by Andrew Dyce – on Jun 30, 2018 in Comics
Star Wars fans who were disappointed by Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi - we've got some good news. No, nobody is remaking Episode 8 to address online controversies, since that would be ridiculous. But Luke's combat skills compared to Rey's are being given a bit more credit.
How a rookie lightsaber user like Rey could actually get the better of "the last Jedi Knight" in a fight is one of the most oft-cited criticisms among those who dislike director Rian Johnson's addition to the Star Wars series. And while the comic book adaptation of the movie doesn't give the victory to Luke... it does highlight the REAL reason he ended up on his back.
We'll let fans decide if it eases the disappointment.
Related: Star Wars Comics Reveal The Hero Movies Forgot
Already, the comic book adaptation of The Last Jedi has shed new light and storytelling on key moments of the film. Aside from giving Admiral Ackbar his last words - he was unceremoniously killed in the final cut of the film - the comic also showed Leia's space flight from her perspective. The goal of writer Gary Whitta is clearly not to alter, improve, or re-contextualize the events of Rian Johnson's film. Instead, add another voice those who worked to bring the story to the audience.
In the case of the night Luke Skywalker finally took a stand against Rey, and refused to believe Ben Solo could be saved, it seems the rain was a bigger factor than movie audiences might realize. The film showed Luke swiping Rey's staff from her before she Force-grabbed his lightsaber and forced him onto the flat of his back. The comic book, given a bit more time to flesh out the sequence of events, makes one important change.
See if you can spot it:
That's right, according to that one little panel from artist Michael Walsh, Luke Skywalker ends up on his back due specifically to a slip, not Rey's supremacy in staff-to-staff combat (the literal "SLIP" caption makes it undisputable). Ordinarily, this would seem like a small detail. But in the larger story of Star Wars - and even more importantly, the events in the main Episode films - no single scene or moment is ever overlooked by fans. Fans who may now have a fresh controversy where opinions of Rey and Luke's battle are concerned.
The moment may not have the same 'sizzle' as the question of whether or not Han Solo shot a Greedo first, but those rolling their eyes should be careful. For some, this moment in Last Jedi was a powerful one, demonstrating just how far along or how powerful in The Force Rey had become. The scenes that follow could even be seen as supporting that idea, as Rey goes off to save the day, leaving Luke and Yoda to consider the reality of their time now passing to a new generation.
The idea that with no formal training, Rey was now capable - through either skill or sheer willpower - to best Luke seemed laughable to the other side of the argument. And all things considered, this evidence may tip the scales. It seems Rey now benefited from Luke's age, or questionable footing, if anything.
Think this will settle the debate?
Star Wars: The Last Jedi Adaptation #4 will be available July 4th, from Marvel Comics.
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