon and leaves her father and cousin behind. Overcome by emotion himself, Luke doesn't try to stop her or Kylo from leaving soon after. Kylo has a chance to kill Luke, who's too overcome by grief to defend himself, but can't bring himself to do it. Kylo takes his dead companions' shuttle and leaves Luke alone and stranded once again.

####Act 3: Resolution

Stage 5: Final Push

Rey learns the Resistance is on Crait and heads there before the FO fleet arrives. She tells Leia bitterly that Luke isn't coming. Leia, sensing her her niece's distress, immediately leaves for Ahch-To herself. The FO fleet arrives and engages the orbiting fleet. Finn and Rose also escape the Dreadnought and head to Crait. The Dreadnought attempts to fire, but it misfires destroying the ship. The FO is forced to deploy ground forces. Severely outnumbered and outgunned, the Resistance sends its forces to meet the FO, using the bombers to create a screen from the dust. The battle begins and Rey assists in bringing down several walkers before seeing Kylo, who engages her.

Climax

On Ahch-To, Leia lands and finds a thoroughly dispirited Luke. During a brief conversation, Leia reminds him that she lost her son to the dark side, but he hasn't lost Rey yet and still has a chance with her.

As a preface, it's very difficult to see how the movie ends any other way than Rey going with Kylo. With Luke's imminent return, Kylo returning empty handed would be an unmitigated disaster from Snoke's perspective and make Kylo look not only completely ineffectual, but also more of a liability than asset. The villains would be on the back-foot going into IX.

The Resistance is putting up a brave, but futile fight. The FO's firepower is overwhelming and they're steadily pushed back or destroyed. Locked in a stalemate with Kylo, Rey offers herself in return for the lives of her friends. Shocked, Kylo agrees and orders the attack stopped. Kylo takes her lightsaber and Rey to a shuttle as Finn and Poe watch, stunned. As their shuttle lifts off, Hux, at Snoke's urging orders the ground attack to resume, dismaying Kylo and panicking Rey. She calms however as she senses a powerful and familiar presence nearby.

Stage 6: Aftermath

As the FO presses its attack, a figure appears on the horizon. Figuring one person isn't a threat, the FO troops ignore him until one of their walkers is impossibly picked up and thrown into another. The FO turns all of it's weapons on the lone figure and begins firing. The figure, Luke, uses the Force to block and divert everything thrown at him as he methodically wrecks the FO forces without ever igniting his lightsaber. In the aftermath, the mood is somber. Luke turned the tide of the battle, but the Resistance's losses are massive and the loss of Rey is a bitter blow. Content with his prize, Snoke withdraws and welcomes Rey as Kylo brings her to him.

The movie ends with Luke looking out of a ships window in a callback to ESB, a determined look on his face.

####Notes:

1: I think Luke's initial inability to sense who she or dismissal of it is will be used to signal just how clouded his mind has become. He's become unable to hear or believe what the Force is telling him.

2: My initial instinct was to place these before the Force vision, but Luke watching Rey and teaching her about what he's learned about the Force is inconsistent with the despairing mood he apparently has in the beginning. It would also delay getting to the heart of the movie, which is Luke and Rey reuniting. Therefore, it makes more sense to expect it after the first Forceback.

3: If this seems to be throwing Luke under a bus, remember the characters are only acting based on their perceptions and what they know. Whether Luke is actually guilty of anything doesn't matter; what matters is that Rey and Kylo think he is. IX will be where Rey (and we) get the full story.

####Omissions:

1: Visiting the temple and what Luke learned there. Really not sure where this will go.

2: DJ's fate after Rose and Finn infiltrate the Dreadnought.

3: Rose in Act 3.

One unknown I've been grappling with in my background theory is why Snoke would want Rey taken to Jakku in the first place. It obviously had to do with what the Emperor was so interested in there, but it wasn't clear beyond that.

The most recent Vader comic has provided inspiration. In the comic, the Emperor has Vader go to Mustafar and use the Dark Side nexus located there to corrupt the Kyber crystal Vader had recently 'won'. What's particularly interesting about this nexus is it's analogous to what Rax did in Empire's End on Jakku with the planetary essence. By throwing Yupe and several Sith objects into it, the entire essence was corrupted - creating a massive dark side nexus. This nexus was powerful enough to tear the planet apart if left unchecked. However, there was a means of stopping it built into the observatory - suggesting destroying the planet wasn't the original plan (and probably never was) - creating a massive artificial dark-side nexus was.

In Rey's Survival Guide there's a rumor that the Emperor had secretly built a throne room on Jakku to rule the rest of the galaxy. The means of corrupting the essence lends credence to this rumor as it would give the Emperor a massive source of power to tap into. However, given Jakku's location and the mapping device located there it's likely this was a means of accessing an even greater power - the power the Emperor sensed in the Unknown Regions:

"No Sith remain," Tashu says. "And the lone Jedi that exists-the son of Anakin Skywalker-possesses an untouchable soul. At least for now. We must instead move toward the dark side. Palpatine felt that the universe beyond the edges of our maps was where his power came from. Over the many years he, with our aid, sent men and women beyond known space. They built labs and communication stations on distant moons, asteroids, out there in the wilds. We must follow them. Retreat from the galaxy. Go out beyond the veil of stars. We must seek the source of the dark side like a man looking for a wellspring of water."

Aftermath Page 114.

The Emperor was convinced that something waited for him out there—some origin of the Force, some dark presence formed of malevolent substance. He said he could feel the waves of it radiating out now that the way was clear. The Emperor called it a signal—conveniently one that only he could hear. Even his greatest enforcer, Vader, seemed oblivious to it, and Vader also claimed mastery over the dark Force, did he not? Rax believed Palpatine had gone mad. What he was “receiving” was nothing more than his own precious wishes broadcast back to himself—an echo of his own devising. He believed that something lay beyond, and so that became a singular obsession. (When you believe in magic, it is easy to see all the universe as evidence of it.)

Empire's End

Based on this, I conjecture the Emperor (and now Snoke) ultimately planned to use the corrupted essence on Jakku as a means of harnessing this dark power to achieve his goal of controlling reality itself. However, Tarkin suggests harnessing such power requires two people - the power has to be directed by one into the other. This is where the Chosen One and his descendants come in:

Snoke demurred. "It is far more than that. It is where you are from. What you are made of. The dark side-and the light. The finest sculptor cannot fashion a masterpiece from poor materials. He must have something pure, something strong, something unbreakable, with which to work. I have-you." He paused, reminiscing.

Using such power is extremely dangerous if it's not being channeled through a or into a medium with the right qualities - much like a Kyber crystal. The Skywalkers, being descended from the Force itself, are made of the right 'stuff' to do this properly - if shaped correctly. If this is correct, this is what the Emperor intended with Vader and Luke and Snoke with Ben. However, the need for proper shaping may not have been apparent. This is where Rey comes in.

At the time Ben was born, Snoke was not in a position to risk detection by Luke and worked to subtlely corrupt the boy. This was a long term project with an uncertain payoff, so when a new opportunity presented itself - the birth of Luke's daughter - Snoke shifted his efforts to kidnapping her outright. After succeeding in grabbing her, Snoke wasted no time and had his agents bring her directly to Jakku. Snoke hoped she alone would be enough to properly channel or store the power and wanted to act before Luke could find her (as this was a rather dangerous experiment, it's likely one of Snoke's apprentices conducted it rather than Snoke himself). The process was incredibly traumatic for young Rey and she did something no one expected - she created a mental shield. For those present the result was possibly catastrophic. Much like an improperly faceted Kyber, the energy went everywhere - possibly killing or driving anyone in the vicinity insane. While Rey herself wasn't directly affected, her block had the side-effect of making it appear that she had died to anyone connected to her. A few of Snoke's agents survived to make it back and inform him of what happened.

With one Skywalker child apparently lost to him, Snoke was forced to turn back to Ben. Further, he was also now aware that Ben had to be both willing and properly prepared for his plan to work.

Notes:

1. In the past, Jakku was once a living world. Given the anomolies in the Unknown Regions and Jakku's location, it's possible the essence was once used to stop something that threatened the galaxy. An unfortunate side-effect was life was scoured from the planet.

2. I've previously discussed that the research facility's purpose was tied to the essence. It's possible it was researching using Force sensitives captured by the Inquisitors to channel the energy there. That the Empire defended the facility for a time before destroying it suggests there was some important work that could only be done after the essence was corrupted.

3. There are other Observatories throughout the galaxy. It's possible others contain a borehole like the one on Jakku.

4. Who's supposed to function as the 'bait' and who is the 'vessel' and what they even mean isn't clear.

5. I'm well aware this is stretching the limits of what we know. This is conjectural and an attempt at making sense of the disparate pieces of information we have. It's meant to be a potential staring point.

