by Chris Snelgrove
| has been published
Star Wars fans had a lot of hate for the sequel trilogy for many reasons, but none so bitter as Luke Skywalker. It was rough to see this hero of the Rebellion as a burned-out hermit, and it was especially hard to see Kylo Ren's unrepentant revelation in his evil. really Start until Luke is tempted to kill his nephew. It seemed noticeably out of character, but Yoda himself predicted the worst part of the Star Wars sequel when he warned Luke that “once you begin the dark path, it will dominate your destiny forever.”
Luke, Yoda and the Dark Path
Before he met Yoda (and before the Star Wars sequels were made), Luke Skywalker's Jedi training was a long weekend with Obi-Wan Kenobi. Fortunately, Kenobi's own diminutive Jedi Master taught Luke a more comprehensive lesson, including warning him how even a single step toward the Dark Side could tarnish 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 those earlier mistakes.
Arguably, Luke's first step on the dark path was his failure in Dagobah's cave. The Empire Strikes BackWhen he took up arms inside (literally choosing violence despite Yoda's warnings) and an imaginary conflict Darth Vader who turned out to be Luke (a clear warning that he was in danger of becoming her father). Luke abandoned his training to help Han, Leia, and Chewbacca despite Yoda's warning that doing so would “destroy everything they've fought and suffered for.”
and in Return of the JediEmperor Palpatine successfully attempts to kill Luke after claiming that “hate is swelling within you now.” When Vader blocks the killing stroke, Luke expresses his anger at his father, with the script clearly stating that he “understands that he's 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 sequel? In short, the Jedi Master to warn Luke going down the dark path would lead to a dark destiny, but that wasn't enough to stop Luke from doing so. Years later (as we find The Last Jedi), in a moment of weakness, Luke is tempted to kill the young Ben Solo because he believes, “Snoke has already turned his heart,” and that Ben, “will bring destruction, pain, death, and the end of everything. What will he become of him?” love for.”
Rey has to tell Luke, “He liked thinking you failed him,” echoing Luke's own thoughts about Vader. Return of the Jediinsists that “he still has conflicts.” Sure enough, Kylo was good at Ren, and his redemption helped Rey finally defeat Emperor Palpatine. The Rise of Skywalker. Famous Jedi Master Luke Skywalker Ben was obviously wrong in his assessment of Solo, and the simplest explanation for this is that Yoda was right: his fate in the Star Wars sequels was still “dominated” by those earlier mistakes in the Original Trilogy.
While Yoda's dark prophecy may explain Luke's controversial choices, this explanation is unlikely to sway Star Wars fans who hated the sequel trilogy. No matter how well-motivated a character change, seeing a passionate protagonist transform into a nihilistic burnout is never fun. Collectively, we can only hope so Disney Will do better in the future and their first steps down the dark path of the sequel trilogy will not dominate the fate of this franchise forever.