Star Wars: Everything We Know About George Lucas' Sequel Trilogy

6. Luke Training Leia And Living Until IX

Star Wars The Last Jedi Luke Leia
Lucasfilm

The role of Luke Skywalker has been one of the most divisive elements of the sequel trilogy, with the character not appearing into the final seconds of The Force Awakens, before audiences learn in The Last Jedi that he cut himself off from the Force, and then he eventually dies at the end of that movie.

It all would've gone very differently under Lucas' hand, according to Mark Hamill. The actor revealed that, in Lucas' version, Luke didn't die until the end of Episode IX, which fits with how Lucas wanted his stories to rhyme and mirrors the death of Anakin in Return of the Jedi. There was, however, another wrinkle too, because the death didn't come until "after he trained Leia."

Leia being trained by Luke did happen in the Expanded Universe, while The Last Jedi has her using the Force, but the movies haven't explored her becoming a Jedi in the way Lucas' would've done.

Advertisement
Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.