Despite coming to terms with the saga's new direction, Mark Hamill has spoken several times on his struggle accepting Luke Skywalker’s characterization in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, as the once hopeful Jedi exiles himself after his part in turning Ben Solo to the dark side. For those who can't see the issue, an old Legends story lays out exactly why fans struggled to accept a Luke who had given up on his friends and the wider galaxy. The Star Wars Legends continuity (formerly known as the Expanded Universe) was once the franchise’s official canon before being relegated to an alternate timeline, continuing Luke’s adventures for decades after the original trilogy’s conclusion. While Legends’ Luke Skywalker is generally well-received, his post-2014 canon counterpart has been the subject of controversy.
Luke Skywalker continued to grow as a character in Legends-era comic books, video games, and novels, and while he is occasionally criticized for becoming too powerful, this never became an obstacle to his continuing conflicts and characterization. The post-2014 canon Luke Skywalker, however, divided Star Wars viewers in 2017’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which depicted Luke as having given up on his values and become a shell of a man who allows evil to succeed through inaction, despite being one of the few who could defeat Snoke and redeem Kylo Ren. Not only did The Last Jedi’s characterization of Luke ignite controversy among fans, but Mark Hamill also discussed struggling to reconcile the older Luke with the character he knows inside and out.
Issue 4 of the Legends-era Star Wars: Union comic series, by Michael A. Stackpole and Robert Teranishi, perfectly demonstrates Luke Skywalker’s defining traits and highlights why The Last Jedi's choices are so controversial. The heartwarming comic series depicts the wedding of Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade, the latter being the adopted daughter of Emperor Palpatine and his unofficial Sith assassin known as the Emperor’s Hand. Their wedding takes place shortly after the long-awaited conclusion of the Galactic Civil War, yet Derran Takkar (a Moff in the Imperial Remnant) attempts to disrupt the ceremony with a cyber attack on the New Republic. Although the plot is quietly foiled before Takkar confronts Luke and Mara, Luke talks down the Moff and convinces him to better himself, demonstrating that in Legends, like the original trilogy, Luke’s greatest power was always his compassion and willingness to help others, not his Force powers and fighting skills.
Luke Skywalker Is Defined by Hope
Legends-era material makes sure not to leave Luke a stagnant character following the end of Return of the Jedi, yet the continuity is keenly aware of Luke’s core traits and maintains them even decades after the original trilogy. Luke Skywalker is defined by his love for his friends and family, as well as his devotion to helping the people of the galaxy. Luke’s predilection for healthy attachment leads him to famously redeem Darth Vader, fall in love with Mara Jade, and approach his later enemies as potential allies. Luke’s greatest victories are not won by fighting, but rather by strengthening the best traits of others, even in the most extreme cases.
How The Last Jedi Changed Luke
The Last Jedi strips Luke Skywalker of this trait, having him be consumed by hopelessness rather than - as Hamill has suggested - dusting himself off and re-embracing hope. For some viewers, Luke considering killing Ben Solo is understandable as a moment of weakness and fear (though many fans find this objectionable as well), but it's his self-imposed exile that truly has Luke abandon the very qualities that define him. As this Star Wars Legends story shows, Luke Skywalker didn't consider anyone beyond redemption, making it clear why even Mark Hamill has struggled to see how the young Jedi could later turn his back on the revolutionary hope that once defined him.