A new alien species might look like a big deal in real life, but not in a franchise that features countless planets. However, the new species we noticed in the latest The Last Jedi trailers do deserve mention.
As per Entertainment Weekly, this new species is called the Caretakers (yes, cute name), who live alongside Luke on the planet of Ach-To. In a recent interview with EW, writer-director of the new film, Rian Johnson, revealed a lot about these mysterious people:
“They’re kind of these sort of fish-bird type aliens who live on the island,” writer-director Rian Johnson told EW. “They’ve been there for thousands of years, and they essentially keep up the structures on the island.”
“They’re all female, and I wanted them to feel like a remote sort of little nunnery,” Johnson continued. “Neal Scanlan’s crew designed them, and costume designer Michael Kaplan made these working clothes that also reflected sort of a nun-like, spartan sort of existence.”
Johnson further shared that Caretakers are capable of speech (unlike Porgs, the other residents of Ach-To) and are not quite happy with the company of Luke. As fans of Star Wars are aware, nothing appears in the movies without a meaning of their own. So, there are speculations regarding the meaning behind the presence of the Caretakers.
We now that access to the Force is not exclusive to the Jedi. It is also not just a form of energy. For many species throughout the galaxy, Force is akin to religion. This was revealed in Rogue One and is already known for those who are aware of the Star Wars canon materials. Just the fact that this species is called “Caretakers,” looks like nuns and don’t like Luke gives a strong impression that they are somehow related to the Force.
The “why” of this is less obvious. It could be that the Caretakers were stationed here by the Jedi, or they arrived here on their own to be closer to the Force. They could as well be what their name signifies: nurses. It is all speculations right now. But the fact that Luke (a powerful Force user) and the Caretakers (who appear to use the Force in some way) are staying at the same place do seem to hold significant meaning for the plot.
