Lit SOS: Save Our Skywalker, Luke Skywalker (v3)

"Who's scruffy looking?!!"

 

Luke doesn't believe in razors.

 

http://comicsalliance.com/jason-aaron-star-wars-marvel-intervie/

Jason Aaron on the Marvel comic series

 

I like this look, personally. Yes, it's a bit scruffy, but it gives him the "wise old mentor/crazy wizard" appearance while still making him seem youthful enough to feasibly have an action role. It's no Gandalf, but it's similar. Somewhere between Gandalf and Old Ben, I guess, which is actually something I think is good to shoot for–the dry humor of Old Ben combined with the wisdom and combat skills of Gandalf? That screams "Jedi Master Luke" to me.

As to these rumors about Luke in VII?

Spoiler

I don't see cause for concern yet. The rumors that said he had been captured for 30 years were literally nothing more than speculation. At all. Period. Just speculation because of the rumor about his lightsaber floating through space. There might be 0% truth to them.

Also, as to the fact that only he and Ridley were at the Skellig Michael shoot, that doesn't mean anything either. Those could just be the exterior scenes, where he and Ridley share a private conversation before moving "indoors." We see a bunch of monasteries and ruins on Skellig Michael, so it's possible they'll use these as a kind of Jedi Temple, and that the interior scenes, with more actors besides Mark and Ridley, will be shot on a set, back at Pinewood. There's no reason to freak about this yet. And just because Gleeson wasn't there with Luke doesn't mean that he definitely isn't his son, either.

 

Matt Skywalker :

Spoiler

There was only one other actor. And that actor doesn't seem to be a child of Luke's. AND, there was more than just a conversation between the two, because there were also two stunt doubles there. So, it looks like they were either fighting, or, most likely, Luke was training this other person.

I really HATE the look!! I wasn't happy to hear he was going to have a beard in the first place, but at least they could have made it a distinguished-looking one instead of this disheveled look. I don't think he looks much like Luke at all.

Will he even survive this film???









ThreadSketch :

Yes, I think he looks very scruffy-looking. Just one more thing to be disappointed about with regard to Luke.









Revanfan1 :

I think it makes him look MUCH older than he needs to look. I remember that photo of him with that actor who used to play Darth Maul about the time of the table read. He had a small beard, but he looked much better; much younger; and much more like LUKE.

Wise is fine, but I don't want him to look "crazy", and he does, in a way. He has a sort of wild Einstein look about him. Luke was always pretty down-to-earth and humble. I don't think "crazy" suits him.


As to these rumors about Luke in VII?:

Spoiler

I REALLY hope you're right, because if Luke has been captured for 30 years, it means he has literally don't nothing between the two trilogies. Plus, it completely wipes out any possibility of a kid for Luke; for any Jedi training to have taken place between RotJ and Episode VII; and for any stories about Luke in the future that take place between those trilogies.

I would agree with that, except that today they said that there were two stunt doubles there too. That seems to suggest that there won't just be a conversation, but some pretty serious action, even if it involves training. I would hate for Daisy to be the first and only Jedi that Luke trains. It likely also means again that Luke has no child of his own.

I REALLY, REALLY hope you're right. Unfortunately, from what we've heard so far, it doesn't look like it.

Plus, the other rumor is that Isaacs is now going to be piloting the Millennium falcon. If that's true, he's going to be onscreen a LOT, because he will likely be on this search for Luke. That means that Isaacs, not Gleeson will likely be the third lead. That , in turn, means it's far less likely that Gleeson is Luke's kid, which means it looks like Luke won't have a kid.

All of the rumors seem to point to know offspring for Luke, so far.

True, but the fact that Isaacs likely will be the third lead does seem to make it less likely that Gleeson will be Luke's son.


[/spoilers]

Thanks for being optimistic though. We definitely NEED some optimism here!

Ben Skywalker: "Doing the right thing isn't something special. It's the minimum. It's where we start each morning, not

 

I don't think it makes him look that much older. Sure, it's a bit wild, and totally not what I expected for Luke in VII, but I'm not yet prepared to say I'll dislike it. When I saw an image of Mark with that look, I admit the first think I thought was "Jedi Master." It may not be as clean and trim as we'd expect, but then there could be a reason for that. Maybe he goes a Yoda route, trying to throw off those who come to him for training by acting like an eccentric hermit at first.

