Prior to the release of Star Wars: Episode VII- The Force Awakens, the internet went crazy speculating about Luke Skywalker’s absence from the trailers. Did he go evil, just like Darth Vader? Was he dead? JJ Abrams cleverly refused to respond to any queries, although he confessed that the questions about Luke Skywalker drove him to direct Star Wars 7.
Ultimately, the reason behind Luke Skywalker’s absence turned out to be what we had doubted; it was because he wasn’t much of a part of the film. This was, in fact, the best thing for The Force Awakens, as Luke’s absence let Rey and Finn flourish in the movie. However, once the Episode 7 finished with Rey approaching Luke, we were again left in the lurch wondering about the future of their story. We just hope, it will be to greatness.
Warning: * spoilers ahead! *
This clarifies why Luke Skywalker underwent a self-imposed exile before The Force Awakens. The reason was his nephew Ben Solo who was tempted by the Dark Side, and he ultimately massacred his fellow Jedi learners. Luke holds himself responsible for this, going to find the ancient Jedi temple and deserting the Resistance. It is not known if he will teach Rey, but, we would definitely like to see him do one thing in Episode 8 or 9…
Finding New Jedi Recruits
There are several reasons behind this wish as it would be fabulous to see Luke and Rey spot and train new Force Sensitive people. It would create a trek different from the standard Star Wars plot. Rey is indeed the new ray of hope for the galaxy, but, Force is not confined to one person. You don’t need to be extraordinary to use the Force, and most certainly it is not a prerogative of the Skywalker clan.
JJ Abrams referred to this pervasive nature of the Force, and he said that everyone should believe in being capable of developing into a Jedi.
“Being strong with the Force didn’t mean something scientific, it meant something spiritual. It meant someone who could believe, someone who could reach down to the depths of your feelings and follow this primal energy that was flowing through all of us. I mean, that’s what was said in that first film!”
However, Force Sensitivity is not the only thing that makes a Jedi. Leia is a good Force user, but, she chose to lead the Resistance instead of undergoing Jedi training with Luke. There are definitely people who are better connected to the Force than others, and that’s why Rey could channel the Force during her final battle with Kylo Ren.
We are not saying that Episode 8 would focus on finding and developing new Jedi only. However, Rey’s training has to be of paramount importance as she gains control of her powers. However, down the line, it would be a great adventure for the characters to find others like her. This would also help Luke redeem his past with Kylo Ren. But, there are other hurdles in the path of creating a fresh Jedi Order.
A New Jedi Order
The challenge in setting up a new Jedi Order is that it might make the new film look similar to the prequels. We saw how the Jedi Order was huge and powerful, but, we shouldn’t hero worship them. They were short-sighted and inflexible which let Anakin Skywalker falling into the Dark Side, and they ultimately got defeated by their own stubbornness. In the Expanded Universe, we saw how Luke Skywalker reset the Order by training new students and modifying rules related to the Jedi knights entering into relationships and marriage.
A new beginning of the Jedi would be incredible, and this might give us the much-needed world building. The Star Wars saga is amazing: the minor details provided by Yoda regarding the Jedi and the Force only enhanced the appeal of the story in The Empire Strikes Back. Rey used to believe Jedi to be fictional (just the way Luke did at the start). Thus, it would be a fantastic learning for her to be trained by one of the mightiest Jedi Knights and we are eager to see that. However, the story has to expand beyond that.
It would be interesting if we see others figure out their powers like Rey did. It could be that the title ‘The Force Awakens’ was not just about Rey, but, about a common awakening spanning across the galaxy. There are great hints about Finn being Force Sensitive, and we are sure that Episode 8 will unveil new characters and we might see them become Jedi students.
Without a doubt, the next two Star Wars Episodes have fantastic potential, but, we would love to see Luke Skywalker tread on the same path that we saw in the Expanded Universe and set a new Jedi Order and take the story to new heights.