When I made the implications comment, I had not intended to write a major post, but since I unwittingly allowed expectations to build and was unable to find time to elaborate, here it is.

First, Snoke:
This isn't a huge point, but the fact that both Sloane and Brendol retained their positions while Snoke was in power indicates they had no issue with him leading the FO. This rather suggests Snoke was already in control and/or had the blessing of Palpatine. It does not look like Snoke had to purge the top leadership.

The Motivations of the First Order:
The next point is about the First Order and actually ties into something we've now seen repeatedly. We know what drives those who supported the Empire and what drove them to form the FO - the desire for the perceived peace and order of the Empire. We see characters from Sloane to Iden (from Inferno Squad) disparage the rebels as anarchists. Indeed, Sloane leaves for the Unknown Regions with the intent of establishing a new Empire with order as its cornerstone.
The Cardinal, a Captain in the FO, is a true believer in this mission:

“It’s right there in the name. First Order. First, order. Fixing the mess left behind by the Republic and now the New Republic. Getting rid of bloated diplomats and lobbyists who don’t represent real people with real problems. Bringing equality to all. The old system of government is ludicrous and doomed to fail. Sentient beings are incapable of making the choices that are in their best interests in the long run. The whole point of the First Order is stability.”

Dawson, Delilah S.. Phasma (Star Wars): Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Star Wars: Journey to Star Wars: the Last Jedi) (Kindle Locations 779-783). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

That the galaxy is in chaos under the Republic is something drilled into FO trainees. Indeed, the FO's strategy of recruiting among the galaxy's orphans is especially effective in engendering loyalty and fanaticism. Many of its soldiers have suffered under that very chaos.

What do the motives of the FO have to do with Kylo Ren? Everything as it turns out. From the novelization:

A gloved hand rose to take in the sweep of light and energy arrayed before them. "Look at it, Lieutenant. So much beauty among so much turmoil. In a way, we are but an infinitely smaller reflection of the same conflict. It is the task of the First Order to remove the disorder from our own existence, so that civilization may be returned to the stability that promotes progress. A stability that existed under the Empire, was reduced to anarchy by the Rebellion, was inherited in turn by the so-called Republic, and will be restored by us. Future historians will look upon this as the time when a strong hand brought the rule of law back to civilization."

Kylo Ren percieves a galaxy in chaos and sees autocratic rule as necessary for stablizing it. The important thing to note is what Kylo Ren is not - a soldier recruited or conscripted out of squaler in childhood and indoctrinated. He joined as an adult out of his own free will after being and part of the most powerful family in the galaxy. Therefore, the question is what drove him to adopt the views of the First Order.

As the son of a powerful and active senator and nephew (eventually student) of the sole surviving Jedi, Ben would have had a front row seat to the problems plaguing the galaxy (no doubt deliberately worsened by Snoke and the First Order itself). With the vacuum left by the collapse of the Empire, it would have taken a long time for the Republic to assert itself under the wisest of leadership. It was not under the wisest of leadership though and we already saw signs of it's ineffectiveness in the Aftermath trilogy (and brought to a head by the time of Bloodline). Given who his parents were, a lot of their time would have been spent running around putting out brush fires without the help of the Republic. This would be bad enough, but to make matters worse, he, his mother and uncle had incredible innate power. To him this must have been a sign they had a duty to rule and stop the chaos. He must have been incredibly frustrated that his mother refused to develop her own power and his uncle refused to do what was clearly necessary. By the time of his fall, he must have seen himself and the FO as the galaxy's only salvation.

Note: There's considerably more to be sure, but my interest here is to just explore what Ben must have experienced and thought to lead him to betray his own family and join the very organization it opposed.

I've skimmed through Phasma and it establishes some important context with respect to the timeline:

• Cardinal was one of the orphans from Jakku
• Most of the FO stormtroopers are drawn from the orphans of the galaxy
• The book is set close to TFA, probably within a year of it. Kylo is already part of and accepted in the FO.
• The Resistance is established and active.
• Phasma was recruited on a primitive world in the Unknown Regions 9-10 years prior to the events of the book by Brendol Hux.
• Phasma conspired with Armitage to murder Brendol Hux.
• Someone with the title Supreme Leader is running the FO 9-10 years before present (probably 23-24 ABY)
• Sloane is still alive as of the book's present and still a Grand Admiral in the FO.
• Supreme Leader Snoke is mentioned by name in the book's present.

I think Rey and Luke's story in TLJ is going to be structured like a love story. Love stories are ultimately about two people coming to love each other and learning how to have a relationship with each other and that's exactly what Rey and Luke's story is only the love is familial rather than romantic.

The love stories that we've seen in SW both begin with one character having a crush (Anakin on Padme and Han on Leia) where they love the other person even though they aren't yet part of a romantic relationship. Replace that in TLJ with Luke's unconditional love for his daughter even though he and Rey are effectively complete strangers. In both AtoC and ESB what prevents the characters from being happy couples is emotional baggage that causes friction and conflict in their relationship: Anakin and Padme's sense of duty and feeling that it would be wrong for them to be together and Han and Leia being too proud to be emotionally vulnerable by admitting they love each other. For Luke and Rey the emotional baggage is Luke's guilt and Rey's abandonment issues and her disappointment in him.

AtoC and ESB intersperse the scenes with dramatic conflict with romantic scenes. TLJ will likely intersperse dramatic scenes with very tender father daughter scenes. The love stories in both cases build up to a love pledge: when Anakin and Padme enter the arena and "I love you" "I know". TLJ will likely build up to a love pledge of sorts: either the first time Rey calls Luke "Father" or the first time she tells him she loves him. Something then happens either at the end of the film or between the second and third film that forces the characters apart: Han is frozen in carbonite and the Clone Wars start taking Anakin away from Padme for long periods of time. TLJ will likely end with external forces forcing Luke and Rey apart. RotS and RotJ then both feature an emotional reunion: Padme telling Anakin she's pregnant and Leia unfreezing Han. IX will likely feature and emotional reunion between Luke and Rey (though I think it will be much later in the movie).

note: none of this precludes a romance between Finn and Rose but as Rian Johnson said the "beating heart" of TLJ is the relationship between Rey and Luke.

The standard for screenplays in the film industry is the three act structure (in fact, it's a rare film that doesn't use it. Each act is a stage in the resolution of the main plot of the film and generally contain defined events. A screenplay is further subdivided into six stages, two per act. Marking the transitions between each stage are 'turning points'. It's important to remember the names are abstract descriptions of what happens in each stage and aren't literal. The three act structure is generally defined as follows:

• First Act (Setup): This act sets the stage. It introduces the characters (or reintroduces them) and the setting in the first stage (setup). The first act also introduces the main conflict or challenge of the film, which is known as the 'inciting incident' or 'opportunity' which marks the start of the second stage (new situation).

• Plot Point 1 (Change of plans): This plot point redefines the main challenge.

• Second Act (Confrontation): The second act involves the hero trying to resolve the steadily worsening conflict. The hero lacks the tools, knowledge or skills necessary to successfully resolve the conflict, which often leads to their attempts worsening it. The first part (stage 3) of the the second act is the 'progress' stage, where the hero overcomes the early obstacles and appears to be getting close to their goal. The midpoint of the film and act marks the point where the challenges for the hero become much greater and where they must fully commit to their goal (point of no return). The second stage (stage 4 overall) of the second act is the 'complications and higher stakes' stage.

• Plot Point 2 (Major Setback): This is an event in which the hero fails and they're the furthest from completing their goal.

• Third Act (Resolution): The last act and where the hero achieves their goal. This act starts out with the hero in a rapidly worsening situation that the hero must put all of their effort towards overcoming in a stage known as the 'final push'. At the climax, the situation for the hero is at its most desperate. However, it's at this point the hero finds the means to resolve the problem. The obstacles are rapidly overcome and the hero finally achieves their goal moving into the 'Aftermath' stage.

Running alongside the main plot are often subplots that usually merge with the main plot by the third act. There's rarely more than one or two subplots and they fall within their own hierarchy. The ST is unique in that the main antagonist also has his own character arc which runs in parallel with the protagonist's.

###Applying the Three Act Structure to TLJ

With the basics of a screenplay story structure defined, we can apply it to what we know of TLJ. First, the main conflict of TLJ will be Rey convincing Luke to join the fight. This conflict will be the context in which the rest of the movie occurs and how the plot will be structured. Second, the subplots will be Finn and Poe's stories with Finn's being the most important. Third, as the principle antagonist, Kylo's plot will run parallel and eventually merge with Rey's. The aim of this exercise is not to predict every detail of the plot, but to lay out the main events and consequences of the main plot while providing a framework for the subplots.