I don't think Luke really will be crazy, by the way. I'm sure he'll still be down-to-earth and humble, and I don't think this beard and haircut necessarily mean he isn't like that anymore. Luke doesn't seem like the kind of person who'd put a lot of stock in physical appearance. I'm not saying he'll be slovenly, just that he won't necessarily be the kind of person who has to have every hair in place or he won't go out the door, either.

Spoiler

I agree with you. I think the powers-that-be know that Luke will sell books and comics, and they'll want him free to do things in those. Like I said, I am sure if he actually is captured, it will have been fairly recent, or even happen during the movie, not something that's been carried over for 30 or so years.

Spoiler

I found out about the stunt doubles after I made that post. Well, then that should actually be a good thing, because at least it means a) Luke is alive and b) he's willing to train Daisy as a Jedi (presumably that's what's happening). As to Daisy being his only student, or him not having a child of his own...I really don't think the fact that these two would be training here has anything to do with that. Again, let's go back to those monastery-like buildings. Luke and Daisy could be training outside and the other Jedi could be inside. I doubt Luke will be inhabiting these huge monastery-like constructions all by himself.

Literally everything we've heard about Luke so far have been rumors. Some of them may be true:

Spoiler

*He's been captured. Well, that's possible.
*He's been away for quite some time (note that the thirty-year thing seems to me to be hearsay from a hearsay source that just became widely accepted–it was never part of the original rumors). This is possible; he could be training Jedi.
*There will be a search for Luke. If he's captured, this is all the more likely.

But I wouldn't worry about the way they'll treat Luke. The fact that he has a stunt double alone means he'll be doing at least some action, which means he won't spend the entire movie in chains. As to the rumor about Isaacs owning the Falcon, that doesn't even qualify as a rumor, because it was speculation about a detail in a rumor. It basically went like this:

"Okay, so that rumor made it sound like Han and the Falcon are in two different places? Huh, that must mean someone else is flying the Falcon. Who could that be? Oh, Isaacs was rumored to be the 'new Han character,' right? It must be him!"

I'm not saying it's impossible that Isaacs will be flying the Falcon, just that I'm not automatically going to take it as true because that one guy said it. Like I said, his speculation could turn out to be right, but that's all it is at this point: speculation. And even if Isaacs is the third member of the lead trio, that doesn't put out the possibility of Gleeson being Luke's son.

Say Isaacs, Boyega, and Ridley are the leads. They go through the movie searching for Luke and along the way meet Gleeson, who reveals that he's Luke's son, and joins the crew. He's only a secondary character, but he's still established as Luke's son. What this does is set him up for a leading role in VIII, which I think is likely. It has been rumored for some time that Gleeson took the role initially assigned by the media to Jesse Plemons. This role, in turn, was rumored to be "Ben Skywalker," and was also said that he would "not be a lead in VII, but would take over as lead in VIII." Of course, those rumors might not be true. But I think there is a fair chance at this point that Gleeson is Luke's son, especially with how secretive they're being with his role.

 

Every rumor i hear about luke in episode 7 is depressing, and they are getting worse each time.

 

Don't pay them any attention then!

Besides, the current one of Luke being imprisoned for 30 years is spectacularly stupid! Disney are going to want to fill the gap between Ep 6 and 7, this would take off the board a major player - so no, no way is that happening.

 

oddly is sounds like your agreesing with me, but yet telling me not to listen to them.

 

Couldn't resist...

 

So it seems that Luke has either been a prisoner for decades, or that he's become a Dark Jedi with his own agenda and ends up killing Han.

I know a lot of people here were initially happy with the EU reboot, but I wonder if they might end up liking the EU version better.

 

I've been telling you and the entire thread not to pay heed to the rumours - all they're doing is causing you pain!

What I'm also getting at is, rationally, that particular rumour makes no sense whatsoever.

But yelling? No, no, dear fellow - THIS IS YELLING!

 

Revanfan1:

I hope not. I don't want Luke to be Obi-wan 2.0 or Yoda 2.0. I want him to be himself, and that disheveled look does NOT suggest "Luke" to me.

