The Last Jedi Fan Theory Attempts To Explain Luke Skywalker’s Erratic Behavior

When one ponders the life and legacy of Luke Skywalker, it’s almost easy to conclude that Mark Hamill’s Jedi is, in fact, a living legend.

After all, this is the whiny farm boy who helped topple a totalitarian regime, all the while destroying not one, but two Death Stars. Flanked by the Rebel Alliance and some life-long allies in Leia and Han Solo – not to mention Yoda, Obi-Wan, Chewie, Artoo and C-3PO – Luke restored balance to the galaxy, so you can imagine his bitter disappointment when he uncovers raw, untold evil within his nephew, Ben Solo.

That’s a character who would go on to become the fearsome Kylo Ren – hence the Force awakens – whose arc deeply informed the tone and structure of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. But the latest fan theory to emerge is more concerned with Luke and, more specifically, his erratic behavior.

Per Reddit:

Initially, he’s all for killing Vader to avenge his aunt and uncle, Obi-Wan, and his father. When Vader reveals he’s Luke’s father, it allows him to look beyond the ‘monster in a mask’ and see the human underneath. Even Obi-Wan and Yoda urged him to face and strike Vader down in order to become a Jedi Knight, but Luke’s instincts told him different.

First spotted by ComicBook.com, this somewhat plausible theory goes on to focus on Luke’s instincts, and why the decision to kill his nephew in cold blood may not have been out of character, after all:

Luke’s trusted instincts are telling him to strike Ben down for the good of the future, in the same way his damaging trip to Bespin was ultimately a good thing, and to ignore the advice of his Jedi Masters and reach out to Vader was a good thing. Luke, of course, realizes his mistake; that his instincts have been clouded, but by then it’s too late.

Like all of the weird and wonderful fan theories populating Reddit, it’s best approaching this assumption with a heightened sense of caution. One thing we can tell you with absolute certainty though is that Star Wars: The Last Jedi has officially entered the all-time top 20 with $1.09 billion – a global figure which bodes well for the sequel’s imminent release in China.