The Role of the Jedi in Star Wars: Episode VII?

Jedi In Flames

In the 1989 book “Icons: Intimate Portraits,” author Denise Worrell gave us some foresight into what we might expect in Star Wars: Episode VII — “The third [trilogy will] deal with moral and philosophical problems,” Lucas said in 1983. “In Star Wars, there is a very clear line drawn between good and evil. Eventually you have to face the fact that good and evil aren’t that clear-cut and the real issue is trying to understand the difference.” We’ll take a closer look at how George’s quote might relate to the role of the Jedi as well as why HitFix’s Drew McWeeny agrees that it won’t be that clear-cut.

 

Mr. Mysterybox, a.k.a. JJ Abrams, is having a great time directing Star Wars: Episode VII one would presume. He must be even giddier than a Tatooine farmboy blasting wamprats that his mystery box strategy of tightly guarding the secrets of his production have unleashed a furious storm of strange, if not weird and confounding, to say the least, speculations and rumors across the internets. Most notably, it seems, if one is to put stock into any number of these dubious rumors and “leaks,” that JJ has sullied our chocolate with his peanut butter, OR, more precisely, has tainted our Star Wars with his Star Trek by making everyone from Max Von Sydow to Mark Hamill’s “Luke Skywalker” a cyborg of some sort. “We are Borg. Resistance is blah, blah, blah . . . ” which is to say that JJ has apparently followed one of the presumed themes of the Sequel Trilogy as George Lucas envisioned it — nothing is that clear-cut.

 

The great website TheSecretHistoryofStarWars has done an excellent job of chronicling the evolution of the saga over the years. Therein we read the following passage:

In 1980 Lucas revealed to Time magazine that the sequel trilogy would revolve around “the rebuilding of the Republic,” and in 1983 stated to that magazine that thematically it would be about “the necessity for moral choices and the wisdom needed to distinguish right from wrong,”

 

With the rebuilding of the Republic it is quite understandable for one to assume that the Jedi order would be rebuilt as well. The Rebel Alliance won the day in Episode VI and only with the assistance of the last Jedi in the galaxy. We, the audience of fans, know how great a person young Luke Skywalker is and that he is the right person for the task of resurrecting the Jedi Order. BUT what if these common assumptions are completely wrong? What if Luke Skywalker, understanding how the absolute power of a Jedi is capable of corrupting absolutely, simply walked away? What IF Jedi Master Luke Skywalker went into a self-imposed exile after the events of ROTJ? These are all the intriguing possibilities that have been discussed, leaked, rumored and speculated upon.

 

 

Father & Son

 

How likely are they, however? Well, IF your last name is Skywalker, it would be understandable that he may not want to broadcast that fact to the Republic (new or otherwise) as the Jedi, when last we knew, were deemed corrupted, traitorous, outlaws; the Jedi Order left in flames and ruin. It makes sense that Luke, being the only known Jedi in the galaxy, would wish to seclude himself, his danger, from the rest of the galaxy.

 

Being a human is a complex and tricky job. Being a human with incredible powers increases that difficulty level tenfold. Luke Skywalker, throughout his story arc of the Original Trilogy, learned full well that his powers could lead him down the path to the Dark Side. I mean, how many of us have been stuck in bumper to bumper traffic and wished we had the Force simply to wave aside the cars and allow us to pass? I have. BUT what if in a fit of road rage we used the Force to smash the cars and then throw them aside?! A tricky conundrum, which is why in real-life people don’t have the Force — we don’t know how to wield it. Luke’s internal struggle in Return of the Jedi gave him some clear insight into the slippery slope the Force presents.

 

 

Dark Luke

 

This brings me to an interesting question posed to HitFix’s Drew McWeeny. In [the current] Episode #111 of “Ask Drew”, McWeeny provides an interesting answer to the second and lengthy question asked:

Q– “Okay, so Mike Ryan at Huffington Post and James Whitbrook over on 109 have both written articles on why Star Wars could do with pulling back on the Jedi. as a fan of the saga who can no doubt remember a time before Star Wars was all twirly twirly lightsabers, how do you feel about this? Should Star Wars give Jedi a break?”

 

A– “I can say today that I’m feeling more confident about Episode VII than I’ve ever felt before. And part of that is that I think the story they’ve created is a really interesting way of both steering directly into the nostalgia people have for the first three films, but also shattering that nostalgia by showing that much of what we’ve held onto — the characters and the universe — we have to let go. One of the things that you should expect is the Jedi ABSOLUTELY have a major role in this next trilogy, but it may not be the role that we expect. The events that we’ve seen in the other films have definitely taken a toll in terms of how the universe of Star Wars sees the Jedi and how they see them as an active force. I think it’s safe to say that they are not considered a pure, good thing anymore and that Jedi in general are going to be a very interesting, difficult topic in the new films. I think that anything we’ve already seen in these movies we should be prepared to let go of because I don’t think they’re covering the same ground. It’s a very, very exciting moment to be a Star Wars fan in general.”

