Throughout its first six episodes, the "Star Wars" franchise has not shied away from killing off major characters. With the new "Episode VII" slated to renew the franchise and start a new cycle with a fresh set of main characters, it's plausible major characters from past installments could come to their end. One potential victim could be Luke Skywalker.
Before everyone gets emotional, it is essential to think about the facts. There are no updates on the movie's plot. This is purely speculation based on patterns from the original six films in the franchise.
When the original trilogy came out, "Star Wars" was about Luke's journey to redeem his father. When George Lucas introduced his controversial prequels, Luke only became one more player in a story focused on the rise, fall and redemption of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. With the new trilogy looking to shift focus to a younger cast, it seems that Luke would be destined for a smaller role, one that has been previously showcased throughout the franchise.
In "Episode I: The Phantom Menace" the relationship between Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-wan Kenobi was at the center of the story. Qui-Gon was the Jedi that trained Obi-wan and also discovered Anakin. He gave the characters in the story a sense of security and made the audience feel that everything in the world would be okay. However, during the climactic battle with Darth Maul, Qui-Gon met his fate and was killed off. The mantle was passed to Obi-Wan who developed an important relationship that impacted Anakin's rise and fall.
When the series hit "Episode IV: A New Hope," Obi-Wan was an elderly man who helped Luke find the way of the force. During the film's climactic duel with Darth Vader, Obi-Wan also meets his fate and dies. Prior to his demise, Obi-Wan provided Luke with a sense of protection that Qui-Gon provided to him in the opening installment of the saga. The death of both characters forced their respective pupils into action that only they could take on.
"Episode I" and "IV" represent the beginning of trilogies and with "Episode VII" it is widely believed that Luke will be the most powerful Jedi in the universe. While actor Mark Hamill has yet to confirm his involvement, reports have indicated that he and his former co-stars Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford are likely to return to the franchise. Hamill is now a man in his 60s (61 to be precise) and his role will likely be a minor within the overall story.
The first six films tended to repeat patterns of other films and seemed to hint at some dialogue between the prequels and original trilogy. Luke and Anakin both blew up major space stations in the first installment and both saw limbs sliced off in the second.
This story congruity of prior installments combined with the actors' age hints at the potential for Luke's death in "Episode VII." With Luke gone, his trained Jedi would be forced to take over the franchise, a step already hinted at in past casting notices. Luke could probably make an appearance in the latter films (like Obi-Wan did in "Episode V" and "VI"), but at that point he would continue to serve as the mentor instead of being a vital driving force in the narrative (unless the Jedi can also impact the real world as dead entities).
Obviously, the first six films saw franchise creator George Lucas at the helm in some capacity, a core element that will be missing from the new installments. The stories are still based on Lucas' own sketches, but the execution will come from director J.J. Abrams and writer Michael Arndt. While they may feel compelled to maintain congruity in the storylines throughout the franchise, it is also possible that both see this film as an opportunity to forge a new path for the ever expanding franchise.
What do you think? Should director J.J. Abrams and Michael Arndt kill off Luke Skywalker in the upcoming film to maintain the pattern of "Episodes I" and "IV?"