Star Wars Fan Theory Argues That Luke Skywalker Died Before The Last Jedi

Fans still feel some type of way about Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Luke Skywalker‘s character in the film. One fan has a wild theory that completely explains Luke’s actions in the film: The Jedi was actually a ghost for the entire movie. Now, the thought of such a thing is a serious trip and makes The Last Jedi feel like more of a zany trip than even the strange fever dreams down in the depths of that island on Ahch-To did.

The original poster theorizes that the very jaded Skywalker we find in isolation during the film is a Force projection or “Force Ghost” the entire time. This hypothesis explains why he was never able/willing to help stop The First Order. The cranky Jedi was bound to the island and the strong Force presence there. This also helps make some of the more surreal elements of the story become more literal during the film.

Rey is the only one who can see him while on the island, and there are many interactions that the audience would expect but never really materialize. The Force Projection on Crait near the end of the film is one last flourish and the overall mastery of the technique just like it is in earlier readings of the film.

One very observant commenter tried to shut the whole thing down by asking, “Who was the one milking those Thala-sirens at one point in the story?” That is a great question and one that brought the thread to a screeching halt for a moment. But, even with that very valid question, that sort of gambit would have made for one unbelievable twist that audiences would have had a hard time sniffing out during their first viewing.

While some Star Wars fans still can’t let go of seeing a Luke Skywalker that doesn’t match up with their understanding of the character, Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson has never stopped making arguments for his case:

He said on Twitter, “Hot take: Luke is in fact 100% consistent with his character (not the way he’s described in marketing blurbs, but his actual, based-on-his-words-and-actions character) from the OT. I’ll be at the bar if you need me.”

Rian Johnson is still making lengthy defenses of his character and story decisions for The Last Jedi. The director and Mark Hamil have repeatedly pointed out how his decisions (like Luke’s Astral Projection) were all mined from deep-dive research of the series and its lore. But, as with all works of art, fans will continue to stoke the flames of debate for years to come. The release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker later this year will probably ignite this discussion again. This one won’t be going away any time soon.