10 Shocking (But Believable) Theories About Star Wars: The Last Jedi
3. Luke's Hand Was Melted When His Jedi Temple Burned
Why Luke's synthetic hand looks so different these days is one of the enduring mysteries of the sequel trilogy, but this fan theory may have the answer.
Skywalker was originally given a lifelike, fleshy prosthetic to replace his missing hand, but since his reappearance in The Force Awakens, he's sported a more robotic appendage, and the reason why might be deeper than you think.
The folks over at YouTube channel Star Wars Theory reckon Luke's fake hand underwent its change during the 'Jedi school incident', the skin melting away in the fires which claimed his temple. This ties in with that scene in the Last Jedi trailer where the hand can be seen rising from smouldering wreckage, likely in a flashback.
The theory even offers a compelling reason why Luke would stick his hand into the fire, predicting that he did so to rescue the Ancient Book of the Whills, a Jedi tome from Star Wars canon which chronicles the events of the Galactic Civil War.
Based on an idea that George Lucas shelved while making the original Star Wars, the Whills are basically the fountain of all knowledge in the saga's universe and could hold the key to defeating Snoke, hence why Luke would be willing to sacrifice his synthetic skin to save it from incineration.