One Luke Skywalker Force Power Gives Him an Awesome Link to Yoda
By
David Miller
Luke Skywalker uses the Force to defend himself against blaster fire, bringing a signature move of his mentor, Yoda, to the next generation of Jedi.
Warning: contains spoilers for Star Wars #28!Over the course of the Star Wars franchise, Luke Skywalker has mastered numerous Force abilities, but one in particular links him to his mentor Yoda. Formerly the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, Yoda became Luke’s second mentor, as famously shown in The Empire Strikes Back. A recent Star Wars canon comic book shows that one of Yoda’s signature abilities has been passed down to Luke in the original trilogy era.
The Force and its dark side can be used in an infinite number of ways, and these applications are often manifested in ways similar to superpowers. Force-users can heighten their awareness beyond what’s possible for their species, telekinetically move objects, or (in the case of dark side users) even inflict horrific damage to others by generating lightning from their fingertips. Force users also often enhance their physical abilities, augmenting their strength, speed, and reflexes.
Related: Luke Skywalker’s Best Lightsaber Teacher Actually Wasn’t a Jedi or Sith
Using the Force to run, leap, and evade attacks at blinding speeds was a signature ability of Jedi Master Yoda, who used it to great effect against his former apprentice Count Dooku on Geonosis and to dodge Separatist blaster fire in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. In 2022’s Star Wars #28, by Charles Soule and Andrés Genolet, Luke Skywalker uses this power in the same manner as Yoda to dodge blaster fire while disguised as a Stormtrooper Officer. It’s a move fans rarely see from Luke, but essential on this occasion because he opts to leave his lightsaber behind in order to avoid drawing attention. The moment highlights just how great of an influence Luke’s second master had on him during training and hints at an unseen lesson during Luke’s grueling Jedi training on Dagobah.
Luke Skywalker Keeps Yoda’s Jedi Lineage Alive
Having trained Luke Skywalker longer than any other Jedi Master, it is no surprise that Yoda’s signature moves rubbed off. Yoda is one of the Jedi Order’s greatest practitioners of Form IV (Ataru), which utilizes Force-enhanced acrobatics both offensively and defensively. Luke incorporates Form IV techniques into his fighting style and dodges blaster bolts like his master did during the Clone Wars, but this is not the only behavior he inherited from Yoda. Unfortunately (and unlike his Legends counterpart), Yoda’s flawed leadership of the Jedi Order is also mimicked by Luke, leading him to rebuild the Jedi Order similarly to the prequel era’s rather than improving it.
Luke Skywalker Is a Combination of Influences
Although Luke’s first mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, only trained him briefly in A New Hope, it was his tutelage that initiated Luke’s connection to the Force and familiarized him with the basics of lightsaber use. The design of Luke’s green-bladed lightsaber ultimately honors both of his mentors, with a hilt that strongly resembles Obi-Wan’s and a blade with the same color as Yoda’s weapon. Luke’s fighting style, while incorporating elements of Obi-Wan’s defensive Soresu and Yoda’s acrobatic Ataru, is largely based on Form V (Djem So), the signature combat form of Anakin Skywalker as both a Jedi Knight and as the Sith Lord Darth Vader. Luke Skywalker’s use of the Force throughout Star Wars canon, however, is most influenced by Yoda, keeping the former Grandmaster’s signature techniques alive.
Next: Luke Skywalker’s Two X-Wings Show The Difference Between Canon & Legends
Star Wars #28 is available now from Marvel Comics.
What If Luke Skywalker Stayed On Dagobah In The Empire Strikes Back
The Star Wars original trilogy would have been a lot darker had Luke Skywalker chosen to stay on Dagobah and train as a Jedi under Master Yoda. Grand Master of the Jedi Order, Yoda had always discouraged prophecy. In his view, the future was always in motion, and any attempt to seek knowledge of the future was rooted in fear or desire for control — traits of the dark side. That was why few had knowledge of the ancient Jedi prophecies when the Chosen One was discovered on Tatooine. Years later, it was why Yoda was instinctively distrustful when his final student, Luke Skywalker, had a vision of his friends in danger.
