“If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”
It’s arguably one of the most celebrated lines in all of Star Wars, and it arrives just as Obi-Wan Kenobi exhales his last breath, and accepts death at the hands of Darth Vader – much to the horror of a young and naive Luke Skywalker.
Not only is it a defining moment for the character’s arc, but it also brings Luke a little closer to understanding the ways of the Force and how, when used correctly, it can allow a Jedi to defy death. So while Obi-Wan is essentially toast by the time A New Hope nears its gripping finale, he’s still able to guide Luke all along that famous trench run.
Fast forward to Lucasfilm’s ongoing Sequel Trilogy, and the much older, curmudgeonly Luke favored a simple “see you around, kid,” just as he vanished in front of the unsuspecting Kylo Ren. Since The Last Jedi, Mark Hamill has also dropped all sorts of clues regarding Luke’s possible return in Star Wars: Episode IX, and the latest comes via a photo from the actor’s ever-active Twitter feed, which came bearing the caption, “foreshadowing.”
For more than 40 years, Hamill has been deeply embedded in the Star Wars community, and tends to use social media as a means of fooling around with fans. And his latest Tweet is no exception.
Granted, Luke Skywalker’s ultimate fate rests in the hands of J.J. Abrams and screenwriter Chris Terrio (Justice League), though we can’t imagine Lucasfilm will want to bring the curtain down on its famed Skywalker Saga without some sort of cameo appearance from Mark Hamill, right?
Either way, all will be revealed when Star Wars: Episode IX reaches theaters on December 20th, 2019.