Star Wars: The Force Awakens only included Luke Skywalker in one infamously short moment, but if the Jedi hero had fought Kylo Ren in act 3, the entire Star Wars sequel trilogy would have been quite different. Luke Skywalker is one of several iconic protagonists in the original Star Wars trilogy, and since his journey from farm boy to Jedi Knight was one of the most robust and emotionally resonant components of the classic films, the sequel trilogy was, understandably, under a lot of pressure to get him right. Unfortunately, the first two sequel trilogy films avoided using Luke Skywalker and focused too much on surprising viewers, respectively, but if The Force Awakens had taken the challenge of giving Luke an active role in its plot, the following two films would likely depict him in a manner that is both more original and more consistent with his characterization in previous movies.

Kylo Ren’s two duels in The Force Awakens’ third act are the film’s emotional climax, with Finn’s grudge match with Kylo Ren being teased since the movie’s opening and his arc culminating in him facing down a trained Knight of Ren, despite his own strength in the Force not being revealed yet. For Rey, the sequence was cathartic as well, since she finally accepted her connection to the Force and used her powers to defend herself and Finn from the sinister dark side-user. Kylo Ren was severely injured by Chewbacca’s bowcaster and was in emotional turmoil after killing Han Solo, and thus was far less formidable than usual. Kylo Ren also sought to recruit Rey to his cause rather than kill her, so while he easily bested Finn, Rey fended him off by taking advantage of these hindrances.

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Rather than give Luke Skywalker an active role, The Force Awakens opted to make him akin to a MacGuffin, with one of the few details explaining his absence being that he felt responsible for Kylo Ren destroying his renewed Jedi Order, resulting in self-imposed exile. This, unfortunately, clashes with Luke’s previous characterization, as he’s not one to abandon his friends and the downtrodden of the galaxy at his best or worst moments in the original trilogy. Star Wars: The Last Jedi could have mitigated this with a creative approach to Luke’s character, but it further exacerbated the issue instead, focusing on unexpected turns motivating his behavior, resulting in a divisive depiction of one of the Star Wars saga’s most iconic characters. If Luke had an active role in The Force Awakens, his depictions in the following two films would have been quite different and potentially better.

Mark Hamill Expected Luke To Return Against Kylo Ren In The Force Awakens

Luke Skywalker in Star Wars The Last Jedi

Mark Hamill was as surprised as some viewers when reading the script to The Force Awakens, believing that Luke Skywalker would have a more prominent role in the new Star Wars film. Hamill specified the fight against Kylo Ren as the moment he believed Luke would appear, with the late Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber flying past Kylo Ren and landing in Luke’s hand instead of Rey’s. While this would have been too late to prevent the destruction of the Hosnian System and the murder of Han Solo, Luke would be well-positioned to protect Rey and Finn from his fallen nephew. A true reunion for the heroes of the Star Wars original trilogy would be impossible if Luke appeared here (an issue that is worsened by Lando Calrissian’s absence from the first two sequel movies), but it would have a fascinating impact on the following two films.

Luke Skywalker Would've Defeated Kylo Ren In The Force Awakens

First Order Kylo Ren Starkiller Base

Kylo Ren could have defeated Rey as easily as he did Finn had he not wished to recruit her, but he was still in a weakened state at the end of The Force Awakens. If Rey, who lacked any formal lightsaber or Force training at the time, could fend off Kylo Ren, then the veteran Jedi Master Luke Skywalker would have no trouble defeating his nephew. With the duel on Starkiller Base ending sooner, Kylo Ren might be captured rather than separated from the heroes by the collapsing superweapon. This would potentially depict Kylo Ren as a more dangerous adversary, requiring numerous injuries and the intervention of Luke Skywalker to be defeated, but his capture would also seemingly solidify Snoke as the primary threat in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.

Rey's Jedi Training Would've Been Very Different

Luke Watches Rey Training in Star Wars The Last Jedi

Having Luke intervene to save Rey and Finn from Kylo Ren establishes that he is not the same version of Luke as the one seen in The Last Jedi. Rather than willfully let evil succeed through inaction, Luke would have simply been too late to save Han Solo and stop Starkiller Base from firing on the Hosnian System. Recognizing that a trained Jedi Knight is necessary to stop Snoke, Luke would also train Rey, albeit perhaps more cautiously than Ben Solo. Rather than repeat the criticisms of the Jedi Order already said in the prequel trilogy, Luke would opt to use his position to improve their philosophies, training Rey to become a new and better type of Jedi who is well-prepared for the adversaries she’ll face as a member of the Resistance.

Related: Even Luke Skywalker Didn't Fully Understand Balance in the Force

Luke Skywalker's Death Doesn't Happen In The Last Jedi

Luke dies in The Last Jedi

With Luke and Rey both taking a more active role in the war against the First Order, they could easily opt to attack Snoke directly, infiltrating his throne room aboard the Supremacy and facing him together. A creative plot twist would have Luke and Rey discover, upon Snoke’s defeat, that he isn’t the real power behind the First Order, and that a far greater threat is hidden in the galaxy’s Unknown Regions: Palpatine. Meanwhile, Kylo Ren could escape Resistance captivity and wrest control over the First Order, becoming a more threatening villain than Snoke but also lacking knowledge of the reborn Emperor Palpatine in the Unknown Regions. This scenario would also spare Luke from his underwhelming death and give him a meaningful role in the sequel trilogy while remaining no more than a supporting character to protagonists like Rey and Finn.

Emperor Palpatine Return Would Be Different (If It Happens At All)

Palpatine thought of Lukes death in star wars the last jedi

Luke Skywalker is the only Jedi who Palpatine feared, and it was Luke’s The Last Jedi death (and Kylo Ren’s ascension to Supreme Leader) that led the undead Sith Lord to resurface. In this scenario, Palpatine would be forced to come out of hiding earlier than he’d intended with Rey and Luke defeating Snoke (his proxy ruler) and Kylo Ren becoming the new Supreme Leader. Palpatine would likely be forced to rely on a less-than-ideal backup plan, recruiting Kylo Ren to his side and forming the Final Order sooner to stand a chance against this more powerful iteration of the Resistance. This is assuming that the Star Wars sequel trilogy opts to bring back Palpatine in the first place instead of simply building up Kylo Ren as the main villain following Snoke’s defeat.

Kylo Ren's Redemption Still Happens (As Does His Death)

Palpatine with Kylo Ren and Rey in The Rise of Skywalker

Luke would, unfortunately, likely die in this alternate version of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, with either Kylo Ren killing him or (more fittingly) Luke sacrificing himself to kill Palpatine, removing the masters from the equation and leaving Rey and Kylo Ren as the main combatants. This would still result in Kylo Ren’s ultimate redemption, however, with Luke’s sacrifice providing Rey and the redeemed Ben Solo with the necessary opening to defeat Palpatine once and for all. Kylo Ren’s eventual return to Ben Solo could be the culmination of attempts by Luke Skywalker to redeem his nephew following their duel on Starkiller Base in this alternate version of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

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