Luke Skywalker Might Turn to the Dark Side in 'The Last Jedi'

 This article was originally published on Outer Places.

Apart from the training sequence with Rey, the major highlight of the Last Jedi trailer is the moment where Old Man Skywalker says it's time for the Jedi to pack it in. If you haven't seen the trailer, check it out.

It's the kind of line that makes fans crazy—what did Luke mean? Is he giving up? Is he turning to the Dark Side? If Disney hadn't announced an update on the new Star Wars Land park for Disneyland to placate fans, we probably would have seen rioting in the streets. The 501st Legion has chapters across the country, and they've been preparing for a Star Wars-themed apocalypse for years. 
Things have ramped up so much that Mark Hamill himself was asked to clarify just what the hell is going on with Luke and the Jedi. According to him, that line was probably the most important thing in the teaser: 

 "There's a difference between teaser and a trailer," he said. "A teaser is supposed to show you dynamic images that heighten your awareness and make you want to see the trailer, but avoid all story points if at all possible. [But] I think that's the only story point that's in the teaser, which is Luke saying it's time for the Jedi to end. 

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 He goes on to say that "It was as shocking to me to read what Rian [Johnson, the director] had written as I'm sure it will be for the audience". All this points to the idea that Luke's line is a turning point for the series. It's probably not the end of the Jedi, but it does seem like a moment where the torch is passed from one generation to another. As we've said before, Luke probably isn't going to survive this movie, and Rey is probably going to have to continue the tradition after he's gone. The question remains, though—is Lucasfilm going to pull a "Hail Hydra" and show Luke turning to the Dark Side? According to Mark Hamill himself in the interview with ABC: "It's possible, anything's possible." 

In his infamous Star Wars reviews, Harry Plinkett brings up a good point: Luke never sought power. When the Emperor offered to make Luke his new apprentice and rule the Galaxy, it didn't make much sense for Luke to turn to the Dark Side. However, in this part of the canon, Luke's watched his own burgeoning Jedi Order die at the hands of the Knights of Ren and seen his nephew, Kylo, turn to the Dark Side. If anything, maybe hatred and despair could be a reason for Luke to give up on the Light. Maybe he heard about the story of Darth Plagueis the Wise.