Luke Skywalker’ssequel trilogy arc has become one of the biggest complaints in theStar Warsfranchise, but was his story really all that bad? There were admittedlyproblems with the sequels, which was often a consequence of the movies trading hands repeatedly. This was especially true withStar Wars: The Last JediandStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, asThe Rise of Skywalkerin particular seemed to willfully ignore or undercut all that was done inThe Last Jedi, but there were aspects ofThe Last Jedithat also overwrote some ofStar Wars: The Force Awakens.
For the most part, though, audiences were not pleased with any of the plotlines for Luke, no matter which movie in the sequel trilogy it was.Even Mark Hamill has voiced complaints about the handling of Luke’s story in the sequel trilogy, making jokes about how he knew all his lines inThe Force Awakensbefore the first read-through.Star Warsprojects likeLEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxyhave also poked fun at Luke’s sequel trilogy story. Of the complaints that have been raised, though, which are valid, and which miss the mark?
Should Luke Skywalker Have Thrown Away The Lightsaber?
Luke’s Scene In The Last Jedi Caused Major Outrage
Audiences were already incredibly dissatisfied with Luke’s absence throughoutThe Force Awakensand the explanation that he had effectively given up hope and gone into hiding somewhere in the galaxy, butthis disappointment became so much worse when Luke tossed his/Anakin’s lightsaber inThe Last Jedi.The Force Awakensended with Rey finding Luke on Ahch-To and holding out Luke’s former lightsaber as an offering.The Last Jedirevealed that Luke’s shocking response was to chuck the weapon behind him.
Luke was wrong to completely lose faith in the Jedi and the galaxy, but he had grown to be critical of the Jedi in a way that had some validity.
Outrage about this made sense on the surface; it seemed like a major disrespect to all that had come before, and it felt out of character for Luke. With some distance, though, this moment seems to have a very different message. Luke was wrong to completely lose faith in the Jedi and the galaxy, but he had grown to be critical of the Jedi in a way that had some validity. Luke wasn’t wrong that the Jedi way should have been less about weapons and fighting and more about peace—something he’d already shown inReturn of the Jedi.
“I Am A Jedi, Like My Father Before Me”: The Last Jedi’s Luke Skywalker Was The Ultimate Way To Honor Anakin’s Star Wars Legacy
Two of the most controversial moments in Star Wars: The Last Jedi actually reinforce Luke Skywalker’s most iconic line from Return of the Jedi.
Does It Matter That Luke Said “Laser Sword?”
Luke’s Use Of “Laser Sword” Was Said Sarcastically
Luke’s use of ‘laser sword’ inThe Last Jediproved to be an extremely controversial moment. When Rey said the galaxy needed Luke’s help, he sarcastically asked her if she really expected him to go face down the First Order alone with just a"laser sword.“Notably,laser sword was George Lucas' original name for a lightsaber, and it wasn’t even Lucas who ultimately decided on lightsaber instead. This history didn’t prevent backlash about this moment, though.
George Lucas Didn’t Come Up With Star Wars' Lightsaber Name
George Lucas is the creative mind behind Star Wars, but he didn’t come up with everything; in fact, ‘lightsabers’ may be attributed to someone else.
Many took issue with Luke’s use of this term, arguing that Luke would never have referred to a lightsaber in this way. However,this argument misses the point. Luke’s response to Rey was clearly said sarcastically, essentially mocking her (and by extension, the galaxy’s) perception of the Jedi and what he was capable of. While Luke’s negativity may be a legitimate disappointment in the sequel trilogy,The Last Jediin particular, there wasn’t anything about his use of this term that undercut his character.
Does Luke’s Losing Hope Nullify His Original Trilogy Arc?
Audiences Felt Luke Was Unrecognizable From Return Of The Jedi
One of the biggest grievances viewers had about Luke’s characterization in the sequel trilogy was his complete loss of faith in the galaxy and the Jedi, which seemed entirely contrary to the Luke last seen inReturn of the Jedi. In fact, many felt like this was a betrayal of his legacy, given he had in a sense been the titular ‘hope’ inA New Hope. The sequels attempted to explain this with Ben Solo’s fall to the dark side and the destruction of Luke’s Jedi Temple, but even that was a hard sell.
Many felt like this was a betrayal of his legacy, given he had in a sense been the titular ‘hope’ inA New Hope.
Truthfully,this was one of the bigger missteps in the sequel trilogy. While complicating Luke’s character could have worked, it just wasn’t believable that Luke Skywalker, the Jedi who redeemed the soul of Darth Vader himself, would so easily give up on everyone, no matter what tragedies came along in the thirty years since. It didn’t help the sequels' case that this also meant Luke being sidelined for all ofThe Force Awakenswhen he is easily one ofStar Wars’best characters; it felt like a wasted opportunity.
Does It Matter That Luke Never Reunited With Both Han & Leia?
In terms of wasted opportunities,it was perhaps even more detrimental that the sequels passed on the opportunity to bring the original heroes back together one final time on screen. Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill all returned toStar Warsfor the sequels, which very easily could have meant a moment in which Leia, Luke, and Han came together again, even if it was just one last time. Bewilderingly, the sequels opted not to reunite the trio.
Bewilderingly, the sequels opted not to reunite the trio.
