ST Possible theories of why Luke was in hiding

I must say one of the things I loved about TFA was the intriguing story about luke. I like that he wasn't this all powerful Jedi master running a monk but he simply had disappeared and we aren't given much reason why. Really makes you intrigued to what has happened with Luke. I wanted to create this thread to hear some ideas of what you all think has happened with Luke. I know we got some small explanation from Han but I think there is more to it than that.

 

thoughts?

 

He is hiding to protect others, he's hoping the legacy of the lightside and the darkside disappears and people forget, that is the only way to balance the force is to leave it dormant.

He may also be afraid of a potential daughter learning the ways of her father and falling to the darkside.

 

It might be a little bit like Doctor Manhattan in the Watchmen where he's simply dealt with so much loss, has so much power, and yet still so many unresolved questions that he's unsure of his own sense of purpose. He might be concerned that every time he tries to intervene or help it seems to lead to some new tragedy occurring. The Wizards in the LOTR beyond the few we see in the stories largely reached this same place of thought. How much can one intervene in the events on any one world? When does it end? Are the reasons for intervention selfish? Are they driven by the desire to control events? When a being has as much power as these characters do it's not hard to imagine how that power would eventually change how they saw the world and their place within it. He might be there, searching for clarity on multiple fronts while also doing what he feels is right to protect the limited family and friends he has left.

An intriguing part of VIII might be Rey inadvertently helping Luke to rediscover aspects of his own humanity while he works with her.

 

IMO, he thinks Skywalkers are a curse upon the galaxy. Look at his father and his nephew, and even himself for a few dark moments in the throne room. He decided the universe is better off without Skywalkers, so he hid himself away. And I suspect he also helped hide Rey as well, thinking she should stay "safely anonymous" as Leia did. And remember, Leia is the only Skywalker to never be seriously tempted by the Dark Side, so Luke thought a similar upbringing would keep Rey safe.

 

Excellent post I think you really hit the nail on the head here. I really hope this is the case.

 

I think he was depressed. His Jedi academy was destroyed by Kylo. Who could blame him?

 

I'm starting to agree with him. The Skywalker family is a little messed up.

 

I really don't know. I'm intrigued why he decided to go to the first Jedi Temple though, because if he just wanted to hide he could do that anywhere.

 

Not saying this is relevant, but I remember the initial spoilers saying he was hiding out on an island of an ocean planet because he "feared being tempted by the dark side".

I could see him just removing himself from the world for the purpose of contemplation, he probably wanted to kill Kylo Ren when he went dark side but it's his nephew so he had too much internal conflict, much like he did with his father.

 

I had thought up this plan by Luke's significant other to abandon him there and take Rey with her without his interference, but the inconsistency of Force powers kinda helps Jedi make phone calls when they're stranded without a ship.

 

I assume that Luke made some mistakes. He is in need of atonement for some failure as a teacher and perhaps now as a father.

 

Following Yoda's story arc:
Destroyed Jedi learning facility,
Go into isolation,
Try to find a comeback stategy,
Communicate with force ghosts?
Await a young apprentice to find you and start their training.

 

And leave Kylo and Snoke to run amok? Doesn't compute.

 

Yoda failed. Ben Failed. Luke needs help.

 

To defeat Kylo Ren? Doesn't seem likely. Unless he can't bring himself to kill his nephew (which would fit in which his character in OT). However, for Luke to sit back and do nothing as billions of untold people die (including his friends), that makes no sense to me.

Kylo Ren is struggling between light and dark (more so than Vader). And yet he doesn't attempt to guide him like he did Vader.

I haven't seen a theory that can answer this.

 

Kylo, as it stands, represents a failure of a mentor to successfully teach his student. Luke is human and has faltered. He needs help, not to kill Kylo, because that's what Luke needs to do, he needs to atone through the Force. That's my take thus far with limited knowledge.

 

As I understand it, the billions of people who died did so very recently, after Luke had spent years in isolation. Now it's time for him to face the world again. Hopefully he's learned enough in his quiet time to find the best answer to the problems of the galaxy.

 

The difference is Luke, like Yoda and Obi-wan, is all alone. For over a thousand years there has always been the Jedi and the Jedi council. I think Luke is searching for answers on how and what to do. What did the first Jedi do? THat is why he is at the first Jedi temple to learn. He tried it on his own the first time and that didn't work so he wants to know how the first Jedi did it.

 

Yes, I think it may be as simple as mirroring what Yoda did. He's sequestered himself to commune with The Force, until The Force delivers its next vessel (Rey) to him. For whatever can be said about Luke sort of abandoning the Rebellion when they desperately could have used his help, the same could be said about what Yoda did. We may just have to interpret that as The Force guiding both Yoda and Luke to vanish for a while.

I expect this to be clarified considerably in e8, and I also think we may see a sort of jedi council with Luke and ghost Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Yoda (and possibly even Qui-Gon). That could be a pretty wicked scene if Rey gets invited into Luke's home to see what looks like a meeting of all of them discussing the situation....remember ghost Obi-Wan visited Yoda on Dagoba, and at that time he was the only force ghost (until Qui-Gon was later retcon'd in).

 

I don't know how long the four of them would have to put theirs minds together before coming to the conclusion that Snoke must be destroyed.

 

I think Luke is in a self-enforced isolation after what happened at his academy. He sees himself as a failure (just as Obi-wan did with Vader) and perhaps sees himself as a danger to others - if he has fought the dark side in himself recently. Luke never really had the decades long training that Jedis are suppose to have and he knows it, it could be that he has decided that if he can't train Jedis properly he better just bow out and go meditate on an island rather than turn into a force of destruction in the galaxy.

 

Vader said in ANH that the ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force. Luke appears to hold that same opinion considering the events of TFA. He has completely taken himself off the grid and let the galaxy get on with its business while he communes with the force in the most spiritual of sites. He hasn't succumbed to the dark side, but is able to harness both the light and dark side and has needed an extended period of exile in order to be able to master this.

The attack on his academy signified the start of his exile. Instead of reacting, destroying Kylo and his knights, he allowed them to remain in play because he needs a strong dark side presence to enable his training. It is pointless to train new Jedi in the old, failed ways. He knows a new Jedi order must be able to control all aspects of the force amongst all emotions without being corrupted and twisted. It is the only way to truly bring balance to the force and peace to the galaxy once and for all.

 

My theory is that he doesn't just view himself as a failure because of Kylo's murderous turn, but that act caused him to embrace the Dark Side.

Kylo murdered not only his students but also his wife. And, Luke believed, his daughter as well.

Luke realized he was embracing the Dark Side to achieve revenge and knew if he did, he wouldn't just destroy Ren and Snoke but also plunge the entire galaxy into permanent darkness.

So he said goodbye to the galaxy and wished it well.

Until his daughter found him.

 

Is it possible, that after Ren slaughtered his students, he went off to regroup, and then found the first Jedi Temple, and in turn the first temple revealed a powerful secret that would need to stay hidden? I mean if Luke, after finding this powerful secret, would then come back into the "public eye", and running into other powerful force users, they might discover this? Hence, he's hiding out?

Plus, Snoke is desperately looking for him, so he might know of this hidden powerful secret himself. A lot was left up in the air to speculate.

Plus, this first temple, what if it reveals other info about what the Jedi used to be? I mean, in TPM, we see them at the height of their power, attached to a government no less. The Jedi are part of the political landscape? Is that what they were originally meant o be? Marshals?

This First Jedi Temple has me intrigued. I mean, Han mentioned it, and I think it was a subtle, but a huge reveal.