I hope so! I do think that he looks "slovenly" though.

I certainly HOPE so! I just hope they're not trying to get "cute" and be so surprising and so completely different from the EU that they do some really stupid things for this film that will back them into a corner for the period between films and after this film.

I can only hope you're right! I think it would be a detriment to the film and to the SW franchise if they have Luke be a prisoner for 30 years, who has accomplished nothing for all that time and has no jedi Order and no son or daughter.

Spoiler

That's fine, as long as Daisy isn't Luke's first and only student. You do make a good point about it not being likely that Luke would be inhabiting that huge monastery-like structure by himself. Of course, it's also possible that the monastery may not even be part of what was shot while they were there. It's possible that they only wanted the "look" of the place and didn't want the actual building.

Spoiler

That WOULD be cool!

Thanks for "calming me down" a bit about the rumors. You're right: they may not even be true, and if they are, they may only be partly true. If Luke has been doing what you suspect for those years, it wouldn't be back, as long as it's not for the length of time that has been rumored. That would be ridiculous and TERRIBLE!

That's an excellent and very optimistic point!


As to the rumor about Isaacs It basically went like this:

Spoiler

I think it was also because there was an earlier rumor after Ford broke his leg that Isaacs' role would be increased more and Ford's would be decreased. I don't know if that actually happened or not though... probably not, especially since they're going to take a brief hiatus so Ford can finish healing and they can finish whatever scenes they need to do with him.

And I wouldn't mind if he wasn't the third member of the trio. I think it's more important that Luke have a kid for future stories.... and just because I want Luke to have a kid that we can root for in future films/books/comics.

I would certainly like that, but then which of the other three gets "demoted", so to speak? I"m not sure they would do that to one of those characters. I guess I wouldn't mind if Luke's son had a smaller role in this trilogy and then maybe plays a larger role in future films or books. OR, why can't there be four "leads". SW has always been a sort of "ensemble" effort, where a group of characters play major roles while one or two may have the most important role/roles.

I really, really, REALLY hope that you're right!








JediMatteus:

I DO agree with you about that JM! Revanfan has made me feel a little bit better about this though.








Jedi Ben:

I totally agree with you and want to believe that Disney is smart enough to know that this would be a MAJOR mistake if not a franchise-killing one. However, it's amazing how many people on that Episode VII forum don't bat an eye about stupid rumors like this. Many seem to not only believe them, but actually don't seem to see any problem with them.

Some actually LIKE the idea of Luke being missing for 30 years. They say it adds "mystery" to the Jedi again.... I just shake my head in disbelief. AND, when I express my dismay about these rumors, I'm pretty much told to shut up by a couple of posters; that they already know I don't like any of the rumors and I just shouldn't go to see the movie if I'm not going to like it. .... If these rumors are true, I won't be going to the film, but I don't think other people should tell me that.







Ghost :

If these rumors are true, I won't like either one of them. The EU was pretty terrible to Luke at times too, turning him into a vengeance killer; having him pretend to join the reborn Emperor; having Abeloth give him a permanent Force injury; etc. I was hoping that we'd get a more positive future for the galaxy and for the characters with the new films. That doesn't seem likely right now. I just keep hoping though that all of these rumors are either completely false or they have been taken badly out of context.

 

Y'know...

There are 837 pages in this thread, so I don't have a slice of cake's chance at a kid's birthday party of ever getting through this entire discussion to see if what I bring up is redundant, so I apologize. I'm sure it's already been done in here somewhere, probably multiple times. But, in the interest of not having this thread turn into a morose, hand-wringing little brother to the Episode VII forum, maybe we could talk about something I haven't had a chance to participate in yet?

Among the EU - whatever you prefer to call it now - what have been your favorite and least favorite portrayals of Luke, and why? What do you think really captured the essence of his character, and what really missed the mark? (No pun intended.) I'd love to hear what y'all have to say.

 

Mindor for best portrayal Evar!

For worst....well it's a toss up between Allegiance, Invincible, Sacrifice, A Crystal Star, etc.

 

I don't see Allegiance as all that out of character in its portrayal of him- it's set only 6 months after ANH after all.

 

1) "You know what I told him? I told him he'd just seen it."

