Why isn't Luke Skywalker being Luke Skywalker?

NJO has seen alot of character shift from Han's drunken despondence to Luke's utter fall from the spotlight.

So what is going on with the Jedi Master? Since the beginning of NJO, Luke hasn't done much of anything. Everytime we get to see from his perspective, he's always pondering about the Jedi Council, or Mara, or Ben. Finally in SbS he did something, but it still wasn't the Luke of old. Luke Skywalker of the days of yore would have allowed himself to be captured, taken before Overlord Shimra, and proceeded to hand big boy his @$$! That's what I like about SW in general - the heros have no fear. And if Luke had done that and died, so what? At least he would have gone and died trying to fulfill his destiny - to save the galaxy - one more time. But as things stand now, I am even more concerned with his current actions from SbS. Jedi information gathering? Sounds like way too little, far too late.

I don't think all of the Jedi should begin to follow the Kyp Durron School of Mass Chaos 101, but I do think they need to get off their posteriors and do a little more than they have been. Ask yourself this question; would the Jedi from the TotJ era put up with this? Heck no. Nomi Sunrider or Ulic Qel Droma would ride out to give the Vong a "better luck next galaxy" card and sent them packing. During the time of TPM and AotC, it's hard to say what would have happened. The Jedi Council was afraid to sneeze lest they turn into a Dark Jedi by expelling too much Force through their noses.

Why does it seem that the writers are putting such a concern on what this Jedi Council should be and do? Can't Luke just pick 7 to 10 Masters, put them in a room and let them work out minor issues among the Jedi? For major issues, that's where Luke stands up and says, "I saved the galaxy before most of you lived in it so here's what I'm thinking. I'll take suggestions afterwards." And why is Luke so afraid to let the Jedi be the galaxy's defenders. True, he didn't get exposed to the Old Jedi Order, but he was still trained by ObiWan and Yoda. I am certain that at some point Yoda must have mentioned something along similar lines as this statement by ObiWan:

"The Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and order throughout the galaxy. Before the dark times. Before the Empire."

And even if he didn't, if he can remember Old Ben having said this then why is the boy confused? Has he been around his sister too long and gotten too political? Has dealing with Borsk (btw; fair play to Borsk for taking one for the team) so many times gotten the great Jedi Master afraid to act with conviction? Or is it a common problem among aged Masters to fear that every road may or may not lead to the darkside?

That's what I cannot stand about Yoda. I love the character, but he's afraid to act on anything. He'd rather sit back and let events unfold as they will. Hence the death of the Old Jedi Order - not many were willing to try to shape their own destinies, or the destiny of the galaxy for that matter.

Look at it from the perspective of the Light and Dark sides. Uncertainty is not something a Jedi Knight (and especially a Master) can have. It leads to doubt. Doubt leads to mistrust. Mistrust leads to dishonesty. Dishonesty leads to anger to hatred...you get my point. I don't think Luke is going to up and go evil on us, but the seed is there. If you really want to believe that every minor action can cause waves in the pool that grow broader as they move away from the source consider this; what kind of example is he setting for the next generation of Jedi by not giving them a definite stance on the situation.

If you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem, and that's exactly what stand the NR is probably taking on the Jedi now (main characters excluded for the most part).

Del Rey members of the world, I implore you; give us back the old Luke Skywalker.

 

Because mara won't let him be. Haven't you caught all the quotes in VP, and Darktide(possibly later) were it talks about how luke doesn't want to upset mara, and doesn't want get on her bad side?

 

Oh I caught them alright.

But man, if the guys has lost that much of his "testicular fortitude", kill him off and get us someone who can get the job done.

 

Didn't we just leave this party?

 

Thanks for the post Strum - did this relate in any way to the topic at all or were you just doing that for fun?

 

Just in case you wanted to stick it in the previous thread, where it can be debated by people who keep visiting there, rather than single it out to one thread as a similiar topic. But it's just a suggestion.

 

Thanks for the suggestion but I think the 2 are dissimilar enough to keep this a stand alone.

 

You think that's enough to stop the whole mess starting up again GDM?

"Young fool. You will pay for your lack of vision."

Oh hi Val, you still reading NJO or after SBS did you think: "Screw you guys, I'm going home"?



Jedi Ben

 

Luke is not acting like the younger Luke because he is NOT the younger Luke. People change as they age. Nothing lasts forever.

 

Grand Admiral, those of us who are trying to petition LFL and Del Rey to strengthen Luke Skywalker's character and return him to the Luke of the films, most of the Bantam books, VP, and ONSLAUGHT would definitely appreciate your support in the SOS Save Luke thread! We feel that his character has regressed, and he's been portrayed as a clueless wimp. We also feel that we do not understand his actions and motivations because he is rarely used as a point of view character, and we are rarely privy to his introspections. We would love to have you post in Skydancer's SOS thread! THANKS!

 

Luke of the films? What happened to character progression and the real life effects of age and experience?

Damn Lucas. Why isn't Anakin still Podracing and saying "Yipee!", ? What's this Darth Vader crap?

Why is Obi-Wan not an impatient Padawan with spiky hair and a ponytail? What's this "old fossil who speaks about the Force" crap?

