Threads: Luke Skywalker

I am starting up a new series of blog posts that studies the story threads left available that could tie to Episode VII. The announcement that the prior EU is firmly not canonical has now opened up the future beyond Return of the Jedi to almost limitless possibilities.

What I will attempt to do here is look exclusively at the Story Group canon - the six films and the Clone Wars series - and see what are the plausible trajectories a specific character might follow, leading into Episode VII. Let's start with the principle hero from the original trilogy, shall we?

How Does Luke Continue to Grow in His Knowledge of the Force?

"No more training do you require. Already know that what you need."

One aspect of Luke we don't see in the OT movies is how he learns more about being a Jedi without a teacher. For example, we don't know how Luke learned to move objects when we see him get his lightsaber to defend himself against the Wampa on Hoth.

Is ghost Obi Wan instructing him? I tend to think not because he only appears to Luke when he is on the verge of collapse and it was just a faint image - the first time we have seen Obi Wan since the Death Star. Some theorize that Obi Wan's Force ghost appears more strongly to Luke as he himself becomes a more powerful Jedi. Other potential sources of training could be holocrons, which was an EU creation but canonized in the Clone Wars. Also there could be Force sensitive people out there who are not Jedi but have an affinity towards those type of beliefs. I think of it like the Clone Wars Nightsisters, but good instead if evil. 

This question training is one of the chief reasons why I want to read Kevin Hearne's Heir to the Jedi when it comes out next March. It will be a canonical book so we should hopefully get some answers from this. This factoid can be a major factor in determining the trajectory of Luke's story. 

I wonder, after Return of the Jedi, if the ghostly triumvirate of Anakin, Yoda, and Obi Wan will continue to exist and give Luke council over the years leading up to Episode VII. Over the course of developing the original trilogy, Lucas toyed with the idea of having the ghost of Obi Wan disappear and merge into what is now called the Cosmic Force. Will that have happened when we see the sequel trilogy?

Does Luke Reestablish the Jedi Order?

"Luke, when gone am I, the last of the Jedi will you be. Pass on what you have learned."

The EU assumed Luke would follow Yoda's request to pass this knowledge on by recreating the Jedi Order. They had him traveling around the galaxy looking for force sensitives to join him at his court of Camelot. Oops, sorry, wrong franchise. 

Seriously though, this may not be necessarily the case. If we consider Luke's actions in Return of the Jedi, we see him reject both Yoda's and Obi Wan's instructions to kill Darth Vader. Now that know what happens in the prequels and the Clone Wars, we see how the Jedi Order became corrupt and deceived. They were generals of a slave army to ensure star systems don't try to become independent. They were aggressive. They killed people. They did not embrace what Yoda would later instruct Luke that the Force was for knowledge and defence, never for attack. 

It is clear that the Yoda of the OT is different than the Yoda of the PT. The difference? Qui Gon Jinn's instruction from beyond. So in some ways we shouldn't be surprised that Luke took a different path. I contend that Yoda and Obi Wan's instruction to kill Vader was Clone Wars era thinking. They did not believe someone could be turned back to light. This is understandable because all Jedi saw attachment, and therefore strong relationships, as a bad thing that led to selfish behavior and ultimately to the dark side.

Yet what does Luke do? First, he senses good in Vader which apparently no one else (Yoda, Obi Wan, even Sidious) could either see or truly consider possible. Second, even though Luke clearly has attachment to his father and his sister, he chooses to sacrifice himself as a Jedi rather than succumb to the dark side. The Emperor did not see that coming! Lastly, Luke redeems his father and turns him back to the light by appealing to their attachment of father and son. Had Luke followed the ways of the Jedi Order, he would have failed and the Emperor would have triumphed.

I can imagine Luke researching the past of the Jedi Order with all the resources available on Coruscant and the core worlds and not like what he saw. Kyle Newman, director of Fan Boys and regular contributor to the fantastic podcast, Rebel Force Radio, has stated his belief that Luke would *not* reestablish the order. He thinks Luke will become essentially a hermit, like Yoda. I don't think that is will be the case. I think he will create some kind of Jedi organization, but not in the same form as we have been accustomed to seeing them.

Will Luke Become a Force Ghost When He Dies?

This is something I think most fans from the OT generation, like myself, have always assumed. Prior to the prequels, we thought all Jedi lived on after death in these ghost forms. Now we know that it is incredibly rare in the history of the Jedi - practically unheard of! Should we assume that the ghostly triumvirate will teach Luke this ability? Will they be allowed to do so?

Our last look at Luke Skywalker in the films shows him seeing the force ghosts of Yoda, Obi Wan, and his father as they celebrate their victory over the Emperor. We now know, thanks to the prequels and the Clone Wars, that these three are the only Jedi in the universe who can exist like this (one could argue for Qui-Gon Jinn if you want to be technical). 

How did these Jedi gain such knowledge? They were taught from beyond by Qui-Gon, under permission of the priestesses as shown in the Yoda arc for Season 6. Yoda was allowed to be taught because of the imbalance of the Force - that the light side cannot be allowed to be extinguished. But now with Vader redeemed and the Emperor gone, will the special ability still be taught? Will these Force ghosts even still exist or will they fade away into the Cosmic Force?

Will Luke still have these teachers?