Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Star Wars #50!Luke Skywalkeris the epitome of a hero in theStar Warsuniverse, a person who has a clear understanding of right and wrong, and always chooses to do what’s right in any given situation, even if doing the wrong thing would be completely justifiable. Despite that, however,Star Wars’ most heroic Jedijust murdered an innocent person - at least, possibly (but it doesn’t look good).
InStar Wars#50 by Charles Soule and Madibek Musabekov, Luke Skywalker and the other Rebels (including Leia, Lando, and Chewie) discover an ancient, mystical weapon with the power to kill anyone, even from across the galaxy: the Grim Rose. Luke learns about this weapon after speaking with the essence of a long-dead dark sider in the Living Sea of Gazian. The dark sider in question is named Azlin Rell, and he gives Luke the precise location of the Grim Rose. When the Rebels find it, they immediately agree touse the Grim Rose on one person: Emperor Palpatine.
To use the Grim Rose, one has to acquire the DNA of their target (ideally blood or bone), and expose it to the weapon. When the Rebels successfully obtain Palpatine’s DNA and mark him for death, they realize that the Grim Rose isn’t just targeting him, but everyone he’s connected to on a personal level. The greater the influence of one’s target, the greater the scope of death unleashed by the Grim Rose.
Uncomfortable with that much blood on their hands, the Rebels seek to disarm the Grim Rose. To do that, Luke uses the bones of a long-dead corpse on Gazian. Since this ‘target’ is already dead, the weapon shuts down, and no one dies as a result. At least, that’s what fans are led to believe, but that may not be the case.
Luke Skywalker Saved Palpatine by Offering Up a Random Person to the Grim Rose
The Corpse Luke Used to Deactivate the Grim Rose MUST have been Connected to SOMEONE
Based on the rules established by the use of this weapon, the Grim Rose scours the universe, seeking anyone and everyone connected to the target. Indeed, this weapon was developed by sinister forces with access to powerful magic with the deliberate intention of murdering as many people as possible. The Grim Rose is designed to corrupt the soul of anyone who wields it, no matter how righteous their intentions or how despicable their target is. Therefore, the idea that Luke got away scot-free doesn’t seem likely.
What seems more likely is that the Grim Rose received the DNA of the Gazian corpse and quickly did as advertised: scoured the universe looking for anyone connected to this target. While the corpse may have been ancient, it stands to reason that at least one of their presumed descendants was still alive, or at the very least a descendant of someone this person was once close to. That means, while trying to save Palpatine (and countless others who were close to him), Luke Skywalker doomed an unwitting descendant of this nameless corpse.
The Grim Rose is an evil device powered by the darkest magic that feeds on blood and death. It wouldn’t be satiated by a target that’s already dead
While it’s true that this theory takes some major liberties about whom this corpse was, given that there is absolutely no information about them, it’s important to remember the nature of the Grim Rose. Again, the Grim Rose is an evil device powered by the darkest magic that feeds on blood and death. It wouldn’t be satiated by a target that’s already dead, nor would it be satisfied with its wielders’ lack of corruption. The Grim Rose would find someone to kill using the DNA it was offered, and that person would be a totally innocent victim of Luke Skywalker.
Luke Skywalker’s Grim Rose Victim Could Come Back to Haunt Him
The story of Luke Skywalker using the Grim Rose happened in the final comic issue of this currentStar Warsera, and it was told by Luke Skywalker while he was training a young Ben Solo, which established the setting of the next era. In other words, this issue wasn’t so much closing the chapter of a completedStar Warsarc as it was opening a new one. Therefore, it’s reasonable to assume that this entire issue isn’t just a one-off story, but the origin of a story that will be told inStar Wars’ upcoming era.
Star Wars#50 is the final issue of the stories that take place between the events ofThe Empire Strikes BackandReturn of the Jedi, and the next era will take place post-Episode VI!
Consider, someone is killed because they are connected to the corpse on Gazian, which is a place that only Force-users or seekers of forbidden knowledge know about. Perhaps this person has their own connections to dark magic and secret societies, and their death alerts their associates to the Grim Rose, putting Luke Skywalker in their crosshairs as they seek to obtain it. That would offerLuke Skywalker an exciting new ‘villain’in the upcoming era that’s a direct result of his own actions in the final issue ofStar Wars’ last one, which would be very cool to see.
Luke Skywalker’s Final Force Feat Goes All the Way Back to His Yellow Lightsaber Era
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While this is entirely speculative, it does make sense that the Grim Rose would kill someone connected in some way to the DNA of this corpse given the dark magic that powers it, and it would be awesome if that death created a new villain for Luke to face in a later story. Maybe this is just a one-off story, and Luke successfully disarmed the device like he said. But, that other possibility cannot be ignored, asLuke Skywalkermay have just murdered an innocent person inStar Wars.
Star Wars #50by Marvel Comics is available now.
Luke Skywalker
The son of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, Luke was brought up on the desert planet Tatooine. Initially mentored by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke fired the fateful shot that destroyed the Death Star, and he became a rebel hero. Despite the fears of Obi-Wan and Yoda, Luke’s faith in his father was proved well-founded when Vader returned to the light. With the Emperor defeated, Luke dedicated himself to bringing back the Jedi; his first attempt ended in tragedy due to Palpatine’s manipulations, but Luke’s legacy lives on in Rey.