####Act I

The key to understanding the first act is to understand this act is an exploration and deconstruction of Luke as a legend. Rey has heard grandiose stories about his exploits and TFA built him up as a messiah. It's with these expectations that Rey (and us) first encounter him.

Stage 1: Setup

The opening is tricky since TFA ended on a cliffhanger. Traditionally, all Star Wars movies open in space, but that can't really be done for Ahch-To. With Finn still in a coma and Kylo en route to Snoke, it's also unlikely to open with an attack on D'Qar. Given the tradition of opening with a Star Destroyer in the shot, he natural place to start is with Kylo going to Snoke. TLJ will likely follow tradition and pan down (or up) to a First Order Star Destroyer with Kylo's shuttle emerging and going to Snoke's Super Star Destroyer. There gold-robed Snoke will chew him out for his failure on Starkiller and tell him they need to find Luke and Rey quickly. Snoke will order Kylo to join the attack on the Resistance at D'Qar and to bring the map to him. Kylo probably throws a tantrum when he's away from Snoke.

Next up is D'Qar. With Finn in a coma, he's the perfect expy for reminding the audience of what happened in a movie many of them last saw two years ago. He also needs to be back on his feet so the rest of the movie's action can happen. So, we'll see Finn wake up, have a brief scene with Poe and get a quick recap of what happened and whats about to happen. In the mean time, the rest of the Resistance is preparing to evacuate and many surviving ships from the New Republic have joined them. Finn will naturally want to know about Rey, which nicely sets up the next scene.

Finally, we go to Ahch-To and watch what we've all been waiting two years for. As shown in the BTS reel, Luke does go to and accepts the lightsaber. At this point, he probably doesn't know who she is and this will likely end up being a minor plot point (1). At the end of the scene Luke will rebuff Rey and the main challenge will become apparent.

Inciting Incident

After the introduction to Ahch-To the plot will shift to defining the main conflict - Luke's in despair. His statement that the Jedi must end will serve to underline just how defeated he feels.

• Note - from here on out, this is going to get increasingly speculative. Little is definitively known about most of the movie. This lays out the likely story trajectory as I see it based on reliable leaks and official marketing material.

Stage 2: New Situation

This stage will be devoted to exploring Luke's state, current situation and providing exposition on Ahch-To itself. It will likely be during these scenes we'll get to meet the Porgs, Rey will fight the sea monster and Luke will reunite with Artoo and Chewie. Rey's scene in the rain probably falls also falls in this segment. At this point scene order becomes much harder to predict and I'll simply provide descriptions of what happens in each stage.

D'Qar:
On D'Qar, the Resistance is frantically trying to leave before the First Order arrives. With their location known, the First Order is going to waste no time attempting to wipe out the only remaining organized opposition to their domination of the galaxy. During these scenes, Leia will give Finn a mission and Finn will meet Rose. The First Order will arrive and begin their attack. In space, Poe will attempt to board his X-Wing on Home-One, but it will get destroyed before he can. Rose and Finn make it to a transport and leave, frantically evading First Order TIEs. Eventually they make it to hyperspace and head to Canto-Bight. Poe meets Admiral Holdo and they lead the fleet into hyperspace with the FO fleet in pursuit. While this is happening, Kylo will arrive (likely with friends) and infiltrate the base in search of the map. Leia and him will probably see each other from a distance and share a look before events bring them apart again. Kylo will succeed in obtaining the map and leave, but instead of returning to Snoke, he will head straight for Ahch-To.

Plot Point 1: Change of Plans

Up to this point, Luke has been steadily humanized as a person. Now, an event will take place that fundamentally transforms his and Rey's relationship. Towards the end of stage 2, Rey will experience a Forceback similar to the one at Maz's castle showing the major events in Luke's past from most recent to earliest (it's possible Luke himself shows her it). The last part of the vision will be of the most painful event of Luke's life - losing his daughter, Rey. The shot of Rey collapsing from the teaser is likely the immediate aftermath.

####Act II: Confrontation

Where Rey approached Luke as a legend in Act 1, she now approaches him as her father.

Stage 3: Progress

The first stage of Act II will consist of the reunion of Rey with her father, Luke. It will be during this stage that an ecstatic Luke shows her what he's learned about the Force and when the scene with Rey swinging her father's old lightsaber (now passed to her) takes place. (2) It's likely we'll hear a bit about Rey's mother as well. It will seem like Rey is getting everything she ever wanted and the goal of bringing Luke into the fight will appear within reach. Their reunion will be interrupted, however, when they sense Kylo and his friends arrive. Based on third party reports, it's likely Kylo's fighter is somehow brought down, while his comrades shuttle lands intact. Further, it appears the new arrivals attack the heroes, with Kylo going after Rey and his friends attacking Luke (who easily defeats them). This signals the arrival of the 'turning point'.

Canto-Bight:
(3) Rose and Finn arrive on Canto-Bight and set about finding their lead. The chase scenes will take place during this stage and it will end with them finding and breaking DJ out of jail. They'll grow to increasingly like each other as well.

Resistance Fleet:
Poe, Leia and Admiral Holdo discuss what to do next and their discussion gets increasingly heated. The admiral will likely favor a direct confrontation or possibly surrender, while Leia and Poe will argue for finding a place to consolidate or to continue the fight.

Midpoint: Turning Point

From both third party reports, backed by BTS footage, it appears Rey is knocked off a cliff into the water below. For someone who never encountered so much as a puddle, this would be extremely dangerous and terrifying. It's highly likely Rey will require outside intervention to reach safety. Further, it appears from the BTS footage that this is the point Rey discards her childhood hairstyle and adopts her new clothes, suggesting both the earlier revelation and her encounter with Kylo has been a transformative event for her. Symbolically, her submersion represents a baptism and the change in attire her transition to adulthood.

Stage 4: Complications and Higher Stakes

Knowing he can't take Luke in open combat, Kylo retreats. Luke must save Rey, and is unable to pursue. Luke pulls Rey from the water and the two return to Luke's hut, where Rey adopts her new look. The two go looking for Kylo (who possibly sets fire to the tree to get their attention). Knowing Kylo wants her alive, Luke allows Rey to be separated from him and Kylo takes the bait, cornering Rey in a cave (the waterfall scene with Kylo in the trailer). Luke appears, and easily subdues Kylo. They bring him back to the village and restrain him. Luke leaves Rey with him (possibly to stop the fire). Kylo starts talking to her about their respective pasts and shared heritage, eventually leading to Rey entering Kylo's memories (aided by their blood-driven Force connection).

Canto-Bight:
DJ agrees to help Finn and Rose get what they need to infiltrate the First Order and provides uniforms and identities. The two somehow make it aboard a FO Star Destroyer and get what they need, but things quickly go wrong and they're discovered. In a running fight, they make it to a hanger bay and wreck many of the ships there. It looks like they'll get away, but Phasma and a contingent of stormtroopers enter and engage them. Although they're able to dispatch the stormtroopers with quick thinking, Phasma engages Finn in one on one melee combat. Phasma will probably gain the upper hand at some point, but forget about Rose. Finn takes off her arm and likely kills her. While this is happening, the destroyer has joined the fleet attacking Crait.

Resistance Fleet:
The dispute between Poe, Leia and Holdo has come to a head and Holdo has Leia removed from the bridge (possibly imprisoned or confined to quarters). Realizing he needs to act now, Poe gathers loyal Resistance members and stages a mutiny, seizing the bridge. He has Leia released and leads the fleet to Crait, where a significant number of surviving Republic forces have regrouped.

Plot Point 2: Major Setback

In a second Forceback, Rey experiences Kylo's memories in ascending chronological order. During it, she sees things from Kylo's perspective, including the effects of her disappearance. Through it all, she sees her father in a very different light and it devastates her (4). Luke returns and she accuses him of abandoning her and the rest of his family. Unleashing years of grief and frustration, Luke loses control for a moment as he emotionally denies it and unleashes a massive display of the Force, wrecking the hut they're in. Rey and Kylo are unharmed, but Rey is now terrified too. Deciding her family wasn't worth the fourteen years she spent waiting, she decides her real place is with her friends. Abandoning her family, as she believes they once abandoned her, she boards the Falcon and leaves her father and cousin behind. Overcome by emotion himself, Luke doesn't try to stop her or Kylo from leaving soon after (it's possible he has an opening to kill Luke, but doesn't take it here). Kylo takes his dead companions' shuttle and leaves Luke alone and stranded once again.

####Act 3: Resolution

In this act, the subplots have largely resolved and now merge with the main plot.

