“I Failed. Because I Was Luke Skywalker. Jedi Master. A Legend.”
The Last Jedi has been named the most self-aware Star Wars movie because of its introspection. However, for all that the saga has drawn upon ancient history and legends, it’s always chipped away at them as well. For every step that it follows in the traditional hero’s journey, there’s a sobering realization around the corner.
For example, in The Force Awakens, we discover that evil still rises after happy endings. There’s the crushing comprehension that the shining Jedi Order was undone by their hubris. And the horror of discovering your supposedly heroic father was a genocidal dark lord.
By overthrowing the evil, Sith-led Galactic Empire, the assumption is that Luke would be somehow immune to the problems of the past. Of course, we all know that it’s never that simple. It would be so cool to see Luke stride out and face the First Order (in person) with nary a worry or care. But this is not how people work, and it wouldn’t be true to the conflicted and empathetic character we’ve known since 1977. The fact of the matter is that for all of his great deeds, Luke is still a man. Even the greatest of people are flawed and make mistakes, especially if they don’t evolve. Indeed, as Luke himself admits, it’s his failure to learn from these past errors that helped create Kylo Ren.
Moreover, like his father – the Jedi before him – Luke always struggled between the light and the dark sides of the Force. But unlike Anakin, Luke recognized the warning signs and rightly chose to seek compassion.
Even at his lowest moment this is evident. In the case of Ben Solo, Luke’s murderous impulse is undoubtedly repulsive, yet his reaction is completely understandable. It isn’t borne out of hate; it’s his attempt to stop all the horrors he’s seen and fought against coming true once again. As Mark Hamill recently posted on Twitter, it would be like coming face to face with Hitler as a baby. How could you not weigh up the options in that situation? And wouldn’t it leave a massive psychological scar?
The only way I could approach that scene was: If given the chance: "Would you kill baby Hitler?" https://t.co/PyKtjR2TaT
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) February 17, 2018
Sure, Luke does no one any favors by emulating his masters and going into exile. However, by using the past as a springboard, Luke finds his purpose once more. The Jedi Master then honors his masters, his family and friends, and gives the last of his life-force to save the Resistance on Crait. And Luke’s creation of a Force projection is highly pertinent.
