Luke's Character Arc in TFA - the spirit of a wacky wizard

This is a continuation of some posts in the "Luke's Outfit" thread, and I wanted some more perspectives on this topic.

SPOILERS



We have seen pictures of Luke in TFA, with the beard of course and in full Jedi regalia yet we really know nothing about where his mind's at in TFA or what physical shape he's in. We know for sure that he is on Skellig Michael, a remote island in the middle of the ocean. We know that he is the "Macguffin" in the movie aka the thing all of the main characters are searching for, and probably won't be revealed until the end of the movie or perhaps even the very last scene. Here's my question: when, or if, Rey finds Luke at the end of the movie what shape is he going to be in? How long has he been on that island? 5 years? 10 years? 20 even?? Is he all alone out there? Maybe it's not so much a search at that point but a rescue? Maybe he has purposely left himself no way off the island; a way to both shield himself from attackers but also a way of not causing another rift in the force.

I highly doubt that when we see him for the first time he will look as clean and put together as he does in the leaked photo of him in full robes (part of the reason I think that photo is from a holoprojection). The island doesn't look very civilized, and those huts don't look like they could shield anyone very well from the onslaught of storms that would shake the island. He would get battered and bruised, and his robes would be tattered and weathered.

If he spends years in isolation on an island without any human contact then it's very possible that he has gone slightly mad, maybe even somewhat corrupted by the force. Not total darkside per se, but maybe a different version of the darkside: slight insanity. We all know Hamill himself is kind of a nutball, and that having so much power can corrupt the mind. Think of Yoda. He was one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy and he was kind of a whack job, an endearing and humorous one at that, and yet on the flip side so was the Emperor. Both of them were corrupted by their power yet in opposite ways. I can see Hamill injecting a little bit of himself into the role, bringing a little bit of his humor and nuttiness into the character.

Yet, I think Luke's arc in the movie could be going from the deranged, mysterious, disheveled, cooky wizard on the island back to that confident and rock solid Jedi we got in ROTJ. I have heard rumors that he has lost control of the force, and that his power has grown to have a will of it's own such as objects floating around him without his consent. Part of his arc may be finally regaining control and balance of his own power. He has to have motivation to take him off the island and regain control though, and I think that reason is Rey. I don't think that Rey is his daughter but his niece, the daughter of Han, and if Han dies then Luke will be the closest thing she has to a father.

I have one last somewhat crazy theory about Luke:

He's blind.

There are a few reasons I think this could be. One is that it would be a great extension of the scene in ANH where Ben puts the blast shield over Luke's eyes and tells him "Your eyes can deceive you, don't trust them." That really is the first time we see Luke stretch out with his feelings and use the force, which is quite a big moment and could be reverse engineered by JJ and Kasdan into some epic foreshadowing for later. Another reason I think he's blind is the way he reaches out and places his hand on Artoo in the trailer. You can't see his face or what he's looking at, but something very subtle about his physical acting tells me that it's a big moment in the movie and that he isn't just placing his hand on Artoo but literally reaching out to FIND HIM to get his bearings. There have been rumors that the Knights of Ren bust into Luke's new Jedi Academy and murder all of Luke's new Jedi padawans, leaving him permanently scarred for life. They kidnap young Kylo Ren and take him into their order. Luke, recently blinded escapes with Rey and burns the dead bodies of his fallen padawans, reaches out to find Artoo by the fire, smuggles young Rey somewhere either on Jakku or with Han, and then retreats to the remote island to prevent anymore awful things from happening.




I know this was a long post so thanks to anyone who bothered to read it all. These things have been burning in my head for awhile and it feels great to finally get them out there. Thoughts/opinions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Perfect. We're on the same page. I however don't think the saga is just about Luke though, but about the entire Skywalker lineage. Both GL and Kathleen Kennedy have said that the sequel trilogy is about "passing the torch to the new generation" which is quite amazing considering how that philosophy also bleeds into a film making perspective by passing the torch to a new generation of storytellers. This is why i think Kylo and Rey are both Solo children, because that would also make them Skywalkers as well.

Thanks, pal. I needed to get this sh*t out there lol

Yeah there's no way for me to know for sure when Luke will show up in TFA and I'm not just basing my speculation on what Jason Ward has said but more on what I feel would be the most powerful reveal for Luke. There are a few reasons why I think it will be the very last scene: finally seeing Luke will create wonder and intrigue about the second film and will make people excited to see it for the mere fact that TFA is mostly devoid of him especially if the movie ends right when you finally see him. It would add a lot of weight to the reveal, and would make Luke once again feel like "a new hope." I know people really want to see Luke kick some ass in this film (including me), but I really don't think that's going to happen until the final two movies. It would be an awesome cliffhanger, which Hollywood loves, but not the kind of cliffhanger most people hate (including myself). It wouldn't really raise too many questions or add another mystery right at the end, the mystery is solved, the hero has been found, and now it's about the future.

In response to your point about seeing Luke interact with Han once again, I think Luke and the audience feeling robbed over not seeing that reunion would add a lot of weight to Han's death. They were best friends yet they never reunite. That luxury was destroyed by Kylo, which would make the audience hate him even more. That is quite heartbreaking actually, and I think it could work really well for the story. I also think that Rey is the answer to that heartbreak. Because Luke would be so heartbroken over Han's death, he would feel compelled to take Han's daughter under his wing and ensure that she finds solace in what's left of her broken family, something that Han (it sounds like) wasn't able to offer Rey. I really think the filmmakers want to avoid *that* scene, a somewhat awkward reunion between Luke and Han that you couldn't pay me enough money to try to write. It would be almost impossible to get right because it would either feel too sappy or too much like the way they treated each other in the OT which wouldn't feel right for this time period. No, having the reunion that never happened take place only in your mind I think is a way better choice.

 

For a few reasons: if you're stuck on an island for a long time you'd look pretty thin. Also, he's getting in shape for three new movies not just TFA. Filming for Episode 8 begins in less than six months, and I think Hamill is going to look pretty ripped by then.

 

You nailed it brutha

--- Double Post Merged, Oct 17, 2015, Original Post Date: Oct 17, 2015 ---

That is very interesting. One thing I forgot to consider is that in both teasers we see groups of x-wings flying over terrain that looks very similar to the terrain around Skellig Michael. Hey you know I could be wrong about it being the last scene, but then again maybe both the Resistance and The First Order find the location of Luke at the same time and are racing to be the first ones to find him. The First Order want to destroy him and the Resistance are trying to save him from that.

 

Finally seeing Luke after witnessing Han's death would feel like a warm hug after going through something thoroughly traumatic. Yes, there really is a new hope. End credits.


lol