There have been numerous posts and discussions regarding Luke’s confrontation with Ben at the end of TLJ.
Some took it as Luke taunting Ben so the Resistance could get away. Others took it as Luke facing his guilt, and some say both.
There is, however, a third layer to this scene and I’m surprised that it hasn’t been discussed more.
* Luke did give the Resistance time to get away
* He did tease Ben a bit. Provoking him to focus knowing his Achilles heel is his anger.
However what was the more profound purpose? Why did Luke de-age himself to look the same as he did the last time Ben saw him? Why did he tell Leia he couldn’t save him? And then turn around and say no ones really gone? There is a simple answer that covers it all…
Not for Luke– although he does gain that in the end but he did it for Ben too.
He let Ben release his anger and pain on him. He put himself between Ben and the Resistance because this was his burden to bear, not theirs.
He made himself look like he did for Ben sake. Not just to garner his undivided attention, but so Ben could come to terms and face the man as he once was, the one who almost betrayed him.
When Ben asks if he’s there to save his soul and tell him he forgives him Luke says no. It’s not because he’s given up on Ben.
Luke wanted Ben to confront his pain. It isn’t Luke’s place to forgive him or save him. Quite frankly it’s the other way around. Luke is there himself to ask for forgiveness. “I failed you, Ben, I’m sorry.”
Ben replies “I bet you are!” It’s very child like the way he says it, but it also shows the amount of pain he is still feeling.
Ben is firing all the weapons on Luke and saying “More!” It is laced with anger, yes, but pain as well.
We’ve all been there as children. Think back if you can to a time in adolescence when you were so angry you just wanted to hit something or scream into your pillow because you felt you were wronged by a friend or family member. The pain is irrationally channeled it’s hard to control.
Ben is not a child, but this is fiction. The circumstances are not realistic, but the character is created to give us something to relate to.
Everything in a fictional world has heightened the stakes the reasons the trials. None of us have slain a dragon, but we still relate to the hero because he overcame the odds.
Kylo/Ben makes us face the inner turmoil we go through during adolescence. The anger and pain. Rian has repeatedly said this during interviews.
Back to Luke’s intentions.
He was giving his nephew a chance to release the pain and anger. To say what he needed to say.
He asked Ben for forgiveness even though Ben wasn’t ready to give it.
Luke didn’t expect forgiveness, but he acknowledged Bens pain and suffering.
He validated that poor boy’s pain.
And at the same time faces his own past and failures by projecting himself across the galaxy. Luke knew it could kill him we got hints to that when Ben sees Rey for the first time. “You’re not doing this the effort would kill you.” It was known that this type of Force power would lead to death.
But Luke did it anyways. He died for his nephew and his sister by trying to right the wrongs. And not allowing Ben to damage himself further by harming him.
The last bit of advice to Ben will echo. “Strike me down in anger, and I’ll always be with you. Just like your father.”
Remember how Obi-Wan gave Darth Vader a similar warning? From a certain point of view, Obi-Wan gave Anakin closure also.
Anakin blamed him for everything that had happened, and we know that Vader harbored a deep hatred for his old Master. Yes, of course, these stories are different Anakin was responsible for his own fall and cough the Jedi Order— but the stories parallel.
Once Vader faced who he perceived as his wrongdoer he had no one else to direct his anger towards, Vader begins to deflate.
If your a comic book fan I highly recommend you read the Vader series. You get a better look at what he was feeling afterward and his plans for Luke and the Emperor.
Something similar is going to happen with Ben and actually has already happened. Like Vader, he killed his true enemy for someone he loves—Rey.
And now he no longer has the goal or mission to hunt down the one who hurt him. I suspect some could and will argue he will redirect his anger but to this I say - I highly doubt it and here’s why.
His reason for pain is dead.
Leia doesn’t fit into this category because he had a chance and didn’t take it. For all, we know Ben thinks she’s dead already we won’t know for sure until we get the novelization.
Regardless it won’t make his suffering go away.
Han’s dice were a huge metaphor for Bens pain. Just because you kill it and can’t see it. Doesn’t make the pain go away.
Ben will begin to think about what his purpose is and try to move forward. His tormentor Snoke is gone. Once Ben realized Snoke thought of him as a rabid cur to be manipulated and hurt the only one he cared about, Rey. Snoke was doomed.
Now Ben has no one to hold him back. Sure he will hunt the Resistance in order to tell himself it’s what he has to do. Also, he has to keep up the ruse especially with Hux at his side. Once Hux finds out what happened well… that’s a different type of post, but I’ll let you guys speculate.
I suspect at the beginning of EPIX Ben will be in a deep state of denial. Or I at least predict as much. Because he can’t face the truth -he was wrong, he still suffers— and deep down he knows if he accepts this reality it means facing his mistakes— that he killed Han for nothing and I don’t think he’s ready yet. He thinks Rey has given up on him.
Ultimately he won’t stay in this stasis forever something will happen to push the plot and his character development. Whether that be an internal conflict or an external one ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ we’ll have to wait and see what JJ does.
I have a whole ten plus pages written about this last paragraph and why it’s a part of Bens arc. I don’t know when I’ll post it. But it’s in the works.
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