 

Young Jedi

 

Drew’s answer actually seems to support a theory I espoused to the fine folks in “The Cantina” forum. My theory based on everything I’ve read or heard, and to be taken with the Doctor’s prescribed dosage of salt, runs thusly: With Luke Skywalker in self-imposed exile, due to his fear of becoming corrupted like Vader and Sidious, has done the galaxy a great dis-service. Sure, Luke is the only Jedi in the galaxy at the end of ROTJ, BUT that doesn’t mean he is the only Jedi to exist ever again. My theory is that in the interim between Episode VI and Episode VII hundreds, if not thousands, of young men and women, human and alien alike, have come to realize that they, too, are “Force attuned.” However, without any kind of structure — mentor-ship, education, history or hand to guide — them, these Force attuned individuals are roaming the galaxy willy-nilly, lost, confused, alone and powerful, searching for the true history of the Jedi and the last known Jedi in the galaxy. These “poseurs” might even be training themselves, or others in loose clans, with what little knowledge they have gained, dispensing their own form of “justice” along the way.

 

 

Sith

 

Some of the rampant rumors seem to suggest that my theory is accurate. SPOILER ALERT! Rumor has it that Adam Driver’s character is an aristocrat who is obsessed with Sith artifacts. Presumably without mentorship it appears that this character is teaching himself the ways of the Force — the Dark Side of the Force. Are others following suit? What kind of chaotic and confused state will the galaxy be then if half-cocked, smart enough to be dangerous, biological weapons were unleashed in a galaxy still at war? It makes for a very intriguing premise, not to mention jibes perfectly with the theme of, “the necessity for moral choices and the wisdom needed to distinguish right from wrong,”

 

This very intriguing potentiality completely flies in the face of the afore- mentioned Huffington Posts’s Mike Ryan article declaring that “Episode VII: Jedi Are Boring.” The title alone is laughable since Ryan, or anyone else outside the production, obviously knows nothing of what Episode VII is and has apparently spent little thought considering the question which is proved by this quote:

“Regardless of all that, telling a story of young Skywalker children training to be Jedi would be a mistake for a few reasons. The main reason being that Jedi are boring.

 

Yes, Jedi are boring. Boring!”

 

He goes on to back up his ridiculous statements by saying:

“I have nothing against Jedi, I just liked them better when they were all dead. Jedi were always better left up to the imagination.”

 

Which is a pretty funny statement since Mike Ryan is so painfully unimaginative it has to make one wonder why and how he became a writer. How is he able to imagine anything more “exciting” about the Jedi before they were all dead than George Lucas? A space opera fantasy without super beings is just another space drama, like say, Star Trek. No Jedi there. It would be like reading or watching Lord of the Rings without wizards. Laugh. Thankfully for us fans Mike Ryan is left to write for the Huffington Post and NOT for beloved Disney & Lucasfilm.

 

Aside from Ryan’s humorous attempt at contending that “Jedi are boring,” Drew McWeeny and I both agree that we are definitely going to see a ton of Jedi. BUT it is a chaotic and haphazard state of the galaxy that will see the rise of the Jedi into a new form of entity without guidance which, as Drew stated, may not be considered “a pure, good thing.”

 

 

Rising Padawans

 

Luke, when finally found, must confront not only his own “demons,” his relation to Vader, his own fears of corruption, but also that he has failed the galaxy at large by NOT rebuilding the Jedi Order and training the next generation of Jedi. And herein we are introduced to another of the presumed themes and conflicts that was implored by Jedi Master Yoda, “Always pass on what you have learned.” Not only is this a fitting theme for the Sequel Trilogy saga but also for the production en masse as that is exactly what George Lucas has said when he sold Lucasfilm Ltd. to Disney, “Pass the torch to the next generation of filmmakers.” BUT what state will these fledgling Jedi, left to their own devices, be in by the time they find guidance, that light in the proverbial darkness? How far down the path to the Dark Side will will they be? These are incredibly exciting, far from boring, answers that JJ Abrams has the privilege of revealing next December.

 

+ posts

85 thoughts on “The Role of the Jedi in Star Wars: Episode VII?

  • October 9, 2014 at 9:43 pm
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    Wow, amazing article, love the idea of Driver’s character

    • October 10, 2014 at 3:28 pm
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      Not to nitpick but there was a character exactly like that in the Bane trilogy.

  • October 9, 2014 at 9:51 pm
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    I liked it also.

  • October 9, 2014 at 10:09 pm
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    It’s an article like this that gives me hope that all us Star Wars fans might find a common ground.

