Entertainment Weekly: Why is Luke Skywalker Missing in Star Wars: The Force Awakens?

mark-hamillThe last and probably the most interesting article for today by Entertainment Weekly is finally live. Antony Breznican speaks with Mark Hamill and J.J. Abrams, trying to find the answer to the most frequently asked question by the fans – Where is Luke Skywalker?

 

 

Excerpt from Entertainment Weekly:

“No one forgot about him!” director J.J. Abrams promises. “We were hoping people would care, but there are a lot of things that are not on the poster, as busy as the poster is. Certainly Luke is a very important aspect of the story.”

“It was the thing that struck me the hardest, which was the idea that doing a story that took place nearly 40 years after Jedi meant that there would be a generation for whom Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Leia would be as good as myth,” Abrams says. “They’d be as old and as mythic as the tale of King Arthur. They would be characters who they may have heard of, but maybe not. They’d be characters who they might believe existed, or just sounded like a fairy tale.”

John Boyega’s Finn, raised from childhood to be a stormtrooper for The First Order, has actually heard of Luke Skywalker, but he was given a starkly different picture of him. “For Finn, he’s been raised from the ashes of the Empire,” says Boyega. “He’s been taught about Luke Skywalker, he knows about his history. For him it’s like joining the army and then learning about one of the great enemies of your country. It has that effect on him. But in terms of the Force, and the magical stuff that happens, that is the point where Finn kind of questions what is what. What is the Force, what part does Luke Skywalker play in all of this?”
luke skywalker handHe ends up in possession of the lightsaber that once belonged to Luke, and to Luke’s father before him. It was last seen tumbling down an air shaft after Darth Vader sliced off his hand and revealed that he, he was Luke’s father.  In this film … it’s an important piece of the puzzle that will reveal Luke’s fate and whereabouts.

Although we can’t answer the question Where is Luke Skywalker?, we did get a chance to track down the man who plays him. Hamill is also quick to turn around a “Closed” sign when things get too close to The Force Awakens story.

What’s the best or most interesting piece of insider direction that J.J. gave you as you got back into the character you created?

“I’d like to answer that, but it would give away the secrets of Episode VII,” Hamill replies.

“That’s the beauty of the story, is it leaves it up to the audience’s imagination,” he says. “It was the story of a boy going from a farm boy to a Jedi Master, and I always thought it was amusing, and if you put it in terms of James Bond, it would be like telling the story of how he got his license to kill, and then stopping and never telling any stories of what his adventures were. But that was just the structure of the movie, so it leaves it to the audience.”
Screenshot_33A much better guess is that Luke actually is in the trailer, as a cloaked figure affectionately brushing R2-D2’s dome with a robotic right hand. In the April trailer, Luke’s narration, lifted from a scene in Return of the Jedi, has the character talking about Force sensitivity and saying, “I have it,” at the moment we see that shot.

Abrams won’t confirm or deny anything: “The thing I’m most grateful for is that anyone’s asking any questions.” But the smile on his face suggests he’s enjoying your anguish. “We’ve tried to give people a taste. But you’ve got to be careful that you don’t start to give too many bites,” he says. “They can start to get full. They can start to feel like they’ve seen the whole movie before they have.”

For the full interview go to Entertainment Weekly. Tune in back tomorrow for more from EW, this time on Starkiller Base and General Hux.

 

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Founder of SWNN, MNN and The Cantina forums.Born on April 24, 1980.

88 thoughts on “Entertainment Weekly: Why is Luke Skywalker Missing in Star Wars: The Force Awakens?

  • November 12, 2015 at 11:46 pm
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    Nothing really new here which is good.

  • November 12, 2015 at 11:52 pm
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    I can’t understand people wanting to know everything about the movie before it get’s out don’t you want to get surprised and experience the twist and turns of the story what’s the point off knowing everything about it before seeing it

  • November 12, 2015 at 11:58 pm
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    Luke is in the trailer. I don’t see what the big deal is.

  • November 12, 2015 at 11:58 pm
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    I can’t understand people wanting to know everything about the movie before it get’s out don’t you want to get surprised and experience the twist and turns of the story what’s the point off knowing everything about it before seeing it

    • November 13, 2015 at 4:43 pm
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      I see your point, but fans are concerned about the story after what happened with the prequels. And some just want to feel confident the story rocks.

