My Theory About The Force Awakens

     Going to the movies with me is always a rather bizarre experience. For one thing, I have very few external reactions when I watch something — no tears, very few bouts of laughter, and perhaps one jump if there’s enough suspense to work me up.

     And for another, I am that irritating companion that —unless you warn me to shut up under pain of death — may try to predict what’s going to happen (whenever there’s no dialogue going on, of course). I do it because in the past, whenever I’ve predicted something and kept it to myself, no one believed that I really could have seen the plot twist[s] coming.

     I tell you all this in order that you may appreciate the full magnitude of the fact that I nearly cried when I saw the final trailer, and I am visibly quivering with excitement as I write this. I literally couldn't even wait for this weekend (let alone November or December) to post on a regularly-scheduled day like I was planning. This latest trailer has confirmed (and if anything, heightened) my prediction for The Force Awakens, which is…

In the end, it will be revealed that Luke

was the villain the entire time.

     Who’s to say that Luke hasn’t gone a bit monkish after the events of Return of the Jedi, in the same way that Obi Wan hid out by himself after Revenge of the Sith? He’s been through enough trauma for the Solos to give him his space, since they probably think he’s meditating and training further in the jedi arts. But how could they know what he’s really up to? Being a tortured old hermit is the perfect cover for Luke to moonlight out around the galaxy, collect sith artifacts, and reform the empire. Need some more tangible evidence than that? Now hear me out. 

1. Sith don’t just pop up out of nowhere.

     One of the questions that immediately popped into my mind when the new movie started production was, “Where did this new sith come from?” Now I know in the books and video games and endless spinoff paraphernalia that there are countless sith characters… but in the actual films, there was only a pair of rules about the existence of the sith:

     A. “Always two there are. No more, no less. A master, and an apprentice.” -Yoda

     B. Anakin Skywalker was prophesied to return “balance” to the Force, which he eventually did in a roundabout way.

     So for years most of us just assumed that the “balance” of the Force was restored when the sith were destroyed completely. But if Yoda’s statement is to be believed, then the proper balance of the Force might actually involve the existence of a sith or two. So maybe the villain in The Force Awakens hasn’t just spontaneously appeared: maybe he’s been around since Darth Vader’s death. Maybe he and Leia are balancing each other out as the dark and light sides of the Force, respectively.

2. Star Wars made its mark through its mind-bending plot twist[s].

     As I explained in my article about the entire series earlier this summer, Star Wars entranced audiences because it first embraced mythological archetypes (the inexperienced young man, the wise old mentor, the beautiful princess, etc.) and then threw everyone for a loop with the news of Darth Vader’s true identity. It took a type of story that had always been black and white and added a touch of grey to match the cynicism of modern audiences.

     All that to say, the best movies in this series (i.e.: Episodes 4-6) almost all contained some sort of shocking plot twist that forced everyone to redefine what they thought they knew (or what they had automatically allowed themselves to believe) about the characters on the screen. Just think how many people are going into Episode 7 with the automatic assumption that Luke, Leia, and Han are the good guys.

3. It was almost the ending in the original saga.

     When Return of the Jedi was first screen-tested, Lucas originally wanted Luke to put on his father’s helmet and say, “Now I am Vader.” But audiences didn’t respond well to that, and so the ending was changed. So this idea was almost already canon before the prequels even happened!

4. Just look at the poster and all the trailers.

     Disney released their last official poster for the movie on October 18th, and the last official trailer on the 19th. At first glance, they’re phenomenal! I actually teared up! But at second glance, you may notice that one key person’s familiar face is missing from the lineup. Luke is nowhere to be seen… or is he? That sith’s right hand is either mechanical or covered with a dark glove.

     Believe it or not, I came up with this theory back in July, and have been on the verge of exploding ever since. It just makes so much sense to me — and I’ve been so worried that somebody else on the internet is going to get credit for my brilliant theory! I’m not normally that concerned about predicting movie plots before anybody else, but doggone it, give me this one, internet!

[I don't know who the actual main characters are going to be in the movie:
I was just trying to go for maximum feels when I wrote this back in July.]

     You are all my witnesses. If I’m wrong, then you have my permission to mock me extensively after December 18th. But if Luke (or Leia*) turns out to be the villain in The Force Awakens… well, you won’t have to say anything to me. I’ll be smug enough without any encouragement.

     * I'm not blind; Leia hasn't exactly been showing up all that often in the trailers, either. Lucas could be trying to set us up to think that Luke is the sith, when really it's Leia. Because that would be a plot twist of similar magnitude.