  • October 9, 2014 at 10:10 pm
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    For a clue as to where the story is going to go, just read Campbell’s work, particularly “The Hero with a Thousand Faces,” which Lucas partially based Star Wars on. See here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monomyth
    You’ll find that the OT describes Separation and Initiation, starting with a “call to adventurn” and ending with the “Ultimate Boon.” The third part, Return, isn’t part of that story. Let me C&P from Wikipedia the first stage of the Return, Refusal of the Return:
    ‘Having found bliss and enlightenment in the other world, the hero may not want to return to the ordinary world to bestow the boon onto his fellow man.
    Campbell: “When the hero-quest has been accomplished, through penetration to the source, or through the grace of some male or female, human or animal, personification, the adventurer still must return with his life-transmuting trophy. The full round, the norm of the monomyth, requires that the hero shall now begin the labor of bringing the runes of wisdom, the Golden Fleece, or his sleeping princess, back into the kingdom of humanity, where the boon may redound to the renewing of the community, the nation, the planet or the ten thousand worlds. But the responsibility has been frequently refused. Even Gautama Buddha, after his triumph, doubted whether the message of realization could be communicated, and saints are reported to have died while in the supernal ecstasy. Numerous indeed are the heroes fabled to have taken up residence forever in the blessed isle of the unaging Goddess of Immortal Being.”‘

    There you have it.

  • October 9, 2014 at 10:21 pm
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    So much fear and doubt, anticipation and emotion….over something that will ultimately be a 120 minute piece of entertainment.

    • October 10, 2014 at 6:04 pm
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      Not to mention its not out for another year and 2 months… Holy shit guys its coming out in a year and 2 months!!! YEAAAAHHH!! Optimism!

    • October 11, 2014 at 7:18 am
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      Its more than a film, it includes books, comics and countless merchandise. Not to mention a deeper philosophical understanding of humanity.

  • October 9, 2014 at 10:24 pm
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    The prequels did make Jedi boring. They were uninteresting and unrelatable and outside of Obiwan and the dramatic impact of seeing a lightsaber was totally killed for me because of the overuses. The mystery of what the Republic times Jedi were was more interesting than what we got. This article seems way too personal by taking shots at a guy that wrote something “over a year ago” and i’m pretty sure that Star Wars Epiosde 7 : Jedi are boring, title is just a joke to open up his article so he can express how he feels about Jedi. Its not like hes saying he has inside information.

    • October 9, 2014 at 10:40 pm
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      Boring? Boring, you say? I’ll tell u what’s actually “boring”: PT-haters that find any- and I do mean- Anything to hate about it. U people are way over the top in your fanaticism with how disgruntled that part of the saga has made you lol.

      Of course the Jedi were “boring”- they’re SUPPOSED TO BE! They’re a fucking monastic order of peace keepers for crying out loud! They were never meant to be portrayed in the story as being anything different (outside of physically defending they’re ideas and themselves when attacked). Ben, and especially Yoda tells Luke this much…smh. Now….the Sith….different story. Those fuckers just love to get into shit lol. Guys use some common sense for once, damn.

      • October 9, 2014 at 10:51 pm
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        If you can’t have a conversation without calling someone a “hater” it leads me to believe that you’re insecure about someone else’s opinion of something you like which comes off juvenile making it hard to take you seriously.

        • October 9, 2014 at 11:11 pm
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          I neither require nor desire your approval of my comment. If the shoe fits, wear it 😉

          In the meantime, it’s certainly hard to take your opinion serious when it appears that u’re just waiting for any chance to regurgitate it- again…smh.

          Seriously. Being insecure…on a SW message board?! GTFOH with that weak shit lol.

          • October 9, 2014 at 11:24 pm
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            “GTFOH with that weak shit”. My intention was to call you out on your behavior, not as a weaponized insult. If i was to do that, which i’m not, it wouldn’t be that.

          • October 10, 2014 at 2:54 am
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            In a chaotic world.. those stoic and monastic principles of “calm and peace” are greatly needed. Star Wars IS a modern religion. Although it exists for entertainment purposes, these stories serve as guides to the multitudes who live in a largely ‘visual’ and ‘hedonistic’ generation. Achieving ‘Serenity’ seems to be impossible in an age of constant war, materialism, betrayal, excess, suicide, revenge etc. I hope this message remains a constant in the new projects.

        • October 11, 2014 at 11:58 pm
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          Quit being a hater.

      • October 9, 2014 at 11:13 pm
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        You can have a order of “monastic order of peace keepers” and have them not be boring. Having your lead hero faction in a sci fi action adventure movie be boring was just a bad idea.

        • October 10, 2014 at 7:39 pm
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          As usual you’re wrong, Duke.

          The PT Jedi are not supposed to be a hero faction. They’re supposed to be victims and escape goats. It’s the OT generation that are the heroes, and not ONE of them is a Jedi (save for Luke at the very end of RotJ, and if you pay attention to him in the film’s last 5 mins., you’ll notice that he’s become pretty detached and aloof by that point. In other words: boring).

          Someone mentioned Joseph Campbell’s wonderful treatment on the Hero’s Quest a few posts above. You’d do well to look into that so you may get a much better understanding of what SW (and the Jedi especially) are supposed to be all about. In short, Jedi are not supposed to be adventure heroes. That’s what Lucas has Indy Jones for.

