Star Wars 8 - Who Are The Gray Jedi Order And What Does It Means For Luke, Rey and Kylo Ren?

Who and what are the Gray Jedi order? You've no doubt seen the new Star Wars 8 trailer, now it's time to assess why everyone's talking about Gray Jedi and what it all means. Gray Jedi are defined in the Star Wars universe as Force-sensitive individuals who walk the line between light and dark, without fully surrendering to the dark side. But not only that, it also relates to Jedi who have turned their backs on the Jedi High Council and exist outside the Jedi Code. But who are they exactly? It's a question that has been tearing the internet apart with theories.

Liam Neeson's Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-wan Kenobi's Jedi master, was thought to be a Gray Jedi because he acted against the council and didn't always follow the code. Ben Kenobi was something of a Gray Jedi too when he was found by Luke living in the caves on Tatooine.

So now it's thought that Luke Skywalker might follow in their footsteps and himself become one. For one the last line spoken in the trailer for The Last Jedi, thought to be by Luke, is, "I only know one truth – it's time for the Jedi to end." The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson has already said that the title refers to Luke.

It's thought that Luke could become the last of these monastic knights by taking up the Gray Jedi code, and renouncing the old ways of the Jedi and rejecting the limitations of The Jedi Order.

In this way he can restore balance to the Force, which not only means discontinuing the High Council and Jedi Code, but will also putting an end to the constant battle between Jedi and Sith, between light and dark. Instead both must be embraced to create harmony.

Clues To The Gray Jedi In The Star Wars 8 Trailer

The ancient Je'daii believed in embracing both sides in their code, quoting "I am the heart of the Force. I am the revealing fire of light. I am the mystery of darkness, In balance with chaos and harmony."

In the new Star Wars 8 'The Last Jedi' trailer, Luke Skywalker says: "Breath. Just breath. Now, reach out. What do you see?" and Rey replies, "Light. Darkness. A balance." Not only does this point to the path of a Gray Jedi, but it could point to Rey being taught a new way to harness and use the Force. She also appears to be in Gray Jedi robes (or gray clothes at least), which could also indicate she's being taught a new way, a way that wasn't taught to Luke by Yoda, but that was taken up by Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-wan.

It would also signify the Star Wars saga taking a new direction. Instead of the Manichaean good versus evil which we've constantly seen from the franchise, it could hint that a more complex future lies ahead. In this way, just like the Empire Strikes Back veered into darker territory: Luke's parentage being revealed and his mutilation by his own father, Han Solo ending the film frozen in carbonite, the Empire actually having struck back, and struck back good—so too the second film in the latest trilogy might veer into darker territory after the nostalgia-fest of The Force Awakens.

It also means that both Rey and Kylo Ren have the potential to become Gray Jedi, so we could see Ren's character turn away from pure darkness towards somewhere in the middle. Plus, it also means Gray Jedi get to use Force skills seen in both Jedi and Sith. Which kind of makes them more badass than either, because they can use Force choke, Force stealth, Force lightning, healing, mind meld, mind tricks, animal control, Force throws, Force ghost, the lot. With both Rey, Luke, and even Ren on board it could even signal the beginnings of a whole new Gray Jedi order.

Do More Gray Jedi Clues Lie In The Film Poster?

Lastly, there's the poster (above) for The Last Jedi, known as Episode VIII, which also hints at the concept of Gray Jedi featuring prominently in the film. Because in it we see Rey holding a lightsaber aloft, Luke's old blue-bladed one (not exactly sure what a Gray Jedi lightsaber color is), she is also wearing gray clothes(?).

It splits in half the red backed poster, but not only that, on one half we have Luke's face, the other half Kylo Ren. Light and dark, with Rey the Gray in the middle. Luke's face is bigger also, which could indicate that the Light will outdo the dark, implying that Rey won't completely surrender to the dark side, which is exactly the hallmarks of a Gray Jedi. It all points to Rey, literally, being the future of the Jedi order. Of course, it could just be your standard film poster.

We'll find out all this for sure on 15 December 2017 when The Last Jedi is released.

Disney Releases Images From The Last Jedi Trailer

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