Stage 5: Final Push

Rey learns the Resistance is on Crait and heads there before the FO fleet arrives. She tells Leia bitterly that Luke isn't coming. Leia, sensing her her niece's distress, immediately leaves for Ahch-To herself. The FO fleet arrives and engages the orbiting fleet. Finn and Rose also escape the SD they're aboard and head to Crait, perhaps while ground forces are being deployed. Severely outnumbered and outgunned, the Resistance sends its forces to meet the FO, using the bombers to create a screen from the dust. The battle begins and Rey assists in bringing down several walkers before seeing Kylo, who engages her.

Climax

On Ahch-To, Leia lands and finds a thoroughly dispirited Luke. During a brief conversation, Leia reminds him that she lost her son to the dark side, but he hasn't lost Rey yet and still has a chance with her.

As a preface, it's very difficult to see how the movie ends any other way than Rey going with Kylo. With Luke's imminent return, Kylo returning empty handed would be an unmitigated disaster from Snoke's perspective and make Kylo look not only completely ineffectual, but also more of a liability than asset. The villains would be on the back-foot going into IX.

The Resistance is putting up a brave, but futile fight. The FO's firepower is overwhelming and they're steadily pushed back or destroyed. Locked in a stalemate with Kylo, Rey offers herself in return for the lives of her friends. Shocked, Kylo agrees and orders the attack stopped. Kylo takes her lightsaber and Rey to a shuttle as Finn and Poe watch, stunned. As their shuttle lifts off, Hux, at Snoke's urging orders the ground attack to resume, dismaying Kylo and panicking Rey. She calms however as she senses a powerful and familiar presence nearby.

Stage 6: Aftermath

As the FO presses its attack, a figure appears on the horizon. Figuring one person isn't a threat, the FO troops ignore him until one of their walkers is impossibly picked up and thrown into another. The FO turns all of it's weapons on the lone figure and begins firing. The figure, Luke, uses the Force to block and divert everything thrown at him as he methodically wrecks the FO forces without ever igniting his lightsaber. In the aftermath, the mood is somber. Luke turned the tide of the battle, but the Resistance's losses are massive and the loss of Rey is a bitter blow. Content with his prize, Snoke withdraws and welcomes Rey as Kylo brings her to him.

The movie ends with Luke looking out of a ships window in a callback to ESB, a determined look on his face.

####Notes:

1: I think Luke's initial inability to sense who she is will be used to signal just how clouded his mind has become. He's become unable to hear what the Force is telling him.

2: My initial instinct was to place these before the Force vision, but Luke watching Rey and teaching her about what he's learned about the Force is inconsistent with the despairing mood he apparently has in the beginning. It would also delay getting to the heart of the movie, which is Luke and Rey reuniting. Therefore, it makes more sense to expect it after the first Forceback.

3: Finn and Rose's sections are left intentionally vague since I don't know what Leia told Finn to do or what they initially do on Canto-Bight.

4: If this seems to be throwing Luke under a bus, remember the characters are only acting based on their perceptions and what they know. Whether Luke is actually guilty of anything doesn't matter; what matters is that Rey and Kylo think he is. IX will be where Rey (and we) get the full story.

I was looking at the preview images from the upcoming On the Frontlines book and noticed something first mentioned in the TFA Visual Dictionary. Towards the end of the Battle of Jakku, the Empire fell back on the research installation located there and defended it for a time before destroying it and jumping to the Unknown Regions. At first glance, this seems completely consistent with the Observatory in Empire's End; however, we also know the location of the research facility from Rey's Survival Guide - Carbon Ridge. This is not the same location as the Observatory, which was built on the Plaintive Hand Plateau, which is far enough that Rax used a ship to travel from his base at Carbon Ridge to the Observatory.

It gets even more interesting; if you recall, the remaining Imperial ships fell back towards the end of the battle and defended the base for an indeterminate period of time. If you further recall, at the end of Empire's End Rax pushed Yupe Tashu with several Sith artifacts into the 'essence' located at the core of the planet which started a chain reaction that would destroy the planet. However, Sloane killed Rax and managed to stop the reaction, with only minutes left. Sloane then left on a replica of the Imperialis and a Sentinel droid sent out coordinates to officers considered loyal to Palpatine. Yet we also know from the VD they didn't actually leave immediately, but defended the research facility for a significant amount of time - longer than it should have taken for Jakku to be destroyed.

This series of events is puzzling. Who ordered the Empire to fall back and defend the installation? Rax was dead and Sloane left early in the battle without ever taking command. If Rax was correct that Palpatine's plan was for Jakku to be destroyed, why not just destroy the facility and leave? Why waste time defending it? Further, why not do whatever needed to be done before the battle? Why risk the Republic reaching the facility?

The most likely conclusion is Palpatine never intended the chain reaction to be completed at that time. His goal was likely for the planetary essence to be corrupted and then for the resulting chain reaction to be put on hold. Second, the messages the Sentinels dispatched probably carried more than just coordinates. They likely also carried additional instructions for their recipients. Third, there must have been something going on at the facility that required precise timing and possibly required the corruption of the essence to occur first (to mask it in the Force perhaps?). Fourth, the Emperor must have fully intended to dispense with Rax (who can no longer be relied upon to listen to the Sentinels) and use Sloane (who has no idea what's going on). Finally, the Emperor's plan extended way beyond wrecking his empire.
Suffice to say, the events of the Battle of Jakku are far more interesting than they seemed.

The interrogation scene is one of the defining scenes in TFA and many feel the scene is intimate and sets up a the possibility of a romantic relationship. At the same time, many use the perceived intamacy to rule out kinship between Kylo and Rey. However, the novelization gives a different picture of what is going on. Kylo isn't being intimate, he's puzzled by Rey and trying to figure out why she seems familiar.
Overlaying the script over the novel's version makes it quite evident the film was shot following the depiction shown in the novel. Here, I've done such a comparison with commentary. The scene effectively starts when Kylo freezes Rey on Takodana:

Novel:

Until, evidently, he tired of it. He raised a hand, held it toward her, palm outward. As she inhaled sharply, her hand froze on the blaster. She tried to turn, to run, but her legs refused to respond. She could only stand there among the trees, taking in slow, measured breaths, as he came toward her.
Halting an arm's length away, he studied her face from behind his mask. When he finally spoke, he sounded at once impressed and surprised. "You would kill me. Knowing nothing about me."
Finding that her mouth and lips worked, she replied defiantly. "Why wouldn't I kill you? I know about the First Order."
"I would say otherwise. But that is a small thing. Simple ignorances are easily remedied." As he spoke, he walked slowly around her paralyzed body. Frightened, she tried to follow him with her eyes, but her head would not turn. "So afraid," he murmured. "Yet I should be the one who should be scared. You shot first. You speak of the Order as if it were barbaric. And yet, it is I who was forced to defend myself against you."
Having circled her, he moved even closer, peering into her face, her eyes. Then the red lightsaber he held came up: close to her flesh, close enough to cast a red glow on her skin.
"Something." He sounded mystified. "There is something...Who are you?"

In the book, they have a short dialog and Kylo's initial focus is on Rey rather than finding the map.

Script:

KYLO REN: The girl I've heard so much about. He walks AROUND HER, slowly, she won't let herself cry. KYLO REN (CONT'D): The droid.
He comes around to see her face. After a scary beat he WHIPS HIS SABER UP TO HER EYES, ILLUMINATING HER FACE.
KYLO REN (CONT'D): Where is it?

The focus in the final film is moved largely to the droid rather than Rey herself, other than one line referencing the scene where he first learns of her.

Novel:

Shutting down and belting his lightsaber, Ren contemplated his immobile captive. Reaching up slowly, he touched her face. The pressure he applied was not physical. Refusing to meet his gaze, she looked away, straining with the agony of resistance, hardly daring to breathe. If only she could get a hand free, a leg-but no part of her body responded to her commands.
Surprised by what he was finding, Ren lowered his hand. Relieved of the mental intrusion, she sucked in great, long draughts of air. His brows drew together and a reluctance to believe his own findings colored his comments.
"Is it true, then? You're nothing special after all? You're just a-Jakku scavenger?"

Kylo clearly thinks there's something familiar about her here and is puzzled to find she's just a scavenger. This section is missing entirely from the film, but he's clearly confused about Rey.

How did he know that? she agonized as she stared back at him. Surely she hadn't thought it! She'd tried to keep her mind blank, her memory locked, and still he had wormed his way in. He touched her anew. This time the pain of trying to stave him off brought tears streaming down her face. He was within her mind and her thoughts, and there was nothing-nothing!-she could do to keep him out. To resist. But she kept trying, trying...
"Hmm...," he murmured softly. "You've met the traitor who served under me. A minor annoyance grown larger than he deserves. You find him more than tolerable." He drew back slightly, bemused. "You've even begun to care for him. A weakness, such distractions."
Suddenly he put his face so close to hers that they were almost touching. "You've seen it! The map! It's in your mind right now..."
She could hardly swallow as she strained to pull away from him, anything to pull away, to get him out.
She wanted to scream, but he would not allow it.

