Speculation How Would You Have Luke Die?

A lot of the speculation about E:VII revolves around the franchise icon of Luke Skywalker.

The impact of the character on the Star Wars Universe be it on film or in the EU is simply immeasurable!

That being said... if you knew Luke was going to die in the upcoming film, how would you go about such a monumental event to shake the entire franchise?

Personally, I would make sure his death means something BIG! I would set it farely early in the film. I would have him completely ambushed and caught completely by surprise. He would put up a fight none the less, and the fight would also have to be an epic fight setting a tone for all the action to come. Luke doesn't go down as easy as Windu here... He's fighting to the very end, not blind sided and taken out quickly when in a position of strength.

I would also have his death be a major plot launching point. The Jedi are reeling at the thought of someone or something so powerful it could catch such a great Jedi Master off guard and take him out. I would have it very much a central mystery of the plot that leads to something even bigger going into Episode VIII which could then take on a very dark tone ala ESB.

In one of the movies - I would never want to see Luke, Han, or Leah die.

Chewie I'm on the fence with.

I really don't want to see the death of any of my childhood heroes, which is why I'm praying that the ST skips forward several generations rather than picks up in real time since Jedi.

Sorry, I know that really didn't answer the question you had. But that's how I feel about it.

Part of me longs to see Leia become a Sith Lord and murder Luke.

I don't know that I'd want him caught off guard, rather see him die gallantly while defending someone against a threat. I think a sacrificial end like Ben's would be well deserved. He could then appear as a ghost to tutor, although that may be too close to Obi-Wan's arc to repeat.

I feel that, either in 7 or 9, Luke has to die in order for the next generation to take over. Either he should go early in the film similar in a way to Qui-Gon in TPM (only he disappears like Yoda), or he dies nobly saving someone else.

That character has been part of my childhood since toddlerhood, so I know seeing his passing would have me bawling my eyes out, but no one is immortal. Luke can't live forever, and neither can Mark Hamill. He has to die.

Ideally a Jedi Master goes on his own terms. Obi Wan gave himself so Luke could live. Yoda held on through extreme old age until he believed Luke was ready.

On the other hand Qui Gon died while putting up a good fight. Mace Windu was caught off guard by Anakin's fear that if Palpatine died so too would Padme.... then Palpatine finished the job.

Is there another way to die?

I'd hate to think that he got ambushed..... thats not a very good death... kind of a let down after you've helped save the galaxy.

Maybe a combination of the two. Caught off guard as he's helping transport someone very important and his fight in which he ultimately falls, allows said someone to escape.

It's a heroic death and reveals a vile threat to the security of not only the New Republic, but to the Jedi themselves.

There are really only two options for Luke. Either die a heroic death or die of old age. To borrow a phrase from Sam Jackson, Luke can't go out like a punk. Of course a heroic death would imply that Luke would be doing some fighting in the film. Putting aside that Hamill will need to spend the next year getting into shape, I wonder if Luke's lightsaber skills will have improved.

He needs to die like Obi-Wan Kenobi did, being a hero. He also needs to 'vanish' in mid-air when he dies, leaving his opponent completely off guard by it, just like Obi-Wan.

I think depends on the plot, either heroically like Obi-wan, or peacefully becomes one with the Force, like Yoda.

I would absolutely hate to see Luke killed in any way but I know it's probably going to be necessary. He's such apart of my childhood and I defintely want his death to be meaningful. To die saving his son or daughter would be noble. Also dying of old age after passing on his knowledge like Yoda would be nice. I don't like thinking about this though. It will be such a heartbreaking scene.

Better to happen on screen than left to some EU novel/comic etc.

That's probably why novels like Apocalypse haven't killed him off yet, and why GL said not too.

My thoughts exactly!

at age 97, in his sleep, dreaming of power converters.

Peacefully. He deserves it.
And before a ridiculous age like 120.

I wouldn't have Luke die of any reason other than old age. One member of the Skywalker family deserves a peaceful death. Any other way would be over kill.

And especially because it is LUKE...he does good and settles down and does good. Having him get impaled and burning up would be weird and unsatisfying.

