Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Battle of Jakku - Republic Under Siege #2Luke Skywalker’sdetermination to learn all he could about the Jedi Order of the past resulted in a major weakness for the New Republic in its earliest days. Still trying to find its footing as a new government in the wake ofReturn of the Jedi, the New Republic was faced with threats from all sides thanks to the shattered Empire. To make matters worse, Luke was intentionally kept distracted from where he was needed most inStar Wars’post-Endor era.
Rather than fully helping the New Republic to the best of his ability,Marvel’s new and canonicalBattle of Jakkuserieshas confirmed that the Jedi Knight’s attention was divided between aiding his fellow Rebels and seeking out the secrets of the Jedi who came before him. While wanting to learn more about the Jedi Order wasn’t inherently bad,Battle of Jakku - Republic Under Siege #2by Alex Segura and Stefano Raffaele confirms thatthe enemies of the New Republic took advantage Luke Skywalker’s mission, resulting in a major weakness for the heroes of theStar Warsgalaxy in the aftermath of the original trilogy.
Luke Skywalker Began Combing The Galaxy’s For Jedi Artifacts After Endor
Hoping To Learn All He Could Before Starting His Jedi Academy
While there are still some gaps in theStar Warstimeline between the original and sequel trilogies,it’s been established that uncovering the secrets of the previous Jedi Order became one of Luke Skywalker’s core focuses. Wanting to build a Jedi Order just like the one that existed before the rise of the Empire, Luke searched for any kind of text, holocron, or relic that could be used to gain new insights and teachings asLuke began building his own Jedi academy on the world of Ossus. To that end, Marvel’s newBattle of Jakkuseries confirms Luke’s quest for Jedi artifacts began immediately after Endor.
It’s not all that surprising that Luke was so set on finding more relics from past Jedi. After all, his own Jedi training had been extremely unconventional, and lots of it was self-taught through the sacred Jedi texts he uncovered betweenThe Empire Strikes BackandReturn of the Jedi. Likewise, Luke was also attempting to answer the call of the Force,such as when Skywalker found the Jedi star compass on the world of Pillio. That said, this new issue ofRepublic Under Siegehas confirmed that not every Jedi artifact was a genuine article.
Grand Moff Adelhard And The Acolytes of the Beyond Took Advantage of Luke’s Jedi Quest
Distracting Him With Fake Relics
Thanks toDoctor Chelli Aphra, the galaxy’s foremost rogue archaeologist confirms that the Jedi compendium Luke had been after was in fact a fake. Likewise, she also confirmed that the forgery was intentionally meant for Skywalker with the shattered Empire’s Grand Moff Adelhard having seeded the Outer Rim with even more fake relics thanks to his alliance with the dark side cult known as the Acolytes of the Beyond.Luke has essentially been on a wild goose chase by Adelhard’s design, effectively keeping him distracted in the Outer Rim while the Moff continues amassing more power, making bolder moves against the New Republic.
Wait, Is Star Wars Really Introducing A Dark Jedi Villain Between the Original and Sequel Trilogies?
Luke Skywalker may have just inspired the creation of a new Dark Jedi villain in between the original and sequel Star Wars trilogies, before Jakku.
Having faced Adelhard once before, it seems the self-titled “Grand Moff” has grown smarter regarding the galaxy’s sole Jedi Knight. While he had once dismissed the Force as nothing more than parlor tricks, theAcolytes of the Beyondhave helped him see its potential, so much so that his own embracing of the dark side has been teased in previous issues ofBattle of Jakku.Regardless, this issue makes it clear that Luke’s overextended focus on rebuilding the Jedi has made the nascent New Republic vulnerable.
Luke’s Obsession With The Past Jedi Was His Greatest Flaw
He Was Blinded To Their Mistakes
It’s quite surprising that Luke’s desire to emulate the Jedi Order of the past became problematic this early in this post-Return of the Jediera. After all, Luke Skywalker himself would come to admit years later inThe Last Jedithat he’d been blinded from seeing the Jedi Order’s flaws that had led to their downfall. He spent years trying to find everything he could to replicate the Order of the past, one that had fallen due to their own hubris.
“Ultimately, Luke Skywalker should have been looking to build a new future and a new kind of Jedi Order following the events ofReturn of the Jedi…”
As such, it’s no wonder that Luke’s own Jedi academy would similarly fail from his own mistakes combined with the darkness brewing withinSkywalker’s own apprentice Ben Solo. With that in mind, this new issue further proves that Luke’s greatest flaw was his over-reliance on the past.Ultimately, Luke Skywalker should have been looking to build a new future and a new kind of Jedi Order following the events ofReturn of the Jedi(once the New Republic was in a more secure position).
Star Wars: Battle of Jakku - Republic Under Siege #2is on sale now from Marvel Comics.
Luke Skywalker
The son of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, Luke was brought up on the desert planet Tatooine. Initially mentored by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke fired the fateful shot that destroyed the Death Star, and he became a rebel hero. Despite the fears of Obi-Wan and Yoda, Luke’s faith in his father was proved well-founded when Vader returned to the light. With the Emperor defeated, Luke dedicated himself to bringing back the Jedi; his first attempt ended in tragedy due to Palpatine’s manipulations, but Luke’s legacy lives on in Rey.
