Hamill's Dark Luke Backstory Rekindles Fan Debate

Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, shared his imagined, much darker backstory for Luke's exile in 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi,' in which Luke leaves the Jedi Order for love, has a child, and is devastated when the child accidentally dies with a lightsaber and his wife dies by suicide. Hamill said this personal tragedy helped him understand Luke's isolation, as he disagreed with director Rian Johnson's official narrative that Luke withdrew after failing Ben Solo and the Jedi Academy. Despite this creative difference, Hamill publicly praised Johnson as a gifted director and emphasized there was no animosity between them. Hamill's invented backstory was never canon but served as a tool for his performance. His revelations have reignited fan debate over Luke's portrayal and the creative choices in The Last Jedi. The film continues to sharply divide the Star Wars fan community.