Skywalker lifted his face from his hands, and his eyes were dark. Wounded. Haunted by shadows.

"My best trick is to do one thing - to make one small move, even a simple choice - and kill thousands of people. Thousands."


2) "Please don't shoot me, either."

He turned the palm upward in a friendly shrug and let the astonished troopers stare at the only effect of the Force-blunted blasterfire: a faint curl of steam that trailed upward from his unmarked palm.

"Let's try to end the day with nobody else dying, shall we?"


3) "None of the stories people tell about me can change who I really am."


4) He could feel his connection now, could sense the control he might exert through this connection; a simple twist of will would seize this body and make it act at his command----he could even, he sensed, send his power with the Force through this body to serve his desire. He could make this man his puppet, and forge his own escape. Or....He could abandon his fear, and express the truth of who he was. For Luke Skywalker, this was not even a choice. Instead of a command, he sent through the link a friendly suggestion. Hey Nick, he sent. Why don't you wake up?


5) "I have known Jedi. Many, many years ago. That knowing was not a gladness for me. I believed I would never know another, and I rejoiced in that belief. But it is a gladness for me to be proven wrong. I am happy to have known you, Jedi Luke Skywalker. You are more than they were."

"That's--I mean, thanks, but I barely know anything."

"So you believe. But I say to you: you are greater than the Jedi of former days."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because unlike the Knights of old, Jedi Luke Skywalker...You are not afraid of the dark.



May the Force bless you Matthew Stover, always.

I really don't think there's anything better than Mindor. It perfectly captures where Luke was at that point in time the novel's taking place, slightly more mature as a Jedi Knight since ROTJ, but not yet the wise Jedi Master he's destined to become. He's plagued by doubt throughout the novel, not only about himself, but about the Force as well. In a way, it serves as a prelude to some of the questions he'll have about the Force later on in his life. The novel is basically a character study of Luke, and it benefits from the fact that the author had already written one for Luke's father, the Revenge of the Sith novelization. Anakin's pretty much the main character of the prequel trilogy, and Luke serves the same role in the original. That being said their characters are compared/contrasted during the OT and we as viewers can do the same for them in the PT. I feel that where Luke is in Mindor at times isn't far off from where Anakin is in ROTS, yet you see the two similar, yet different, men take completely opposite paths and approaches to their problems. Anakin focuses on himself and his own desires, whereas Luke focuses on others. Anakin's fear haunts and paralyzes him, whereas Luke overcomes his own. Anakin eventually succumbs and does worse actions over time, Luke rises to the occasion and becomes a greater hero. And I think that all of this ties into the fact that Luke is the inheritor to his father's lost destiny, what Anakin could have, and should have been.

Humble, patient, witty, honest, with a hint of sarcasm gained from time spent around Han, and another hint of darkness gained from war, this novel grasps Luke Skywalker's character perfectly.

 

I have been reading the Brian Wood comics lately, which I believe miss the mark on occasion when it comes to Luke's characterization.

First of all, he's extremely arrogant. He brags about blowing up the death star, and holds it over Leia's head all the time. I think in character, he's far more humble, acknowledges the sacrifices of the Rogues and his friend Biggs instead of taking all the credit for Yavin battle.

Second, he gets in petty arguments with Leia and Wedge over stupid love triangles of the day, acting far more clingy, jealous and possessive when it comes to Leia than Anakin ever was to Padme, including spying/stalking her. This all cumulates into this scene in Star Wars 15, where because Leia supposedly has a boyfriend, LUKE SKYWALKER wants to abandon the Rebellion altogether to become a smuggler aboard the Falcon, and HAN SOLO tries to talk him out of it and convince him to stay.

It's like...something is a little backward here...

 

The whole love triangle jealousy angle was done so much better in Classic Star Wars with Luke volunteering to infiltrate the shipyards of Fondor to sabotage the Executor's construction in order to impress Leia. That leads him to having a string of adventures as he escapes Vader's trap, legs it with a hot blonde pilot called Tanith Shire. Helps her depose the tyrant who rules her people, she then drops him off on a planet under Imperial bombardment so he can meet up with Han and Leia. He then ends up snogging Shire as a farewell - right in front of Leia! Who's also put out by it!