          • October 10, 2014 at 10:53 pm
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            The Jedi are heros, guardians, generals did you not watch the Clone Wars? A’lot of the clones thought of the Jedi as heros, and that one named Jedi Master Ima-Gun Di is a hero. The Jedi weren’t victims and escape goats on a relevant scale until Palpatine set his plan motion. You tell me i’m wrong but i just think you don’t like me and are trying to be contrarian and doing a poor job at it. You do know there’s more types of heros other than the “adventure hero”.

      • October 10, 2014 at 1:34 am
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        I think almost everyone now believes the ‘Luke missing’ storyline. However, I’m inclined to it not being self-imposed (and I’m not talking ‘Inquisitors’ here!). It’ll probably take all 3/+ sequels to rebuild The Republic in the face of a dangerous and insidious evil.

        • October 10, 2014 at 5:46 am
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          Luke perhaps has gone away into a self-imposed exile to a secluded area to further meditate and contemplate the nature of the FORCE, biding his time until he is called upon to restore some kind of order(like Yoda and Obi Wan). Perhaps he is “endangering the mission” of social, political and economic rebuilding in the galaxy far far away. He definitely tips the balance of the Force(being the the grandchild of the Force) and as of recent, may have no real purpose in the secular arenas (Leia is better suited for this). A premature appearance may squander all the gains the rebel alliance have made in that said time.Of course there is a back story to the 30 years gap, but it should perfectly explain the state in which the ST will introduce him. Anything is possible.

          • October 10, 2014 at 7:33 am
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            It was thought that Anikin was the one to bring balance to the force. In a way he did, however I believe he was not the chosen one. Luke comes to understand that it actually was he the legends spoke of. He is in a self imposed exile. This allows for the future of the Republic to be clear of any one influence Jedi or Sith. I have a feeling that is what 7,8,9 will revolve around. A republic now void of an ancient religion and the few remaining force sensitive beings trying to cope with the past and groups looking for answers and guidance. This becomes a destabilizing issue and force’s individuals to search for luke.

      • October 10, 2014 at 11:41 am
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        The Jedi did not have to be boring just because they were monastic peacekeepers. Not everything that isn’t exciting is boring they could have been made interesting witch try were not

      • October 10, 2014 at 3:01 pm
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        “Of course the Jedi were “boring”- they’re SUPPOSED TO BE!”

        … Oh dear. PT fans have hit a new sense of delusional. Please, find me a quote by George that says all his concentration on lightsabers and jedi in general was actually supposed to be boring. I’ll wait.

    • October 10, 2014 at 11:36 am
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      The Jedi it the pt sucked

  • October 9, 2014 at 10:28 pm
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    ‘All stories (the world over) share the same structure, regardless of new paths and plots. You only have to consider this to know that Kira will have to undergo a ‘change’ (in this case loss, training, and adventure),…which means she and most any other major youth in the film) is not a Jedi from the get go. Even though its over 30 years later and we assume any and all connected to the Skywalkers will be seasoned Jedi badasses. That’s simply not how story arcs work. There has to be a dilemma, a challenge to overcome.

    Think of an ordinary girl with spirit, toiling away on her uncle’s farm while her brother is out with Dad cruising the Galaxy and moms always away on political business and you might have a more accurate picture of Daisy’s (and to some degree Adam’s) character.’

  • October 9, 2014 at 10:30 pm
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    I liked the idea of Luke in self exile and hundreds of force-users looking for the Jedi ways, the Force ways. And then Luke will be a Messiah and will lead the force users to training.

    • October 10, 2014 at 8:50 am
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      The Gospel According To Luke (Skywalker).

  • October 9, 2014 at 10:31 pm
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    If you hated the prequel trilogy, and it ruined your childhood, then go away. Don’t suffer anymore, and have your suffering bleed into my enjoyment of a space fairy tale. There are plenty of other entertainment choices in 2014. Thanks.

    • October 9, 2014 at 11:34 pm
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      Fuck off, PT fanboy. It’s our time now! xD

      • October 12, 2014 at 4:56 am
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        There are still people bitching about the PT?

  • October 9, 2014 at 10:33 pm
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    I like the idea of no Siths around….I can´t continue with “no Jedi around” because – and this is the one thing I have a problem with – you can´t be Jedi without a training. (or Sith)….there aro no books to teach all these force-sensitive people. How can they train themselves in Jedi way or in Sith way???? Siths are gone, they didn´t left any school around…Jedi temple is burned more than 50 years ago and there´s no one to teach….I can see young force sensitive guys to do little tricks they accidentally found, but nothing big, more elaborate, nothing really dangerous….Example? Luke Skywalker – before Ben he knew shit about the Force, he didn´t learn anything by himself…not mention that 40 years before E7 the Han Solo generation already saw “the Force” as a fairytale legend…if they solve this I would love to see it, because the idea is great.

    • October 9, 2014 at 11:31 pm
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      The Jedi and Sith had to start somewhere a thousand generations ago. There once were no books or masters.

      • October 11, 2014 at 1:02 am
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        and of course it tooks generations to really become Siths and Jedi…from small steps, small discoveries, to bigger ones….I´m sure you didn´t think a young kid with no knowing about Force starts to selflearning and in early 20s becomes experienced as a padawan would 🙂 you see my point here? In 35 years if there´s no one to teach – there can´t be anyone to do more than Anakin did with the apple on Naboo…and holocrons? Pleeeeease 🙂 sure they are on every corner, with the user guide and everything..

