Is 'Star Wars' Character Maz Kanata A Jedi?

Let the conspiracy theories begin! It’s only been a few weeks since Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens was released to critical and box office acclaim, and already the theories about the characters and the connections are starting to fly almost as fast as the rumors about Episode VIII. And it’s no wonder that fans are absolutely obsessed with bridging the gap between episodes and trying to put the pieces of the nine-episode puzzle in place. After all, there are a lot of things that we won’t know until all nine episodes are released. One thing fueling that conspiracy theory fire, though? The fact that an SFX Supervisor for the film revealed that there was a deleted scene from that may have given audiences way more information about Maz Kanata. And this reveal has a lot of fans wondering, “Is Maz Kanata a Jedi?”

So let’s see if we can figure this out.

First of all, the deleted scene that Chris Corbould, the SFX Supervisor, mentioned in his conversation with Collider reportedly shows Maz and Rey going under the castle and through a number of underground passages. According to Corbould, when the stormtroopers come down the stairs, “Maz uses her powers to collapse the ceiling.”

Um, excuse me? What powers? ‘Cause that sounds to me like serious Jedi stuff right there.

So is it possible that Maz Kanata is actually a Jedi? I mean, maybe. Because, think about it: If Maz really is a Jedi in hiding, first of all — great place to hide, Maz. So, kudos to you. Second of all, that would definitely explain how she got her hands on Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber. Seriously, how else would she have had it hiding in her basement?

Also, how else would she have understood immediately the effect it had on Rey without her even explaining it, if not for some secret powers of her own that she was hiding?

While there’s no way to know for sure just yet if Maz really is a Jedi, the hints are undeniable. I’m crossing my fingers and toes that Maz’s connection to the Force is explored in more detail in the next film, Star Wars: Episode VIII.

Image: Lucasfilm; Walt Disney Pictures; Giphy