A steady stream of photos have leaked from the Ireland filming set for Star Wars: Episode 8. While most are from such a distance that the cast looks like lightsaber dueling ants, the set leaks do provide some new insight into exactly what Luke Skywalker has been up to during all those years of isolation on Ahch-To.
Making Star Wars has posted leaked photos from the Episode 8 set that would seem to show Kylo Ren battling with his mask on, a Knight of Ren fighting with spear and some sort of bizarre creature suit. All are at a distance and open to interpretation, like that murder in Blow-Up. The photos are interesting, but ultimately too blurry and distant to make any real conclusions about the plot of Star Wars: Episode 8.
But more than photos have leaked from the set of Star Wars: Episode 8. Even more interesting is the crew nickname for a big-ass rock on the set: “Meditation Rock.” According to Making Star Wars, the rock closely matches concept art portraying Luke meditating, with a binary sunset at his back.
This is a clear reference to Tatooine and its binary star. Since Ahch-To seemingly has only one sun, we are left to conclude that this is a spiritual, rather than environmental, communion. As he meditates Skywalker sees his home world.
Though we saw Luke Skywalker’s Jedi training on Dagobah, the Light Side of the Force has been far less explored than the Dark Side. Even Skywalker’s greatest test, the Dark Side Cave, was more about the darkness inside him than the light.
But if this Star Wars: Episode 8 leak is right, we’ll finally get a glimpse into Skywalker’s interior light, rather than more and more of his endless struggle against the dark.
Lovely.