      • November 13, 2015 at 7:18 pm
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        yhea i understand the concerns of the fans about the movie but they ruined it for themselves

  • November 13, 2015 at 12:05 am
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    I agree with the too many bites comment mark made. I actually already feel like we are getting too many bites and I am starting to get full…and we still have more reveals on abc tonight and then on Disney later. I don’t think we need to see any more footage…just my opinion..but I think this EW thing that went on today revealed a little too much. Although I am glad they put all the rumors about Rey’s staff to rest…but at the same time, they shouldn’t have.lol

  • November 13, 2015 at 12:06 am
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    not only was i expecting this article to reveal next to nothing, that’s basically what it did. we’re almost exactly one month out.. regarding people who were alive when return of the jedi came out, you’d think 35 years of waiting would be worth it to steer clear of spoilers and experience the movie purely at the theater.. sometimes i don’t understand star wars fans. we’re almost there!

  • November 13, 2015 at 12:06 am
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    If i could have one wish…. Luke has a samurai showdown withe the nights of ren to save the day.

    • November 13, 2015 at 12:10 am
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      Would be great. But don’t think Abrams thinks that way

      • November 13, 2015 at 3:50 am
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        The new heroes being saved by the old hero would only diminish them. Luke sat meditating and seeing visions of what is happening would do for me. Even if he’s the last scene in the film marching out of his hideaway to go join the skirmish, that’d be great..

        Anything more than that, gravy.

    • November 13, 2015 at 12:26 am
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      You mean like stepping in to protect Finn right when Kylo swings a sabre at him 😉

  • November 13, 2015 at 12:12 am
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    Luke needs to have the biggest damn entrance in the history of film to justify him being in none of the promos.

    • November 13, 2015 at 12:25 am
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      Yeah, none of that Spock turning around in a cave bllsht.

    • November 13, 2015 at 3:43 am
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      I love the Mash. It’s Britcentric and brilliant!

  • November 13, 2015 at 12:24 am
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    These last days…wow. SO much stuff about nothing, and I love it. I may still regret being so hyped up as I have become, but so far I feel that JJ Abrams, Kennedy, everyone involved basically, are doing a lot of things right.
    They have me extremely curious about Luke Skywalker, well played. 33 days…

  • November 13, 2015 at 12:25 am
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    Ha, even JJ admits the poster is “busy.”

    • November 13, 2015 at 8:43 am
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      Let’s put a ban on photoshopped posters for all future Star Wars films from now on.

  • November 13, 2015 at 12:27 am
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    All I know is that little ***** got his hand lopped off, saber got caught in a vent, and in all ex machina fashion, shows up in 7. Lady in the Lake, all crazy King Arthur style yo.

  • November 13, 2015 at 12:37 am
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    Luke be like “IM TIRED OF ALL THESE MOTHERFUCKING KNIGHTS OF REN AND FIRST ORDER TROOPERS ON THIS MOTHERFUCKING PLANET FINN AND REY STEP BACK IM ABOUT TO KICK SOME ASS!”

    • November 13, 2015 at 3:48 am
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      LMAO probably not so far off, but we’ll see won’t we? 🙂

  • November 13, 2015 at 12:56 am
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    At least he confirmed what we had already guessed, i.e that Finn has been “raised from childhood to be a stormtrooper for The First Order.”

  • November 13, 2015 at 1:00 am
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    45 years ago for us would be 1970. Most historical figures I can think from that time are hardly to me like “King Arthur”, a legendary figure who is supposed to have lived 1500 years ago. Honestly, I think JJ’s comparison was way off.

    • November 13, 2015 at 1:22 am
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      True, but all those people live on the same planet as us. I tend to think given the vastness of the galaxy these figures are easier to conceive of as myths. Plus Imperial Propaganda/Censorship would play a role.

    • November 13, 2015 at 1:23 am
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      We all live on the same planet. It’s different in a galaxy with many, many planets. Also, they don’t seem to have mainstream media.

      • November 13, 2015 at 8:42 am
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        It’s called the Holonet which is their version of the internet. Not mentioned in the films but the EU.