Yoda believed Luke shared his father Anakin’s greatest weakness, a need for attachment that would lead him to the dark side. In Yoda’s view, a Jedi can love, but they cannot fear loss. They must submit themselves to the will of the Force, releasing their loved ones when the time is right. It was a philosophy Yoda had expounded over the centuries, and one he attempted to impress upon Luke. In the main Star Wars timeline, Luke refused to heed Yoda’s warning and instead traveled to Bespin to face Darth Vader. There, he learned truths that — as Yoda had warned — he was not prepared for. And yet, in spite of this, Luke ultimately clung to the light side of the Force and accomplished what Yoda did not believe was possible. Luke redeemed Darth Vader, proving once and for all that love is the light that shines even in the darkest night.
Related: Luke’s Dagobah Cave Vision Has 1 Surprisingly Unique Lightsaber Detail
It’s fascinating to imagine how the Star Wars saga would have played out had Luke Skywalker listened to Yoda, though, and allowed his friends to die. This would have been a timeline in which Yoda was much more confident his student was ready and yet, ironically, it would probably have been one in which Luke fell to the dark side. Here’s how things would probably have played out if Luke had stayed on Dagobah.
The Rebel Alliance Would Have Fallen Without Leia & Lando
Darth Vader had only gone after Han and Leia because he believed them the perfect bait to capture Luke. Had Luke not taken the bait, however, the Sith Lord would still have captured some of the Rebel Alliance’s most important figures. Princess Leia had been a Rebel leader for years, and she became a symbol of hope to the galaxy when she continued fighting the Empire even after the destruction of her homeworld of Alderaan. Star Wars comics have revealed Leia played a key role in reorganizing the Rebel Alliance after its defeat at Hoth in the main timeline, so much so that she became a personal target for Imperial leaders. Bereft of Leia’s influence, the Rebel Alliance would have splintered. Meanwhile, Han Solo — one of the Rebellion’s best pilots — would have been sent to Jabba the Hutt with no obvious hope of rescue.
Lando Calrissian would never have joined the Rebel Alliance. Tie-in comics have revealed he worked hard to regain Leia’s trust after The Empire Strikes Back, helping the Rebellion figure out how to work around the Empire when they realized their communication codes had been broken. Without Lando, the Rebel Alliance would have been unable to regroup. The fleets would have fallen. The Rebel Alliance would have been utterly routed.
Luke Would Have Continued His Training As A Jedi
Meanwhile, on Dagobah, Luke Skywalker would have continued his training as a Jedi. There, he’d have been trained under Yoda and Obi-Wan, as they tried to turn him into a hero who they believed could cast out the darkness consuming the galaxy. There are only three years between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and it is likely Luke’s training would have taken much longer. By the time he was ready, the Rebel Alliance would have been reduced to a footnote in the history vids, while the second Death Star would have been completed.
Related: The Empire Strikes Back’s Cut Luke Scene Became A Dark Anakin Moment
Yoda and Obi-Wan’s Force ghost would have eventually told Luke his father was Darth Vader. They’d have had to do so, simply because they’d have been concerned this knowledge would be a weapon the Sith could use against him. Unfortunately, in this timeline the revelation would have been even more impactful. In part, Luke had committed himself to the ways of the Jedi because he believed he was following in his father’s footsteps. The reveal — accompanied by a catastrophic loss of trust in his teachers — would have made Luke reflect on all that he had lost while staying on Dagobah. He’d have remembered Han and Leia, the visions of his friends’ fates that he had refused to heed. This would probably have provided the impetus for Luke to leave Dagobah, but he’d have done so in a much more emotionally confused state. Worse still, it wouldn’t have taken Luke long to discover the galaxy had become a friendless place.
Luke Skywalker Would Have Rescued Han Solo
Luke’s first act would surely have been to try to find allies, by trusting the Force to lead him to his old friends. He’d have wound up on Tatooine, rescuing Jabba the Hutt without any help. This version of Luke Skywalker would have been a lot more well-trained, however, and Jabba the Hutt would have been no threat to him. Luke would have rescued Han, but in doing so he’d have unwittingly drawn the attention of the Empire. Darth Vader would have been watching Han, looking for any hint of his son’s return, and he’d have set another trap for the Jedi.
