Summary
- The Last Jedi's depiction of Luke Skywalker shocked fans by introducing him as a bitter and jaded hermit instead of the confident Jedi hero they expected.
- Ahsoka's transformation back into an optimistic Jedi mentor directly lifts themes from Luke's redemption in Episode VIII.
- Ahsoka's character arc about rediscovering personal hope proves the narrative brilliance of Luke's story in The Last Jedi.
The following contains spoilers for Ahsoka, streaming now on Disney+.
The Ahsoka series included an arc for Ahsoka Tano that highlighted The Last Jedi's storytelling strengths. The second entry in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, re-introduced Luke Skywalker into the franchise with a major story role. However, the film's depiction of Luke's personality was a radical departure from the character's portrayals in previous Star Wars media, to the extent that countless fans took issue with the film. The Last Jedi has been a controversial topic of fan discourse since its 2018 release, with many critics claiming that the film misunderstood the franchise's narrative appeal. But Ahsoka's implementation of The Last Jedi's themes suggested Luke's depiction was better than fans originally believed.
The Last Jedi revolved around the story of Rey, a Force-sensitive scavenger girl who sought to liberate the galaxy from the First Order's oppressive control. The Resistance sent her on a quest to find Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and recruit him in the war. But when Rey found the famous Jedi hero, she discovered a man who was quite different from his legendary reputation.
The Last Jedi Subverted Luke's Heroism - And Fans Were Displeased
The Last Jedi's depiction of Luke Skywalker shocked longtime Star Wars fans in an unexpected and unwelcome way. The concluding minutes of the previous film, Episode VII – The Force Awakens, ended with Rey finally finding Luke's hidden location on the remote planet of Ahch-To. Rey approached Luke and offered his lightsaber to him as a silent plea for his help in the Resistance's war against the First Order. The Force Awakens' cliffhanger ending was exciting for Star Wars fans because Luke's story after his Episode VI – Return of the Jedi victory hadn't been explored in any canon films prior to the sequels. Franchise enthusiasts were thrilled to see this confident Jedi hero pick up his lightsaber once again to fight for the galaxy's safety. But The Last Jedi's direct continuation of the scene had a shocking outcome -- Luke grabbed the lightsaber and tossed it over his shoulder like it was a piece of junk. Contrary to the audience's expectations, The Last Jedi's Luke was a bitter and jaded hermit who had little interest in reliving the heroic glory days of his youth. The film's depiction of Luke was noteworthy because it demonstrated that Star Wars storytelling can be incredibly realistic.
Not every franchise personality has to be the same unchanging character they originally were in their younger years. Like in the real world, a person's temperament can evolve over the years with more life experience, and The Last Jedi's Luke was living evidence of this grounded narrative sensibility being applied to Star Wars. That being said, many franchise fans still had major criticisms concerning the drastic changes to Luke's personality. Some critics strongly disliked the film and voiced concerns that The Last Jedi's version of Luke Skywalker betrayed the heroic ideals that the character's younger self once possessed. The discourse and controversy surrounding Episode VIII proved how bold the film's storytelling was in comparison to other films in the franchise. While Star Wars tales typically focus on a Jedi hero's inner hope, which eventually guides them to victory, The Last Jedi broke the mold by making its Jedi hero sharply unheroic from the story's beginning and garnered considerable distaste from Luke Skywalker fans.
Luke's Teachings Seemed to Defy Star Wars' Optimism
Luke's unconventional teaching methods in The Last Jedi were the cause of serious controversy among the character's fans. When Rey tracked down Luke to his location on Ahch-To, she confessed that she was searching for a mentor who could teach her more about the Force. Rey had recently discovered her Force sensitivity and hoped that Luke could help her master her newfound abilities. However, Luke once again defied all expectations when he expressed his deep cynicism about the Jedi. Luke taught Rey that the Jedi Order was a failure and should've died, and he threatened to burn his library of ancient Jedi teachings after she left the planet. Rey consequently rejected Luke's lessons about the Jedi Order and didn't utilize his initial teachings in her fight with the First Order. One of the major reasons for the Luke controversy was his struggle to be a good Jedi teacher for Rey. Some Star Wars fans hoped an older and wiser Luke would be similar to Obi-Wan in terms of training.