        • November 13, 2015 at 12:08 pm
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          The EU isn’t canon.

          • November 13, 2015 at 2:37 pm
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            Um, Nope. The EU from 1977-2011 is not canon but the EU from 2012 to today IS!

          • November 13, 2015 at 3:53 pm
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            It wasn’t mentioned in Rebels or the canon books.

          • November 14, 2015 at 11:57 am
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            Maybe not yet but it is referred to in The Clone Wars in many episodes which is before 2012 but is also now canon.

            The idea that there is no faster than light or instaneous communication system in Star Wars is as dumb of an idea that everyone has forgotten about The Battle Of Yavin in a mere 30 years but this film isn’t exactly made for or by the fans,

          • November 14, 2015 at 12:05 pm
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            You do know that the name is Snoke and not Snoak, right?

          • November 14, 2015 at 12:31 pm
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            Honestly at this point I don’t really care anymore. Rogue One looks like they are actually willing to take some chances and try to attempt to make an original film that doesn’t pander to it’s audience so that’s where my interest lies now far as the films go.

    • November 13, 2015 at 1:24 am
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      Agreed 100%. Plus, to think that the whole story of the OT would’ve become the stuff of “legend and myth”, in a galaxy where technology’s supposed to be far more advanced than what we have in reality is ridiculous, frankly.

      • November 13, 2015 at 3:33 am
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        Well, a frightening number of people think we didn’t send astronauts to the moon, which was all recorded on video and didn’t even involve magic. The only person who lived to tell about the fight between Luke, Vader, and the Emperor was Luke.

        • November 13, 2015 at 4:36 am
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          True. And I don’t think Luke would share what happened in the Emperor’s Throne Room with anyone, except for her sister and close friends, like Han, Chewie and Lando, perhaps.

          I can also see how Luke’s exploits might have been distorted, taken out of proportion, or something along those lines, like surviving imperials did in Finn’s case to indoctrinate their young recruits.

          But to have Luke’s deeds appear as the stuff of legend, as if the galactic Civil War had taken place centuries instead of decades ago, is a hard sell, IMO. After all, the GFFA is not a medieval type place, where this kind of idea usually works in fantasy/fiction.

    • November 13, 2015 at 1:27 am
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      But in a vast galaxy, where people are worlds apart and the resistance/rebels may be in hiding, one might not be as forthcoming with information or as easily accessible to those who might be willing to learn about what happened. It’s feasible. It also depends on how one would be educated about such things. If the empire put a moratorium on Jedi/Rebel speak, then it’s likely to be forgotten. If you burn enough books and kill off the people who threaten those restrictions, it would be likely that legends, as powerful as they may be, would fade over a short time. And, if the penalty was strong enough (e.g. death) you’d be less likely to have a group willing to spread the word.

      • November 13, 2015 at 1:31 am
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        In the OT, Luke knew about the Clone Wars and the Rebellion’s struggle against the Empire. And that’s taking into consideration that he was raised in what he described as something like “the farthest point from the center of the universe”. Plus I don’t think Palpatine would’ve taken too kindly to people speaking about the rebels and the Clone Wars at the very height of his power.

    • November 13, 2015 at 1:57 am
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      How many generals do you remember by name from the Vietnam war? While to us Luke and Han were hero’s you have to remember a large part of the galaxy didn’t really know much about the Rebellion. That was kind of the point. They kept a low profile. Luke never really flaunted his force abilities in front of the Rebel Alliance either. Many probably just thought he was one hell of a pilot. Most of his force heavy lifting happened in private away from the eyes of everybody except for a few of his closest friends. All his big light saber battles happened in private with only really the Emperor as an audience member. Nobody else ever really saw Luke as a full fledged Jedi and to the galaxy they all pretty much thought the Jedi were gone. Some top people in the Rebel Alliance may have known but we are talking a select few who would likely not broadcast this knowledge all over the place. To the entire galaxy Luke and his friends were great warriors but not the emperor or people of influence they see on a regular basis. Leia was the only one of the group that had a public life and was active in the galaxy where people may remember her. But again how many US Senators can you recall from 1970? Luke post Jedi could have went two ways. The Alliance could have promoted him as a hero and flaunted him all over the galaxy as their savior or Luke could have just went on his way and not take credit for everything. In fact it was actually Lando and Wedge that fired the shots to brought down the second Death Star which in fact crippled the Empire. Even if Luke would have failed against the Emperor and Vader they would have all died anyway. Luke’s victory against the Emperor and Vader is pretty much a mystery to everybody except himself and those who he may have told. I’m willing to bet he would only tell Han and Leia.

