Spoilers Hypothetical alternate TLJ ending

[WarpFactorZ]

After watching the film yesterday, I was somewhat disappointed that we didn't actually get to see Luke physically battle and own Ren, proving he was truly much more powerful. Luke simply "phoning it in" was clever and still showed how powerful he was (projecting himself into everyone's consciousness), but could it have played out another way? There were very early TLJ rumors circulating about Luke bringing down a Star Destroyer with the Force. So, I imagine how the following would have been received...

Everything in the movie plays out as it does up to Ren making his final rush at Luke. As he swings his light saber, the blade shatters as it hits Luke and the base explodes. Ren is thrown to the ground and pinned, unable to move. Cut to Luke, eyes closed, channeling the Force one last time. The walkers and cannon simultaneously lift off the ground and rise in the air. Then they are dropped, taking out Ren's shuttle in the process, smashing to the ground and destroying the First Order regiment. Watching helplessly, Ren knows he is beaten and helpless in the face of such a command of the Force.

Luke drops to his knees, exhausted. He sees the Millenium Falcon escaping, smiles lightly knowing he has saved his friends and the Resistance, and peacefully watches the two suns of Not-Hoth setting. Then he Force-Ghosts away.

I'm on the fence as to whether this is too fan-wankish or not. It probably is, but hey, it would be have been fun to see and would have used Luke's abilities a bit more than the film we got. Opinions? (be polite, please!)

 

[Xerxes82]

Cool, but ultimately unproductive.

Visually impressive? Sure, absolutely. In an already gorgeous movie it would have been one more feast for the eyes. But it also completely undermines a central theme of the movie.

"That's why we'll win. Not by fighting what we hate, but by protecting what we love." Rose says this not five minutes earlier. This is the movie's thesis. Every time one of our characters tries to do something just to hurt the First Order, they fail spectacularly. Poe wants to destroy the dreadnought even though the Resistance can escape without it? Bombers all destroyed, many, many dead. Need to cripple their hyperspace tracking even though it's unnecessary? Undermined the escape plan, got many transports and personnel killed. (Admittedly, this one is down to poor writing. Holdo being more forthcoming solves the problem.) Finn needs to destroy the ram cannon? Going to die needlessly until Rose steps in. Even the pivotal moment between Ben and Rey, because Rey knows in her heart that Ben didn't act to save her, but to take power from Snoke.

The property damage you envision is unnecessary. It's solely to hurt the First Order (and make Luke look cool). It flies in the face of the movie's central message. Luke's final act is to use his power in the most Light side way possible. To act as a shield between the First Order and the Resistance. He doesn't need to hurt them, or to potentially kill their people. He just needs to delay Kylo Ren. Something he is uniquely capable of.

 

[WarpFactorZ]

In previous movies, Luke (and other Jedis) have used the Force to protect loved ones by killing Stormtroopers, cutting Sith Lords in half, and destroying property (Death Stars). So, it's not as if the Good/Light side have a strict non-violence pact. That's a fresh take that is unique to this movie alone.

Yes, what I described would have made Luke "look cool", but it would have put closure on the idea that he had become the most powerful Jedi in a spectacular finale for the character.

Anyway, YMMV.

 

[Xerxes82]

In previous movies, Luke (and other Jedis) have used the Force to protect loved ones by killing Stormtroopers, cutting Sith Lords in half, and destroying property (Death Stars). So, it's not as if the Good/Light side have a strict non-violence pact. That's a fresh take that is unique to this movie alone.

Yes, what I described would have made Luke "look cool", but it would have put closure on the idea that he had become the most powerful Jedi in a spectacular finale for the character.

Anyway, YMMV.

Yeah, that's sort of my point. It isn't about violence, they're clearly allowed to do violence. But it's about intent, and degree. All the times they've used violence, and haven't failed or fallen anyway, it's been the bare minimum to achieve what they need to protect their loved ones. In Empire, we see Luke race off to Bespin to protect his friends, but once Vader appears the fight becomes personal. It stops being about saving his friends, and becomes about avenging his father's (and Obi-Wan's) death(s). And Luke loses.

Note, again, that Luke's most critical decision in the OT is the decision to LAY DOWN HIS WEAPON in ROTJ. There are other factors in play there, but you can't deny there is a pattern. I'm not saying it was the intention of the filmmakers then, but it's clearly the intention of Rian Johnson now, and it totally fits. Every time our heroes win (the Force is with them), they aren't acting on personal vendettas, they aren't showing up their foes, they aren't just trying to hurt the enemy because they're the enemy. They're protecting the people that matter to them. However that's necessary.

I'm saying that that degree of violence was unnecessary here. And Luke knew it. Anything else he'd done would have been just to spite Kylo, or the First Order, or just to look impressive. You might be able to make an argument that it would add to The Legend of Luke Skywalker, which was also kind of the point of that scene. But the Resistance was already running for their lives by then, so all Luke would be doing is putting the fear of Skywalker in the First Order. And they already have Kylo Ren to deal with, so probably not all that necessary.

It kind of links back to an idea that the Clone Wars animated series was playing around with towards it's premature end. The idea that just by fighting the Clone Wars the Jedi had already lost. That the very nature of the way the were engaging the Force, and their foes, was weighted toward the Dark Side.

 

[Captaindemotion]

Didn’t a SW novel have one of Luke’s Jedi acolytes take down a star destroyer using the force and die from the strain of it?

 

[galad2003]

Well the Jedi have failed spectacularly in the past so bringing up what they did in previous movies isn't the greatest argument. The Jedi might have been powerful but they forgot who and what they are and the whole thing needed to be burned away and started over. Yoda did this and hopefully Rey can continue onwards.

Spoiler: Potential Spoiler

P.S. I thought it would have been cool if Luke was already dead and he was just a force ghost at the end distracting Kylo Ren while the resistance escaped. Heck Luke being a force ghost the whole movie would have been a bad ass twist.

 

[Jedi_Master]

I liked the ending. No changes needed.