Dave Filoni, the Executive Producer on The Mandalorian, revealed in a recent interview he didn’t think Luke Skywalker was a Jedi.
In an interview with ScreenRant alongside fellow Executive Producer and head writer on The Mandalorian, Jon Favreau, the two discussed the Darksaber and whether Grogu was the first Jedi Mandalorian since Tarre Viszla and whether the Darksaber is tied to Grogu’s destiny as well as Din Djarin’s.
Favreau initially responded, “That’s interesting. That would be a smart literary device.” Filoni added his thoughts saying, “Yeah, interesting. These are very good questions.”
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Favreau then seemingly posited that Sabine Wren might be considered a Jedi Mandalorian, the assumption being he’s basing it off the training she received from Kanaan on how to wield the Darksaber.
He said, “That doesn’t happen that often, although I would argue that’s Sabine is maybe a little bit…”
Filoni retorted, “I don’t know if I’d call her a Jedi, though. The interesting question is how you define when someone is a Jedi. That’s the real question, because the Jedi is a way of training. It’s a way of philosophy and being.”
Favreau then responded, “Well, Grogu trained with a Jedi.”
It’s here that Filoni claims that Luke Skywalker wasn’t actually a Jedi. He tells Favreau, “He trained when he was young, and [so did] Luke. Yoda didn’t confirm that he was a Jedi remember? He says, ‘Oh, you think you’re a Jedi? Not so fast.’ He had to pass the trials.”
Favreau then corrects Filoni, “But he also said, ‘You’ll be the last Jedi when I’m gone.'”
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In Return of the Jedi, Luke returns to Dagobah and tells Yoda, “I’ve come back to complete the training.” Yoda responds, “No more training do you require. Already know you that which you need.”
Luke answers, “Then I am a Jedi.” Yoda replies, “Oh! Not yet. One thing remains: Vader. You must confront Vader. Then, only then, a Jedi will you be. And confront him you will.”
At the end of their conversation, Yoda tells Luke, “Luke, when gone am I the last of the Jedi will you be. Luke, the Force runs strong in your family. Pass on what have you learned. Luke, there is another Skywalker.”
Luke does indeed confront Darth Vader by the end of the film. And while he faces the temptations of anger, fear, hatred, and the dark side. He eventually rejects them and chooses to die at the hands of the Emperor rather than serve the dark side and him.
This choice leads Vader to take decisive action. He attacks the Emperor and throws him down the Death Star’s central shaft, where Darth Sidious perished before Expanded Universe authors tried to resurrect him through cloning, a plot Disney chose to resurrect for The Rise of Skywalker.
What makes this even more galling is that The Mandalorian does indeed depict Luke Skywalker as a Jedi. In Season 2, Din Djarin’s entire mission is to take Grogu to the Jedi. He initially makes contact with Ahsoka, who refuses to train the child. Rather she sends them off to Tython.
Ahsoka explains, “If he reaches out through the Force, there’s a chance a Jedi may sense his presence and come searching for him. Then again, there aren’t many Jedi left.” As it turns out Luke Skywalker shows up in the season finale looking for Grogu after he reached out through the Force on Tython.
Nevertheless, Filoni responds to Favreau, “That’s interesting. We’ve seen a few more pop up. This is all we do, by the way, sitting around the table. Get the whiteboard! Roll the whiteboard in here, and let’s break it down.”
Favreau concludes the question, “We’ll drag other people into it. This is what we get paid for, and we’d be doing it the lunchroom in our high schools.”
Fortunately, Favreau was there to correct Filoni on this glaring error. But maybe instead of getting out a whiteboard, where he’s putting down his own thoughts, he should actually roll out the films so he knows what actually happens in Star Wars continuity.
What do you make of Filoni claiming that Luke Skywalker wasn’t a Jedi?
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