      • November 13, 2015 at 3:38 am
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        Yes. Most of the skirmishes in the OT were closed. The general public wouldn’t have known about The Battle of Yavin, The Empire for propaganda reasons wouldn’t have put it on the nightly news. Same for Luke Vs Vader, those battles were behind closed doors. After they lost the Emperor and Vader, It’s apparent they cast Luke as a villain that destroyed the peaceful Empire and brainwashed the likes of Finn with this info. see the Entertainment Weekly thread on this forum. Says as much.

        • November 13, 2015 at 4:40 am
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          The general public did know about the Battle of Yavin. TESB’s crawl clearly indicates that Palpatine declared martial law all across the galaxy following the destruction of Death Star I.

      • November 13, 2015 at 8:15 am
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        Vietnam wasn’t a Galatic wars that makes WWII look like a pitched battle. We remember all the generals of WWII. Luke wouldn’t be so easily forgotten.

    • November 13, 2015 at 3:30 am
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      Bear in mind this is the Star Wars Galaxy, lot of planets and systems. Just think of yourself, now think of a country on Earth you really know little about, just in my example, I’ll say Chile. Who is their national hero? I don’t know, never looked into it. Do they have an army? What is it called? again, i don’t know. If people on one world don’t know every hero from every country, how can people from every different planets/system know every hero (Luke) or even have heard of the Jedi?

      I think it’s entirely feasible some individuals and planets are living blissfully ignorant of events from years past.

      People are wondering right now if ‘The Martian’ is based on a true story. Was the same with ‘Titanic’. Same with the Holocaust. Some people don’t know reality from fiction. What’s true, what isn’t.

      • November 13, 2015 at 3:43 am
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        A very good example for sure. Howeverrrr, I’d imagine the Empire, Death Star explosion, the importance of the Rebellion and their alliance throughout the galaxy had terrestrial citizens aware of the events that took place. Luke Skywalker had to have some kind of widespread recognition, conversely, it would probably have put him on the radar for other Imperial factions to know his whereabouts. We’ll learn more next year I hope!

    • November 13, 2015 at 8:40 am
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      Yeah, That comment of his was extremely ignorant and really makes me question what he’s going to do with this film.

  • November 13, 2015 at 1:18 am
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    I’ll probably not catch the first public screening, but knowing me I’ll be tempted to go online and learn all about it before I see it.

  • November 13, 2015 at 1:23 am
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    i see a Luke Skywalker with a strong presence & quiet attitude like Kenobi but still with a stong taste for adventures. OMG the last weeks will take forever !! rhaaaa !!!!

  • November 13, 2015 at 1:26 am
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    After all is done, Rey will go to Luke and start her Jedi training. That is his part in this film, I guess.

  • November 13, 2015 at 1:37 am
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    “If it seems implausible that a war hero could be forgotten so quickly, try asking the average 20-year-old who Audie Murphy was.”
    I doubt that was an accidental reference… Murphy was a hero of World War II who spent much of his life after the war tormented his memories. Perhaps suggesting a similar fate for Luke?

    • November 13, 2015 at 3:27 am
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      Maybe if J.J. or Hamill had said it, but that was just the EW reporter’s statement.

    • November 13, 2015 at 8:39 am
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      Not in my household, I knew who he was while I was in grade school and even did a report on him but US public schools are arguably the worst in the developed world today, So I can see his point.

  • November 13, 2015 at 1:51 am
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    No one seems to be talking about the scene in the latest trailer where Han, Chewie and Finn are standing with their hands behind their heads and looking at something with astonishment. Could it be that Luke has come to their rescue?

    • November 13, 2015 at 1:58 am
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      Well in a scene in the similar environment through the fog Poe and a squadron of x wings is coming to their rescue.

