Today isStar Wars Day, and it’s sure to be filled with plenty of surprises. Ever sinceStar Wars: Episode VIIIstarted filming in February, we’ve been inundated with the typical story rumors. And part of the fun is hearing some of the titles that this next sequel will supposedly be called. Whether these are just fan guesses or legitimate leaks has not been revealed at this time. And it’s possible that if they did leak, LucasFilm, Disney and directorRian Johnsonwill change them before the big announcement. It’s also possible that these titles were leaked from inside the studio, floated out into the ether to judge fan interest. So, as of now, what are the three rumored titles forStar Wars: Episode VIII. Warning: There will be huge potentialSPOILERSahead.
The latest rumored title comes from aReddituser who posted some strikingly insane plot spoilers that delve into Rey’s true parentage. Or lack there of. They honestly believe the title isStar Wars: Echoes of the Dark Side. It strikes a similar balance toStar Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and has that nice pulpy sound thatGeorge Lucasalways used to like when creating his original and prequel trilogies. Some believe thatStar Wars 8will mirrorEmpirein a lot of ways, especially in it’s storytelling. But maybe this title is better reserved for one of the upcoming spinoff novels that tie into the official cannon?
The next rumored title arrives to us from way back in March, though it has never been confirmed. We know that the working title of the next sequel, which is a little more than halfway through its shoot, isSpace Bear. We’re not sure if that references a return of the Ewok or that Chewbacca has a much more substantial role this time out (who doesn’t want to see Chewbacca use a lightsaber?). But the second rumored title comes from, surprise, another Reddit user. Only this title may be a little too on the bland side for some fans. ItsStar Wars: The Tale of The Jedi Temple. And story wise, sure, it fits.
What do we know aboutStar Wars: Episode VIIIthus far? That the movie will be a direct continuation ofThe Force Awakens. The opening scene picks right back up where we last left off, with Rey delivering a lightsaber to Luke Skywalker. From recent set photos, we know that we will get to see the hidden Jedi Temple that Master Jedi Luke has hidden himself away in. But wouldRian Johnsonreally name his movie after that? This title sounds like it’s better reserved for one of the 40-page YA spinoff novels that directly tie into the movie. Not a feature length sequel. It is a little on the drowsy side.
The third rumored title might be your favorite.Star Wars: The Order of the Dark Side. It certainly hints at anEmpire Strikes Backconnection. And it also teases that this will be the villains' movie. We already know that Kylo ‘Ben’ Ren will return to finish his dark side of the force training with the mysterious Snoke. We also know that General Hux will be back. And Captain Phasma will certainly be looking to exact some revenge for being thrown down that garbage shoot by Finn. But again, this title sounds more like a spinoff book than a trueStar Warssequel title.
We’re not sure what will be revealed throughoutStar WarsDay. We expect that we might hear who landed the Young Han Solo gig. AndRogue One: A Star Wars Storymight get a proper poster. But more than anything, we suspect, if they do drop aStar Wars: Episode VIIIteaser, it will be the official title. Whether it will be any of the ones we’ve discussed here, we do not know. We do know that Disney and LucasFilm are going to focus more heavily onRogue Oneas it is the next movie out of the gate. So it’s possible we won’t see or hear anything fromStar Wars 8at all.
