By Chris Snellgrove | Published
Star Wars fans had a lot of hatred for the sequel trilogy for many reasons, but none as bitter as the portrayal of Luke Skywalker. It was hard to see this hero of the rebellion as a burned-out monk, and it was especially hard to see the revelation that Kylo Ren’s descent into evil did not Really begin until Luke was tempted to kill his nephew. This seemed remarkably out of character, but Yoda himself actually predicted the worst part of the Star Wars sequels when he warned Luke, “Once you tread the dark path, it will forever determine your fate.”
Luke, Yoda and the Dark Path
Before he met Yoda (and long before the production of the Star Wars sequels), Luke Skywalker’s Jedi training amounted to a long weekend with Obi-Wan Kenobi. Luckily, Kenobi’s junior Jedi Master gave Luke more extensive training, warning him, among other things, that even a single step toward the Dark Side could affect his fate forever. However, we see Luke take several steps down the dark path, and most fans don’t realize that his murderous thoughts about Kylo Ren are the result of these previous mistakes.
Luke’s first step on the dark path was probably his failure in the cave on Dagobah The Empire strikes backwhen he took weapons (literally choosing violence, despite Yoda’s warnings) and dueled a phantom Darth Vader, who turned out to be Luke (a clear warning that he was in danger of becoming his father). Luke also abandoned his training to help Han, Leia, and Chewbacca, despite Yoda warning that doing so would “destroy everything they have fought and suffered for.”
And clean Return of the JediEmperor Palpatine successfully tricks Luke into killing him after claiming, “The hatred grows within you now.” When Vader blocks the fatal blow, Luke directs his anger at his father, with the script specifically stating that he “realizes he is using the dark side.”
Luke doesn’t listen
So what does this history lesson have to do with Yoda’s words and the most controversial element of the Star Wars sequels? In short, the Jedi Master warned Luke said that taking the dark path would lead to a dark fate, but that wasn’t enough to stop Luke. Years later (as we find out in The Last Jedi), in a moment of weakness, Luke is tempted to kill young Ben Solo, believing “Snoke had already turned his heart” and Ben would bring “destruction, pain, death and the end of everything.” For love what he will become.”
Rey has to tell Luke, “You failed him by thinking his decision was made,” and repeat Luke’s own thoughts about Vader Return of the JediHe emphasized that “there are still conflicts lurking within him.” In fact, there was some good in Kylo Ren and his redemption ultimately helped Rey defeat Emperor Palpatine The Rise of Skywalker. The famous Jedi Master Luke Skywalker was obviously wrong in his assessment of Ben Solo, and the simplest explanation for this is that Yoda was right: his fate in the Star Wars sequels was still influenced by the earlier errors from the original trilogy ” certainly”.
While Yoda’s dire prophecy could explain Luke’s controversial options, this explanation is unlikely to sway Star Wars fans who hated the sequel trilogy. No matter how good the motivation for a character change is, it’s never fun to watch a passionate hero turn into a nihilistic burnout. Together, we can just hope that Disney does better in the future and that their first steps down the dark path of the sequel trilogy don’t forever determine the fate of this franchise.