      • November 13, 2015 at 3:19 am
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        yup id buy that hypothesis too! looks like there’s been an intense fight already ( against the guavian Enforcers?) wen Han and co surrender.. so yeah after that it is Poe’s squadron to the rescue!

    • November 13, 2015 at 3:53 am
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      Could literally be anything. Like seriously, anything.

    • November 13, 2015 at 8:38 am
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      It’s a lame call back to the scene where Han puts his hands over his head at the Endor shield bunker.

  • November 13, 2015 at 3:56 am
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    I think it’s a bit of a stretch for Luke to be considered an outright myth in 30 years’ time. There would definitely be misinformation going around and propaganda even among Resistance troops there would be misconceptions.
    But King Arthur- Myth? Nah, not long enough.

    Yoda might be considered a myth, but not Luke.

    • November 13, 2015 at 4:03 am
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      Not really. It was implied that the Jedi, the Force, etc., was all supertitious myth in ANH, only 18 years after the events of RotS.

      The Empire can write and instill any history they want, seeng as how they are in complete control during that time.

      Remember, the Jedi numbered only 10,000 out of universe of untold trillions.
      Luke was but 1 person.

      And the the Jedi Temple (basically, the Wikipedia archive for the entire universe) laid in ruin, how would people 48 years after the fact ever really know?

      • November 13, 2015 at 7:19 am
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        And the Jedi weren’t very good with public relations either. They sat around and did nothing until the Senate allowed them to.

        • November 13, 2015 at 7:29 am
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          Totally agree. I hate to say it, but the Jedi kind of got what they deserved. They were too sedentary.

    • November 13, 2015 at 7:15 am
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      The King Arthur reference is definitely a stretch, but I can certainly believe that people on outer rim planets, who — like Luke — were not aware of the Jedi at the OT time, would have heard about the Emperor being defeated, but would not necessarily have heard (or fully believed) the stories of it involving people wielding the power of a magical force. And we know from the EW interviews that the remnants of the empire actively misinformed people about the motives of Luke.

    • November 13, 2015 at 7:22 am
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      The only thing Luke would actually be remembered for is the first Death Star.

      Think about the present canon. All he’s doing is going off on his own trips. There’s no public relations trips yet. And 5 years later, nobody even really knows he’s on the 2nd Death Star. They didn’t all gasp and sit in awe when he returns to Home One. There was no hero worship. His name would probably fade in with General Solo, Princess Leia, General Calrissian, Wedge, Mothma, Ackbar, etc.

      • November 13, 2015 at 8:47 am
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        I suppose my perception of how the GFFA actually works has been messed up by the PT.
        The impression of general information access in the PT is that pretty much everyone was more or less up to speed on current events.
        In the OT, knowledge was pretty much non-existent.

        I know the Empire shuts stuff down but I think the size of the gap is still pretty bizarre. You’d think if the Jedi had been that prominent for that long, even a kid like Luke would’ve heard about the Jedi just in passing on one of his trips into town.
        The difference between trilogies on this matter is baffling. So I’ve actually forgot how the information dynamic actually WAS in the OT as of it’s theatrical release. I’m not sure which attitude is legit and which isn’t.

        Also there’s the fact that The Resistance ought to make up almost 50% of the territory by now, and it would be strange for them to not mention Commander Skywalker at any point in their “So you’ve joined the Resistance…” brochure.
        Maybe I’m overestimating Luke’s military rank? I just always figured since he’s always hanging around Royalty and Generals that he’d be considered important, maybe he isn’t considered militarily important…

        • November 13, 2015 at 8:28 pm
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          Can you name all of the significant Generals and commanding officers of 40 years ago from whatever country you call home? What about just naming the ones that have made significant military actions that saved hundreds or thousands of lives? I can’t either, most of the general public can’t, and I bet even a large portion of the current active duty military can’t either. In fact I would say that there re probably very few people that could do that. Now imagine having another 10,000 planets worth of people, military’s, generals and commanders, so on and so forth. Is the average US citizen going to know who Norman Schwarzkopf is in another 30 years? Or Colin Powell? Probably not, and those that do will be aged or know it strictly through the history books and archived news footage, Now again, apply that to 10,000 worlds. Not that far of a stretch actually.

