‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Fan Theory Explains Luke Skywalker’s Strange Behavior

Star Wars: The Last Jedi still has a fair share of naysayers, with quite a few people still picking apart how Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is presented within the film. But a new piece of fan analysis might help put things in perspective.

Reddit user TLM86 recently dissected one of The Last Jedi‘s most controversial moments, a flashback scene in which Luke briefly contemplates killing Ben Solo/Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). While some have argued that this decision is wildly out of character for Luke, TLM86 disagrees, and cites quite a bit of the original Star Wars trilogy as evidence.

“Initially he’s all for killing Vader to avenge his aunt and uncle, Obi-Wan, and his father,” they explained. “When Vader reveals he’s Luke’s father, it allows him to look beyond the “monster in a mask” and see the human underneath. Even Obi-Wan and Yoda urged him to face and strike Vader down in order to become a Jedi Knight, but Luke’s instincts told him different.”

As the user argued, Luke’s ability to trust his instincts still carries over into that The Last Jedi scene, as he realizes that Ben has been corrupted by the darkness. Even with the ramifications of killing his nephew, Luke’s instincts tell him that it would ultimately help the galaxy.

“Luke’s trusted instincts are telling him to strike Ben down for the good of the future, in the same way his damaging trip to Bespin was ultimately a good thing, and to ignore the advice of his Jedi Masters and reach out to Vader was a good thing,” they continued. “Luke, of course, realizes his mistake; that his instincts have been clouded, but by then it’s too late.”

Considering just how much The Last Jedi has thrown at audiences, it’s easy to see why some would be overwhelmed by Luke’s storyline, even going so far to petition for it to be erased from canon. But ultimately, this Reddit user helps prove that Luke’s characterization has been mostly consistent between movies – something that Hamill had to also come to terms with.

“I’ve had trouble accepting what [Rian Johnson] saw for Luke.” Hamill revealed during a recent interview. “But again, I have to say, having seen the movie, I was wrong.”

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is in theaters now.