The latest issue of Marvel’s Star Wars ongoing series depicted Luke Skywalker achieving an incredible feat – as he resurrected the lost Jedi science of healing Kyber crystals, purifying a corrupted red crystal and turning it green. As the series moves closer to the events of Return of the Jedi, this is a perfect representation of what Luke will subsequently go on to do with his father, Darth Vader.
Star Wars #43 – written by Charles Soule, with art by Steven Cummings & Jethro Morales, ink by Morales & Wayne Faucher, color by Rachelle Rosenberg, and lettering by Clayton Cowles – concludes Luke’s adventure inside the red Kyber crystal he acquired several issues previously.
Entering the crystal proves to be a spiritual journey in more than one sense, as Luke attempts to redeem the Sith spirit trapped within, and in the process, comes to realize that it remains possible to redeem Anakin Skywalker.
“No One Leaves Their Pain Behind”: After 44 Years, Star Wars Reveals the True Meaning of Luke Skywalker Losing His Hand
After 44 years, Star Wars finally reveals the true impact losing his hand had on Luke Skywalker, and how it nearly meant his fall to the dark side.
Healing A Kyber Crystal Is Rare & Difficult – & Luke Skywalker Did It Inadvertently
Of all the controversies generated by Disney’s Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, perhaps the most pronounced was its portrayal of Luke Skywalker as a failure, and an exile, in radical contrast to his depiction over decades in the Legends-era canon. In his original post-Return of the Jedi future, Luke was almost universally portrayed as a singularly talented Force user, and arguably the greatest Jedi in the history of the galaxy. More than just the rebuilding of the Jedi Order, his overarching narrative concerned avoided the mistakes that led to his predecessors’ spectacular fall.
Marvel’s Star Wars comics, set between Empire Strikes Back and RotJ, remains closer to the spirit of the earlier iteration of Luke. In Star Wars #43, he heals the red Kyber crystal without even setting out to do so – his attempt to heal the Sith spirit within comes from his natural disposition, and his earnest, unrelenting desire to affect positive change. As the young Jedi’s Fallanassi ally Aunt Fee exclaims: “The boy actually pulled it off.” In this moment, Luke is depicted as prodigious, but more importantly, he is resolute in belief that the Dark Side can be overcome.
Marvel Is Trying To Heal Luke Skywalker’s Corrupted Legacy
Since reacquiring the rights to publish Star Wars comics, and bringing the franchise back home, Marvel has worked diligently to tell the best, most inventive stories it can with a freshly wide-open timeline. It has continuously strengthened and recontextualized audiences’ understanding of the Original Trilogy-era characters – but long-time fans have continuously questioned when the comics move into the post-RotJ era. This question is most critical when it comes to how the Disney-era will portray Luke Skywalker, and how it will reconcile the character he is with the one he will become.
In Star Wars #43, young Skywalker revives an ancient Force practice unintentionally. As Fee explains after he awakens from his astral journey, she hasn’t “heard of anyone healing a red Kyber crystal in a very long time.” What she likely means is, Luke has naturally displayed an ancient, forgotten ability. Many fans want a version of Luke who builds on this, maturing into the Jedi Master he deserves to be, and as a result, face the future of Star Wars stories with a degree of apprehension and uncertainty.
Star Wars #43 is available now from Marvel Comics.
Star Wars #43 (2024) | |
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