As Marvel’s current era ofStar Warsstorytelling comes to an end, fans see a previously unknown moment betweenLuke Skywalkerand Ben Solo, prior to the latter’s transformation intoKylo Ren. As ofStar Wars #50, Marvel is transitioning out of the era betweenEmpire Strikes BackandReturn of the Jedi, switching its attention to the period between the Original and Sequel trilogies,beginning with the Battle of Jakku. But before that, there are some loose ends to tie up, as Luke teaches Ben Solo a vital lesson.
In a preview of the fifty-pageStar Wars #50, Luke tells Ben Solo the story of his return tothe Living Sea of Gazian- a living reliquary which retains an imprint of the mind of every Force user who has ever visited it, both Light Side and Dark. Luke prepares Ben for the story by admitting thatas one of his first Jedi students, he expects Leia and Han’s son to take up a leadership position in his new Jedi Order- an admission that makes Ben’s fall into darkness as Kylo Ren even more tragic.
Fans know that by the time of the sequel era, Ben will have turned against Luke, destroying his Jedi school and killing his other students. It’s therefore especially tragic to know that - while there was a single moment in his life whereLuke considered killing Ben- his grander plan was that Ben would help shape the new Jedi Order as one of its leading lights. However, this isn’t just a case of dark irony -there’s a degree to which Luke’s plans for Ben Solo contributed to his turn to the Dark Side.
Star Warslore strongly suggests it was Palpatine who killed Luke’s students, convincing Ben that he was to blame to break him.
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While the movies make it seem that Kylo Ren slaughtered Luke’s students out of loyalty to Supreme Leader Snoke, that’s not quite what happened. Charles Soule and Will Sliney’s miniseriesThe Rise of Kylo Renstrongly suggests thatit was actually Palpatine who destroyed Luke’s schooland killed the vast majority of his Padawans, sending a powerful bolt of Force lightning to destroy the building shortly after Ben Solo fought Luke.Ben’s shame and arrogance convinced him that he had summoned the lightning.
Ben was then pursued by Luke’s surviving students, who he ended up killing to protect his own life, sealing his shift to the Dark Side. Confronted by them at the site of Luke’s burning school, Kylo spat that,“I’m stronger than all three of you put together. Skywalker made us act like we were all equal, but you all know the truth. I was this temple’s prize student.“WhileSnoke/Palpatine had been whispering in Ben Solo’s earfor years in order to corrupt him, it’s now clear that he was working with emotions that Luke Skywalker seeded in his student.
Luke’s expectations of Ben Solo added to the weight of his parents' legacy, making him desperate to escape the path that the previous generation had raised him to walk.
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By telling Ben he was expected to lead the Jedi order, Luke encouraged his arrogance and added further weight to the legacy that Ben had inherited from his parents. The child of Rebel heroes who saved the galaxy andthe last of the Skywalker line, Ben grew up with the expectation that he would do something truly great, and it seems that Luke didn’t or couldn’t convince him that he was no better or worse than any other Jedi.
Kylo Ren’s iconic demand to"Let the past die. Kill it, if you have to"is even darker in the context of how much was demanded from him (deliberately or not) by the heroes of the Original Trilogy. Ben Solo couldn’t take the weight of that expectation, and Snoke used that to corrupt him, while also presenting a new path where he could fulfill a twisted vision of success by mirroring his grandfather’s evil - becoming as powerful and influential as he’d been promised, but in a way that let him escape his parents' and master’s expectations.
Star Warsloves to twist prophecy and expectation -most famously with Anakin Skywalker’s destinyto bring balance to the Force. In this universe, if someone is expected to become one thing, it’s almost guaranteed they’ll become the opposite, or at least reach the prophesied point via the last route anyone expected.
Luke Skywalker risked his life to collect the Jedi texts so that a new Jedi Order could flourish, and ultimately he got what he wanted - just not the way he was expecting.
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Kylo Ren Did End Up Playing a Huge Part in the New Jedi Order
Ultimately, while Ben Solo fell to the Dark Side, he did end up helping a new Jedi Order to flourish - but not as its leader. Palpatine’s return and his machinations through Snoke cost both Luke Skywalker and Ben Solo their lives, leaving Rey Skywalker toactually found the new Jedi Orderthat Luke had worked so hard for. Luke saw Ben Solo as someone who could carry the Jedi Order on after his death, and he was technically right, but only for a short amount of time.Ben Solo sacrificing himself to save Rey and defeat Palpatine created a new future for the Jedi.
Of course, even as Rey Skywalker steps into the future as the leader of a new Jedi Order, Luke’s efforts to shape it are still in play. It was Luke who taught Rey and shaped her understanding of the Force, and cruciallyRey also kept Luke’s Jedi textsfor future use. Marvel’sEmpire Strikes Back/Return of the Jediera has given a lot of focus to Luke gathering those texts, and evenissue 50 will see him risk his mind and life on Gazian to acquire the knowledge of past Force users.
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While Luke believed these discoveries would turn Kylo Ren into one of the new Jedi Order’s leaders, his efforts weren’t in vain, as the Order’s leaderdoeshave all the knowledge that Luke worked to collect in her possession. As always,Star Wars’twisting depiction of cosmic destiny means that neither Luke Skywalker orKylo Ren’s lives went as they had planned, but both still contributed to a new Jedi Order - one with a worthy leader who can use all the ancient knowledgeLuke Skywalkerfought so hard to collect.
Star Wars #50is coming from Marvel Comics September 10.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
Luke Skywalker
The son of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, Luke was brought up on the desert planet Tatooine. Initially mentored by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke fired the fateful shot that destroyed the Death Star, and he became a rebel hero. Despite the fears of Obi-Wan and Yoda, Luke’s faith in his father was proved well-founded when Vader returned to the light. With the Emperor defeated, Luke dedicated himself to bringing back the Jedi; his first attempt ended in tragedy due to Palpatine’s manipulations, but Luke’s legacy lives on in Rey.
