Lucasfilm Is Really Pushing This Whole Dark Side Luke 'Last Jedi' Theory

Jedi master, son of the Chosen One and all-around good guy Luke Skywalker might go to the Dark side in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. At least, that’s what Lucasfilm really seems to want fans to believe will happen. The latest promotional content for Last Jedi is teasing two sides to Luke: the benevolent hero and the hooded villain. Is this proof that Luke will switch sides, or is it a misdirection?

The official IMAX Twitter account tweeted an image on Tuesday of a Last Jedi promotional display, something that fans could probably find in theaters across the country. One side represents the Light side of the Force, featuring Rey, Luke Skywalker, General Leia Organa, Poe Dameron, Finn, Chewbacca, Rose Tico, R2-D2, C-3PO, BB-8, and the Millennium Falcon; the other is the Dark side and includes Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader Snoke, Captain Phasma, the Praetorian Guards, and … Luke Skywalker, but with his hood pulled down, casting his face into shadows.

While a lot of fan theories have posited that Rey is so powerful that she won’t be able to help but turn to the Dark side, others think Luke is actually the one in danger of falling. The latter actually makes a lot of sense. This display only helps that theory along.

As Yoda told a young Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, “Fear is the path to the Dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” And in the latest trailer for The Last Jedi, Luke says that he’s learned to fear the raw kind of power Rey exhibits. She has Kylo Ren to thank for that.

If Luke’s fear does turn to anger and hatred for the Force, the Dark side, and, even, the Republic that allowed an evil entity such as the First Order to take hold of the galaxy once again, then that could put him on a dangerous path. He certainly has a family history of following that path.

The display also posits another interesting visual: Rey and Kylo seem to be two halves of a whole.

If you’ll recall the promotional posters for Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, most of Anakin’s face was hidden in shadows, with a receding pocket of light hovering around his eyes. He was, at once, Light and Dark, the two warring within him. The dual-sided image for The Last Jedi, though, splits that struggle between two people, with Kylo and Rey perhaps representing two sides of the same coin.

Star Wars has always played with themes of light and shadows, taking the whole dual sides of the Force thing to a new level. The Light and Dark within Rey and Kylo play an equal part in Luke’s choices and his current life (hence his appearance on both sides of the poster). Since Luke is very much the “last Jedi” referenced in the film’s title, it seems he might have a choice to make. Will he follow in his father’s footsteps, or will Rey’s light keep him on the same path he’s been on for decades?

Star Wars: The Last Jedi premieres in theaters on December 15.

If you liked this article, check out this video on three reasons why Luke will turn to the Dark side in The Last Jedi.