A long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away, the Jedi served as the guardians of peace and justice in the Galactic Republic. Despite not being soldiers or warriors, the Jedi were among the most powerful beings in the galaxy. Their mission was to protect the balance of the Force, using the power of the light to keep the dark side in check. Unfortunately for the Jedi, they failed in their mission several times, with the Jedi Order coming to a tragic end.

Across more than four decades of Star Wars storytelling, the franchise has featured many Jedi. The list has included the likes of Cal Kestis, Rey, Anakin Skywalker, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Most of the Jedi have been killed off, and with the sequel trilogy now concluded, fans are wondering whether or not Rey has become the last Jedi. Here's a look at where the Star Wars franchise has left the Jedi Order.

The Jedi Temple of Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker and Grogu in The Book of Boba Fett, Star Wars
Disney Platform Distribution 

After the end of 1983's Return of the Jedi, Star Wars fans read Legends comics and novels to follow Luke Skywalker as he built a new Jedi Order. These stories were part of a timeline separate from the continuity that is the present-day canon. In canon, 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens revealed that Luke had built a new Jedi temple, but by the time of the sequel trilogy, that temple had already been destroyed.

The first season of The Book of Boba Fett (2022) showed the early stages of the construction of Luke's Jedi temple. The Mandalorian foundling known as Grogu, a.k.a. "Baby Yoda," officially became Luke's first student. However, both Luke and Ahsoka Tano recognized Grogu's strong attachment to the Mandalorian bounty hunter, Din Djarin. This led Luke to give Grogu a choice between continuing his training or reuniting with Djarin, of which Grogu chose the latter.

Canon comic book series Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren featured characters that were trained by Luke after Grogu had left. The series explored the confrontation between Luke and Ben Solo (Kylo Ren) in greater depth, depicting Ben destroying the temple with a powerful lightning storm. The storm killed Luke's Padawans, leaving three survivors: Hennix, Tai, and Voe. All three were later killed while facing off against either Solo or Ren, the leader of the Knights of Ren at the time.

Related: Star Wars: Why George Lucas Hates Jabba the Hutt

Was Luke Really the Last Jedi?

Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian
Disney

The opening crawl of Star Wars: The Force Awakens referred to Luke as "the last Jedi." That was the title of the film's sequel, with director Rian Johnson confirming that the title of the film indeed referred to him (via Polygon). This could possibly indicate that Ezra Bridger and Ahsoka Tano, while living past the events of the original trilogy, did not survive all the way into the sequels. Ahsoka was the only voice heard during Rey's battle against Palpatine that was not from a confirmed deceased Jedi. However, it is possible that Ezra and Ahsoka were unable to make contact with the Resistance or were helping fight the First Order off-screen.

A Thousand Generations Live in You Now

Daisy Ridley in Star Wars as Rey
Lucasfilm Ltd.

At the end of the Battle of Crait, Luke declared that he would not be the last Jedi right before the camera switched its focus onto Rey. Luke's Force spirit in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker later told Rey that a "thousand generations" lived in her now. During Rey's confrontation with Palpatine on Exegol, she was able to call upon the strength of "all the Jedi." It could not be more obvious that Rey has become the one to carry the torch, with her even adopting "Skywalker" as her new surname. By the end of The Rise of Skywalker, Rey had become the last known Jedi of the Skywalker Saga.

With all that being said, Rey was not left as the last remaining Force-sensitive character. Both Maz Kanata and Finn were Force-sensitive, and Finn even became a Jedi in the non-canon animated special, LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation (via CBR). It wasn't until the sequels that Leia tapped more into her Force abilities, indicating that some people do not become fully aware of their abilities or use them until later on in their lives. The galaxy has always been a very large place and is full of Force-sensitive people that never picked up a lightsaber. One such example was Temiri Blagg, the "Broom Boy" seen at the end of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Finn and Rose left Blagg on Cantonica, but Rey would likely want to take him on as an apprentice.

Related: Director Ron Howard Says Solo 2 Is Not Happening

Are There More Jedi Out There?

The Light of the Jedi, Star Wars The High Republic Book Cover
Del Rey / Disney / Lucasfilm Ltd.

Other than Ezra and Ahsoka, there have been very few Jedi whose fates have been left up in the air. Those who survived Order 66 were often found and killed by the Empire. And those who were trained by Luke were killed in the destruction of the Jedi temple. Cameron Monaghan's Cal Kestis and Cere Junda from the popular Star Wars Jedi games have yet to officially die, but will likely have grown too old and have retired by the time of the sequels. Other Jedi survivors, at least for now, have included Quinlan Vos, Oppo Rancisis, and the minor characters Uvell, Ka-Moon Kholi, and Selrahc Elous.