Instead, Leia and Han had an on-screen reunion inThe Force Awakens, and Luke and Leia said their goodbyes inThe Last Jedi, but those moments were brief. Worse, each movie saw the death of one of these heroes: Han inThe Force Awakens, Luke inThe Last Jedi, and Leia inThe Rise of Skywalker.Simply put, this just didn’t have to happen, and it almost certainly wasn’t the right choice. The fact that Carrie Fisher passed beforeThe Rise of Skywalkerwas finished makes it all the sadder. This reunion is now impossible, no matter what comes next.
Was Luke’s Crisis Of Faith In Ben Out Of Character?
Luke Almost Killed Ben Solo, And Audiences Were Not Happy
Luke’s turn away from the galaxy and the Jedi and his loss of hope were coupled with him briefly considering killing his nephew, Ben Solo. Luke had evidently looked into Ben’s mind and seen darkness, and he was momentarily overtaken by the urge to kill Ben and wipe out this potential threat. Viewers were largely outraged by this moment, as it again seemed so counter to who Luke had been and (for some) ‘ruined’ his legacy.
Like Luke’s loss of faith, this turn of events was difficult to swallow. InReturn of the Jedi, Luke had faced Darth Vader, one ofStar Wars' most powerful Sith, and he still believed that there was good in him and he was worth trying to save. The idea that he would then consider destroying his own nephew—Leia’s son—while he was sleeping is unthinkable. Yes,The Last Jediclaimed he was acting on"pure instinct,“but this just wasn’t believable, and it did change Luke’s character for the worse, although his legacy could never truly be ruined.
Did We Need To See Luke’s Jedi Order In All Its Glory?
Luke’s Temple Has Rarely Been Depicted In Star Wars—And Never At Its Height
Another major disappointment in the sequels was the revelation that Luke Skywalker would not be shown as a Jedi Master, as many had expected, but rather was living as a hermit after his Jedi Temple had been destroyed. Not only did this mean the aforementioned changes to Luke’s character, but also, it meansLuke’s Jedi Temple has never been shown at its height inStar Wars. The closest the franchise has come thus far is the brief glimpse inThe Book of Boba Fett, but even then, only Grogu was training there—and he ultimately left.
DisneyStar Warsshould have taken a page from Legends' book in this case.
Arguably, DisneyStar Warsshould have taken a page from Legends' book in this case. The franchise could still have moved forward with a new protagonist but shown Luke Skywalker leading a Jedi Order. Many felt that Luke had more than earned this arc, and it would have done right by the Skywalker legacy. Sadly, that isn’t what happened, and it’s unclear whetherStar Warswill ever show what Luke’s Temple looked like before it was destroyed, which is a true shame.
Should We Have Seen Luke Fight In The Sequels?
Coinciding with the revelation that Luke would not be shown as a Jedi Master was the sequels' decision to not have Luke engage in any true lightsaber battle throughout the sequels. The closest he comes is inThe Last Jedi, when he faces off against Kylo Ren. Although it seems Luke is really there with his lightsaber in hand, he was actually using one of the rarerForce powers inStar Wars, Astral Projection.
Compared to the other complaints about the sequels, this grievance seems less critical. Yes, it would have been exciting to see Mark Hamill have another battle inStar Wars, but Luke ideally should have had a role closer to that of Master Yoda, which would have meant rarely drawing his lightsaber.This moment was actually one of Luke’s best in the sequels, controversial though it was, because it represented the version of Luke last seen inReturn of the Jedi, when he tossed his lightsaber aside and refused to tap into the dark side while fighting Vader and Palpatine.
Does Luke’s Death “Work” Or Was It A Disappointment?
Star Wars Has Since Poked Fun At This Death For Luke
Perhaps the single biggest complaint about Luke Skywalker’s arc in the sequel trilogy was his death and, more specifically, the way in which he died. After using Astral Projection to deceive Kylo Ren and give the Resistance a chance to escape, Luke died, presumably from the exertion of this act. AlthoughRebuild the Galaxypoked fun at this, with Luke expressing disbelief that he died from using the Force too hard,The Last Jedihad already set up this outcome.
Astral Projection is a Force ability that requires so much power, it can be deadly.
When Kylo Ren and Rey first experienced a Force bond through their Force dyad, Kylo Ren said it couldn’t be Rey doing it, as the effort would kill her. This was in part foreshadowing, but it also confirmed that Astral Projection is a Force ability that requires so much power, it can be deadly. While Luke would no doubt be more powerful than Rey by comparison, he was doing quite a bit more than simply appearing before Kylo Ren; he was acting out a full fight.
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This explanation is likely still not enough to please most viewers, particularly because, for many, it was simply disappointing for Luke to die at all. In terms of deaths, though, this one isn’t as terrible as it is often thought to be. In fact, this death was a beautiful ‘rhyme’ with Obi-Wan Kenobi’s inA New Hope, as he too passed directly into the Force. Ultimately, there’s a fairly even split of grievances aboutLuke Skywalker’sarc in theStar Warssequel trilogy that make sense and complaints that miss the mark.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Cast
Star Wars: The Force Awakens takes place 30 years after the fall of the Galactic Empire. It follows Han Solo and new allies, including Finn and Rey, as they confront the rising threat of Kylo Ren and his army of Stormtroopers while seeking the elusive Luke Skywalker.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
Star Wars: The Last Jedi continues the saga as Rey hones her powers under the guidance of Luke Skywalker. As her abilities unsettle her mentor, the Resistance faces the First Order in a pivotal battle.
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker concludes the Skywalker saga with Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron leading the Resistance against the First Order. As the final battle unfolds, they draw upon the wisdom and strength of previous generations to confront their adversaries. Released in 2019, the film concludes the sequel trilogy.