 

The not "opening" of a door didn't do anything to encourage me of his characterization.

 

At least The Crystal Star can be retrospectively laughed at, MST3K-style, though.

This post (and this book) is a thing of beauty, which is why I didn't even bother to truncate it for quoting; it deserves to be posted twice. *e-hugs you*

That is what makes me give a lot of Lando Judgy Eyes to Dark Empire. It actually took Julius Sykes' The Test of Wills fan novelization to halfway convince me as to how Luke could go ahead and hook up with the cloned Palpatine, but...eh. Still. After everything he'd been through in ROTJ and then Mindor, I still can't see how he'd think it'd be a good idea to fight darkness with darkness, or trying to outwit darkness by learning all about it. Especially when the end of Dark Empire basically winds up like this:

Palps: UNLIMITED POWAH!!!

Luke & Leia: Wonder Twin Powers, activate!

*SHAZAM*



After seeing just how powerful Leia is against Cronal without a lick of training...you'd think Luke would just be smart enough to team up with her against the old fart right from the get-go and spare us all the angst and 'splosions. I mean, he still had to rescue her from Cronal, but she was holding up pretty darn well up until then.

Yeah, it didn't bother me at all that LSatSoM pegged Luke as having an inner darkness - of course he does. That's why he tossed away his lightsaber in ROTJ: precisely because he met his darkness and chose to reject it, and removed any lingering temptation to keep giving into it by quitting the fight. (Leia not having an inner darkness, though...um, okay, but anyhoo...) After having his "I have no mouth and I must scream" moment in the Dark and being assaulted by nihilism but still clinging to his principles, even if only in pretense, and ultimately defeating Cronal through the Light...I just can't see him doing what he does in DE. Like I said, for me it's not even an issue of Luke's personal sense of morality, or that I don't ever want Mah Heroo to be tarnished - it's just sheer rationality. You'd think he'd already learned his lesson twice over about how pointless and stupid the Dark Side really is. Powerful, yes, seductive, yes...but ultimately pointless. His wry humor during his final mental confrontation with Cronal just says it all.

Maybe someone else here can 'splain it to me.

I...I have no words for this. No, this only requires epic facepalming. Shee.

 

I'm not too worried about how slovenly he may look now. We haven't seen him in-costume yet; we don't have any idea how they might comb his hair or tighten up his beard for the role. And I agree that he shouldn't be Obi-Wan 2.0 or Yoda 2.0, but his own person–but that doesn't negate the possibility of his using some of their tactics, maybe just switched up a bit.

I don't think they're all that worried about making things different from the EU–things will be different, for sure, but what I think that means is that, at most, we'll see a radically different galaxy politically. Maybe the Empire didn't fall as fast, the New Republic (or whatever the ST calls its government) is struggling to rise to power, there could even be a few other factions, and instead of hundreds of Jedi there will be a handful–I do expect there to be a few Jedi, because Jedi sell. I expect Gleeson, Ridley, and Boyega (by the end of the movie) to all be Jedi, and I think it's possible Pip Andersen might be one, too.

Yeah, I agree, but like I said, even if he is a prisoner I doubt he has been one for 30 years.

I don't see Daisy being the first Jedi Luke's trained. And even if she is,

Spoiler

I think Boyega is probably going to end up a Jedi too, so that'll be two-for-one. Going by that pattern, by the end of the ST we could have a fair-sized Jedi Order. I'm sure they could find a logical reason why Luke hadn't trained a Jedi yet–he's been too busy fighting dark siders, or something. Now, I don't want that to happen, but I could see it.

No problem. Like I said, I expect Luke's been doing something extremely important over the past 30 years, even if it's not what we expect.

That's an excellent and very optimistic point!

Yeah, I think the whole "Isaacs is taking over some of Ford's role" was just panic by the fans after Ford's injury.

Agreed. As long as Luke's kid exists, I don't care if the movie uses him excessively because I'm sure the books and comics will–but that doesn't mean I wouldn't love it if he had a big role in VIII and IX.

I think the "four leads" idea would work. ROTS basically had two, as I wouldn't call Padme anything more than a plot device in that movie, sadly–but at the same time, ROTS promoted Yoda, Bail Organa, and even Mace Windu to more prominent roles. It could be a similar thing here–Gleeson has a secondary role in VII, but becomes more and more important as the trilogy progresses.

