Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Darth Vader #48!Luke Skywalker has a reputation in Star Wars lore as perhaps the greatest Jedi who ever lived, and a big reason as to why isn’t based on his strength with the Force or his ability to create a new Jedi Order, but rather his incorruptible spirit. In the original trilogy alone, Luke Skywalker faced the temptation of the dark side multiple times, yet in every instance, Luke continued to choose the light. At least, that’s what fans thought, as it seems Luke Skywalker finally embraces his Sith potential in mind-bending new Star Wars lore.
In the official solicitation for Star Wars: Darth Vader #48 by Greg Pak and Raffaelle Ienco, fans are given a first-look at the cover art for the issue, as well as its description.
As can be viewed above, the cover art features Luke Skywalker wearing a black cloak with a downed hood that looks similar to his outfit in Return of the Jedi, though with much more sinister undertones. Next to him is R2-D2 and Sabé, the former handmaiden of Luke’s mother, Padmé Amidala. Behind Luke, seemingly looking down on him from the clouds, is Darth Vader, giving the impression that he’s overseeing Luke’s supposed corruption.
The first line of the official description of Star Wars: Darth Vader #48 presents the idea of Luke Skywalker falling to the dark side. It then teases who his master will be, reminding fans that the Sith Rule of Two will still be in full effect, meaning Luke will either be teaming up with the likes of Emperor Palpatine or his own father, Darth Vader. However, the description also reveals that Sabé might actually be the root cause of Luke’s corruption, with Warba’s very life supposedly being what finally breaks the up-and-coming Jedi.
While this story arc is obviously shrouded in mystery given the little information available, there are a few interesting points that totally pay off the current continuity of Star Wars comics in truly shocking fashion. In the most recent Star Wars: Darth Vader comics, Sabé is seeking Luke Skywalker along with Warba – who is doing so on behalf of Darth Vader – for reasons that have yet to be disclosed. Could Sabé’s entire mission to find Luke be to corrupt him? And will she use the treacherous Warba to do so? Based on this preview, those possibilities seem likely.
Despite ‘how’ Luke gets corrupted, the main takeaway here is his corruption itself, and the prospect of him joining either Palpatine or Vader. This series takes place between the events of Episode V and Episode VI, so if Luke Skywalker does become the Sith Apprentice of one of those two Sith Lords, then it will be in an entirely ‘What If’ capacity. Therefore, is it possible the Star Wars comics are deviating from the established lore? Or will Luke’s journey as a Sith take place within Force-induced visions, similar to what he experienced on Dagobah?
While it’s admittedly unlikely that the current Star Wars comics will venture into ‘What If’ territory (with Luke Skywalker going on a Force-quest that explores a potential dark side future being the more likely of the two options for this upcoming issue), the possibility isn’t off the table entirely, as Star Wars has done ‘What If’ stories before in the form of Star Wars: Infinities.
Star Wars: Infinities was published by Dark Horse Comics, and explored alternate outcomes to the original trilogy if certain deviations had occurred. For instance, Star Wars: Infinities – A New Hope asked: ‘What if Luke Skywalker failed to blow up the Death Star?’. What resulted was an exciting story where Leia Organa was actually trained as Darth Vader’s Sith apprentice on Coruscant, leading to a lightsaber duel between her and Jedi Master Luke Skywalker (who spent five years training with Yoda on Dagobah), and ending with Yoda crashing the Death Star into Emperor Palpatine’s Palace.
Each of the original three Star Wars films got a similar ‘What If’ treatment, and all of them were incredibly exciting. There’s something to be said for alternate versions of familiar stories, as the surprise and anticipation of venturing into the unknown can sometimes outweigh the downsides of breaking from continuity. The upcoming Star Wars: Darth Vader #48 certainly teases a similar departure from franchise canon, and if it does take that admittedly unlikely leap, Star Wars fans can rest easy knowing that the franchise has done so before, and the result was truly spectacular.
One of the two options presented in the solicitation for Star Wars: Darth Vader #48 for Luke Skywalker’s Sith Master is Emperor Palpatine, and if that does come to pass (in one form or another), then Star Wars will have effectively laid the groundwork for one of the most iconic stories in Legends continuity: Star Wars: Dark Empire.
Star Wars: Dark Empire is set after both the original trilogy and the Heir to the Empire trilogy, and sees the return of Emperor Palpatine, who managed to possess a clone body of his younger self. Palpatine becomes a fully revitalized villain, and is more powerful than ever upon his return. But more than that, the new Palpatine manages to succeed where he previously failed: Palpatine corrupts Luke Skywalker.
While Luke Skywalker finds a way to escape the crushing influence of the dark side and redeem himself as a Jedi Knight, that doesn’t detract from the fact that he was a full-blown Sith for a time, just like his father before him. Since the current Star Wars comics are considered canon, Luke becoming the Sith Apprentice of Emperor Palpatine in this upcoming issue would not only lay the groundwork for Luke’s Legends corruption, but would also be the perfect way to more accurately adapt Dark Empire in canon.
While it’s fun to speculate by considering what Star Wars has done in alternate iterations of its established canon in the past, the truth is, there just isn’t enough information about Star Wars: Darth Vader #48 to confidently predict what fans should expect. The solicitation offers more questions than answers, and though certain plot points can be surmised (including Sabé’s motivations and the nature of Warba’s involvement), the biggest takeaway is still a mystery.
Does Luke Skywalker become a Sith as the preview suggests? And if so, what does that mean for the franchise? Right now, that remains to be seen, but even if it’s just offered to fans through visions of a potential future in which the iconic Jedi embraces the dark side, fans can be sure that this Star Wars story will be utterly mind-bending, as it will seemingly feature Luke Skywalker finally embracing his Sith potential in one form or another.
Star Wars: Darth Vader #48 by Marvel Comics is available July 24, 2024.