Star Wars: The Force Awakens Questions about [SPOILER]

If you haven't yet seen the movie, turn back now. There are spoilers in this post that will ruin it for you. Given the record breaking numbers at the box office during opening weekend, I'm comfortable writing this article as most diehards have seen the movie several times already.

For those of you who haven't, *waves hand* you will leave this page and drive to your nearest cinema.

Still here? Well then, you must have seen the movie. Because like I mentioned, there are SPOILERS below.

But first, a little history...

Luke Skywalker is my favorite character in the Star Wars saga (Obi-Wan Kenobi is a close second). In three movies, he went from whiney farmboy with dreams of doing something greater, to Jedi Knight looking to restore peace to the galaxy while saving his father from the clutches of the Dark Side. His maturation progressed with each passing movie. The force flowed through him and grew stronger with each defining moment.

A New Hope
Having never lived an adventure in his life, stuck on the desert planet of Tatooine, Luke journeyed off into space with Ben Kenobi. Orignally planning to join the rebellion and simply deliver plans to Princess Leia, he ended up being captured and leading a daring rescue. Before he knew it he lost his mentor, but pressed on to fly an X-Wing off instincts alone and destroy the greatest weapon the galaxy has ever known.

Empire Strikes Back
Having been bludgeoned unconscious by a Hoth Wampa, Luke has the wherewithall to locate his lightsaber and free himself from certain doom. Walking across the frozen tundra, he presses on until he collapses. While training with Yoda, he abandons his training to rescue his friends who are in danger. Ignoring the fact that he is about to face the most dangerous Sith lord the galaxy has ever known, he is willing to sacrifice his life to save them.

Return of the Jedi
Yoda tells Luke his Jedi training is complete with the exception of having to confront Vader one last time. So Luke surrenders himself and his lightsaber to be brought before the Emperor. Outmatched and outnumbered, he is brought aboard the Death Star with intentions on defeating the Emperor while saving his father in the process. Though he is unable to complete the task on his own, his bold and noble effort, and self-sacrifice, brings out the remaining good in his father.

Ready for the SPOILER heavy portion of this article? This is your last chance to leave!

So as those of you who are still reading (and have seen THE FORCE AWAKENS) will understand why this is such an important question...

Why did Luke Skywalker 'exile' himself?

For a humble moisture farmer that had visions of grandeur, it doesn't seem very in-character for Luke to do this. Remember, it was Luke who wanted to rescue the princess from the clutches of the Empire, against Han's better judgement. It was Luke who abandoned his training with Yoda to rescue his friends, even though his training was far from completion. It was Luke who confronted Darth Vader and the Emperor...alone.

Luke has NEVER backed down from a fight and has always rushed into the heat of battle without care or concern for his own well-being. Always seeking to 'do the right thing' to help his friends and their cause. He never gave up when things got tough.

Luke felt there was still good in his father and sought to reach out to him and pull him back into the light. Why wouldn't he do the same for his nephew? When Ben Solo made the turn and became Kylo Ren, it seems strange that Luke would run from the problem and not dedicate himself to fixing it. Luke was always the epitome of HOPE. He never gave up on himself or his friends. So it's hard for me to believe he exiled himself out of shame, although the people around him may have perceived it that way.

If Luke discovered that Supreme Commander Snoke was behind Ben Solo's corruption to the Dark Side, retreating to the first Jedi temple may have been part of a long-term strategy. He may have needed to enhance his own abilities until one day he can be strong enough to confront a more powerful Snoke. Knowing he can't do it alone, he sets a plan in motion to lead Rey (more on her later) back to him, to fulfill HER destiny. It will be up to them to defeat Snoke and Kylo Ren. Remember, Luke confronted Darth Vader and the Emperor with hopes of turning to his father for help. Whether or not Kylo Ren can be rescued from the Dark Side remains to be seen; killing your own father may be a 'one way ticket'.

So Luke growing his own power, and training a new pupil, may be his only chance at defeating this new two-headed threat.

Remember when BB-8 tried to wake up R2-D2 and it didn't work? I think BB hoped they could combine their maps, but R2 refused. In my opinion, he was waiting for Skywalker. The fact that R2-D2 didn't wake up from his slumber until Rey showed up, indicates there's a connection.

It's possible Luke had Rey brought to Jakku, after Kylo Ren turned on him, to keep her safe. She was a young girl after all, not an infant. There could easily be a 10 year age difference between Ren and Rey. Perhaps Kylo Ren feared her return when he discovered that BB-8 made it's escape with the help of 'a girl'. "What girl?" was his reply, perhaps fearing what he may already know. To expand on that, when Kylo Ren delivers the news to Snoke he says that she's more powerful than she realizes. This could indicate he's aware of her heritage.

So did Luke Skywalker 'exile' himself out of humility? With so many moving parts and a Jedi's ability to forsee the future, I think we'll learn that Luke, while disappointed in losing Ben Solo to the Dark Side, never once thought all hope was lost. This was all part of an elaborate plan to strengthen his abilities at the first Jedi Temple, while waiting for his daughter to begin her training. The two of them will prepare themselves to confront Snoke and Kylo Ren in the ultimate showdown of good vs evil. With a few wrinkles along the way, I'm sure.

Feel free to support or refute my theory in the comment section below.