Luke Throwing Away His Lightsaber Was Way More Heroic The First Time
Warning! Spoilers for Star Wars #19 ahead!
One of the more infamous moments to take place during the Star Wars sequel trilogy is when Luke Skywalker throws away the lightsaber that once belonged to himself and his father, Anakin. A recent Star Wars comic reveals that this is not the first time that the galaxy's favorite farm boy would discard his own lightsaber. However, the first time that Luke got rid of his saber is on much less cynical terms compared to what audiences saw in The Last Jedi.
Star Wars #19 by Charles Soule and Marco Castiello highlights Luke in the middle of an encounter where he is confronted by Stormtroopers. Given his unique skillset, if he so chooses, he can slice through the Stormtroopers with a single blow and they won’t be able to stop him. Luke knows this and there is a good chance that even the Stormtroopers are smart enough to know this. But perhaps that's the scary part.
Because Luke knows the full extent of his power, and because he also knows that he would be tempted to commit such a violent act, he gives his weapon to R2-D2. He instead opts to use Jedi mind tricks to get what he wants from the Stormtroopers non-violently. And this is where Luke's unexpected heroism comes into play. Furthermore, this is an interesting moment that seems to subtly foreshadow Luke committing the same act of relinquishing his weapon in The Last Jedi, but in more of a reversal of fortune.
In The Last Jedi, Luke Skywalker makes it clear to Rey that he wants nothing to do with the Jedi. In fact, Luke flat out says that he thinks the Jedi needs to end. The moment is even deeper in the context of the wider story. The last time Luke held that lightsaber was in The Empire Strikes Back when he ventured off to Bespin to save his friends, trying to be a hero. Not only did he fail in trying, but Luke also lost his hand and discovered his father was the monster he'd been fighting all along. In trying to abandon this weapon in The Last Jedi and, thus, abandon the Jedi, there is still a hint of heroism in Luke's actions, but it is misguided heroism. Luke let his fears of a potential future based on his failings of the past affect his present-day thinking.
The difference in Star Wars #19 is that this much younger Luke discards his weapon out of bright optimism, or, a new hope so to speak. Luke hopes that there is an alternative to diving straight into violence and seeks to find a non-violent solution. In addition to foreshadowing his actions in The Last Jedi, Star Wars #19 foreshadows Luke's similar actions in Return of the Jedi, when Luke tosses away his lightsaber at the suggestion from Palpatine to kill Darth Vader. Even at that moment, Luke understands that violence is not always the answer and in this instance, violence could bring a Jedi one step closer to the Dark Side.
It’s interesting that even prior to his Star Wars: The Last Jedi cynicism, Luke Skywalker sees disarming himself as heroic. His experience in Star Wars #19 likely contributes towards his later thinking, giving him the history of believing he’s truer to the Light Side without a weapon and viewing it as a temptation.
Source: Screenrant
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