Star Wars: The Last Jedi features the franchise's first flashback as we get to see Luke Skywalker standing over his nephew Ben Solo with his lightsaber ignited as he prepares to strike him down and stop the Dark Side from once again rising. Luke's actions are what ultimately turns Ben into Kylo Ren but the Jedi Master could have very nearly turned to the Dark Side himself had he killed the youngster.
Director Rian Johnson was asked about the possibility of Luke turning in a recent interview and confirmed that the scene with Ben is the closest the hero has come to the Dark Side of the Force.
"Absolutely. That was the embodiment of The Dark Side, is the quick and easy path, right? It’s that glimpse of… and Luke has never been… it’s not like Luke is a Superman who’s impervious to that. Having just, even the brief moment of temptation of it," Johnson explains, "because that’s what that moment is. He doesn’t give in to the Dark Side, it’s a moment of temptation to the Dark Side."
"It reminds me very much of when Vader is tempting Luke, when Luke is underneath the stairs in [Return of the] Jedi, lit with that very beautiful half-and-half, the duality of these two sides of him being pulled. And that’s really what that moment is for me, it’s a moment of temptation to the Dark Side for Luke." That's a perfect explanation and one which makes a lot of sense for the character.
As for whether or not Johnson believes Kylo Ren can now find redemption following the events of The Last Jedi, the director is determined that the villain's turn to the Dark Side is a permanent one.
"Are you kidding? Vader was worse than Kylo ever was, I think, and Vader got redeemed," Johnson said. "Also, I should just for the record [say] that I’m not involved in the writing of the next movie. I’m an audience member in it, just like you, so when I talk about what’s going to happen next it’s in the context of, as a fan, what I’m thinking of." What do you think of the filmmaker's comments?
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