SW FALL OF THE JEDI

SW FALL OF THE JEDI

So, I just wanted to write a post on why I think taking Luke in the direction of the sequels is an absolute mistake, why it makes no sense for his character and why I believe the Jedi code REALLY should have rephrased or at least specified more its 'no attachment rule'.

I guess the really basic reason for the first point is: why would you go there when that's the thing EVERYONE, including Mark Hamill himself, hated of the sequels. Even those who liked the sequels didn't appreciate it. Luke's portrayal in TLJ is just plain bad, so why would someone set up themselves to turn a good character into a decisively bad and ooc one? I guess they are trying to do with him what they did with Anakin in the Clone Wars.

Let's remember that when the Prequels came out, there was a huge whiplash for how Anakin was portrayed and how he evolved into Vader. But not only did people adjust to it, we had 7 seasons of the amazing Clone Wars series to fill in the gaps left by the movie's limited runtime and made the transformation from Jedi to Sith way more heartfelt and understandable, to the point that it shatters one's heart to see Vader gazing over Ashoka's and Rex's apparent graves.

SW Rebels moreover gave us a bridge for the character between the prequel era and the original trilogy.

But here's the thing: Vader is possibly the most beloved and best written character of Star Wars ever! So it makes sense to try and polish Anakin's transformation as much as possible. When it comes to Luke however, no amount of extra explanation or screen time is gonna fix the mess the sequels did to him! It's not something fans asked for or are willing to see. Like, we are all hanging on our seats dreading every sign of it. The comics tried doing that as well, but there is just no way to justify Luke brandishing his lightsaber against his only nephew while he's asleep and use his final words to trash said nephew. Trying to keep canon consistent just isn't worth it, when there have already been cases of contradiction and re-writes.

Secondly, let's remember that no matter how much the Star Wars universe expands, its pivotal point remains the original trilogy. In it Luke's main characterizations are that he is 'hopeful', a symbol of hope and that he is very compassionate. He doesn't just roll with the Jedi teachings both Obi One and Yoda impart on him when they feel wrong. Both his masters told him to let his friend and sister die without doing anything and kill Vader but he just couldn't do it. In the end, the reason why things turned out alright was BECAUSE Luke's attachments were strong. He didn't resist the dark side, defeat the Emperor and Vader because he was a super powerful and detached Jedi but because he was a boy calling out for his father believing till the end that he could be heard. So, since this was his experience, why would he suddenly go " Yeah, let's isolate, pull away from my family and become super strict on the "no bonds - no emotions' part of the code when that's what saved me in the first place? Because that's the Luke we've seen in BoBF ep.6.

Like I've said in a previous post, I don't think he was written poorly in it because we can still see the kindness and patience and care in him as he trains Grogu, but the signs of him going there are very much present. Also, I do understand his conserns regarding Grogu, because a split heart is no good for a Jedi. Strictly speaking, that was Anakin's situation with his mother and we know how that went down. But Luke, of all people, should have had his heart melt at the goodbye scene between Grogu and Din as it was a perfect parallel to his own father's last moment. Grogu proceeded with his training even though it ached his heart and Din showed time and again that he was willing and ready to let Grogu go for his own good.

That's what the Jedi mean with detachment! It's not the lack of love or affection, it's not letting it override you! There honestly would have been no problem in letting both Din and Grogu see each other every now and again and Luke SHOULD know this from experience! Grogu's distress about missing Din is only an issue if seeing him is a forbidden thing, something that can't coexist with training.

We have a bunch of examples in which attachments weren't a problem at all for a Jedi but rather a source of strength beyond Luke himself. Kannan was in love with Hera and they even had a child together and that was never an issue. The ghost crew were a family for Ezra and he still loved his lost parents very much but that didn't deviate him because he had learned how to let go and handle grief. One could say the same for Cal Kestis and in the case of Revan from 'Knights of the old Republic' her loved ones were the very thing that kept her/him from falling to the dark side again.

