Over the past month or so, as Disney and Lucasfilm released a steady drip of posters and trailers for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, fans began to feel what can only be described as a disturbance. It was as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror...
"Where the hell is Luke?!"
In the new canon, that query may just supplant "Han shot first" as the rallying cry to separate the professional fans from those who merely dabble in the goings-on in a galaxy far, far away. And while secrecy has long been a mandate of the franchise (Blue Harvest gear, anyone?), the question of Luke Skywalker's whereabouts in the upcoming movie seems to have fans sweating. And digging. And concocting a number of elaborate—albeit not always unrealistic —theories as to exactly what role (if any) our beloved Jedi will play in the space opera's newest entry.
The fact that Luke is missing from both the poster and the trailer (unless that's actually his hand seen reaching toward R2-D2) for The Force Awakens is where the panic began. And it was only exacerbated by director J.J. Abrams' assertion that Luke's absence from the promo materials was "no accident." In a possible attempt to inflict further psychological torment on Star Wars fans everywhere, he rewarded their rabid curiosity regarding the sans Luke scenario by simply agreeing that, "These are good questions to be asking. I can't wait for you to find out the answers."
Rather than await the moment when they can actually see the film for themselves, and have those questions answered, some fans have opted to ignore Yoda's sage words that "There is no try," and are instead attempting to unravel the mysteries on their own. This is the age of the crazypants Star Wars fan theory, after all! So, in the interest of all that is Tatooine-born, here are five of the most pervasive (if not persuasive) thoughts about what Luke is doing these days.
While most viewers' takeaway from the end of Return of the Jedi was that the Ewoks' "Yub Nub" was the fucking jam, fan Rob Conery managed to see past the mammaloids' musical stylings to a glimpse of much more serious storyline-to-come. Mainly, that Good Old Reliable Luke was harboring a much deeper secret than the fact that he had kissed his sister: he is, indeed, a Sith Lord.
For a while, it was just a thought that floated through Conery's head, or that he shared with his kids. It never occurred to him that he really might be onto something until the official trailer for The Force Awakens premiered. In what has become perhaps one of the most widely circulated, and talked about, theories, Conery has put together an exceedingly thorough compendium on the many reasons why his intuition could be right.
His basic theory is that "Luke gave in to the dark side to save his friends and defeat Vader and the Emperor." Among his many proofs (which are best dissected in one sitting) are the words of Yoda:
"'Only a fully trained Jedi Knight, with the Force as his ally, will conquer Vader and his emperor. If you end your training now… if you choose the quick and easy path as Vader did… you will become an agent of evil.' There it is: Yoda said it point blank. How many times has Yoda been wrong in the first six films? He knew Luke was on a path to become his father and, by leaving, he failed at preventing it.'"
Verdict: There's no denying that Conery has done his homework on this one, referencing nuanced details in very specific scenes that do seem indeed seem to back up his claims, as well as interviews and articles that discuss changes that were made during production.
If you click on the IMDb page for The Force Awakens, it clearly states that Adam Driver is the man behind Kylo Ren's mask. But some fans just aren't buying it. In what's a more specific offshoot of Conery's theory above, Luke hasn't just turned to the dark side—he's specifically become the big bad leader of the Knights of Ren.
To help understand the tenets of this particular theory, the folks over at Moviepilot have laid it out in one simple list titled "5 Reasons Why Kylo Ren Could Be Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Force Awakens." In addition to referencing a 2006 appearance on Dinner for Five, in which Mark Hamill stated that he always imagined Luke turning to the dark side, the most compelling part of this theory is an observation about the trailer:
Verdict: The old switcheroo seems a bit too simplistic a plot device for Abrams, even if he did show us polar bears that went nowhere in Lost. And rising star Adam Driver agreeing to go along with it seems just as unlikely.
More than a year ago over at Making Star Wars, editor-in-chief Jason Ward wrote a story about the "State of Luke Skywalker," based on a conversation with "some friends in the know about the next Star Wars film." Though no names are named, the basic idea is that Luke is just too damn good of a Jedi.
"I'm told that in the back story for the film, Luke Skywalker does something amazing with the Force," writes Ward. "He's really powerful, more of 'wizard than lightsaber wielding warrior.' Basically, Luke Skywalker has a 'Force Unleashed' moment and realizes he might be bad for the universe… Luke Skywalker has become the most powerful Jedi ever, but he doesn't believe he's the wisest."
Not wanting to follow in the booted footsteps of his father [insert "The Imperial March" theme here], and consumed with the fear that that could very well happen, Luke goes a little nuts. And decides that the universe would be better off without him or his feathered hair. "To protect the galaxy and himself, Luke retreats into self-imposed exile for many years," continues Ward. "I'm told he can't always control the power. While he sits in a meditative state, he levitates things unconsciously and he's not always in complete control and he's never sure if he's doing the will of the Force or acting on his own passions."
Verdict: This one's got legs. Not just because of the unnamed sources, but if Luke were to call upon the expertise of Obi-Wan Kenobi, another fan of the self-exile tactic, this could very well have been his advice. And it would be a simple explanation of why we have yet to see him.
Perhaps emboldened by the popularity of his self-exile theory, earlier this year Jason Ward wrote another piece from a seemingly solid source who divulged a few key plot details, including confirmation of the self-exile idea. In this case, Ward goes into the details of how the source asked to remain "safely anonymous" and underwent a photo verification process that would likely make Edward Snowden chuckle. "I'm not adamant this information is correct or to the extent it is," writes Ward. "I am simply sharing the rumor because the information is entertaining. That is not to say it might not all be very valid."
In this case, Luke is pretty much in hiding, but he's doing so for a greater purpose: to protect an ancient Sith tomb from the likes of Kylo Ren and his badass posse of troublemakers who are on the hunt for Luke's trusty old lightsaber, which is essentially the key that opens this Pandora's box of ancient Sith evil.
Verdict: This one’s got all the elements of an old-school Star Wars adventure. Why not?
Sure, The Force Awakens takes place just 30 years after Return of the Jedi. Which would make Luke a still relatively virile, if middle-aged, Jedi specimen. But one doesn't wield lightsabers, race scout ships, and go head to head with evil Sith lords without upping the risk to his or her life. But killing off Luke? Unless there was a mind-blowing death scene or Luke does the Obi-Wan Force ghost thing, explaining away his absence as easily as "RIP" would be more disappointing than a surprise cameo from Jar Jar Binks. (Unless, of course, Binks really is Snoke.)
Verdict: BOOOOOOOO!
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