Script:

KYLO REN: The map. You've seen it.
Rey is horrified. He TOUCHES HER FACE again: the pain, tears stream. Kylo Ren, taking more from her mind... She stares at him, TERRIFIED, straining in agony -- Kylo Ren, mid-interrogation, TURNS TOWARD THE SOUND OF THE EXPLOSIONS. Stormtroopers APPROACH through the woods. STORMTROOPER #5: Sir, Resistance fighters! We need more troops. Kylo Ren TURNS BACK TO Rey, his hand still on her face. KYLO REN: Pull the division out. Forget the droid. We have what we need.

Again, Ren's lines indicating his initial interest in Rey personally are removed. His attitude goes from curiosity to higly aggressive. Our only remaining indication he's interested in Rey in the film is his decision to abandon the droid (which disregards the entire reason they needed to find the droid in the first place, as Hux later mocks Kylo).

Now we come to the interrogation scene. The novelization and film overlap almost perfectly with some key changes. Novels not in the film are crossed out and added lines are bolded.

Description removed
"Where am I?"
"Does the physical location really matter so much?" In Kylo Ren's voice there was unexpected gentleness. Not quite sympathy, but something less than the hostility with which he had confronted her in the forest. "You're my guest."
With an ease that was more frightening than any physical approach, he waved casually in her direction. A couple of clicks, and the restraints fell away from her arms. She tried to take the demonstration in stride as she rubbed her wrists. The last thing she wanted was for him to think he could intimidate her any more than he already had. Looking around the room, she confirmed that they were alone.
"Where are the others?~~ The ones who were fighting with me?~~"
He sniffed disdainfully. "You mean the traitors, murderers, and thieves you call friends? Consider carefully now: I could easily tell you they were all killed, righteously slain in battle. But I would prefer to be honest with you from the beginning. You will be relieved to hear that as far as their current status and well-being is concerned-I have no idea."

Kylo is far more verbose in the novel and his intent to garner her trust is evident. This is in stark contrast to how he handles Poe earlier in the film. In the novel, his more gentle approach is a continuation of the forest scene. In the film, it's a substantial change in tone.

She stared at him. Though at the moment he was calm, she could not escape the feeling that a wrong word, an unsatisfactory response, might set him off. Be very careful with this person, she told herself.
He looked at her as if she had just spoken aloud. For all the chance she had of hiding her emotions from him, she realized, she might as well have voiced her thoughts.
"You still want to kill me," he murmured.

The reference to the novelization's conversation in the woods is removed here.

Her true self got the better of her and she replied tactlessly, despite the danger. "That happens when you're being hunted by a creature in a mask."
Kylo removes his mask as he does in the film
"Is it true?" he finally asked. "You're just a scavenger?" She didn't respond, and, perhaps sensing her embarrassment, he changed the subject. "Tell me about the droid."

The line echoing his earlier puzzlement with her is removed and he goes straight to the droid. The result is a sharp tonal shift where he goes from aggressive, to friendly and back to aggressive. In the novel there's a smoother transition from curious, even friendly, to aggressive. It's also evident the scenes were cut from footage that reflected the novel.

She swallowed. "It's a BB unit with a selenium drive and a thermal hyperscan vindicator, internal self-correcting gyroscopic propulsion system, optics corrected to-"
"I am familiar with general droid technical specifications. I don't need to acquire one: What I want is located in its memory. It's He's carrying a section of a transgalactic navigational chart. We have the rest, recovered from the archives of the Empire. We need the last piece. Somehow, you convinced the droid to show it to you. You. A simple, solitary scavenger. How is that?"

Some unnecessary lines are cut. In the novel, it's clear he's decided she is in fact just a scavenger and he's mistaken about her and feels no reason to continue attempting to gain her trust. In the film, he tries to gain her trust for all of a minute and then abandons the tactic for no apparent reason. In any case, he goes straight to mental invasion.

She looked away. How did he know that? By the same means he had used to learn everything else?
"I know you've seen the map," he repeated. "It's what I need. At the moment, it is all that I need." When she maintained her silence, he almost sighed. "I can take whatever I want."
Her muscles tightened. "Then you don't need me to tell you anything."
"True." He rose, resigned. "I would have preferred to avoid this. Despite what you may believe, it gives me no pleasure. I will go as easily as possible-but I will take what I need."

He blames Rey for forcing him to resort to mental intrusion and tries to put her at ease.

She knew that trying to resist him physically would not only be useless but would likely result in unpleasantness of a kind she preferred not to imagine. So she remained motionless and silent, her arms at her sides, as his hand rose toward her face. He touched her again, as he had in the forest on Takodana.
And hesitated. What was that? Something there. Something unexpected.

Unfortunately, none of this can really be conveyed visually.

As she strained to resist the probe, he pushed into her, brushing aside her awkward attempts to keep him out. While he investigated her mind, he spoke softly.
"You've been so lonely," he murmured as he searched for what he needed. "So afraid to leave." A thin smile crossed his face. "At night, desperate to sleep, you'd imagine an ocean. I can see it...I can see the island."
Tears were streaming down her face from the effort she was making to withstand him. Increasingly desperate, she did try to strike out. But just as on Takodana, her body refused to respond.
"And Han Solo," Ren continued relentlessly. "He feels like the father you never had. A dead end, that vision. Let it go. I can tell you for a fact he would have disappointed you."
All the rage and terror bottled up inside her came out as she turned to meet his stare.
"Get-out-of-my-head."
It only made him lean in closer, enhancing her feeling of complete helplessness. "Rey-you've seen the map. It's in there. And I am going to take it. Don't be afraid."
Where the strength to defy him came from she did not know, but if anything, her voice grew a little stronger. "I'm not giving you anything."
His response reflected his unconcern. "We'll see."

This entire section is the same in both versions.

Description
Ah, he thought to himself. Something there, of interest. Not the image of the map. That would take another moment. But definitely something worth investigating. He shifted his perception toward it, seeking to identify, to analyze, to-
The barrier he encountered stopped him cold. And it was he, Kylo Ren, who blinked. It made no sense. He pushed, hard, with his mind-and the probe went nowhere.

As described in the script:

He peers into her eyes intensely. She meets his gaze -- DESPITE THE PAIN SHE IS STRONG. On Ren's face as HIS CONFIDENCE BEGINS TO MELT AWAY. He has slammed up against a barrier in her mind. He looks less certain by the moment as Rey seems to GROW IN STRENGTH. The > FEROCITY of confrontation builds until it hits critical mass AND REY DOES THE UNTHINKABLE! SHE ENTERS HIS HEAD, AMAZED AT WHAT SHE IS SEEING!

In the film the impression the audience gets is Rey manages to tap into the Force and forces him out. In the novel, she's helpless until he hits an existing barrier of some kind after sensing something unexpected. Interestingly, the script also references a barrier.

A look of amazement replaced the fear on Rey's face as she discovered herself inside his mind. Stunned at the realization, she found herself inexorably drawn to-to...
"You," she heard herself saying clearly, "you're afraid. That you will never be as strong as-Darth Vader!"

In the book, Kylo is then summoned to talk to Snoke. In the film, he stares at Rey and leaves.

The recent interest in the underlying philosophy of Star Wars and the resulting metaphysics has led me to finally refine and write out my own interpretations:

###Balance

'Balance' is the Force's natural state, when it's free to act as it wills. The dark side isn't really a side at all, but a cancer that subverts the will of the Force. It cannot, however, do anything on its own; it requires individual users to strengthen and spread it. The dark side's practioners use it to impose their own will on the Force. In turn, the dark side acts to subvert the users own inhibitions and conscience which makes it even harder to avoid using it. Anger, fear or hate don't lead to the dark side in and of themselves, but cloud one's judgement and make one more susceptible to its use. The Sith seek total domination over the Force and bending it their will which is what is causing an imbalance.

###The Chosen One

"You refer to the prophecy of the one who will bring balance to the Force. You believe it's this…boy?" - Mace Windu

The 'Chosen One' was prophesized to return balance to the Force by destroying the Sith. Each successive Sith Master had been able to gain greater control over the Force, with Palpatine very close to succeeding in 'breaking' the Force and fashioning a new 'natural' order. While Anakin ultimately did destroy the Sith and temporarily restored balance, the cancer itself and the knowledge created by the Sith over the millennia remain. Ultimately, fulfilling the prophecy created the opening necessary for his descendents and the Jedi to make that balance permanent.

