Editorial: The New Jedi Order – Potential Candidates for Rey Skywalker’s Jedi Academy
At the last Star Wars Celebration, it was announced that Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will be directing a new film set in an era dubbed the New Jedi Order, set 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. This film will see a new generation of Jedi rise up to face new challenges under the tutelage of Jedi Master Rey Skywalker. Little is known about this film, but we can perhaps make a guess at who might share the screen with Rey and where the film might take place. That is what I intend to do, starting with a breakdown of potential Jedi trainees in this first article.
It’s most likely that these Jedi will be fresh faces as we follow the path of a new young group of heroes venturing out into the galaxy. But there’s a possibility that one or two familiar faces may pop up to learn the ways of the Force under Rey’s tutelage. In this article I will speculate on which canon Force-sensitive characters could fit into the timeline of this film.
I’ve restricted my list to candidates of the academy, so I will be ruling out established Jedi Knights such as Cal Kestis and Ahsoka Tano, as I believe they would be Masters in their own right, assuming they are still around at this point in the timeline. With that said, let’s dive in!
Finn
FN-2187 is probably the most likely candidate on this list, as he has already been rumoured to be cast in the film. This would be a coup for John Boyega, who has expressed his struggles with the changing trajectory of his character’s story across the sequel trilogy, and it would definitely be a fan-pleaser moment to see Finn ignite a lightsaber once again. Finn’s Force-sensitivity was a running thread in The Rise of Skywalker, though it was never overtly stated. In The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, the crux of the plot centred on Rey gaining more knowledge so she could train Finn as a Jedi. Of course, these stories aren’t canon, but the fact that Lucasfilm greenlit it certainly shows they are on board with it as a potential storyline.
If he appears, I would see Finn as a more established Jedi as he was likely Rey’s first candidate. I imagine him coming in as a “big brother” figure, showing up at the last second to save our new heroes, who have gotten themselves in over their heads. His background as a stormtrooper could come into play as he encourages other Jedi, reminding them that we all have a past, but that we can rise above it and make things right.
Temiri Blagg
More commonly known as “Broom Boy”, Temiri Blagg was seen in the final scene of The Last Jedi, celebrating Luke Skywalker’s victory over the First Order on Crait before using the Force to summon a broom to him. While Temiri didn’t make an appearance in The Rise of Skywalker, his appearance was symbolic of the rebirth of the Jedi and the kindling of hope in the galaxy.
This symbolism makes him, in my mind, the perfect candidate for Rey’s academy. He would be in his early 20s at this point in the timeline, which makes him fit as part of a new generation of Jedi. Even if he’s not a lead character, I have a feeling we’ll see him training in the background somewhere and maybe even holding a broom at some point to give a nod to his origins.
Grogu
From a marketing perspective if nothing else, having Grogu join the ranks of the new Jedi just makes sense! Grogu is a worldwide phenomenon, and seeing him all grown-up (hopefully) on the big screen would make fans go nuts. Age-wise, it makes sense; Grogu would be around his 90s at this point in the timeline — Yoda stated he was training Jedi from age 100, so Grogu should be old enough to train as a Jedi properly by now, hopefully having had more time to recover his memories and heal from the trauma of Order 66. We should also hear him speak by this time, but let’s first wait to see what happens in Dave Filoni’s New Republic-era film.
It’s clear that, at the moment, Grogu is pursuing the life of a Mandalorian, which makes even more sense for him to be training under Rey. He chose not to train under Luke, as he felt his path lay with Din Djarin, but having spent decades living with the Mandalorian and seeing the rise of the First Order and the fight against the Sith Eternal (don’t forget there were Mandalorian fighters at the battle of Exegol), perhaps he has decided it is once again time to turn back to his Jedi roots. This was a common theme in the Expanded Universe, with characters following careers as politicians, pilots, mercenaries, and even bounty hunters before committing to the Jedi Order, so it makes sense to recover that spirit, especially with a being as long-lived as Grogu.
Grogu would have much to offer Rey, as he has a wide perspective of the galaxy and its history. But don’t worry, even though he’s older, he should still be the Grogu we love. After all, if Yoda was up to pranking Luke at age 900, we can be sure Grogu is still an adorable scamp at age 90!
Gungi
Gungi was introduced in The Clone Wars as a part of a group of younglings on a mission to create their first lightsabers. He made a number of appearances in the series, but for a long time his fate after Order 66 was left uncertain until he was brought back in The Bad Batch. The series showed that Gungi had certainly kept up his Jedi skills, but as of now, Gungi has elected to stay and defend his people.
Gungi has remained a fan-favourite character since his reveal, and fans would be only too thrilled to know he survived through the First Order era. Perhaps, like Grogu, after a time of following his own path, he has decided to rejoin the Jedi. We know that we are getting our first live-action Wookiee Jedi in The Acolyte, so it’s definitely possible to see him. And with Wookiee lifespans being as long as they are, Gungi could still slot in as a young Jedi apprentice.
Jacen Syndulla
The final episode of Rebels revealed that Hera Syndulla had conceived a child with Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus, and it was strongly hinted that the boy had inherited his father’s gifts with the Force. His name is, perhaps, an even stronger hint towards this, as Jacen was the name of Han and Leia’s eldest son in the Legends timeline. Dave Filoni stated that the name was chosen to honour the Expanded Universe, so that seems to confirm that Jacen is Force-sensitive.
With Hera appearing in a key role in Ahsoka, there’s a good chance we’ll get to see a more grown-up Jacen. Introducing the character in live-action would only increase the possibility of making the transition to the big screen, as audiences unfamiliar with animation will have been introduced to the character already. His green hair would also make for easy visual identification even if they use a different actor to portray him in the movie, where I’d estimate he’s well into the 40-50 age bracket.
Corran Horn
The Obi-Wan Kenobi series introduced us to The Path, a pre-Rebel group that ferried Force-sensitive children out of danger from the Empire. One of these children was named off-screen as Corran. This was an obvious nod to Legends character Corran Horn, a member of elite X-Wing Rogue Squadron, who later joined the Jedi Order. It may well have just been a fun Easter egg, but other key details, such as his mother’s name and the fact that he was being sent to Corellia (Corran’s home planet in the books) all pointed to him being the same character.
Regardless of his identity, Corran is 100% Force-sensitive, as are all the other children rescued by The Path. He would be in his 60s by this point in the timeline, but that doesn’t entirely rule him out, as in the Expanded Universe one of Luke’s first apprentices was a senior citizen by the name of Streen. Another possibility is that Corran’s children (named Valin and Jysella in the books) could join the Order.
Karr Nuq Sin
Perhaps an even less well-known character, Karr Nuq-Sin appeared in the novel Force Collector, which was released in the run-up to The Rise of Skywalker. Karr is a young man who has the rare Force ability of psychometry; when he touches objects, he can sense their history through the Force, an ability shared by Cal Kestis, as seen in Jedi: Fallen Order and Survivor. During the rise of the First Order, Karr uncovered that he had Jedi ancestry and set about travelling the galaxy to uncover artifacts that linked back to the Jedi in order to preserve their legacy.
Karr fits in the timeline well. Even if he isn’t a Jedi candidate, I could see him appearing as a friend of the academy, bringing new Jedi artefacts for Rey to examine.
So that’s my rundown of potential characters for Rey’s New Jedi Order. Who do you think might don the Jedi robes in the new movie? In my next article, I’ll take my best guess at where the Jedi will be based, so stay tuned and sound off in the comments below!
A teacher from Wales in the UK, Aled has loved Star Wars ever since that Star Destroyer flew over his head and blew his mind.
