Mark Hamill Says Luke Made Huge Mistake With Kylo Ren

09/19/2017 09:56 pm EDT

One of the biggest mysteries of the new Star Wars trilogy revolves around the disappearance of Luke Skywalker, and it might have to do with his biggest failure.

In The Force Awakens, both the Resistance and the First Order wanted to know where he went. With the heroes winning out in the end, Rey journeyed to the ancient Jedi planet of Ahch-To and found Skywalker perched on a cliff.

In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, fans will learn the answer to the latest mystery: why did he leave? And the answer has something to do with his now-evil nephew, Kylo Ren.

"[Luke] made a huge mistake in thinking that his nephew was the chosen one, so he invested everything he had in Kylo, much like Obi-Wan did with my character," Mark Hamill told to Entertainment Weekly. "And he is betrayed, with tragic consequences. Luke feels responsible for that. That's the primary obstacle he has to rejoining the world and his place in the Jedi hierarchy, you know? It's that guilt, that feeling that it's his fault, that he didn't detect the darkness in him until it was too late."

Luke's response to his failure and the subsequent guilt is intriguing. Why didn't he remain with the Resistance and attempt to stop the former Ben Solo and the First Order? That was key for writer and director Rian Johnson to figure out.

"We know that he is not a coward. He's not just hiding because he's scared," Johnson said. "But we also know that he must know his friends are in danger. He must know the galaxy needs him. And he's sitting on this island in the middle of nowhere. There had to be an answer. It had to be something where Luke Skywalker believes he's doing the right thing – and the process of figuring out what that is and unpacking it is the journey for Rey."

Rey has her own mysteries to deal with, such as her heritage and why she was abandoned on Jakku.

It will be interesting to learn how it all ties together when Star Wars: The Last Jedi premieres in theaters December 15th.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the second film in the new Star Wars sequel trilogy that began with Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015. The film will deal with Luke training Rey to become a, and possibly the last, Jedi. Meanwhile, the Resistance, including Poe Dameron and First Order defector Finn, continues to fight against the First Order, led by General Hux, while Supreme Leader Snoke and his Dark Side follower Kylo Ren continue their mysterious plot.

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