Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill has revealed his personal, admittedly horrific, backstory for the character from Star Wars: The Last Jedi, further explaining his issue with the film. The Last Jedi is one of the worst-ranked Star Wars movies, primarily due to how divisive it was. Many did not agree with writer-director Rian Johnson’s choices, Hamill included.

In a recent interview on Bullseye with Jesse Thorn, Hamill doubled down on this while also giving his own headcanon that he used to justify Luke Skywalker’s actions. Luke hid himself away and abandoned the Jedi, with Hamill revealing he asked Johnson if he could create his own reasoning for this. That reasoning is as follows:

“I thought, what could make someone give up a devotion to what is basically a religious enтιтy, to give up being a Jedi. Well, the love of a woman. So he falls in love with a woman. He gives up being a Jedi. They have a child together. At some point the child, as a toddler, picks up an unattended lightsaber, pushes the ʙuттon and is killed instantly. The wife is so full of grief, she kills herself.”

Hamill reveals that this is what he ᴀssumed had happened in Luke Skywalker’s past, before The Last Jedi. Of course, it goes without saying that this is not canon to Star Wars, and the reason for Luke’s hermit life is outlined in the movie.

This backstory from Hamill is admittedly incredibly dark. Star Wars has always had dark elements, but never before has it included anything like Hamill did in his own head. Regardless, the story is not canon, but it helped Hamill overcome issues he had, and still has, with Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Mark Hamill Has Reiterated His Qualms About The Last Jedi… But Not Rian Johnson

Hamill Still Doesn’t Like The Film, But Has No Problems With Its Creator

Interestingly, Hamill later doubles down on his criticisms of The Last Jedi. After explaining his dark, headcanon backstory for Luke Skywalker, Hamill guesses that Johnson did not have time to include a backstory such as this, instead opting for a “brief thing to explain it.” In Hamill’s head, Johnson’s in-story reasons did not justify Luke’s change.

Hamill then reiterates that he told Johnson outright he disagreed with the depiction of Luke, yet said he will do everything within his power to make that script work. Hamill then states that the only thing unfortunate about this was that he “heard comments from fans who think that I, somehow, dislike Rian Johnson, and nothing could be further from the truth.”

Our Take On Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker Backstory For The Last Jedi

In terms of what I think about Hamill’s personal backstory for Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi… wow. I never expected Hamill would have come up with something so brutally dark, but it seems this is what the actor needed to justify the change in Luke Skywalker’s character.

It is worth noting that The Last Jedi was controversial, as people ᴀssumed Luke, no matter the darkness he faced, would never turn his back on the galaxy. Well, Hamill’s story pits Luke against even stronger darkness, so I have my suspicion this would have been just as controversial had it been made canon to Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

As it was, I liked Star Wars: The Last Jedi a great deal, especially Luke’s story. I am well aware that this is controversial, but I thought it was bold, poetic, nuanced, and exciting for a Star Wars movie to take such a different direction from what was expected.

In my eyes, Luke Skywalker’s character arc did not need justifying more than it already was in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but Hamill, very darkly, thinks otherwise.