    • October 10, 2014 at 6:43 am
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      One word: Holocrons.

  • October 9, 2014 at 10:45 pm
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    Love this! Both because of the toll Luke’s journey took on him in the OT and because I can see him not wanting to become the Messiah of the new Jedi order…after all he “needed” Obi Wan and Yoda’s teachings to get as far as he got and now he’s supposed to turn around and be the Obi/Yoda to an entire generation of Jedi himself. Seeing how those 2 (of the greatest Jedi ever) failed with his father and the results of that singular failure on the galaxy. Now he is to lead the next umpteen Jedi forward without umpteen failures to what expense of the galaxy he has just saved….

  • October 9, 2014 at 10:51 pm
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    How is this a rumor? This is a speculation article. Don’t call it a rumor article just so you get more clicks on your piece.

    • October 9, 2014 at 11:30 pm
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      The main focus of the article is Drew McWeeny’s comment on the Episode VII Jedi. Although he is pretty credible still it’s just a rumor for now.

  • October 9, 2014 at 11:05 pm
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    I could see Luke being an “outsider” by this point. The galaxy was put into a decades long war that was led on both sides by guys with mystical powers wielding lightsabers. The people probably would want nothing to do with this any longer, certainly not someone in a position of power, which would lead to Luke leading a life more in style with “exile”. I could see all force users being outsiders to some extent, due to anger and fear among the people for the past. There is always a fall guy, in this case it was the Jedi/Sith.

    • October 9, 2014 at 11:42 pm
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      Yeah, it seems realistic and fully plausible for the galaxy and it’s government to have a serious distrust of any Force user, especially one in any position of influence.

      That being said, the rebel alliance in the OT didn’t seem to have an issue with Luke after it was known that he was on the Jedi path. Also they constantly used the phrase “May the Force be with you”. I dunno if Bail/Alderraan directly influenced the rebel system’s perception of the Jedi due to his personal relationship with the last of the old Order (Ben, Yoda).

      Gonna be very interesting to see how Abrams plays this…

  • October 9, 2014 at 11:29 pm
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    I know it’s not classified as canon anymore but I’ve just finished reading the Dawn of the Jedi trilogy. Pretty good at establishing the fact that sometimes to make things turn out for the best the Je’Daii had to tap in to the Dark Side. Just as Luke did in ROTJ, Obi Wan to some extent in PM.

    Also, in the EU, Luke did try and set up a new Jedi Academy which ultimately led to him questioning his role as a Jedi. Again, I know it’s not canon anymore, but JJ has said that they have tapped in to the EU for inspiration and occasional guidance.

    Perhaps there will be something along those lines?

    • October 10, 2014 at 8:45 am
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      Why aren’t you at your post?

  • October 9, 2014 at 11:41 pm
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    Intriguing article !m!

  • October 9, 2014 at 11:46 pm
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    I just carnt buy the premise that Luke ups sticks and turns hermit all because he is afraid of turning to the dark side !

    That theory would completely negate the journey he took through Ep 4 , 5 , 6 !

    He conquered the FEAR his farther never could thus ending the cycle of fear !

    To then have him go into hiding for 30 years would be such a waste and frankly lazy storytelling !

    I respect this article BUT I hope the theory’s presented here are well off base as a galaxy filled with thousands of Jedi wannabes sound very unintresting ! And to be honest sound like poor fan fiction .

  • October 9, 2014 at 11:51 pm
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    So Luke ignores his responsibility to rebuild the Jedi Order for some reason and goes into exile for many years. As a result, many Force sensitives become aware of their abilities for some reason when they hadn’t really during the OT and collectively create an unnecessary galactic mess that Luke later has to clean up 20-30 years too late just for the sake of doing something different, logic possibly be damned.

    Does this sound stupid to anyone else? ^_-

  • October 10, 2014 at 12:19 am
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    For some odd reason the messiah talk reminded me of Life of Brian.

  • October 10, 2014 at 12:28 am
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    “Jedi Are Boring”.

    I actually kinda get this. It’s not that Jedi as a concept are boring, but rather that the overpowered Jedi superheroes brimming with leveled videogame-type powers that we saw in the PT takes a cool concept and runs it into the ground until it gets stale and tired.

    It’s like playing a vid game in God Mode. Yeah, you can kick some major ass and it’s fun for awhile. But eventually, the whole thing just becomes too easy, too predictable, and not nearly as much fun as it should be. Overpowered Jedi are just far too easy a way to get out of almost any situation.

    I’d much rather see a new Star Wars movie about human heroics and human frailties than another one about Jedi superheroes saving the day with a wave of their hand and a flip of their lightsaber.

    I love the idea that ST Jedi, while not under a death mark, sort of exist at the fringes of society, not held in any particularly high regard or treated with any real degree of trust by the public at large. And if we have a situation where Force sensitives have just begun to train themselves the best they can in the absence of not only the Imperial war against their kind, but also in the absence of a formalized Jedi training organization, so much the better.