On the other hand? The cases we've seen of Jedi taking these rules too seriously mark some of the most terrifying of their history: they nearly allowed Ashoka to get sentenced to death, they were willing to let Mandalore burn under Maul's whim (the only one who stood up to it and found a solution was Anakin) and they nearly watched the entire Republic fall when the Mandalorians took over, which in turn brought to Revan's fall. Because of their 'detachment' they let their shiniest stars Anakin and Revan suffer in silence and change beyond recognition! They made Ashoka walk away.

I'm currently reading the novels from "The High Republic" era (something I advice every Star wars fan to do) and in them you see the Jedi at their best, their codes and rules explained for what they truly mean.

"...I know of at least two former students who chose to meditate whenever I launched in the intricacies of lightsaber history. It is a particular passion of mine" "Now that is interesting. I thought the Jedi code stated there is no passion" "Indeed it does. Strong passions are something we try to control within ourselves, as emotions can cloud judgement, especially in stressful situations. That said, it would be foolish to suggest that a Jedi has no desires or interests. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it would be dangerous, leading only to complacency. Yes, I have a passion for learning and teaching. It is part of who I am. But I am also prepared to set such things aside at moment's notice. My passion must never be greater than my mission." Explains Master Stellan Gios.

"...He would also remind you how a Jedi faces the death of those they love. Because Jedi can love, Bell. We're not droids, nor should we ever be. We are living creatures rich in the Force, with everything that brings. Joy, affection and, yes, grief. Experiencing such emotions is part of life. It is light." "But-" "but while we experience such emotions, we should never let them rule us. You miss what you might have shared with Loden if he were here. That is natural. I miss him, too. And so we acknowledge that hurt. We understand it, embrace it even, but eventually..." "We let it go". Says Master Indeera Stokes.

Through the Jedi Avar Kriss and Elzar Mann we also learn that at the time, while kept on the hush-hush, romantic relationships between padawans were common and accepted. It was only when they had to choose whether to accept the title of knight or not that they were supposed to decide if they were ready to commit to the full Jedi life or not.

But I guess it's a natural progression for things to start a slow decline after they peak. It's only interesting that it happened twice nearly in the exact same manner. Back in the Old Republic and after the Clone Wars. On both occasions the order got almost entirely wiped out with only a handful of surviving members and because they hand in some manner lost their way; a former member of the order turning against them and passing to the dark side.

In the videogame "Jedi: Fallen Order", Cal finds the ruins of an ancient civilization, the 'Zeffo', whose faith seems to mirror the one of the Jedi.

"Despite our technological achievement we face extinction. Dogma blinded us to the path of balance and gradually we allowed our pride to corrupt us. The greater control we sought, the further we fell into ruin." Records a Zeffo Sage.

On the flip side, can one say that the 'no attachment' rule is absolutely pointless? Absolutely not. Vader is one of the best examples on how one should be weary. Luke himself almost lost himself to anger when Vader said he would go for Leia next. Also, from a strictly political and practical point of view, Jedi are supposed to be neutral and dedicated 24/7 to their cause. That can be a bit difficult to handle if you've got a family waiting for you somewhere and you are deeply attached to your original culture.

Still, going in the same way they always have, yielded the same result over and over again. So, maybe having a Luke that's testing the ground, trying to find a right balance between tradition and his own beat is more interesting than super serious and precise and secure Jedi Master Luke. He has always been a sensitive character in the middle of a growing process. It would be a shame to take that away from him, when in many ways he was the one who brought 'balance' to the Galaxy. If I could make a wish to the writers of all these new Star Wars series it to just treat him more like a real character and less like a stiff legend and to leave his disastrous portrayal in TLJ as something that will eventually happen in the future. Even if that, yes, means disconnecting rather than connecting the original series to the sequels which is, strictly speaking, what they're doing now. But wouldn't that be worth it? Wouldn't it be much more satisfying than settling for this: