When Luke Skywalker became one with the Force
at the end of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, fans were left sobbing and sniffling, weeping and
wondering whether they'd ever see the legendary Jedi on the silver screen again. Sadly, we now know that Luke truly has passed
and thanks to actor Mark Hamill, we know what really killed him. Taking to Twitter on Monday, October 22nd,
Hamill shared two images from the comic book adaptation of The Last Jedi specifically the
panels that illustrate Luke's death on the the island planet Ahch-To. Both the film and the comic adaptation depict
Luke's passing as somewhat tranquil, but Hamill has a completely different idea of what went
down. The actor revealed that the Force actually
killed Luke, likening him to a drug addict who relapsed after years of sobriety and ultimately
overdosed. "THE FORCE KILLED LUKE. You have to acknowledge the irony in his fate. Almost like an addict that kicked his habit
cold-turkey, remained clean for decades, only to re-use just once & then, tragically, overdoses. As those who have seen The Last Jedi will
remember, Luke vanishes into thin air — leaving nothing but his cloak behind — after he
reconnects with the Force and creates a projection of himself in an effort to protect his twin
sister Leia and save the few surviving members of the Resistance from Kylo Ren and the First
Order. Luke's act of bravery was successful, as he
engages in an intense duel with Kylo in front of the abandoned Rebel Alliance base on the
small, remote mineral planet of Crait. When Kylo swings his crossguard lightsaber
at Luke, he realizes that he isn't battling a physical Jedi but rather, he's fighting
against a Force projection. The camera then shifts to show Luke dying
on Ahch-To, staring into the setting sun. That's quite a stark contrast compared to
Hamill's report of the circumstances surrounding Luke's death. On the surface, Luke's passing wasn't all
sunshine and Alderaanian flame-lilies and goblets of blue alien milk, of course, but
it did feel markedly serene as if the scene was implying that Luke was passing from one
realm to another, moving from completing a physical journey to embarking on a spiritual
one. According to Hamill, however, there was turmoil
and pain bubbling underneath, as Luke was unable to shield himself from the corruptive
side of the Force. Hamill's take on Luke's death is interesting
for sure, as it suggests that the Force is something addictive and lethal to even the
strongest of minds. Though he's gone from the land of the living,
Hamill's Luke isn't entirely missing from the galaxy far, far away. The actor previously confirmed that Luke will
appear in director J.J. Abrams' Episode Nine, due out on December 21, 2019. Fans have theorized that he'll circle back
either in flashback sequences or as a Force ghost like Anakin Skywalker, Yoda, and Obi-Wan
Kenobi have all done in the past to continue training Rey in the ways of the Force and
perhaps teach her one final, infinitely valuable lesson. Some have even speculated that Luke will return
to haunt Kylo Ren, which would admittedly be pretty hilarious to see. But while Hamill clearly isn't shy about talking
all things Star Wars after films have been in theaters for a while, he's not in the business
of addressing theories ahead of a movie's release, so fans shouldn't hold their breath
for him to confirm or deny any rumors. In mid-October, 2018, Hamill tweeted "I mention keeping my #StarWars opinions to
myself & what happens? It triggers an avalanche of questions about
the next one! [...] yes, I'm in it. Other than that, just consider it: EPISODE
NEIN [ COMMENT." So the manner in which Luke will return for
Episode Nine remains a total mystery. But there are two things of which we're absolutely
certain: don't ask Mark Hamill about anything related to the upcoming Skywalker saga installment
and don't even think about dabbling in using the Force. It's too dangerous, kids. You don't want to end up like Luke, do you? Didn't think so.