Instead, Luke was an imperfect mentor who couldn't even convince Rey to listen to all of his teachings. Franchise enthusiasts have criticized Luke for being initially unable to teach Rey any substantial lessons about the Jedi or the Force. These critiques of Luke's failings as a teacher highlighted the potential narrative issues with The Last Jedi's plot and why audiences found it so controversial. The primary narrative theme of the Star Wars franchise and its heroes has always been hope and inspiration. Master Obi-Wan Kenobi hoped Luke would help bring the end of the Empire, and his mentorship inspired Luke to become a Jedi hero. Luke's new perspective in The Last Jedi challenged those themes with his cynical and disheartening teachings and called into question whether The Last Jedi's narrative was even truly faithful to Star Wars' typically optimistic style of storytelling.
Ahsoka Depicted Luke's Pessimism as Inevitable for Most Seasoned Jedi Warriors
The Ahsoka series has given Ahsoka Tano her own narrative struggle with mentorship. The show revealed that Ahsoka attempted to train Sabine Wren to be a Jedi. But Ahsoka walked away from Sabine's training after interpersonal conflict emerged, causing a rift between her and her Padawan. Star Wars enthusiasts who had followed Ahsoka's adventures from the start of her animated Clone Wars era noticed a striking change in her demeanor as well. She no longer displayed the cheer and optimism that originally endeared fans to her character -- she became a stoic and weary Jedi Master who despaired about preventing Grand Admiral Thrawn's return.
Ahsoka was pessimistic about Sabine's commitment to her mission once they resumed their training. Furthermore, her lessons focused on combat training rather than teaching Sabine about the Force itself. Although fans of the Ahsoka character criticized her new personality and poor mentorship, these qualities actually hearkened back to The Last Jedi's controversial Luke narrative. Ahsoka's life path -- transforming from a bright-eyed hero to a tired veteran -- indicated that Luke's pessimism in The Last Jedi constituted a universally personal struggle faced by many Jedi in their older years. Decades of experiencing war and death were bound to change any idealistic Jedi, and even Luke was no different in this regard.
Ahsoka Showed Why Luke Was Right to Doubt the Jedi Order
Ahsoka's exploration of its titular character's past indicated that Luke's cynicism was actually justified. When Ahsoka reunited with Anakin Skywalker's spirit in the World Between Worlds, she relived her Clone Wars past through vivid flashbacks. She saw how Anakin had trained her, a child, to fight mercilessly in a brutal war. Moreover, Ahsoka recognized that the Jedi Order's presence in the Clone Wars drove Anakin to eventually become Darth Vader.
The Last Jedi also had Luke recognize the Jedi Order's responsibility for Vader's creation. Ahsoka's similar acknowledgment proved that Luke's Jedi skepticism about the Jedi wasn't unwarranted. The Jedi were culpable of pushing children into war and producing one of the galaxy's greatest evils. Luke and Ahsoka became justifiably cynical characters in light of the Jedi Order's flawed legacy and the burden that represented.
Luke and Ahsoka's Redemptions Proved The Last Jedi Was a Brilliant Star Wars Story
Luke and Ahsoka's transformations back into their hopeful selves proved the narrative brilliance of Luke's arc in The Last Jedi. Ahsoka's confrontation of her Clone Wars past, as well as Anakin's darkness, made her realize that she wasn't part of Darth Vader's grim legacy. She instead chose life and hope and reclaimed her old optimism. Ahsoka's character arc directly evoked the most compelling narrative elements in Luke's own return to the light. In The Last Jedi, Yoda's Force ghost told Luke that neither he nor Rey had to inherit the Jedi Order's flaws. Instead, they could learn from those failures and surpass the Order's mistakes. This important lesson inspired Luke to heroically stand against the First Order.
The Ahsoka series embraced these themes of legacy for its protagonist and suggested that The Last Jedi was actually faithful to the core narrative tenets of the franchise. Luke's arc in The Last Jedi illustrated the classic Star Wars narrative struggle between cynical apathy and hopeful optimism -- between death and life, as Ahsoka depicted it. Vader, Ahsoka and Luke all struggled with these dark uncertainties despite their heroic histories. Yet, they all redeemed themselves nonetheless. The story of Luke's return to his heroic ideals brilliantly embodied the trials of self-doubt and redemption that every Jedi in the Star Wars universe must inevitably overcome. Ahsoka perfectly echoed those themes, proving that Luke's arc was faithful to the heroic optimism of Star Wars storytelling.
Ahsoka Tano's internal despair over Anakin suggested that Luke wasn't wrong for being cynical about the Jedi Order's legacy. But the parallels between these heroes' struggles with cynicism and their ultimate reclamations of personal hope proved that Luke's Last Jedi arc was ultimately faithful to the franchise's core narrative appeal. By revisiting The Last Jedi's conflict of hope versus despair, Ahsoka demonstrated the thematic brilliance of Luke's character arc in the sequel trilogy.
New episodes of Ahsoka stream Tuesdays on Disney+.