Leia Would Have Been The Bait In The Trap
Darth Vader did not know Leia was his daughter. To the Sith Lord, she was just another Rebel leader, albeit one with a curious ability to resist interrogation. She’d have become the bait in a trap set by both Darth Vader and his own master, Palpatine, for the Emperor would surely have been carefully monitoring the emergence of a Jedi. Unfortunately, in this particular Star Wars timeline, things really wouldn’t have gone well for the heroes. Their attempt to rescue Leia would have brought them face-to-face with Palpatine and Darth Vader, and it’s likely the Emperor would have orchestrated a similar temptation to the one he used to try to seduce Luke to the dark side in the actual films.
There is, however, one crucial difference. Luke wouldn’t have believed Vader could be redeemed, because he’d have had that faith in his father choked out of him by the Jedi who sought to help him master his attachments, and the darkness of the galaxy he’d returned into would have crushed what little hope remained. In this timeline, it’s impossible to imagine a scenario where Luke Skywalker did not fall to the dark side. Palpatine would have taken him on as a new apprentice — or, worse still, as a potential host. The Emperor had long since mastered the Sith art of Essence Transfer, by which he could transfer his spirit from his own dying body to another vessel. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker implied this dark side power required a host under the influence of darker emotions; anger, rage, fear, and the like. In the main timeline, Palpatine died because of a redeemed Darth Vader who was acting out of love, meaning there were no potential hosts in the throne room. In this Star Wars timeline, however, Luke would most certainly have been subject to darker passions. Had Luke killed the Emperor in anger, he’d have become the host for his spirit.
Related: Last Jedi’s Yoda Was A Better Jedi Master Than In Any Other Star Wars Movie
Yoda believed he was acting in Luke’s best interests, and the best interests of the entire galaxy, when he encouraged his last apprentice to remain on Dagobah. He was wrong, however, because Yoda hadn’t recognized the flaws in his own teachings. Attachment and love are not the same things, the dark side can be resisted, and redemption is always possible. The Force was brought into balance by redemptive love, not by passionless serenity. Had Yoda succeeded in indoctrinating Luke, he would have unwittingly stripped him of the love that made him great, and in doing so he would have doomed the galaxy. This Star Wars timeline is a dark one indeed.
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Star Wars: Yoda and Luke Skywalker Force ghosts can become Sith Lords!
When you become one with the Force, your essence is forever imprinted in the fabric of its energy. In essence, you become immortal, able to wander the galaxy forever as an avatar of living sentient energy that flows through all living beings in a galaxy far, far away in the Star Wars universe. The greatest Jedi Masters have the ability to imprint their essence into the Force, becoming Force Ghosts. The purest and one of the most complex Jedi abilities, only a handful of Jedi Masters have been able to use it to become one with the universe. Master Yoda and Luke Skywalker are some of the most prominent examples. But recent discoveries indicate that the Star Wars universe contains a secret Sith technique to manipulate the Force Ghosts. nine0007
In other words, Master Yoda and Luke Skywalker may have become the Light Side. But they are still not safe in the afterlife. The Sith have a way to turn them into Sith Lords. Everything became much more interesting.
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The idea for Force Ghosts goes back to the 1977 Star Wars movie Star Wars: A New Hope. In this film, the voice of the late Obi-Wan Kenobi helped Luke Skywalker guide him as he flew to the Death Star. George Lucas was able to develop this idea. The idea of spirits and ghosts has been around long before Star Wars hit the scene. But Lucas gave the concept a typical Star Wars twist by adding the Force to it. In Return of the Jedi, the Force Ghost concept was used to its full potential. The Force ghosts of Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda appeared to celebrate Luke Skywalker’s victory and triumph over the Sith and Emperor Palpatine. nine0007
In the Star Wars novelization. Episode III — Revenge of the Sith Matt Stover gives us a pretty accurate description of how this ability works. Stover states that only users of the light side of the Force, also known as Jedi, can become Force Ghosts. If you turn to the Dark Side, you will lose the ability to become One with the Force. Qui-Gon Jinn, the preeminent Jedi who starred in the Star Wars prequel, gives us the best answer to why the Sith can never become Force Ghosts. nine0007
baby, suzie age
[Immortality is] the ultimate goal of the Sith, said Qui-Gon Jinn’s spirit, but they can never achieve it. It comes only by liberating oneself, not by elevating oneself. It comes through compassion, not greed. Love is the answer to darkness.
