Luke Skywalker’s death in Star Wars: The Last Jedi divided the fanbase. Some viewers had issues with Luke’s entire portrayal in The Last Jedi; they’d expected the Grand Master at the height of his powers, but Rian Johnson’s movie unveiled a version of Luke who was very different. Shattered after Ben Solo’s fall to the dark side, Luke had abandoned the ways of the Jedi and the Force. He openly mocked the idea a single man could face off against the entire First Order with nothing but a “laser sword” in his hand.
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The end of The Last Jedi deliberately riffed on this. Luke gave the galaxy exactly what it wanted, stepping out of the Resistance hideout on Crait to confront Kylo Ren and the First Order. In reality, he was meditating at the Jedi Temple on Ahch-To, projecting himself through the Force. It was an incredible feat, but the effort was too much for him; Luke’s body dissolved as he became a Force Ghost, joining his mentors in the Netherworld of the Force.
Luke Skywalker Himself Just Explained Why His Death Was The Right One
Charles Soule and Luke Ross’ Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #10 sees an unexpected reunion between Luke Skywalker and Kylo Ren. Set between the events of The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, this picks up on Luke’s last words to Kylo – a promise he would see him again. Soule’s smart writing subverts this, though, because it’s actually Kylo Ren who seeks out Luke Skywalker’s Force Ghost – furious because he has sensed the Jedi Master’s presence watching him.
Kylo Ren opens the conversation by wanting to know who killed Luke; like many viewers, he simply can’t imagine a scenario where Luke quietly slips away. But Luke rejects this, telling him the truth:
“No one killed me. I sacrificed my life for others, in service of something greater. I died for my friends and family and for people I don’t know all across the galaxy, so they could live in peace and light. That’s what my life was for.”
Viewers always assumed Luke Skywalker’s death would be a moment of grand heroism, but Luke wanted something different. He had always been defined not by power but by compassion and love; he originally sought to become a Jedi “like my father before me,” and ultimately conquered the dark side itself because of his love for that same father. Now, in the end, he looks back and sees his death as a moment of love – for his friends and family, and for the fate of the galaxy itself.
Luke Skywalker Chose His Death, And That’s What Made It Great
“Adventure,” Yoda taught Luke in The Empire Strikes Back. “Excitement. A Jedi craves not these things.” To be a Jedi is not to be an action hero, but a seeker of truth and justice. Unlike viewers, Luke has learned this lesson, although it took him a long time; Luke’s desire for adventure was the reason he originally wanted to leave Tatooine in the first place. But he had learned this by the time of The Last Jedi, and he didn’t need to leave the Jedi Temple on Ahch-To to make a difference to the galaxy.
There’s a sense in which Luke’s death was everything a Jedi would long for. He was serene and at peace, meditating deep in the Force, drawing on the light side in a way nobody else had done. Meditating in this way became the key to protecting his loved ones, to saving the entire galaxy, and to restoring the balance of the Force. Can there be any more satisfying way for the son of the Chosen One to die?
Precious few Jedi get to decide the way they will die. Most Jedi we’ve seen have died because of the Sith, whether directly (think Darth Maul) or indirectly through events like Order 66. In contrast, Luke was able to choose his own passing. Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #10 is absolutely right to stress that this was just the kind of death a Grand Master would choose – the very best way to go. As far as Star Wars is concerned, then, The Last Jedi‘s death is nothing to apologize for; it’s absolutely perfect.
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Image courtesy of Stage 6 Films -
Image courtesy of Lucasfilm
