Star Wars: The Last Jedi changed the franchise in several ways, but its most important legacy comes from its best scene, which is still influencing Star Wars to this day. Though The Last Jedi was set during the sequel trilogy, it has had a huge and continuing effect on upcoming Star Wars shows and movies set decades prior to its events. Some of those influences have been rather overt, such as Dawn of the Jedi‘s focus on the prime Jedi introduced in the film, but other projects have been inspired by the movie on a more fundamental level.
The Last Jedi is one of the most controversial Star Wars movies ever made, largely because of how it depicted Luke Skywalker’s personality. In that movie, Luke was hiding in self-imposed exile on Ahch-To out of regret, and he had completely abandoned the Jedi Order and the galaxy because of it. While Luke’s characterization in The Last Jedi may not have been the most popular aspect of the movie, it did give rise to the film’s best scene. That scene was so good that it has even gone on to influence and improve the entire franchise after it.
The Last Jedi had its fair share of ups and downs, but its greatest scene, when Yoda visited Luke on Ahch-To as a Force ghost, is a high point of the entire franchise. The subsequent conversation he had with Luke featured one of Yoda’s best quotes in Star Wars, and one that was supremely important to The Last Jedi. He offered Luke a lesson, telling him that “the greatest teacher, failure is.” That proved to be exactly what Luke needed to hear at that moment, and it inspired him to overcome the mistakes he had made and be better.
Yoda’s quote perfectly encapsulates the entire theme of The Last Jedi. As the movie suggests, even legends like Luke Skywalker are not infallible, and they can still fail even after their greatest triumph. The entire movie hinged on Yoda’s lesson, and it wouldn’t have had nearly as much emotional impact if it had been left out. It also cemented the idea that failure is a necessary part of growth, which makes it the best scene in the entire movie. Fortunately, Star Wars as a whole has learned from The Last Jedi, and it continues to incorporate Yoda’s conversation with Luke in nearly every new project.
The relationship between a Jedi Master and their apprentice has been at the heart of Star Wars since its very beginning, but Yoda’s lesson on failure has given that dynamic new depth. Yoda’s quote has redefined the relationship between Master and apprentice and changed it from a simple transference of knowledge to a challenge for the younger generation to grow beyond the older’s failures. Now, Padawans in Star Wars are not only expected to learn what they should do, they are also supposed to learn what not to do.
The use of failure in the Master-apprentice relationship can be seen throughout the modern era of Star Wars. Obviously, The Last Jedi showcased it best, but shows like Ahsoka have also leaned heavily into the same theme. Anakin failed Ahsoka by turning to the dark side, and Ahsoka failed Sabine by not trusting her and failing to be patient with her training. Because they learned from the failures of the past, though, Ahsoka was able to see that she needed to find a better balance between light and dark, and Sabine was able to become a Jedi despite her limited connection to the Force.
Even the future of Star Wars is set to focus on themes of learning from failure. The sequel trilogy was about Rey earning the Skywalker name, and now New Jedi Order is set to show her finally living up to its legendary legacy. Because Rey will train the next generation of Jedi, she has the chance to grow beyond Luke’s failures in The Last Jedi. Even Dawn of the Jedi is set to focus on the root of Luke’s failure: the Jedi themselves. Star Wars seems dedicated to the theme of failure, and part of the reason for that decision is because of how well it works.
Failure is an extremely effective theme for Star Wars to focus on because it meshes so well with the already-established themes of the franchise. Redemption, for example, has been a major part of Star Wars since the very beginning, when Han Solo returned to save Luke’s life. It isn’t possible for a character to find redemption without first experiencing some kind of failure, though, which makes the two themes fit together perfectly. Redemption is also just one of the many messages Star Wars conveys that failure can add to and complement.
A part of what makes Star Wars work as a whole is that the franchise is constantly changing and adapting. Failure also helps with this, as it lets the series’ main characters grow alongside the franchise. That can keep beloved characters feeling new and fresh for much longer, as failure often challenges a fundamental part of them, like it did with Luke. Without the growth and change that failure inspires, those characters would feel like boring still images of themselves, stuck in a particular moment in time, instead of feeling like dynamic, new people.
Using failure as a story device even offers a chance for those characters to look inward and reflect on their own journeys, which can create special, emotionally charged moments like Ahsoka’s memories of Anakin during the Clone Wars. It’s the perfect way to blend the history of the franchise with its latest chapters, and Star Wars has massively benefited from focusing on the theme of failure. The fact that new projects are leaning into it so heavily is an extremely positive sign for the future of the franchise, and it’s all thanks to The Last Jedi.