###The Jedi

"The dark side clouds everything." - Yoda

In their millennia long fight with the Sith, the Jedi's fear of losing control and falling to the dark side, as their fallen brethren had, led to an Order that taught its members to deny themselves and separate itself from the rest of the galaxy. However, this created a new imbalance, an internal one, as understanding the self is critical to understanding the wider Force. Worst of all, it came to see the ultimate expression of connectivity at the heart of the Force as an enemy, love for another individual. It is only through love of another individual that the self is truly transcended and the connections making up the Force understood. By losing internal balance, the Jedi's ability to 'hear' and interpret the Force was compromised and they increasingly relied upon their own dogma and tenets rather than the Force itself. Ultimately, they were unable to sense the greatest source of imbalance when it was literally in front of them.

###The Bendu

"I'm the one in the middle!" - The Bendu

The Bendu has the internal balance the Jedi lack, which allows him to have the kind of sight they lost. However, he's misunderstood 'balance' as a position between the dark and light sides. He thinks balance can be achieved by avoiding conflict. However, the dark side is inherently imbalancing due to its drive to subvert the natural order. If unopposed, the dark side will eventually consume him and his world as well.

###Resolving of Gray

First comes the day Then comes the night. After the darkness Shines through the light. The difference, they say, Is only made right By the resolving of gray Through refined Jedi sight. Journal of the Whills, 7:477

'Gray' is a reference to the frequent moral ambiguity of choices. It is rare that the consequences of a choice is clear at the time it is made and seemingly 'good' choices can have disastrous results. It is through 'refined Jedi sight' that moral ambiguity can be resolved and the consequences of a path are made clear. A good example would be Luke's choice to go to Vader on Endor. At the time surrendering putting himself at Vader's mercy seemed insane and 'running away' as Leia implored or remaining with the strike team for the attack on the shield seemed like better options, yet taking either road would have been disastrous. It was only through his belief in and love for his father that Luke chose what turned out to be the best road.

###The Force as a Web, an Analogy

We can think of the Force as a giant web of connections between every living thing. Each strand of the web subtly tugs on each individual which expresses the will of the Force. The Jedi attempted to eschew the connection between individuals and tried to grasp the web as a hole. However, because the web is actually made up of the connecting strands between individuals, they actually made impossible to feel and understand what the Force was communicating. It is only through the forging and exploration of connections with other individuals that the web as whole can truly be heard and understood. By way of contrast, the Benu only concerns himself with the strands connecting him to the Force at the expense of the rest of the web. The Sith want to be at the center of the web and do all of the pulling and spinning.

The Twin Suns episode has a lot of subtext in it, which has been lost in the debate over Obi-Wan telling Maul Luke was the Chosen One:

• Twin Suns -> Twin Sons: Obi-Wan and Maul are almost perfect mirrors of each other. Where Obi-Wan embodies order and duty, Maul embodies chaos and self-interest. The two have have been intertwined almost their entire adult lives and have left their marks on each other (literally in Maul's case) and both have lost everything to Palpatine. They're like inverted identical twins.
• Obi-Wan was heavily leaning on the fourth wall when he told Ezra he shouldn't be there.
• Ezra went to Tatooine to warn Obi-Wan against orders and wound up being superfluous. That combined with the segment of Beru calling Luke really drove home the point Star Wars is not Ezra's story. I got the distinct feeling this episode was telling us Ezra cannot and will not be part of the future Luke represents.
• The duel has been covered elsewhere. I do want to note Maul's wandering through the desert alone and the brevity of the duel underlines just how broken and inconsequential Maul had become.
• We saw another example of Obi-Wan's willingness to twist the truth when he tells Ezra all he saw was what Maul wanted.
• Obi-Wan's compassion for Maul in death demonstrates again how he is the embodiment of the PT era Jedi's ideals. It's rather hard t o see how he would have had a kid at any point.

Over the last week I've been updating my previous theories to accommodate the new information in Empire's End. The four posts make up my current master theory which forms the backbone of all of my speculation. I suggest the following reading order:

0. Some themes and definitions
1. The Unknown Regions and the Dark Presence - What's in the Unknown Regions and what Palpatine wanted there.
2. Secrets of the Emperor - The Emperor's secret cadre of loyal Force sensitives as well as my theory on Snoke.
3. The Fall of Ben Solo - How and why Ben Solo became Kylo Ren
4. Skywalker Abandonment Theory - A detailed explanation of how Rey Skywalker ended up on Jakku.

A Secret Army

In the Clone Wars episode Children of the Force, Darth Sidious has several Force Sensitive children kidnapped and brought to Mustafar. There Sidious intends to turn them into Sith spies to infiltrate the Jedi Order. At the same time he reveals a much longer term plan:

"I foresee an army of force talented spies in my service. Trained in the dark side to peer into every corner of the galaxy for me from afar; and my enemies will be helpless against such vision"

In that episode he is foiled by Anakin and Ahsoka, but his interest in Force sensitive children continues. In Ahsoka, the Sixth Brother travels to where there had been rumors of a Force sensitive human girl. The girl is able to hide and he ultimately leaves when hears of Ahsoka's exploits elsewhere. In Rebels we see Inquisitors again attempting to kidnap Force sensitive children and are this time thwarted by Kanan and Ezra. Also in Rebels, Imperial academy instructors on Lothal are shown keeping an eye out for exceptional individuals who are referred to the Inquisitors. Each instance we see was thwarted, but the question is, what happened all the times someone wasn't around to stop them? The answer is likely that these special children are kidnapped and trained to be agents of the Emperor and his Empire.
There are many functions a cadre of Force sensitive agents could perform:

1. Palpatine's vision above for an army of seers.
2. Loyalty enforcers.
3. Field agents.
4. Exploring and researching Force related artifacts and locations.

We're actually given a hint of the second in Lost Stars:

Her imagination conjured visions of psychological interrogations; they whispered that the questioners could sense the moment anyone began to turn traitor. Had they picked up on her doubt?

Gray, Claudia. Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Lost Stars (Kindle Locations 3842-3843). Disney Book Group. Kindle Edition.

The problem with a cadre of Force sensitives is they can each be extremely dangerous. Indeed, we see the Emperor's paranoia reflected in the Inquisitors who are given limited training in the dark side. How then, to ensure loyalty? The answer is to find them young and completely indoctrinate them to serve the Emperor. The Inquisitors can fill the initial role of finding the first generation and be dispensed with once an initial capability is established (the Inquisitors are disbanded by the Battle of Yavin).

Snoke's Role

The Emperor is a busy man and hardly the person to undertake the training of this group. Darth Vader, who is supposed to be plotting to take Emperor's place, certainly can't be trusted with an army of Force sensitives. Who, then, can be trusted? Only someone with knowledge of the Force who, like the children he trained and directed, was found at a young age and was to raised to devote his life to his 'father'.

In many ways, Snoke would be Vader's opposite. He served out of devotion to Palpatine and could be trusted with secrets and tasks others could not. Snoke knew what the Emperor's intentions regarding the Unknown Regions, the chosen one and understood the many Force related artifacts in ways men like Yupe Tashu could not. Where Vader ran the military and was the public 'face', Snoke ran the part of the Empire that worked in the shadows.

While the Emperor intended to rule forever, he was a thorough schemer and made arrangements for his goals to be completed even if he could be the one to do it. He tasked an orphan boy by the name of Galli with seeing that the Empire did not survive its Emperor. At the same time, the Emperor ensured the seeds of a new Empire would be planted. Galli mistakenly believed he was to rule this new Empire, but he was only to prepare the throne for another - one who knew and was committed to the Emperor's grandest plans. The Emperor had chosen a successor after all.

Another veil Empire's End has somewhat lifted is the nature of the Unknown Regions. In the book we learn that the regions are incredibly dangerous to navigate and no one has survived attempting it. During Sloane's journey in the epilogue, we get a glimpse of why:

The journey through the Unknown Regions has been harrowing. Taking short hyperspace jumps through the chaos has been like navigating a dangerous maze at full speed. But the sentinel assured her the path was safe. They skirted superstorms and saw strange creatures out there in the blackness of the void. They lost system power when a magnetic burst of mysterious origin cascaded through space—but it was only for a few hours, and with power

Wendig, Chuck. Empire's End: Aftermath (Star Wars) (Star Wars: The Aftermath Trilogy) (Kindle Locations 6649-6652). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

We further learn more about the dark source first hinted at in Tarkin. The Emperor believed it to be the source of his powers and that it was somewhere in the roiling chaos of the Unknown Regions. In an effort to find it, he established a navigational mechanism using ancient machines at the Jakku Observatory which took 30 years to finish its work.