          • November 14, 2015 at 6:17 am
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            fair point,

          • November 14, 2015 at 7:13 pm
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            🙂 Not saying he wouldn’t have been known throughout the immediate aftermath and the war winding down because there would have been stories and such that spread about Endor, but to the average person/citizen it would probably have more of a detached interest in the war or small pockets of people that gave a crap. Kind of like our world only a larger scale. Plus the further away removed the people get the more the stories would fade.

    • November 13, 2015 at 8:36 am
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      This is why the PT failed for me. 19 years is WAY too short for them to forget all about the Jedi and 30 is equally laughable. It can’t be considered mythic if it happens within an average human lifespan.

      • November 13, 2015 at 9:39 am
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        Agreed completely. It really bugs me because it’s stupid. We’re talking about events that happen within one person’s lifespan. I don’t think of someone I haven’t seen since elementary school as a myth that I’m not sure even existed. That’s freaking ridiculous.

        • November 13, 2015 at 2:36 pm
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          JJ reminds me more Dr. Ben Carson everyday. I keep hearing from everyone what a visionary he is but the more I hear him speak, My brain cringes and I feel dumber for hearing him try to justify the ideas that come out of his mouth. I’m very relieved he’ll be done with the saga after this one honestly.

          • November 14, 2015 at 2:35 am
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            Yeah. Those dumb brain surgeons.

          • November 14, 2015 at 11:52 am
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            Dr. Joseph Mengele was another bright man with a high IQ, good education, and two doctorates. Smart guy but not so much when it came to politics or common sense. Good inspiration for Tarkin though.

    • November 13, 2015 at 6:31 am
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      that’s hilarious.

  • November 13, 2015 at 6:13 am
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    If Luke is in this for more than 5 minutes, I will be shocked.

  • November 13, 2015 at 8:35 am
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    Umm, No. I can remember events from 30 years ago like they were yesterday. 50-100 years ago and he might have a point but in our ADD ridden culture he may be sadly right.

  • November 13, 2015 at 9:12 am
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    I was reading what he said about events from 30-40 years ago falling into myth, and thinking, “King Arthur??? We’re talking about the freaking ’70s or ’80s!” How ridiculous a statement. If that was his thinking going into the story, then maybe he should have set the film like a century after RotJ instead. This doesn’t temper my faith in JJ, my excitement or my expectations for the film, but still a very odd line of thinking, imo.

    • November 13, 2015 at 10:36 am
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      I agree with you completely. However you have to take into account The First Order who probably say that they never existed and the deathstar didn’t get destroyed. Also for some reason i’m sure the resistance have had to go into hiding so they wouldn’t be able to tell the actual story.

      Of course you have to take into account that the galaxy Star Wars encompasses holds 100’s of known planets so word getting round is much harder. Especially something as far fetched as that.

      So I do believe that in most places it will have fallen into legend and myth.

  • November 13, 2015 at 10:43 am
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    I commented on Sean’s comment about this subject but I feel it is quite relevant because of the amount of people saying the same thing. The reason why the events and characters have fallen into myths is the following.

    You have to take into account The First Order who probably say that they (Luke, Leia etc) never existed and the deathstar didn’t get destroyed. Also for some reason I’m sure the resistance have had to go into hiding so they wouldn’t be able to tell the actual story.

    Of course you have to take into account that the galaxy which Star Wars encompasses holds 100’s of known planets so word getting round is much harder. Especially something as far fetched as that.

  • November 13, 2015 at 12:00 pm
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    Nonsense, complete nonsense. This is JJ trying to perpetuate his own “mystery” box… 1000 years of Jedi “protection” across *thousands* of planets and the Empire “exterminated” the Jedi in a generation… a *Jedi* hero rises from the ashes, defeats the Empires greatest, most powerful weapon, defeats not one but two of the Empires greatest, most powerful Leaders, singlehandedly cutting the head off the Government who, far from being “benevolent” actually disolved the Senate and sought to control the regions through “Fear”, Fear of a Battle Station that LUKE SKYWALKER destroyed… and now we are meant to believe Luke Skywalker is nothing more than a *myth* in most people’s minds… Homer Simpson’s brain has cried enough and walked out the door…

    • November 14, 2015 at 4:07 am
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      That’s the story you saw.