 

Sturm...
"Damn Lucas. Why isn't Anakin still Podracing and saying "Yipee!", ? What's this Darth Vader crap?"

Yep. Some people don't want to see character progression. Luke Skywalker isn't being Luke Skywalker because he's too busy being Mr. Mara Jade. Therefore, someone needs to take care of this horrible, destructive influence on his life as soon as possible. A blaster or saber will do the job most effectively.

Luke Skywalker isn't acting like the young, lost farmboy from ANH whining to leave home because he is not the young, lost farmboy whining to leave home. Luke is not acting like the brainless, horrible simulacrum of Luke seen in TTT or HoT because he is not the brainless, horrible simulacrum of Luke in TTT or HoT.

Luke is the Jedi Master of the New Jedi Order. This is a new aspect of the same character we all know and love.

 

Where is that SOS Save Luke thread at?

I love Luke Skywalker, and Luke has become weak, and to political. I want the old Luke Skywalker back.

 

Bravo - if you would just scroll a few posts above - Sturm Antilles has kindly posted the thread for you on his post - Didn't we just leave this party? Thanks for link, Sturm!

Or you can always click on my sig.

 

GAP I don't know if this the answer but Have you read the Thrawn Duology? I belive it is in there. Anyway it has Luke contemplating the Force ( what I got out of it was he was getting old) wondering his role in it. He questioned why Ben or Yoda didn't go after Vader. The answer I belive basically was it wasn't their place to do so. Something to do with growing with the Force and leaving to others the new task. Maybe he kinda feels that way now? Does anyone else remember this?

 

"Oh hi Val, you still reading NJO or after SBS did you think: "Screw you guys, I'm going home"?"

Actually meandering around two time frames, bantam era stuff, and the NJO. Because of which I'm have only recently made it to darktide:ruin. I am a very patient reader and like to mix up my reading alot. I've setting things up so that I catch the most refrences in the EU by having read alot of the Previous story material I own, and haven't read before.

 

I think being 43 or 44 and being a husband and father (no matter what influence Mara has on him) can change a lot.

What i like at the NJO is, that the Jedi are not those superhuman beings some people want them to be, that they are still humans with flaws like anybody else.

Besides, how often has this guy and friends already saved the galaxy? If the New Republic even after the umpteenth time isn´t able to do its job by itself, it deserves to go down the abyss (What obviously happened in SbS).

Besides, the Jedi of TPM or the time of Ulic Qel-Droma aren´t any better. I just quote Qui-Gon Jinn: "I can only protect you, not fight a war for you." And that from a Jedimaster, who was considered a Maverick by his peers and who had more compassion for others than most of them.

And who let Qel-Droma leave for the Krath and who was only able to finally defeat Exar Kun, after Droma killed his own brother and told the Jedi the position of Kuns base?

Jedi are no soldiers, they are more like undercoveragents, saboteurs, gatherers of information and striketeams.

 

Mr Mara Jade genghis ????

(gets up off the floor. . . . . tears of laughter streaming down his face)

 

Wow. Been a few days since I've been on to look at my thread. I've seen quite a few interesting answers here, and Genghis, that Mr Mara Jade thing was indeed, damn funny

I have no qualms with character growth. But they're skating the issue. If they're going to make Luke a pacifist before a warrior, fine. I don't care that Lucas originally wrote him as a young kid who grows to be a warrior at heart. Heck, I don't even like that character that much anyway. But if they're going to do it than why don't they just say it? They have been letting him fall out of the spot light, which before the HoT duology was not the case. It matters not what Luke does, just that he does something!

virtualoctopus: Change can be good. But to change a hero to whimp is not.

ChillofWinds: Just as soon as I'm done with my post.

Jedi-Solo: Look at my screen name? How could you imagine I hadn't read it?!

FTiek: "How often has this guy and his friends saved the galaxy?" Who knows? Who cares? Ever hear "if you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem"? It's attitudes like his and Jacen's that are holding the Jedi back. I think the happy medium is somewhere between Luke and Kyp.

My whole point is "act". Do not sit on the tracks and think about the train or you're gonna get run down by it.

 

Well, I suppose some people have hinted at it but nobody has actually said it in these particular words so I'll just have to: Mara has his cajones in a jar that she keeps on her nightstand! Plain and simple.

Jae Angel

 

Im not sure I can agree. I really dont think this has much to do with Mara at all. I feel that this stems back to the Luke's theory about over use of the force. If anything at all, the NJO has kept Luke in the same frame of mind that he was in during HoT. Luke is not able to attack the Vong due to his lack of understanding. (This lack of understanding is due to the lack of knowledge by most of the bantaam authors - - which is due to lack of communication by LFL and GL specifically in my opinion).

But getting back to the subject at hand now... Luke needs to decide to act and come to the understanding that acting and balancing of the Force is doable. Anakin understood this, now we have to see if Luke will learn.

 

No he hasn't been the old Luke but when he does the Vong will be in trouble!

 

Luke will go back to being Mr.Kicka$$ after they kill off Mara...

 

I just dont think that killing off Mara will fix any thing. How does it?

 

"How does it?"

I don't know, but I'll volunteer for the mission.