“No One’s Ever Really Gone.”
The projection abides by the Jedi adage of using the Force “for defense, never attack.”It also represents the limits of legends, such as that of Luke Skywalker himself. Putting too much stake in them can be disastrous, as Kylo Ren discovers when he fails to realize that his uncle isn’t actually there. But as a symbol, it can provide help and inspiration.
As the end of The Last Jedi shows, Luke’s act of defiance captures the attention of everyone across the galaxy and helps guide them towards the light. Luke may be a scared hermit who succumbs to exhaustion, but he and the “spark” he provides are not any lesser because of this.
Certainly, in this moment Luke is the emotional, flawed farm boy that we know and love. At The Last Jedi’s climax, his ploy may mimic the cunning of Obi Wan Kenobi, who gave his life to allow the Millennium Falcon to escape from the Death Star all those years ago. Yet here, Luke rushes to help his friends and family as he did in The Empire Strikes Back, regardless of the harm it will cause him. His heart is just as big as it was before.
The Luke Skywalker that we see in Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the sum of his – and his master’s – failings and successes. He’s also a commentary on our own views of our heroes. As he becomes one with the Force, Luke’s still the flawed, powerful, compassionate character we know and love from the Original Trilogy – but wiser, older and bearded.
Of course, it’s saddening that Luke never found that closure we all craved for him. But his exile and his despair prove that the greatest of us are troubled and can make mistakes. The redemption of Luke Skywalker also proves that we can fight to move past them, to help and inspire others. To move beyond. All we need is a little bit of hope.