Now all of this is fascinating on its own, but I think it's particularly interesting in light of this passage in Tarkin:

And he would not allow himself to be sidetracked from his goal of unlocking the secrets many of the Sith Masters before him had sought: the means to harness the powers of the dark side to reshape reality itself; in effect, to fashion a universe of his own creation. Not mere immortality of the sort Plagueis had lusted after, but influence of the ultimate sort.

Miller, John Jackson. The Rise of the Empire: Star Wars: Featuring the novels Star Wars: Tarkin, Star Wars: A New Dawn, and 3 all-new short stories (Kindle Locations 4579-4582). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Sidious is after something long sought by the Sith - power over reality itself. I think it is highly likely the dark presence and the phenomena present in the Unknown Regions is the result of an ancient attempt at doing precisely what Sidious aims to do. There is additional circumstantial evidence that the Unknown Regions have not always been so unknown or difficult to navigate:

• The Unknown Regions is contiguous and no other location in the galaxy is known to feature that kind of phenomena.
• The Jedi had ancient maps of the Unknown Regions deep within their archives at the Temple on Coruscant.
• Illum was located in the Unknown Regions.
• Jedha, a major location for many Force based religions and once the seat of the Jedi Order itself borders the Unknown Regions.
• The rumor in Rey's Survival Guide that there was a storehouse on Jakku holding artifacts from ancient civilizations.

I postulate the dark presence and Unknown Regions were due to an ancient Sith (or, possibly, Cora Vessora's revenge) attempt at controlling reality gone wrong. If this speculation is correct, I further postulate Sidious and Snoke ultimately need the Chosen One's bloodline to properly harness this tear in reality and the powers that resulted in its creation.

I've been updating my standing theories with the new information that has come available. My 'Fall of Ben Solo' theory is largely the same, but the elimination of Gallius in the Snokestakes obviously means it was someone else. I'll be putting together a post on Snoke and his position in the Empire soon.

The Fall of Ben Solo

I would like to say up front that I don't think JJ's statement in the commentary that Rey and Kylo haven't met before TFA should be taken absolutely. So please don't reply as though I'm not aware of what he said. Second, this is predicated on Rey Skywalker. Third, it does make some leaps that aren't predicated on any information we currently have. It's based on where I think the ST is going thematically.

We have been given very little about Ben's fall to the dark side. Based on the conversation between Han and Leia in TFA, it's very likely the two knew Snoke personally. Further, Leia's statement that Snoke had been influencing Ben 'from the beginning' suggests the relationship started close to Ben's birth. She further states Snoke knew he would be strong in the Force early on. For Snoke to target Ben so early, he must have somehow known Luke, Leia and Ben were the descendants of Anakin/Vader. This presents a problem, as the only people outside Luke, Leia, Han and Chewie to know of the Skywalker heritage were dead and we know the secret was kept until the events of Bloodline. We know Kenobi, Yoda and Bail never told anyone, which leaves the Emperor and Vader. Therefore, the probable way Snoke learned of the Skywalker heritage is through the Emperor.
I posit Snoke was a secret apprentice and agent of the Emperor (1). As an apprentice and confidant, he would have been in a position to know the Emperor's plans regarding the Force in general and the Skywalkers in particular. From there, it's simply a matter of learning Leia was Luke's sister to know Ben was Vader's grandson. He is also the person the Emperor secretly selected as his successor in the event of his death. Prior to Empire's End I believed Rax would fill this role, but the events of EE show he was just a means of ensuring the Empire did not long outlive its Emperor. However, I still think Snoke will have the background and role I anticipated for Rax.
In all likelihood, he infiltrated the Republic as a move to plant the seeds for the First Order within the nascent Republic and sabotage Luke, but once he learned Ben was Vader's grandson, he likely refocused on Leia and her son. As the Emperor's apprentice, Snoke would have known why the Chosen One and his bloodline were so important and it would prove invaluable if he could corrupt and recruit a descendant. As a child, Ben would have been especially susceptible to Snoke's influence.
Snoke's first goal would have been to emotionally isolate Ben while posing as his friend and mentor. Ben would have already been especially vulnerable due to his extreme Force Sensitivity. While secretly encouraging Ben's exploration of his powers, Snoke would need to see to it that there was no one to give him the guidance he desperately needed. With Luke rarely around (and Snoke probably did what he could to keep him busy), the only other person who could give Ben real guidance was Leia. By subtly undermining Leia's trust in herself and the Force, Snoke managed to make Leia forsake and even fear that part of her (2).
His own mother's fear and abandonment of the amazing power they both shared must have caused considerable confusion and distress for the young Ben. So, Ben befriended the only person who seemed to understand and encourage his gift. Snoke took full advantage of this and began to suggest that not only was Ben different, but superior. Ben's father's lack of sensitivity made him inferior and someone to be scorned. His mother had the gift, but was too emotionally weak to embrace it as she should.
Ben's attitude and resultant behavior would have become more and more distressing to Leia who sensed something was wrong, but didn't know what. She further worsened the situation by attempting to resolve it by herself, playing right into Snoke's hands. After every intervention she tried failed, she finally made the desperate decision to send Ben to Luke. To Ben, it must have felt like abandonment.
Away from Snoke's influence and with people who really understood what he had, Ben improved for a time. He became close to his uncle and even closer to his young cousin after she was born. For Snoke, it was a significant setback, but not an irrecoverable one.
At some point, Snoke somehow learned Luke had a daughter. He could not get close to her as he had Ben, so he waited for the right opportunity to abduct her. When that opportunity came, Snoke's thugs succeed in kidnapping Rey and bring her to Jakku to turn her over to the First Order. Ben and Luke learn of this and Ben insists they attempt a rescue. Luke, perhaps drawing on lessons learned from his own rash rescue attempt, tells him they need to be patient and this isn't the right time. Ben, however, decides to attempt a rescue without Luke and possibly gets the help of his father.
The attempt ends in disaster and Rey is presumed to killed (something happens which leads to her accidentally blocking her own connection to the Force). This incident is devastating for everyone involved. Luke is emotionally devastated and never fully recovers while Ben is left with overwhelming anger and guilt. Anger at Luke for seemingly abandoning his own family, but even more intense anger at himself for not being strong enough to save Rey. He resolves to become strong enough that he will never fail to protect those he loves again (3).
In the face of the wide rift that has formed between him and his uncle, Ben secretly reaches out to Snoke after this incident for guidance. This result was completely unexpected to Snoke and he takes full advantage of it. He carefully works to further undermine Ben and Luke's bond and starts to hint at Ben's true lineage and encourages him to embrace his ancestor's goals.
Luke, meanwhile, has realized a dark power was behind his daughter's kidnapping and apparent death. Ceasing his exploration of Jedi history, he begins rebuilding the Jedi Order to confront this threat. At some point, he learns of Snoke and moves to confront him. Around this time, Ben learns that what Snoke had been telling him is true; he is the grandson of Darth Vader. That his own family would keep this from him completely destroys his trust in them and cements his belief Snoke is his only true friend.
When Ben and Luke find and confront Snoke, Ben is shocked to find the person Luke wants to destroy is the only true mentor and friend Ben ever had. While Snoke tries to defend himself against Luke, the Jedi Master easily overpowers him and inflicts severe injuries. Snoke is beaten and Luke prepares to strike the final blow, but is stunned as Ben intervenes. Caught off guard, Luke is driven off and Ben leaves with Snoke. Fully believing that Luke and his nascent order are the true enemy, Ben doesn't hesitate when Snoke tells him to destroy Luke's order. Luke manages to escape his temporary imprisonment, but arrives too late to stop Ben and finds his students dead.
Luke is left in shock as a Jedi's attempt to destroy the darkness forever has led to the fall of a Skywalker a second time. Realizing that seeking to destroy the darkness only led to it growing stronger, Luke resolves to study how the Jedi and Sith came to be and find a way to break the cycle. Ben, in the meantime, assumes the identity of Kylo Ren and resolves to destroy all traces of Ben Solo.

Notes:
1: In Clone Wars, Sidious abducts several Force-Sensitive children to turn them into Sith spies. He further states he envisions a network of loyal acolytes who use the Force to peer into any corner of the galaxy. In Rebels, one of the functions of the Inquisitors is to find and forcibly recruit Force Sensitives. It's possible Snoke was tasked with overseeing the creation and operation of this network.
2: There is a notable difference in how Leia views the Force in Life Debt and Bloodline. In the former, she's interested and actively exploring her connection. By the latter, she seems to view her connection with suspicion and abandoned any attempts at developing her abilities.
3: In his moment of vulnerability on the bridge in TFA, Kylo states he wants to stop the pain. I think this may be one of the things he's referring too.

First off. Go check out u/HypersonicHarpist post about the possibility of more Jedi in the ST then come back here for the proof.

Han tells us straight up.

"Those that knew him best think he went looking for the first Jedi temple."

