The internet is awash with bizarre fan theories. But given the events of
Star Wars Episode VIII, is anything so far-fetched it couldn’t be in the next film?
An entire industry has sprung up around Star Wars rumours. From
YouTube channels and Reddit sub-channels to dedicated websites, it is rare for more than a few days to go by without another unlikely theory raising its freakish head above the parapet, like Salacious B Crumb peeping from the fatty folds of Jabba’s slug-like torso. As we get closer to the December release date for Star Wars: Rise of the Skywalker, it’s only going to get worse. Not least because Star Wars: The Last Jedi featured such outlandish storylines – Luke Force-projecting himself halfway across the galaxy; Leia spacewalking without any suitable astronautical equipment; Snoke getting sliced and diced before anyone had a clue who he was – that it makes even the silliest theories look perfectly feasible by comparison.
The first
trailer for Episode IX certainly hasn’t helped. Emperor Palpatine is returning, there are ruined Death Stars plonked on planetary surfaces, and Kylo Ren will apparently try to kill Rey by flying a spaceship into her. Meanwhile, Luke is Force Ghost-voiceovering like there’s no tomorrow. It’s all so nutty that if JJ Abrams’ return to the director’s chair were to feature a love triangle between R2-D2, Jar Jar Binks and the mean droid boss from Jabba’s palace in Return of the Jedi, nobody would be shocked.