    As long as it’s shown alongside some strong non-Force-using characters to keep the story grounded and relatable, that’d be a really interesting scenario.

    • October 10, 2014 at 12:40 am
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      The first and only time that we get to see a bunch of Jedi simultaneously in action was at the onset of the Clone Wars, and they were indeed completely overpowered against a multitude of battle droids. The droids killed a large number of Jedi and were about to wipe out the remaining Jedi, had it not been for the intervention of the clone army.

      • October 10, 2014 at 1:01 am
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        What were they thinking anyway? Were they expecting to win that battle all on their own? Didn’t they realize there was a factory there making more disposable henchmen to throw at them? Were they hoping the clone troopers would eventually rescue them, too?

        • October 10, 2014 at 1:19 am
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          ‘Were they hoping the clone troopers would eventually rescue them, too?’ -Not so much as ‘hoping’ but they DID expect backup to arrive because Yoda was aware of the Clone Army on Kamino (thanks to Obi-Wan’s investigation). They didn’t foresee themselves losing the day at any rate.

          Overconfidence in a Windu-led plan/assault on Geonosis is what got so many of them killed in the arena. That and I believe Yoda was simply running later than expected haha.

        • October 10, 2014 at 2:34 am
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          One of the books regarding AOTC mentions one major weakness of the Jedi. That is to lure them into a false sense of safety and to defeat them by shear numbers. This kind of Deception is hallmark of the Sith. Dooku was able to overwhelm them by number of droids. The emperor set a trap at the battle of Endor.

          • October 10, 2014 at 3:39 am
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            As a kid watching the OT i admit that the ‘Jedi duel’ parts were somewhat dull as compared to the fast paced Space dogfights or the shoot em up action scenes. But now i see it differently as weathered adult. The Jedi scenes strike deeply into the Psyche and soul. Discusses themes that can only be grasped through ‘the minds eye’. The dialogue and its content really strike a nerve and delves into an ancient’ internal identity crisis. SW has a bit of something for everybody.

  • October 10, 2014 at 1:23 am
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    I just really hope Luke has not gone evil.. The whole OT was about ‘will he/won’t he’,in the end he chose good and it was a defining moment of cinema. Now, 30 years later to have him as an old fart go ‘meh, dad was right after all’ would be so pissweak. The only way it could work is if the story is not black and white but very grey, ie Luke is actually right from a certain point of view, he got tired of his jedi plans being sabotaged by fools at every turn etc..

    • October 10, 2014 at 8:24 am
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      Well it has been said by Lucas that good and evil aren’t clear cut black and white good and bad in the sequel trilogy…..which he did write the page or two story outlines for.

    • October 10, 2014 at 6:26 pm
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      Okay I totally understand where you’re coming from. So much so that I’ve spent the last few days walking around my house whining about how if they turn Luke – My whole childhood means nothing to me.. But yesterday and today I’ve actually started to look forward to it. I’ve also come to realize that the entire original trilogy tells the story of the redemption of Anakin Skywalker. Luke never has to redeem himself. He needs the story of his downfall at least to the extent that he will be viewed as a villain at first. I believe that the jedi will have a more mysterious feel to them in this movie, but they will certainly play a gigantic part in it. That is for certain. At this point in the star wars saga I view Anakin Skywalker as having balanced out the force. Perhaps if the galaxy is riddled with rogue force users then maybe Luke does feel he needs to take out those that he considers a threat to the balance of the Force. My feelings and theory on the plot and characters changes every day though.

  • October 10, 2014 at 1:59 am
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    Brilliant article but I’m troubled by the idea that Luke goes all emo and sits in a cave while rogue jedi pop up like mushrooms. In the OT Luke confronted his fears and beat them. To have him paralysed by fear in the ST seems a betrayal. The next steps would be to have Han trade in the Falcon and Leia reveal her happy life as a stay at home mom.

    Also, a tiny point, but there’s no reason to assume the ‘Skywalker’ name is sullied. Nobody knew Anakin was Vader, otherwise everyone would have spent the OT saying ‘Skywalker? You related to Vader?’

    • October 10, 2014 at 3:20 am
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      Great point Paul! In ROTS seems that only Yoda and Obi Wan were able to watch the security cams and know that Anakin was responsible for the destruction of the temple. All other Jedi were destroyed, hunted down or just gone away. Even if they knew about it, who would they tell? Cant report that info anymore. It would be a well then kept a secret until Vader tells Luke on Cloud City. Luke tells Leia. Aside from them it is still very much a mystery that Vader was Anakin. Im interested to see how this will play out in the ST.

      • October 10, 2014 at 3:40 am
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        Maybe the plot will be that someone finally finds out Vader is his father and that has something to do with y he goes into hiding. And why people will have lost faith in force users thus making them outcasts. It could work somewhatish…

  • October 10, 2014 at 3:33 am
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    I love the idea of Rogue pre-Jedi & Sith roaming the galaxy. It has so much potential.

