Star Wars: The Last Jedi - 13 Audacious Moments That Have Divided Fans

2. Luke Skywalker's Final Hour

Considering that The Force Awakens saw the death of Han Solo, it's not entirely unexpected that another of the original trilogy's key players would also meet their end in The Last Jedi. But, once again, this end did not come quite the way we would have expected.

Having decided to return to the fight, Luke Skywalker arrives out of nowhere just when the Resistance needs him most. Following an emotional reunion with his sister Leia (and I don't care whether you liked the film or not, if that scene left you dry-eyed you have no soul), Luke heads out to confront the First Order - and, more importantly, his nephew Kylo Ren.

However, it's all a Jedi mind trick: Luke is still on Ahch-To, and has projected an illusion of himself across space to keep Kylo occupied while Rey helps the few surviving Resistance members escape. Then, physically spent by this effort, Luke accepts his death, fading to nothingness as Obi-Wan and Yoda did before him.

This, again, has prompted anger because it's not the hero's exit some might have expected. Many would have preferred the Luke of old to show up for real, and take out the First Order single-handed with his uber-Jedi powers.

But this, of course, would be out of step with The Last Jedi. Once more, the Resistance will win by saving, rather than destroying. In his own way, Obi-Wan did much the same when he allowed Vader to strike him dead, ensuring the new generation of heroes would live to fight another day. Obi-Wan's time had passed, just as Luke's has here.

Surely any Star Wars fan can appreciate the fitting, poetic nature of Luke Skywalker comfortably accepting his death, and passing away peacefully whilst watching a pair of setting suns. Perhaps it's not the ending everyone wanted, but such is life; there's an undeniable beauty to it regardless.