Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Expanded Edition

"We got to talk through some interesting additional scenes from the film. That's kind of the fun stuff you can get into a novel that you can't always get onto the screen."

- Rian Johnson

Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Expanded Edition is the novelization of Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi. Written by Jason Fry, with input from Rian Johnson, the novelization includes deleted scenes and other additional content. The book was published by Del Rey on March 6, 2018.

Publisher's summary
Written with input from director Rian Johnson, this official adaptation of Star Wars: The Last Jedi expands on the film to include scenes from alternate versions of the script and other additional content.

''From the ashes of the Empire has arisen another threat to the galaxy's freedom: the ruthless First Order. Fortunately, new heroes have emerged to take up arms&mdash;and perhaps lay down their lives&mdash;for the cause. Rey, the orphan strong in the Force; Finn, the ex-stormtrooper who stands against his former masters; and Poe Dameron, the fearless X-wing pilot, have been drawn together to fight side-by-side with General Leia Organa and the Resistance. But the First Order's Supreme Leader Snoke and his merciless enforcer Kylo Ren are adversaries with superior numbers and devastating firepower at their command. Against this enemy, the champions of light may finally be facing their extinction. Their only hope rests with a lost legend: Jedi Master Luke Skywalker.''

Where the action of Star Wars: The Force Awakens ended, Star Wars: The Last Jedi begins, as the battle between light and dark climbs to astonishing new heights.

Featuring thrilling photos from the hit movie.

Continuity
The novel contains several differences to the film and scenes that don't appear in the final film:


 * The novel opens with a dream that Luke Skywalker has about how his life could have been if he didn't rescued Leia Organa from the Death Star and thus never joined the Alliance to Restore the Republic. In Luke's alternate life, he married Camie Marstrap, Biggs Darklighter's family was taken away by stormtroopers, Jabba Desilijic Tiure was never killed, the Tusken Raiders were wiped out from Tatooine, Leia was executed, etc. In this alternate life, Luke regretted not having children.
 * The novel includes a funeral for Han Solo which takes place during the early hours of the evacuation of D'Qar. During the funeral, Leia speaks about Solo, including facts about his early life and some of his actions during the Galactic Civil War.
 * There is more dialogue between Captain Moden Canady and his warrant officer Suday Bascus aboard the Fulminatrix.
 * While Luke trains Rey on Ahch-To, Chewbacca starts to fix the unadvised modifications made to the Millennium Falcon by Gannis Ducain, the Irving Boys and Unkar Plutt.
 * On Ahch-To, Luke tells Rey of a neighboring tribe to the Caretakers who once a month come to "raid and plunder" their village. Rey is shocked and wants to intervene, though Luke tells her that if she were to meet them with force, they would only come the next month with greater numbers and violence. Rey is not convinced and rushes to intervene, lightsaber raised, only to discover that she's interrupted not a raid, but a party. She disguises her intentions by waving the saber in the air in a ceremonial fashion and joins the party for a time, but later criticizes Luke for his use of the phrase "raid and plunder." They dance together, but Rey is still upset with Luke, as she believed in his legend, but now it seems she's wrong.
 * While posing as First Order officers on the Supremacy, Finn, Rose Tico and DJ find themselves in a turbolift with stormtroopers of the First Order. One of them recognizes Finn, who worries that he will blow their cover. The stormtrooper, however, simply congratulates Finn on having reached officer rank, though also expressing surprise at it. Finn silently gives thanks to the First Order bureaucracy, which in their embarrassment did not allow the news of his treachery to spread through the ranks of the common stormtroopers.
 * At the Battle of Crait, when Luke is agonizing for his prolonged projection, a familiar voice says "Let go, Luke" to him, the same phrase Luke heard during the Battle of Yavin prior to destroying the Death Star, though it's left ambiguous if Luke really heard that phrase or not.
 * The novel concludes with Leia and Chewbacca mourning the deaths of everyone they had lost including Han and Luke, with Organa saying to the Wookiee that now it was just them.

Editions

 * ISBN 9780525618911; March 1, 2018; Del Rey; Emerald City Comic Con 2018 Limited Edition
 * ISBN 9781524797119; March 6, 2018; Del Rey; US hardcover
 * ISBN 9780525618881; March 6, 2018; Del Rey; Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition
 * ISBN 9781524797126; March 6, 2018; Del Rey; US eBook