  • October 10, 2014 at 3:59 am
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    Good article, but what is mentioned in it considering Luke’s exile doesn’t ring with the journey he took in IV-VI. Luke is at peace with himself by the end, smiling at Yoda, Obi-Wan and his father’s spirit, content with his triumph as a Jedi Master and his inner circle of friends. Luke wouldn’t abandon his friends, family or responsibility, he is not that type of person at the end of the OT. I lean more to the rumor of Luke missing for perhaps a decade or so, perhaps kidnapped by Sith Witches or some other group. The only reason I see Luke in self exile is too teach others, to have a secret academy only Force users know about. This would prevent outside forces corrupting influence. I can see Luke reaching out to those force attuned with tests, and not realizing at first they are being so tested. That these are clues which if they are strong enough, wise, clever and most importantly the desire to know and grow, these candidates search for the answers and the trail leads them to Luke. This way Luke separates the chaff from the wheat before they even begin their training with him.
    If Han and Leia have children, even they are unaware of Luke’s abilities and have to go through the same self testing as the other’s. Perhaps Daisy’s character seeks guidance from papa Han after acquiring the LS as to who it belonged too.

    • October 10, 2014 at 8:05 pm
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      I like this model for Luke and his training of new Jedi. Good thoughts!

  • October 10, 2014 at 4:34 am
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    Remember in the original Star Wars how great it was with all those amazing Jedi battles, all those lightsaber fights, people using the force to do all sorts of stuf?

    Me either. Yet its still star wars. THE Star Wars.

    I really hope this goes back to basics. A simple tight story. A handful of great characters. Star wars worked best when it was small. Empire was small. The prequel got worse as they got bigger.

    • October 10, 2014 at 5:58 am
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      Lucas wanted to show the vastness and scope of the galaxy but was limited to only the simplistic version of the OT because of the limited technology available to capture his full vision. The Star Wars ‘Debut’ in all its 70’s /80’s simplicity (in hindsight) set the tone in which everything else would be judged by. “Quality control” for many actually just means: consistency in ‘form’ and ‘scope.’

  • October 10, 2014 at 5:46 am
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    Luke should be a stand-up Guy. A great leader of a better & different Jedi order.

    But the new tree should be oranges that are different from the juiciest Jedi apples.

    And it was a just starting to stretch Princess Leia who provided the application not only for Luke as a Jedi but for the rebellion in overcoming Palpatine’s unsurpassed galactic powers @ the time.

  • October 10, 2014 at 5:54 am
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    I don’t know that this rumored “exile” need be related to fear as some of the above posters suggest. If Luke’s ultimate journey in the OT was to redeem his father and thereby save to galaxy. he may have felt that he and his journey was complete. Additionally, he idea of starting a new jedi order would have seemed like an impossible task. It’s not like he could put an add in the galactic Craig’s List or done some holonet infomercials. The reality is that in the PT era, there were thousands of jedi combing the galaxy for force sensitives. And in the Rebels era, the full weight of the empire is dedicated to finding force sensitives. By the end of the OT, Luke saved the galaxy and may have decided a new jedi order was not in the best interest of the alliance/new republic. And just went to live a life of peace, solitude, and quiet meditation. But his journey was not complete and eventually, it will be the will of the force that he return to the galaxy and all it’s conflicts and complete his journey by passing on his knowledge to others. I don’t think this really contradicts what we have leaned about Luke in the OT. I think he was leaving politics to the politicians and going to live a meditative life, not because of fear or selfishness, but in order to learn the ways of the force in the deepest way possible.

    • October 10, 2014 at 10:44 am
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      That doesn’t make any sense. Luke knew bringing back the Jedi Order was important for the protection of the galaxy. Why would he wait 30 years to get started? He couldn’t even train an apprentice or two during this time?

  • October 10, 2014 at 6:25 am
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    I sincerely hope this scenario turns out to be true. I will breath a sigh of relief.

  • October 10, 2014 at 6:27 am
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    Yes, bravo!

  • October 10, 2014 at 6:33 am
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    Ya know, I kind of think the people who think there should be less Jedi’s in Star Wars are the same folks that complain about small universe stuff. It’s highly hypocritical.

  • October 10, 2014 at 7:01 am
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    I agree that “Skywalker [might be]in self-imposed exile,” but am less convinced by the reason, “due to his fear of becoming corrupted like Vader and Sidious, has done the galaxy a great dis-service.” My theory is thus: In that scene in the Empire Strikes Back where Leia kisses Luke, well, yeah, the cameras didn’t show what happened next.. nyhoo, it all got pretty awkward when Luke and Leia were revealed to be siblings. Conversation went something like, “So, erm, Leia, remember back in Hoth, when you kissed me and erm, you know.. Man, I was so drunk!”.. “Oh, you have something to tell me?”… “WHAT!!!!” Solo was none the wiser, but it got even more “awkward” when the “spawn” came out looking like a “Gungan”. Luke hit the road, and the last anyone heard of him he was running a Chewbucca sanctuary on the planet Uranus.