I disagree... Luke needs a hero's death to counter act the tragicness of his father's life/death. Anakin just had a redeeming death, not a hero's death.

Luke is such an icon, I think it would do him an injustice to have him just lie down and disappear. That's not the Luke Skywalker any of us know. He's absolutely one to be going down on his feet lightsaber in hand.

For me:

He would already be dead at the onset of Episode VII and already be appearing as a Force ghost to a Jedi Grand Master Leia with the implication that he's been doing this already for some time. This would also add another layer to the ending of RotJ, where the last thing we see is Luke looking on to his mentors as Force ghosts looking back towards him, i.e., when we next see him in Ep. 7...he's going to be one of them, both in spirit and "spirit." Plus there's a part in all of us that's kind of been thinking in the back of our heads..."Pretty much every Jedi is dead except Obi-Wan and Yoda...oh wait now they are too. Now all we have is just barely trained at all Luke, but that's okay...it's not just about being awesome with a lightsaber. What's that, Yoda? Another you say. Cool. Okay let's see what the 'Another' can do! No? We're not going to, huh?. Shrug, okay.." I'm not saying we're dying to see it or anything, and I'm sure that curiosity has been satisfied for many through EU, but the opportunity is suddenly now there to see it in live-action whether it be some crazy lightsaber choreography or being a badass seated at the head of a new Jedi Council.

Luke and Leia can be what ties each set of trilogies together. At the end of RotS, we last see them born and placed into hiding and when we see them again in ANH, they're both already thrust into the drama and legacy that they inherited. The end of RotJ and Ep7 can be similar: Their storylines have already found closure and when we next see them they'll already have or be finishing passing on what they've learned and accomplished to whomever else's story/stories that are about to begin.

The big loss/death/sacrifice that would happen in the ST would be Leia's...either in Ep 7 or 8.

As for Han...while I'd miss him, I'd think that having him already be dead would serve the overall narrative better. He could/would be the symbol for the New Republic and what it represents while also adding a longing but completeness to the character of Leia without bogging down either character with a strong dependency nor bogging down the story with a romance story that we already saw. Having Han not having a physical presence helps Leia's believable and organic progression, strength and concentration with her enormous responsibilities. If Han were alive and around while she was still doing the same, he would kindof automatically be relegated to a First Lady/Steve Trevor type of just hovering around role which would just do both characters an injustice.

ETA: The circumstances of Luke's death could actually be the big epic moment/twist that we don't find out about and its ramifications of until Ep. 8 or 9. As far as Ep.7, the audience just needs to know that he died nobley...kind of like how we are initially led to believe Luke's father died at first...not that I'm implying anything scandalous or nefarious about Luke...just that the circumstances surrounding his death are not just simply as clear cut as just him making any old vague noble hero sacrifice. It should add to the entire narrative of what is transpiring in the ST and be key to the ST's protagonists' vindication/validation arc.

He goes off on some quest, only to be reported dead and 30 years later shows up to save the day.

Mostly I just want his death to be EPIC! At first I too was thinking his death needed to be as a sacrifice like Obi-wan but then I thought it should be as the result of some horrible betrayal!! As in a "Luke I am your father" moment of pure shock. Of course if that is not done perfectly his death would be unbelievably tragic and horrifying and could end up being very dissatisfying so it may not be the best idea. It was however totally awesome when it played in the mini movie in my head.

I agree with his death needing to be Epic! It will be a franchise shaking event and needs to be portrayed as such to give the event the respect it deserves! That's why I OH SO believe it has to happen on screen!

Many of you are assuming Luke would die, and that may end up being the case. I think they would go in a different direction, though, and come up with something totally unexpected. Maybe he would just disappear (I don't mean fading away like Yoda and Obi-Wan, I mean leaving) and no one ever finds out what happens to him, kind of like how Morpheus and the other characters didn't know what happened to Neo at the end of the "Matrix" trilogy. Maybe he and Mara Jade head to another part of the galaxy together to quietly live out their last few years. Who knows . . . I just think they would try to make it as surprising as possible.