 

Telling, not the yelling

 

ThreadSketch :

Too late!

You're right: We *have* done this many times, but not for quite a while now, and it's always fun to do it again with someone who hasn't participated before.

I agree with Matt Skywalker and Darth Jenari (masterful post, by the way! Completely explains what I love about the book!) that Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor was great.

I liked others too. I liked most of Luke's characterization in The Thrawn Trilogy. I especially loved that Zahn portrayed Luke as resourceful, talented, and competent even without the Force. Having Luke defeat a whole squadron of stormtroopers without access to the Force was wonderful, and I liked the way he had Luke show his ingenuity by gaining his freedom by using the battery from his bionic hand.

I also enjoyed Luke using resourcefulness in getting out of the Jedi trap in Specter of the Past.

I think the films showed Luke as resourceful and smart and able to think on his feet, so I appreciated seeing that in some of Zahn's books.

I loved the portrayal of Luke in The Unifying Force when he stormed the citadel and fought the slayers and Shimmra. Definitely the Jedi Master there! Even Jacen and Jaina were in awe.

I liked Courtship of Princess Leia too. I liked the way Luke was able to heal himself with the help of nature around him when he was nearly dead. It was great to see Luke fly the Falcon alone while shooting all 4 quad guns at the same time. Even Han Solo was impressed!

Truce at Bakura showed Luke's compassion as he helped that elderly woman and Dev Sibwarra and saved the galaxy from the Ssi Ruvi. We got to see Luke's courage, and he was portrayed as a good leader too.

In Survivor's Quest, I liked having Luke and Mara work together to solve the mystery of the Outbound Flight. I think they made a great team, and it was fun seeing them as husband and wife for the first time. I enjoyed reading about them working together in Thrawn's Fortress in VotF too.



As for the worst books, for me Sacrifice is the number one offender. I still can't believe that the editors and other authors allowed Karen Traviss to turn the iconic hero, Luke Skywalker, into a vengeance killer who pretty much did the same thing his villainous father did when Anakin lost his mother and killed innocent women and children. I hated that Luke killed Lumiya for revenge. If he would have killed her because she was a danger to the galaxy, and if he would have killed her in a fair fight, it would have been fine. However, Luke saved Lumiya from falling down the cliff, only to chop off her head himself when she was weaponless. AND, he killed her because he thought she had killed Mara, NOT because she was a threat to the galaxy. Even worse, this wasn't when Luke was just a brand new Jedi Knight! He had been a Jedi for about 40 years, and was the Jedi Grand Master, the head of the Order he had created. What a horrible example this was for the other Jedi!

Crystal Star was just TERRIBLE! Luke was fighting Han Solo??? He was such an idiot.! He was even going to let that stupid waru eat him or dissolve him or whatever it was going to do to him. Stupid stupid book, and horrible characterization of Luke.

I also agree about Invincible having an awful Luke characterization. Luke couldn't even face Jacen because he was afraid he would fall to the dark side? That he couldn't control his emotions after 4 decades of being a Jedi? Really??? Then he sent his niece to face her own twin brother??? Didn't work for me, especially since Jaina didn't even attempt to redeem her brother. I felt that Luke was diminished and degraded in this book just so the author's pet idea of a twin duel could go forward... and that twin duel ended up being really "MEH"!

I agree with ThreadSketch that Dark Empire was very bad. After being willing to give up his life TWICE to avoid the dark side, it made no sense that Luke would go to Byss. I know that he only pretended to join the Emperor and that he was sort of like an undercover agent, helping the Alliance by sending Imperial codes and sabotaging Imperial weapons of mass destruction. I know that it was said that the more Luke learned about the dark side from the Emperor's books, the more he was repulsed by it. However, Luke was playing with fire and took too much of a risk trying to defeat the Emperor from behind enemy lines on his own. He was nearly lost when the Emperor tried to ensnare his mind and his will. By the time Leia arrived, Luke had pretty much lost hope that he could ever get away from the Emperor or defeat him. Luckily, when Leia told him that she had foreseen that he would train her children, he regained his hope and control of himself. Together, he and Leia were able to defeat the Emperor with the wall of light. It was far too close. AND, many fans and even authors assumed that Luke *did* actually fall to the dark side in DE, so this comic really made Luke's character and integrity take a big hit.