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The Force Ghosts are generally regarded as neutral witnesses to many events in the universe. They are omniscient, but cannot influence the physical world. The goal of a Jedi is to achieve freedom from all materialistic tendencies. And that presupposes some sort of physical connection to the universe. The reason the Sith can never become Force Ghosts is because they ultimately seek total control. The Jedi’s goal is to relinquish control and become the dogma of the universe. They follow the Force, not the Sith belief that the Force follows them. nine0007
This basic principle changed in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Yoda’s Force Ghost appeared before Luke Skywalker, providing him with a new way to guide the next generation of Jedi. To do this, he needed to remove the old teachings of the Order and make room for new ones. Yoda’s Force Ghost summons powerful elemental lightning that burned down the monument that held the Jedi scripture. Suddenly, the Jedi Force Ghost is no longer a neutral observer. They were powerful beings and a force of nature capable of influencing the physical realm. nine0007
There are many novels in the Star Wars universe that are not voiced in the films. But they did give indirect hints that at least some of them are canon. One of the many novels that received this honor was Star Wars: Dark Legends, a novel that explores an ancient war between two force-sensitive factions. The Jedi did not participate in this battle. The two factions were the Sith and an ancient clan of female warriors of the dark side of the Force called the Nightsisters of Dathomir. nine0007
The Nightsisters are essentially Force witches. They use an ancient practice of manipulating the Force called Magic. Using the Dark Side, they gain access to a level of power that even the greatest Sith Lords could not boast, such as communicating with the dead and resurrecting the dead as an unstoppable zombie horde to fight for them. During the War between the Nightsisters and the Sith, a special incident comes up. The Nightsisters in «The Cage of Gold» battle the Sith Lord Darth Kaldot. Knowing that Kaldot is much stronger than any of the Night Sisters, they use an unnatural Magic technique. nine0007
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After luring Darth Kaldot into a trap, they forced the Sith Lord to fight what turned out to be a Force Ghost. Kaldot was able to see through their plan and used another ancient Sith technique of his own design to bring this Force Ghost under the control of the Nightsisters. The bonding ritual pulled the Force Ghost into the flask.
George Mann, creator of Star Wars: Dark Legends, probably took inspiration from real world mythologies. The story of the genie, a powerful spiritual mage who can warp reality and grant wishes, was the inspiration for a new Sith technique. Another chapter of Dark Legends also introduces the world to the truth about the existence of werewolves in the Star Wars universe. This means that even the most ancient Sith Lords were aware of the existence of the Force Ghosts. They even developed methods to counter them. Interestingly, Star Wars: Dark Legends reveals that the binding ritual that Dark Kaldot used was a technique he stole from the pages of The Nightsisters. nine0007
Until now, we have been led to believe that the Force Ghosts were ethereal beings who could only observe, never influence the natural order of things. In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, we realized that this was not true. Force ghosts are forces to be reckoned with. They can also use their powers to destroy and wreak havoc if necessary. It was an amazing revelation for all of us. The fact that the ancient Sith Lords knew about this already proved beyond a shadow of a doubt how little we know about the Force. There is still so much to learn. nine0007
If there are indeed Force Ghosts in a future Star Wars movie (and we think they will, since Disney will never stop cashing in on the success of an established legacy), then the idea of using Force Ghosts as a weapon would be a worthy concept. intelligence. Remember, only the Sith have so far shown themselves to have the power to perform the powerful binding ritual required to capture the Force Ghost. If they decide to call on the Force Ghosts of Yoda, Anakin Skywalker, or Luke Skywalker and turn them into Sith Lords for the Sith in their battles, will the nascent Jedi Order have what it takes to stop the onslaught? nine0007
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This leaves another gaping hole in the plot.