A Murder Trial: Rey Palpatine Killed Luke Skywalker

A lot of Star Wars fans felt scorned by the sequel trilogy. The OG three were killed off one by one. Han’s death felt like it had something to do with the story (and maybe it genuinely did at some point). Leia’s passing was inevitable due to the unexpected real-life passing of actress Cary Fisher. But one death never seemed quite right.

It would have been fine for Luke Skywalker to die if it was a hero’s death. That is what The Last Jedi wanted everyone to believe. Luke sacrificed himself to save Leia and the rest of the Resistance. The official story is that Luke used the Force to project his image across the galaxy and the effort killed him. But this is a cover-up. The true nature of his death was hidden in plain sight. Rey Palpatine actually killed Luke Skywalker.

Opening Statement

Wack! Head trauma is a very serious matter. It can cause brain bleeding that must be treated right away. While it may feel fine at first, there can be issues going on below the surface that cause complications later on. Such injuries can be fatal. To avoid such fatal injuries, it is best to not get hit in the back of the head with a large heavy metal pole. Unfortunately for the victim in this case, this could not be avoided.

Luke Skywalker was approached by the defendant at his secluded island home after the destruction of the first Death Star. Correction: after the destruction of the first Starkiller Base. The defendant insisted upon the victim training her in the ways of the Force.

During their training, Skywalker witnessed Palpatine’s natural connection to the Dark Side. Several island inhabitants are prepared to give testimony that she almost squashed them with a boulder during this time. She never so much as apologized for it. Skywalker then refused to train her further.

The defendant went on to Force video chat with the victim’s nephew, Kylo Ben. Mr. Ben had previously tried to kill the defendant during the aforementioned incident on the Death St- Starkiller Base. During these chats, he remained shirtless and flirted with the defendant in a manner similar to Edward Cullen. He told her that Skywalker had lied to her and was an attempted murderer.

After this discussion, there was an altercation with the victim. He tried to walk away from her, but when his back was turned, Palpatine lashed out in anger and hit the back of his head with her large metal staff. The impact knocked the elderly Skywalker down. Several hours later, Luke Skywalker passed away from his injuries.

The Defendant’s Intent

Rey Palpatine has a good swing. It is painfully obvious in her lightsaber training that she can swing a baseball bat like it’s nobody’s business. This comes from years of training to fight with her staff. When first seen on Jakku, she was able to fight proficiently with it, swinging the heavy object around with ease. It is clear that she not only can hit hard with it, but that she understands that this thing is a weapon. Getting hit with a metal pole hurts.

Rey Palpatine can be seen fighting with her staff, knowingly causing damage with it.

With this knowledge, there is no reasonable doubt that she knew hitting Skywalker, an elderly man, in the back of the head with this hard and heavy metal object would cause severe damage. The impact was enough to knock the victim to the ground. This happened when she was in an emotionally charged state. She had just fallen for a man who had tried to kill her the day before. A man who also despised the victim to the point of trying to kill Skywalker, too. Clearly, he was never going to give the defendant level-headed advice. 

Rey Palpatine trusted the man who just killed their shared father figure the day before over the hero of the galaxy.

Furthermore, Palpatine did not stop at one swing. After knocking Skywalker to the ground, she continued to swing at him. The victim disarmed her, but she did not stop. She Force pulled his lightsaber to her and prepared to strike after he fell to the ground again. Only then did she halt, but Skywalker was already fatally wounded.

Defendant Rey Palpatine’s face after striking Skywalker down.

Palpatine was angry that the victim refused to train her because of her inherent connection to the Dark Side. Then she came to believe the ramblings of a known murderer. In the moment she struck the victim, she was angry and knew the damage hitting someone with her staff could do. Rey Palpatine knew her actions were going to cause harm.

The Defense

The defense has claimed that Luke Skywalker died from unrelated causes. “His Force projection used too much energy.” They claim that the victim died because he willingly sacrificed himself to the Force to save the Resistance. This theory is not built on evidence, but rather a lack of evidence.

Behold, yet another Jedi fading into the Force because they were dying anyways.

What documentation is there that using the Force kills (at least that is cannon)? Luke Skywalker was one of the most powerful Force users the galaxy has ever known. Why would he be unable to use the Force at this level? There is no indication. Has such a situation ever killed a Force user before? There is no documentation, other than vague stories that came about after Luke Skywalker passed.

It is strange at best that such a fatal Force ability would not be documented until recent times. It is hardly documented at all, at that. If this was a phenomenon all along, why would the stories only manifest after Luke’s death?

The Force is not like electricity where too much of it can kill. If a person cannot handle that much Force, they simply can’t wield it. The apparent rules only changed once Palpatine needed them to. The only true defense for Palpatine has been fabricated.

Rebuttal to the Rebuttal

One of the only documented instances of a Jedi fading into the Force in a sacrifice is Obi-Wan Kenobi. Luke Skywalker had witnessed Kenobi give himself to the Force to distract Darth Vader. This was not Kenobi dying from use of the Force, but giving into it. He faded away, much like how Skywalker himself passed.

Obi-Wan is the other Jedi known to disappear into the Force in sacrifice.

This indicates that Skywalker also gave himself to the Force. Does this mean that the defendant did not lead to his death at all? No. Say the victim did pass from being too weak to use the Force. In that implausible case, he was weakened by the head trauma inflicted by Palpatine. If he willingly faded into the Force, the question is why.

Kenobi knew he was going to die by the hands of Vader if he did not surrender to the Force first. Similarly, Skywalker knew he had to surrender before he succumbed to his injury. His time was limited. He was in a place with no medical care. Not a bacta tank in sight. It was only a matter of time before the head trauma caused his death, but at least he could save his sister first.

Luke gave into the Force like his Master before him.

The defendant’s claim that Skywalker died like Kenobi did is true. However, it directly contradicts the claim that Skywalker died from overuse of the Force. Luke Skywalker had no choice but to give himself to the Force before he died. That was the only way for him to continue to be there for the galaxy after his death. There is no complicated change in lore needed to cover up his death. Like his Master before him, Skywalker knew he was going to die. 

Closing Argument

Skywalker was right to fear Rey Palpatine’s inherent connection to the Dark Side of the Force. She willingly struck him in the head with her heavy, blunt, metal weapon. Her motivation was anger and hate. She chose to trust the twisted words of a seductive serial killer. She delivered a deadly blow all because he dared to tell her no. That was his worst crime against her. Skywalker used his words, and Palpatine responded with brute force.

At least Rey Palpatine eventually felt bad about killing Luke (sort of).

There was no plot to kill him, but there was a desire to hurt him. She had every reason to believe that her actions would have the results they did. There is no reasonable doubt that she knew the damage she would cause. That didn’t stop her from lashing out in anger. That didn’t stop her from giving in to the Dark Side.

There is no question about it: Rey Palpatine killed Luke Skywalker. But what that means is left in the hands of the court…of public opinion. What will the jury decide?