Movies

What Secrets Lie Within These 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' Posters?

Star Wars The Last Jedi 5
By Chris Evangelista

Come along then, let us be on our way to scrutinize the marketing material for Star Wars: The Last Jedi! We've already attempted to dissect the secrets within the recent trailer, but what about the new posters? Both the new poster and a new IMAX standee seem to hold secrets, and only you and I can decode them, dear reader. The Star Wars: The Last Jedi poster secrets await you within.

Before the new trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi hit on Monday night, a brand new, very red, poster announced its imminent arrival. Almost immediately, obsessive fans began to pour over the poster to see if they could decipher some sort of clue that the notoriously secretive Star Wars marketing machine had yet to announce yet. In case you forgot what it looks like, here it is:

Last Jedi Poster

Several people on Twitter were quick to point out that it looks like a subliminal image of Darth Vader is hidden within this poster. Darth Vader, in case you forgot, is a guy who wears a cool black mask. I think he did some other stuff too, but don't quote me on that. Anyway, can you spot Vader's mask in the poster? Go ahead and scroll back up and look, I'll wait here and read the funny pages.

Okay, back? Do you see it? If not, here's a handy visual aid, courtesy of The Inverse:

The Last Jedi Vader Poster

If that's not helpful enough, one Twitter user highlighted the shape in yellow, which you can see below, courtesy of Star Wars Junk.

But wait, there's more! There's a gif of the poster slowly turning into Vader's iconic mask as well.

Of course, this could all be a whole lot of hoopla over nothing. Human beings are hardwired to see faces in places they actually aren't; that's the reason many people have often spotted the face of religious figures in oil slicks or in toast burns. It's just a strange phenomenon that tends to happen. Then again, Darth Vader does continue to loom over the Star Wars franchise long after his demise. Kylo Ren, Vader's grandson, still possesses Vader's mask (although maybe he lost it at the end of The Force Awakens). Even if the Vader poster connection was purely coincidental, though, it's still a neat find.

The new Last Jedi poster isn't the only piece of promotional artwork catching the eyes of fans. A new IMAX standee for the film seems to potentially hint at a big twist in the film, so maybe a SPOILER warning is in order, just in case.

As CBM points out, the new IMAX standee is split into two halves – the Dark Side, and the light. The "light" section prominently features the heroic characters of the film – Rey, Finn, Poe, Leia, and the new character, Rose. Looming above them all is Luke, looking a bit concerned. The "Dark Side" section contains the baddies – Kylo Ren and Captain Phasma. But Luke is also looming above this section, in a much darker robe, giving off a menacing vibe.

Has Luke turned to the Dark Side? Or is this just a weird choice on the part of a graphic designer who didn't think things through? Or is it hinting at the darkness that lurks within the hearts of all people? What do you think?

All these questions and more (or perhaps less) will be answered when Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens December 15, 2017.

Recommended