Those that knew Luke best would be his students, graduates most likely, fellow Jedi knights sent on assignment for lore/whatever. What matters is these Jedi knights are still out there.

The Last Jedi = Luke at the beginning of VIII/These knights at the end. Lucasfilm isn't going to deny us this (I hope).

Opening scenes are powerful thing for setting the tone and theme for a movie, or a series of movies, and Star Wars does them particularly well. You can tell from just the first few moments of ANH exactly what the film and the entire OT is going to be about: a small but plucky group of rebels (symbolized by the blockade runner) fighting back against the overwhelming military might of the Empire (symbolized by the much larger Star Destroyer). ESB does this as well. The first thing we see is a Star Destroyer sending out probes and then one of the first things that happens to Luke is he is attacked and knocked unconscious. So we know from the beginning that the Empire is on the hunt and that our heroes are vulnerable and won't necessarily escape unscathed. TPM does this a bit more subtly. While not the opening line of the film, Obi-Wan's opening lines are revealing. "I have a bad feeling about this...It's not about the mission, Master, it's something elsewhere, elusive..." This sets the theme for the prequels: Palpatine's behind the scenes manipulations leading to his rise to power, beginning with the blockade of Naboo.

Now let's look at how TFA begins: We see a darkened Star Destroyer spreading across an illuminated planet, symbolizing the shadow of the First Order rising from the darkness of obscurity to spread across the galaxy. But then the opening line of the film is "This will begin to make things right." That I believe will become the theme of the entire Sequel Trilogy, making things right in the galaxy. So how are things made right? "I've traveled too far and seen too much to ignore the despair in the Galaxy. Without the Jedi there can be no balance in the Force." Jedi here must be in the plural sense of the word because one Jedi, Luke, is not enough to solve the problem. Presumably, Rey alone isn't enough either, more Jedi are needed. The opening of the TFA novelization reiterates this theme:

First comes the day

Then comes the night.

After the darkness

Shines through the light.

The difference, they say,

Is only made right

By the resolving of gray

through refined Jedi sight.

Again, the emphasis is on making things right which can only be accomplished by the Jedi. The first part of the poem further suggests a rebirth, as we've seen the day when the Jedi were thriving during the Republic and the night/darkness during the reign of the Empire when the Jedi were all but extinct. Now that the Empire has been defeated its time for the light to shine through again. It would also provide a balance within the three trilogies as the Prequels featured the fall of the Jedi, the OT showed the death and rebirth of the Jedi (as Obi-Wan and Yoda, the last of the old, pass on the mantle to Luke, the first of the new), and then the Sequels would feature the rise of the Jedi from the ashes. Another reason I think we will see the rebirth of the Jedi Order in the Sequels is that rebuilding the Jedi is Luke's purpose in the story. He's the New Hope, and not just for the Rebellion. Yoda, on his deathbed, commanded Luke to pass on what he had learned. I've seen fans worry that the second purge of Luke's first students means that the writers of the story don't want Luke to be the one to restore the Jedi but rather he will simply pass that torch to Rey and then die, mostly a failure. I would argue that the second purge was written because the story of Luke restoring the Jedi is the story that the writers want to tell with this trilogy. As far as the overarching Saga is concerned one of, if not the most important events that can happen post RotJ is the rebuilding of the Jedi Order. And it certainly has the potential to make for a compelling story. The second purge was a necessity because TFA is set 30 years after RotJ (and can't realistically be set any earlier because of the age of the OT cast). For Luke to go so long without training any new Jedi begs the question of why he waited so long to begin that all important task. So the second purge was introduced to answer that question and still allow the writers to tell the story they want to tell.

So where are these new Jedi supposed to come from? Well other than Rey, TFA featured two other Force sensitives who weren't on the Dark Side: Leia and Maz, as well as two possibilities: Finn (who somehow broke with his stormrooper brainwashing and also seemed to hear the screams when the Hosnian system was destroyed when no one else did) and Poe (who has exceptional skill as a pilot and was raised next to a Force Tree). There's also the possibility that Ben Solo could be redeemed and join the new Jedi to atone for his sins. It also wouldn't be out of the question for Luke's new apprentices (or possibly survivors of the second purge) to be introduced in VIII. After all Lando wasn't introduced until the third act of ESB and that left plenty of time to flesh out his character before the end of RotJ. It's also possible that there could be a Clone Wars type show set between VIII and IX about Luke and Rey training the new students that we meet in VIII and seeking out others. (Could that be what Filoni is up to?)

RotJ ends with the expectation that the Jedi are going to rise again. If the sequel trilogy ends with Luke dying and Rey left as the only Jedi than that expectation hasn't been resolved. We would be left essentially in the same place as the end of RotJ, which would beg the question of what was the point of the Sequel Trilogy.

Finally, Snoke says "If Skywalker returns, the new Jedi will rise." I think that's exactly what we're going to see.

This is my most up to date theory of how Rey ended up on Jakku.

"The Empire needs children." - Gallius Rax, Life Debt

As I've described previously, I believe Snoke discovered Luke had a young daughter and made plans to abduct and turn her. To do this, he needed to separate her from Luke long enough to kidnap her. Thus, Snoke staged an attack near Luke and his companions which Luke couldn't avoid. Luke, not wanting to take his five year old child into a battle-zone, told Rey to stay with 'Stay here. I'll come back for you'. When young Rey tried to go with anyway, Luke again reassured her 'I'll come back sweetheart. I promise'. Luke then went to assist his companions thinking Rey was safe. Unfortunately, this was exactly what Snoke had intended and a hidden group of attackers found and abducted Rey (possibly including one or more of Snoke's apprentices). Luke, of course, sensed this immediately and tried to return as fast as he could, but wasn't able to stop them before Rey's abductors reached Luke and Rey's ship and stole it.
The kidnappers immediately went to Jakku, intending to jump to the unknown regions from there. In the meantime, Han had arrived after hearing the distress call. Luke and his companions had managed to trace them to Jakku and Ben (who had been with Luke's group) demanded they go immediately (1). Sensing that an attempted rescue would end in disaster, Luke counciled patience and Han sided with him, but Ben took matters into his own hands.
On Jakku, the kidnappers landed near the wrecked research facility either intending to acquire the navigation data needed to traverse the Unknown Regions or to do something with the sealed borehole which led to the life essence corrupted by Rax (2). It is possible, they were deliberately attempting to expose the young girl. Regardless, Rey, already terrified and a member of the strongest Force-sensitive lineage ever, was particularly vulnerable to the effects of the corrupted essence (it's likely it was affecting her as soon as she got close to the planet). For Rey, it felt like a heretofore wonderful and integral part of her had turned on her, assaulting her mind with death and despair.
Ben, sensing Rey's terror and agony, rushed to attack the kidnappers immediately. While the fight was ongoing, Rey instinctively did the only thing she could to stop the psychic assault she was under, she blocked her own Force connection. Tragically, this occurred when the group of kidnappers she had last been seen with were killed. Ben sensed her disappear from the Force immediately and she had been killed (3). Horrified and heartbroken the would-be-rescuer retreated and returned to Luke with the news. A heartbroken Luke, having sensed her 'death' himself, accepted his report and could never bring himself to travel to Jakku.
Also believing she had been killed, the surviving kidnappers returned to Rey's family ship. Rey, who had been separated during the battle, regained her senses and returned to where the kidnappers had landed - just in time to see her family's ship taking off (4). Unkar Plutt, a local salvage dealer who had traveled to the scene to investigate the commotion, saw Rey. Figuring she was someone important that he would receive a large reward for 'rescuing', grabbed her as the ship was taking off (potentially inadvertently saving her from a worse fate). Unfortunately, every time she thought about her past, the memories of the horror she had experienced would inevitably return and she couldn't bring herself to tell Plutt where she came from. The only comfort she clung to were her father's promise that he would return for her.

Notes:

1. I'm aware of the JJ commentary and have explained my position on it in prior posts.
2. Yupe Tashu after being given several Sith artifacts in Empire's End - “Yes. I can feel it. I am a locus of dark energies. All the death and despair of the world is filtering through me. I can feel it on the back of my tongue. Captured there like a struggling moth—”
3. Afterwards, racked by guilt and heartbreak himself, Han may have slipped into his old ways for a time and lost the Falcon during this period.
4. Assuming she knows who Rey is by this point, Maz's statement that 'whomever you're waiting for is never coming back' to Rey would basically mean 'I don't know who you think left you on Jakku, but it wasn't your family'. Maz wants Rey to learn from Luke and doesn't want to let on she knows who Rey is.
5. LST would come to Jakku years later to search for a means of locating Luke.
6. I think Rey's disappearance was one of the key events in Ben's fall and what initiated his falling out with Luke.