Futurism logo

Rian Johnson Actually Avoided One Of The Biggest Mistakes In All Of 'Star Wars'

What Do You Think Of This Decision?

By Culture SlatePublished 3 years ago 4 min read
1

Ah, the curious case of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

To say that this film was divisive would be an understatement. There are many people that see it as one of the best Star Wars films since the Disney/Lucasfilm merger, and there are just as many that see it as the worst film in the franchise… period. Since the film’s release in 2017, there has been a heated debate within the Star Wars fandom about whether the choices made in The Last Jedi were a catalyst for potential changes to the expected storyline of the new trilogy or an abandonment of what made Star Wars the franchise that it is today.

There is no doubt that this conversation will continue, but of all the choices made in The Last Jedi, there was one concept discussed that could have made the film even more divisive, one that Rian Johnson had the foresight to avoid before the idea made it to production.

In the film, there is a scene where Yoda appears to Luke as a Force ghost to tell him why change is important and how accepting failures and mistakes will help a new generation be better than the old. It’s an interesting scene with a poignant message.

But what if Yoda wasn’t the one to give Luke this message? What if, instead, the message came from… Anakin Skywalker?

While answering questions on Twitter, like who came up with the title The Last Jedi (spoiler: it was Rian Johnson), the director answered a question about whether or not the creative team ever considered including a Force ghost of Anakin Skywalker in the film:

"Briefly for the tree burning scene, but luke’s relationship was with Vader not really anakin, which seemed like it would complicate things more than that moment allowed. Yoda felt like the more impactful teacher for that moment. "

The thought of having a version of Anakin Skywalker played by Hayden Christensen present in films other than his portrayal in the prequels is not a new concept. Christensen made a brief vocal cameo in The Rise of Skywalker and, of course, was added to the end of Return of the Jedi in the 2004 re-release of the film. There has been a growing appreciation for Christensen’s portrayal of Anakin over the years, so there was sure to be a good portion of the fanbase who might have appreciated seeing a reprisal of the role in this new trilogy.

So why would including Anakin in this scene of The Last Jedi have been a major mistake?

Well, the main reason is actually the same argument that many made when Sebastian Shaw was replaced by Hayden Christensen as a Force ghost version of Anakin Skywalker in Return of the Jedi: Luke would not have had a connection with Christensen's version of Anakin.

Because fans got to spend more time with Anakin before he took the mantle of Darth Vader, we can more readily relate to Christensen’s portrayal. Fans have so many stories, so much context to connect to the image of Christensen as Anakin. However, from a story perspective, Luke does not have that context. Not to say that Luke did not know his father or could not relate to him as Anakin, but their relationship was tethered to the idea and image of Vader, the soul trapped within the machine, the man who slipped into the darkness but could still find redemption. To bring in a version of Luke’s father before he became Vader, before Luke formed a relationship with him, might have caused some in-story confusion that would have over-complicated the moment.

But let’s put that point aside for a second. Johnson mentions another good reason why Anakin should not have appeared to Luke in this scene of The Last Jedi: he simply wasn't the best teacher for the lesson.

Luke's thematic issue throughout the film was pushing away his responsibilities as a Jedi master because he feared making another mistake with his student. The message given to him was about the burden of being a teacher, recognizing personal faults and accepting mistakes made while teaching in order to show Padawans how to grow beyond their masters. If the scene was instead about understanding the dark side and finding redemption from it, Anakin would have been the prime choice. But as we know, Luke wasn't looking to bring another Skywalker back from the dark side this time around.

With everything in mind, Yoda, who was already clearly established as Luke’s teacher, who had already faced the possible end of the Jedi lineage before, was the right choice to have appear because he could easily relay what Luke should be taking from this moment and how to grow from it. Though it would have been great to see Hayden Christensen reprise his role, this choice had to come down to which character would best serve the message of the scene. The reason this moment resonated so well was because it was one final lesson between master and student.

Written By Tyre Francis

Syndicated From Culture Slate

star wars
1

About the Creator

Culture Slate

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.