Mark Hamill invented a disturbing backstory involving an "unattended lightsaber" and a Greek-level tragedy to explain why Luke Skywalker became a hermit in Star Wars: The Last Jedi

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It's pretty dark

Mark Hamill
(Image credit: Lucasfilm)

Mark Hamill came up with a seriously dark backstory to explain why Luke Skywalker is a reserved loner in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

"I thought, what could make someone give up a devotion to what is basically a religious entity, to give up being a Jedi. Well, the love of a woman," Hamill explained on the Bullseye with Jesse Thorn podcast. "So he falls in love with a woman. He gives up being a Jedi. They have a child together. At some point the child, as a toddler, picks up an unattended lightsaber, pushes the button and is killed instantly. The wife is so full of grief, she kills herself.”

It's worth noting that in the Star Wars Legends continuity, Luke has a wife named Mara Jade and a son named Ben – neither of which are dead. However, the Legends series isn't considered canon, and George Lucas has remained adamant about the fact that Jedi should be alone. Still, we appreciate Hamill's creativity.

Lauren Milici
Lauren Milici
Senior Entertainment Writer

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ based in New York City. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.

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