The 8 Biggest Luke Skywalker Sequel Trilogy Complaints: Which Ones Are Right, & Do They All Even Make Sense?

Luke Skywalker’s sequel trilogy arc has become one of the biggest complaints in the Star Wars franchise, but was his story really all that bad? There were admittedly problems with the sequels, which was often a consequence of the movies trading hands repeatedly. This was especially true with Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, as The Rise of Skywalker in particular seemed to willfully ignore or undercut all that was done in The Last Jedi, but there were aspects of The Last Jedi that also overwrote some of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

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For the most part, though, audiences were not pleased with any of the plotlines for Luke, no matter which movie in the sequel trilogy it was. Even Mark Hamill has voiced complaints about the handling of Luke’s story in the sequel trilogy, making jokes about how he knew all his lines in The Force Awakens before the first read-through. Star Wars projects like LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy have also poked fun at Luke’s sequel trilogy story. Of the complaints that have been raised, though, which are valid, and which miss the mark?

Should Luke Skywalker Have Thrown Away The Lightsaber?

Luke’s Scene In The Last Jedi Caused Major Outrage

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Audiences were already incredibly dissatisfied with Luke’s absence throughout The Force Awakens and the explanation that he had effectively given up hope and gone into hiding somewhere in the galaxy, but this disappointment became so much worse when Luke tossed his/Anakin’s lightsaber in The Last Jedi. The Force Awakens ended with Rey finding Luke on Ahch-To and holding out Luke’s former lightsaber as an offering. The Last Jedi revealed that Luke’s shocking response was to chuck the weapon behind him.

Luke was wrong to completely lose faith in the Jedi and the galaxy, but he had grown to be critical of the Jedi in a way that had some validity.

Outrage about this made sense on the surface; it seemed like a major disrespect to all that had come before, and it felt out of character for Luke. With some distance, though, this moment seems to have a very different message. Luke was wrong to completely lose faith in the Jedi and the galaxy, but he had grown to be critical of the Jedi in a way that had some validity. Luke wasn’t wrong that the Jedi way should have been less about weapons and fighting and more about peace—something he’d already shown in Return of the Jedi.

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Does It Matter That Luke Said “Laser Sword?”

Luke’s Use Of “Laser Sword” Was Said Sarcastically

Luke’s use of ‘laser sword’ in The Last Jedi proved to be an extremely controversial moment. When Rey said the galaxy needed Luke’s help, he sarcastically asked her if she really expected him to go face down the First Order alone with just a “laser sword.” Notably, laser sword was George Lucas’ original name for a lightsaber, and it wasn’t even Lucas who ultimately decided on lightsaber instead. This history didn’t prevent backlash about this moment, though.

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Many took issue with Luke’s use of this term, arguing that Luke would never have referred to a lightsaber in this way. However, this argument misses the point. Luke’s response to Rey was clearly said sarcastically, essentially mocking her (and by extension, the galaxy’s) perception of the Jedi and what he was capable of. While Luke’s negativity may be a legitimate disappointment in the sequel trilogy, The Last Jedi in particular, there wasn’t anything about his use of this term that undercut his character.

Does Luke’s Losing Hope Nullify His Original Trilogy Arc?

Audiences Felt Luke Was Unrecognizable From Return Of The Jedi

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One of the biggest grievances viewers had about Luke’s characterization in the sequel trilogy was his complete loss of faith in the galaxy and the Jedi, which seemed entirely contrary to the Luke last seen in Return of the Jedi. In fact, many felt like this was a betrayal of his legacy, given he had in a sense been the titular ‘hope’ in A New Hope. The sequels attempted to explain this with Ben Solo’s fall to the dark side and the destruction of Luke’s Jedi Temple, but even that was a hard sell.

Many felt like this was a betrayal of his legacy, given he had in a sense been the titular ‘hope’ in
A New Hope
.

Truthfully, this was one of the bigger missteps in the sequel trilogy. While complicating Luke’s character could have worked, it just wasn’t believable that Luke Skywalker, the Jedi who redeemed the soul of Darth Vader himself, would so easily give up on everyone, no matter what tragedies came along in the thirty years since. It didn’t help the sequels’ case that this also meant Luke being sidelined for all of The Force Awakens when he is easily one of Star Wars’ best characters; it felt like a wasted opportunity.

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Does It Matter That Luke Never Reunited With Both Han & Leia?

The Sequels Had The Opportunity To Bring The Original Heroes Together… But Didn’t Use It

In terms of wasted opportunities, it was perhaps even more detrimental that the sequels passed on the opportunity to bring the original heroes back together one final time on screen. Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill all returned to Star Wars for the sequels, which very easily could have meant a moment in which Leia, Luke, and Han came together again, even if it was just one last time. Bewilderingly, the sequels opted not to reunite the trio.

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Bewilderingly, the sequels opted not to reunite the trio.

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Instead, Leia and Han had an on-screen reunion in The Force Awakens, and Luke and Leia said their goodbyes in The Last Jedi, but those moments were brief. Worse, each movie saw the death of one of these heroes: Han in The Force Awakens, Luke in The Last Jedi, and Leia in The Rise of Skywalker. Simply put, this just didn’t have to happen, and it almost certainly wasn’t the right choice. The fact that Carrie Fisher passed before The Rise of Skywalker was finished makes it all the sadder. This reunion is now impossible, no matter what comes next.

Was Luke’s Crisis Of Faith In Ben Out Of Character?