      Its not the story thousands upon thousands of combatants saw. They saw their own tragedy and triumphs. Unless you can show that Luke plays a central public relations role while liberating every planet/system, then he: (1) destroyed the Death Star, (2) killed an AT-AT while the rest of the fleet is escaping then just disappeared for awhile, brings Leia and Chewie back to the fleet, then disappears with them again, then shows up, volunteers for a mission, then disappears for a third time, then shows up at a party post-Endor.

      He really just comes and goes while the Rebellion builds and builds under leadership that we don’t see (Mothma, Ackbar, Madine, Rieekan – Leia is less important in ROTJ, just another soldier going on missions, not part of the high command).

  • November 13, 2015 at 12:04 pm
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    If you read the new canon books you do get a feel of how much people in the universe actually know about what happened, especially people from outer rim worlds. These films are made to be stand alone, as in you don’t have to read any books or comics to enjoy them, but if you are going to look that deeply into it and question the validity of ideas, then you need to. e.g, in Lost Stars the Stormtroopers don’t know anything about the force, or that Palpatine and Vader are Sith, or who Luke Skywalker etc are. They consider the Rebels to be terrorists. When we are with the Rebels the average pilot has heard of Luke Skywalker, but many have never met him and are totally unaware that he is a Jedi. The force is basically not mentioned through the book. The average Joe in the universe, from the books to the PT, know about the Jedi as a kind of religious order of advisers and enforcers BUT are not aware of, or know very little about the force… Maybe a bit like the Knights Templar, 30-40 years after they were wiped out I doubt the average person in Africa new much about them!

    • November 13, 2015 at 12:50 pm
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      That’s the perfect answer! Couldn’t of said it better myself!

    • November 14, 2015 at 3:56 am
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      This.

      I loved Tarkin’s internal dialogue on the Jedi too. How they were amazing, but still underwhelming and kind of useless – and that depicted in the prequels.

  • November 13, 2015 at 3:30 pm
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    Wow didn’t know so many people were bent out of shape over this. It’s been nearly 60 – 70ish years of the Jedi being gone from the galaxy… do you people forget that even the Imperial commander thought Vader was a relic and joke? Until he a got a Force throat hug…

    Think about it… Luke did his most Jedi stuff… where no one saw him do it but Vader. 5 people used the Force in the OT. Almost all of which was not witnessed by anyone but the users.

    Now if you want to take the PT into account… they were peace keepers with mythic powers… some believed it. Some didn’t. If you really want to take the entire galaxy into consideration that’s tens of thousands of worlds. I’m sure about 99.9999% of the population never met a Jedi. Once again only Clones and Robots witnessed their abilities. Pockets of average joes got to see it first hand.

    Plus they were defamed… historical records altered. Think about it. The average citizen was probably to busy Keeping up with Kim Calrissian than the news 😛

    • November 13, 2015 at 10:59 pm
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      Yeah good points. But still….guardians of peace and justice for over a thousand generations. a thousand generations. All around the galaxy. Pretty tough to erase that. No? But yeah. Maybe. No space Internet I guess. It’s easier to believe if you erase the prequels, which I think is best done in any case.

    • November 14, 2015 at 11:26 am
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      Regardless of defamation, Vader could only wipe out a microscopic fraction of the “true belivers” in the benevolent Jedi… Maybe wipe out ALL the Jedi, maybe (which, by the way, he failed to do), but you can not personally remove all the life experiences that were impacted by the Jedi… Hence the strength of support shown toward the Rebellion. These comments of JJ smack either of subterfuge or simple ignorance…

  • November 14, 2015 at 4:02 pm
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    I mean….we watched the prequels, the Jedi sucked at their job haha

  • December 3, 2015 at 6:04 pm
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    Luke hasn’t joined the dark side at all because the scene where we see his robot hand touch R2 says it all. A dark side user wouldn’t have that emotion or thought to lay a hand on a droid in that way. Luke wouldn’t go near that droid unless it was to destroy it if he was a dark side user. Luke and r2 equals light side…unless ofcourse immediately after he switches on his lightsaber with the other hand and watches it go through the droids head…all while patting him…CRAP…LUKE HAS JOINED THE DARK SIDE

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