Luke Skywalker's 2025 return just completely recontextualized one of Star Wars' most controversial scenes. Despite being one of the most beloved characters in the Star Wars universe, Mark Hamill's Jedi master was the subject of one incredibly divisive scene during his appearance in The Last Jedi. This saw an old, curmudgeonly Luke having turned his back on the Jedi way, embracing the force once more to sacrifice himself to save the rest of the Resistance.
Longtime fans of Luke thought his portrayal in Episode VIII was out of character, leaving a bad taste in the mouth when he ultimately died. A new comic book, however, has added some much-needed context to Luke's controversial death in The Last Jedi, giving fans what they so craved from the longtime Star Wars hero in the 2017 film.
Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #10 featured Luke Skywalker's surprise return to the Star Wars canon, where his spirit visited a conflicted Kylo Ren in the aftermath of The Last Jedi.
As Adam Driver's Sequel era Sith communed with his former Jedi mentor, Luke explained to him that "no one killed [him]," instead it was he who sacrificed himself so that his friends and family could "live in peace and light:"
"No one killed me. I sacrificed my life for others in service of something greater. I died for my firends and family and for the people I don't know all across the galaxy, so they could live in peace and light. That's what my life was for."
This finally opens the door to Luke's thought process behind sacrificing himself in The Last Jedi, potentially changing the way fans perceive the character's divisive decision.
One of the most significant criticisms fans (including Mark Hamill) had over Luke's characterization in the second Sequel movie was that his character simply did not feel like the altruist, for the good of the galaxy, Jedi he was portrayed in the Original Trilogy.
This new quote proves that the Original Trilogy Luke was in there, pushing himself to the edge of death and beyond, to save not just Rey, Leia, and the Resistance, but the entire galaxy, knowing his action would pave the best path forward to destroy the First Order and rid the Star Wars world of evil.
Will Luke Ever Be Redeemed in the Star Wars Universe?
For some fans, this Legacy of Vader moment between Luke Skywalker and his former protege, Kylo Ren, will be enough to redeem the character's final moments as seen in The Last Jedi. However, for others, that will not be the case.
For many, Luke's last big-screen appearance will have left such a bad taste in their mouth that there is little the franchise could do to redeem the decision to kill him off in the way it did.
What is even worse is that Luke himself will likely be retired as a character on-screen in the Star Wars universe. Mark Hamill is getting older and has seemingly left the Jedi master in the rearview.
He has shown up several times since The Last Jedi, popping up as a de-aged version of the Original Trilogy hero in The Mandalorian, training the young force-wielder Gorgu. However, with that series' glorious green mascot now back in the company of his chrome-domed guardian, Din Djarin, Luke's time in that corner of the Star Wars universe is assumed to be over.
The one place fans may ultimately get their Luke Skywalker redemption, retroactively making up for the sins of The Last Jedi, is in whatever theatrical plans Lucasfilm has post the Sequel Trilogy. Perhaps the franchise could bring the Jedi master back in something like Daisy Ridley's new Jedi Order movie, returning as a Force Ghost to guide the Jedi on her way to rebuilding the Force-using creed.
This could give the character the master-padawan relationship that audiences were hoping for heading into Episode VIII, while evolving the 'Old Man Luke' persona that was first introduced in that 2017 film.
