Star Wars Reveals Luke Skywalker’s Last Words To Kylo Ren (After His Last Jedi Death)

Eight years after Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Star Wars has revealed Luke Skywalker’s true last words to Kylo Ren. Luke’s nephew was shaken when he saw the Jedi Master step out of the Resistance hideout on Crait, especially when all the firepower of the First Order appeared to leave him untouched. It all turned into an epic duel between Luke and Kylo Ren, ending only when Ren realized Luke was actually projecting himself through the Force. Over on Ahch-To, the effort of this feat saw Luke’s body dissolve into the Force.

In The Last Jedi, Luke’s last words to Kylo Ren spoke of triumph. “The Rebellion is reborn today,” Luke insisted. “The war is just beginning. And I will not be the last Jedi… Strike me down in anger and I’ll always be with you. Just like your father.” He left a shaken Kylo Ren with a cheerful farewell; “See you around, kid.” Words that sounded like a promise, and Star Wars has just confirmed they were fulfilled.

Luke And Kylo Ren Met Again After The Last Jedi

Charles Soule and Luke Ross’ Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #10 picks up from this moment. Set between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, it sees Kylo Ren seek Luke out because he’s tired of sensing the Jedi Master’s attention. Impressively, Kylo Ren somehow manages to gain access to the Netherworld of the Force – a cosmic plane of the Force where the souls of the dead and Force Ghosts reside, and where darkness is supposed to be banished. There, he confronts Luke.

What follows is Luke at his best, witty and whimsical, and his words prod at Kylo Ren in the best possible way; Luke senses that Kylo Ren’s presence in the Netherworld suggests he isn’t lost to the darkness at all, and clearly believes he can be redeemed. “I hate you,” Kylo Ren finally snarls. “Stop your lurking, stop your watching. I can sense it. I am no longer your student, no longer anything to you. You failed to make me into you. You lost. Leave me alone, you dead old man, or I will find a way to destroy you.”

No doubt Kylo hoped those words would cut Luke to the heart. “You can’t destroy me without destroying without the Force,” Luke replies casually, “and you can’t do that without destroying yourself.” There’s a clear smile on Luke’s face in Ross’ artwork as he continues, “But goals are important.”

Luke’s farewell is a complete turnabout, wounding Kylo Ren in a way he could not accomplish with his words. “It’s meaningful that you found your way here,” the Jedi Master observes. “You should ask yourself how you managed it. Kylo Ren means nothing to me. But I’ll always be there for Ben.”

Luke Skywalker’s Final Words Foreshadow Kylo Ren’s Redemption

There’s a clear thematic echo here of Ben Solo’s redemption in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. There, Rey too treated Kylo Ren and Ben as separate people, insisting she never wanted to take Ren’s hand; she wanted to take Ben’s. Luke and Rey both understood that Kylo Ren is just one aspect of Ben’s character, essentially a twisted persona he has adopted because he has been imprisoned by the dark side.

This is why Kylo Ren was able to access the Netherworld of the Force. It is a place where darkness is banished, and yet the light within Kylo – the light of Ben – still calls out for it. Notice that Kylo Ren means nothing to Luke, and nothing to Rey either; as formidable as this villain may have been, they consider him nothing more than a mask that must be discarded. Both Luke and Rey have realized that it is Ben they are interested in, Ben that they care for, and Ben that they want to reach.

Rae Carson’s novelization of The Rise of Skywalker reveals that the Force Ghosts mentored Leia, and it’s fascinating to imagine that they may well have told her of this final encounter between Luke and Kylo. Had they done so, Leia would have known there was still hope for her son, setting up the conclusion of the Star Wars sequel trilogy.

You can read the full discussion in Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #10 by Charles Soule and Luke Ross, on sale now from Marvel Comics.

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