Luke Almost Killed Ben Solo, And Audiences Were Not Happy

Luke’s turn away from the galaxy and the Jedi and his loss of hope were coupled with him briefly considering killing his nephew, Ben Solo. Luke had evidently looked into Ben’s mind and seen darkness, and he was momentarily overtaken by the urge to kill Ben and wipe out this potential threat. Viewers were largely outraged by this moment, as it again seemed so counter to who Luke had been and (for some) ‘ruined’ his legacy.

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Like Luke’s loss of faith, this turn of events was difficult to swallow. In Return of the Jedi, Luke had faced Darth Vader, one of Star Wars‘ most powerful Sith, and he still believed that there was good in him and he was worth trying to save. The idea that he would then consider destroying his own nephew—Leia’s son—while he was sleeping is unthinkable. Yes, The Last Jedi claimed he was acting on “pure instinct,” but this just wasn’t believable, and it did change Luke’s character for the worse, although his legacy could never truly be ruined.

Did We Need To See Luke’s Jedi Order In All Its Glory?

Luke’s Temple Has Rarely Been Depicted In Star Wars—And Never At Its Height

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Another major disappointment in the sequels was the revelation that Luke Skywalker would not be shown as a Jedi Master, as many had expected, but rather was living as a hermit after his Jedi Temple had been destroyed. Not only did this mean the aforementioned changes to Luke’s character, but also, it means Luke’s Jedi Temple has never been shown at its height in Star Wars. The closest the franchise has come thus far is the brief glimpse in The Book of Boba Fett, but even then, only Grogu was training there—and he ultimately left.

Disney
Star Wars
should have taken a page from Legends’ book in this case.

Arguably, Disney Star Wars should have taken a page from Legends’ book in this case. The franchise could still have moved forward with a new protagonist but shown Luke Skywalker leading a Jedi Order. Many felt that Luke had more than earned this arc, and it would have done right by the Skywalker legacy. Sadly, that isn’t what happened, and it’s unclear whether Star Wars will ever show what Luke’s Temple looked like before it was destroyed, which is a true shame.

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Should We Have Seen Luke Fight In The Sequels?

Luke Never Had A True Battle In The Sequel Trilogy

Coinciding with the revelation that Luke would not be shown as a Jedi Master was the sequels’ decision to not have Luke engage in any true lightsaber battle throughout the sequels. The closest he comes is in The Last Jedi, when he faces off against Kylo Ren. Although it seems Luke is really there with his lightsaber in hand, he was actually using one of the rarer Force powers in Star Wars, Astral Projection.

Compared to the other complaints about the sequels, this grievance seems less critical. Yes, it would have been exciting to see Mark Hamill have another battle in Star Wars, but Luke ideally should have had a role closer to that of Master Yoda, which would have meant rarely drawing his lightsaber. This moment was actually one of Luke’s best in the sequels, controversial though it was, because it represented the version of Luke last seen in Return of the Jedi, when he tossed his lightsaber aside and refused to tap into the dark side while fighting Vader and Palpatine.

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Does Luke’s Death “Work” Or Was It A Disappointment?

Star Wars Has Since Poked Fun At This Death For Luke

Perhaps the single biggest complaint about Luke Skywalker’s arc in the sequel trilogy was his death and, more specifically, the way in which he died. After using Astral Projection to deceive Kylo Ren and give the Resistance a chance to escape, Luke died, presumably from the exertion of this act. Although Rebuild the Galaxy poked fun at this, with Luke expressing disbelief that he died from using the Force too hard, The Last Jedi had already set up this outcome.

Astral Projection is a Force ability that requires so much power, it can be deadly.

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When Kylo Ren and Rey first experienced a Force bond through their Force dyad, Kylo Ren said it couldn’t be Rey doing it, as the effort would kill her. This was in part foreshadowing, but it also confirmed that Astral Projection is a Force ability that requires so much power, it can be deadly. While Luke would no doubt be more powerful than Rey by comparison, he was doing quite a bit more than simply appearing before Kylo Ren; he was acting out a full fight.

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This explanation is likely still not enough to please most viewers, particularly because, for many, it was simply disappointing for Luke to die at all. In terms of deaths, though, this one isn’t as terrible as it is often thought to be. In fact, this death was a beautiful ‘rhyme’ with Obi-Wan Kenobi’s in A New Hope, as he too passed directly into the Force. Ultimately, there’s a fairly even split of grievances about Luke Skywalker’s arc in the Star Wars sequel trilogy that make sense and complaints that miss the mark.

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17 7.4/10 Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens

Set 30 years after Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: The Force Awakens teams new heroes Finn (John Boyega), Rey (Daisy Ridley), and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), who is now a General in the Rebel Alliance. Together they try to track down Luke Skywalker while battling the First Order, led by the villainous Kylo Ren. The Force Awakens is the first Star Wars film to be produced by Disney and was directed by JJ Abrams.
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35 5.1/10 Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi

In the second installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, General Leia Organa leads the Resistance forces against the First Order. Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker struggles to come to terms with his past failures, while Rey urges him to train her in the Force and join the resistance. Culminating in a massive battle between the two armies, The Last Jedi raises the stakes of this intergalactic war, and sees the final fight of one beloved character.
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28 5.4/10 Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker

This is the third installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy and serves as the culmination of the Skywalker saga. The film sees Rey (Daisy Ridley), Poe (Oscar Isaac), and Finn (John Boyega) team up to put an end to the First Order after Palpatine mysteriously returns. Jurassic World helmsman Colin Trevorrow was originally named director back in 2015 when the film first entered development, but he parted ways with Lucasfilm due to creative differences over the script. In September 2017, Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams signed on to finish what he started.