  • October 10, 2014 at 7:53 am
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    Very snarky article as well. Don’t know what’s with all the derogatory ‘mystery box’ references given that has nothing to do with spoilers leaking from set. The mysteries JJ puts in his shows is very different from everything leaking out beforehand to ruin the movie for everyone…

    • October 11, 2014 at 7:08 am
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      Its only natural that people want answers. There are so many gaps to fill. For this very reason, people are attuned to this newly acquired Disney property. It is a great thing to have people so invested all these potential scenarios regarding Jedi, The Force, New Galactic Alliance etc. It makes SW even more relevant than before. You will always have critics, derogatory comments and spoilers but one thing remains: the anticipation for this beloved saga and its eventual reveal.

  • October 10, 2014 at 8:46 am
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    There is no doubt that Luke did defeat the evil in himself with the death of Sidous/Vader. I think the most plausible setup for luke is something in between.
    The way i see it, Jedis ought to operate low-key, high-impact.
    to quote Ben Franklin: …accomplishing much – while Appearing to accomplish little.

    Bear in mind most of the galaxy doesn’t know as much about what actually happened as we (the audience) do.
    For all we know, Luke could be labeled by the public as: unstable, untrustworthy, a power-driven usurper to Sidious’ throne, the clueless bastard son of the Emperor’s minion, a sociopathic cult leader or a puppet. And who knows how many of these labels Luke actually earned.
    I could understand if Luke wanted to operate a little under-the-radar.
    Full on Exile? I don’t think so.
    Yeah, I’m gonna go with Under-the-Radar.

  • October 10, 2014 at 12:17 pm
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    Oh man, i can not wait to see where the story goes through…
    A new republic with a philosophical story ark between good and evil in the background, written by Kasdan…

  • October 10, 2014 at 12:35 pm
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    Are we conscious that we probably will see the best SW trilogy?
    Really excited.

  • October 10, 2014 at 2:47 pm
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    The thing I don’t get about the villain’s role and Sydow is how one rumor places him in a bar as a scarred, forgetful former Jedi and not evil.

    Could he have just been posing as a innocent to get closer to his victims, Ridley/Boyega? Can the Inquisitor, since this most likely Sydow’s role, disguise themselves as other humans and impersonate them?

  • October 10, 2014 at 3:33 pm
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    There are 2 problems with Luke isolating himself.

    1) As mentioned Yoda tells him to pass on what he has learned. SO he’d be utterly disregarding that.

    2) Luke tells Leia that she can learn to use the Force as he can. After she condradicts him he proceeds to encourage her by repeating his claim. Why would he go into exile on account of being Vader’s son BUT encourage Vader’s daughter to be a Jedi?

  • October 10, 2014 at 5:16 pm
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    If any of you are seeing the 70mm film version of Interstellar, there may be a little surprise waiting for you in the previews.

    • October 10, 2014 at 6:47 pm
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      Where are you hearing this? Anyone have any additional info?

  • October 10, 2014 at 6:06 pm
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    I especially liked the part where you hated on that guy for a few paragraphs. I’d like to see more of this kind of stuff.

  • October 10, 2014 at 6:21 pm
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    Lol. Beloved Disney and Lucasfilm. Good joke. RIP EU.

  • October 10, 2014 at 8:59 pm
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    There’s also the fact that the writers themselves have evolved. Their level of awareness of mythic themes didn’t just stop in the early 80s, as if there was some finite source they were culling from. They’re different people now.

    To be honest, we’ll all be different people by the time this movie comes out. 15 months is a long time (even though it may not seem like it.) Thats enough time for a person to be two years older than they are today, enough time for a child to be born into the world. The truth is we’ll all be different people come Dec 15. Some of us might not be anywhere at all.

    • October 10, 2014 at 10:57 pm
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      I don’t disagree but how would you say this impacts the role of the Jedi in Episode VII?

    • October 11, 2014 at 4:44 am
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      That is why Lucas, when writing the story sought for ‘Archetypes,’ or universal themes that probably won’t lose their impact for thousands of years. The language or the idioms in which it is expressed and communicated may well change to reflect the era, but the message and symbolic themes relatively remain the same. That is why they are called ‘Archetypes,’ because these transcend human culture and time. That is what makes SW appealing yesterday, today and tomorrow.

  • October 12, 2014 at 6:54 pm
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    The jedi are a–holes.

  • October 13, 2014 at 8:30 pm
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    I think it would make sense that Luke has not trained anyone. After ROTJ and the death of Sidious, Luke leaves the force to balance itself out, and train alone as Yoda did. Then, the new cast of EP 7 find him because of a great rising threat by some unknown character like Adam Driver’s character above. This causes Luke to decide if he should intervene and change the balance in the force in favor of whatever republic has been established or just in opposition of the new threat. I think that if this is the case, we will see characters on both sides discovering they have force sensitivity and like mentioned before, have no knowledge of it’s true power. Or even perhaps, Luke trains characters on both sides, in an attempt to control the balance.

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