I also didn't like Allegiance of Choices of One. They both made Luke look like an idiot. I didn't expect Luke to be able to do much with the Force at this time and I didn't want him to because that wouldn't have been right for the character at the time. Unfortunately, however, Zahn seemed to forget his earlier portrayals of Luke SKywalker as remarkable and gifted even without the Force. He had Luke accomplish absolutely nothing and made him look stupid, inept, useless, and clueless in those books. It was as if Luke was only useful and competent when he used the Force, and that without it, he was a hopeless, useless idiot. I really didn't like those portrayals at all. They were especially disappointing because Zahn seemed to really GET Luke's character in the earlier books that he wrote.






Iron_lord:

But it made it seem as though without the Force, Luke had no other skills or talents; that he was useless and stupid. In ANH, even though Luke knew extremely little about the Force, he was still a very resourceful, bright, can-do kind of guy. He was portrayed as one who was a quick study and who thought on his feet and took action. This is NOT what we got in Allegiance or CoO.








DarthJenari :

I loved your post about Mindor! Really great job, DJ! What you said was absolutely perfect! I completely agree! Very well said!









VanishingReality:

I have only read about the first 8, I think, and I agree with you, only I would go farther and say that he misses the mark almost always with Luke. (I didn't like his portrayal of Leia either. Can't really imagine her as a squadron head, but that's another topic.) In the Woods comic, Luke was Luke Skywalker in name only, in my opinion. He didn't act, think, or behave the way the Luke of the films would have behaved. He was actually unlikeable, I thought.

WOW! It sounds like the characterization got even WORSE, and I didn't think that was possible! Yes, I'd say that something was a LOT backward here. This Star Wood comic is definitely another terrible Luke portrayal.









Threadsketch:

I agree! DJ did a wonderful job with his analysis of Mindor and why it's such a great Luke book.

I agree with you! Jedi Ben and I have had many very long and quite passionate debates about DE over the years, haven't we, Ben?








Revanfan1

Well, but we know the beard and hair looked a lot neater a month ago, and we know the bedraggled look was right during and shortly after a time that we KNOW Hamill was filming on that Irish island. So, it seems as though the filmmakers deliberately WANTED him to look like that. I don't think it was Hamill's preferred choice . SO, it seems as though Luke WILL look "scruffy-looking" in Episode VII.

I agree about that.

Well, in the EU, the Empire didn't fall right away either. Didn't it take them about 15 or so years before they signed that treaty? But I don't know why it would take over 30 years to defeat them and they still wouldn't be done?

AND, the New Republic DID fail in the EU. They later set up the Galactic Alliance. But I can't see NO government or no attempt to create a NR in 30 plus years.

I hope you're right. I do agree that "Jedi sell". AND, if Luke is the only Jedi and Daisy or whomever just starts Jedi training at the end of Episode VII, there would be no chance for any lightsaber duels except between Luke and a villain. There would be no young Jedi who could be involved.

I would REALLY love to see that! However, if Luke is

Spoiler

only found near the end of the film, there won't be time to train anyone, I don't think. SO, if there are going to be other Jedi besides Luke at the end of the first ST film, there need to be some that have been trained between trilogies, I think, and I really HOPE there are. I keep reading rumors though about "no Jedi Order" at the beginning of Episode VII and that worries me.

I hope he's not one at all. I would hate to think that the most powerful Jedi could be defeated and need to be rescued right before we even see Luke onscreen again after more than 30 years. I've been looking forward to this for decades. It would be a terrible disappointment for our first glimpse of Luke in over 30 years to be that that of a defeated, injured, weak, and helpless guy, imprisoned by someone.

What important thing do you think he could have been doing if he wasn't training Jedi?

Oh, definitely yes! I would LOVE it if Luke had a kid and that kid had a huge role in episodes VIII and IX!

Let's hope that's what happens, because he doesn't seem to have much of a role in episode VII. Who knows? Maybe we'll be pleasantly surprised![/QUOTE]