Rumor: Episode VII Villain Identity Revealed

By: Dominic Jones

Hold on to your hats everyone, because this could be huge.  Our friends over MakingStarWars.net believe they have uncovered the identity of the villain for Episode VII, as well as how the film ends.  Obviously this gets into major spoiler territory, so if you don't want to know anything about the film, stop reading now!  This is your official SPOILER ALERT!

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Alright, if you're still with us, you have been warned.  MakingStarWars.net is hearing from reliable sources that the villain for Star Wars Episode VII is...Luke Skywalker!  Now, I'm willing to be a lot of you are thinking one of two things.  Either, "wow, what a rip off of Dark Empire" or "NOOOOO!  That's not true!  That's impossible!"

Let's take a set back and look at some more information.  For one, it's being reported that the masked cyborg depicted in the leaked concept art (see below) is Luke Skywalker.

Most initially assumed that this was the design for Adam Driver's costume, as the rumors were that he was the villain.  But could it really be Luke under there?

And if you're hoping for a happy ending to Episode VII, I have more bad news. Furious Fanboys has elaborated more on the plot of the film.  According to them,

Even more shocking is that it appears that Episode VII ends with Kira (Daisy Ridley’s character) kneeling before Cyborg Luke to become his new apprentice. This is apparently what was filmed at Skellig Michael in Ireland. John Boyega’s character is then the hero of the new trilogy, and we’re left waiting for Episode VIII to see how the heroes deal with Luke becoming the new Sith Lord with Kira has his apprentice.

Is anyone else hearing the slow version of the Imperial March in their head right now?  This would be quite a departure from what we expected Episode VII to be, with Luke as the hero, passing the torch on to Kira Solo as they battled evil.  While it's shocking, I don't think it's implausible.  Over the past 30 years the characters of Luke, Han, and Leia have been built up as infallible legends.  So to open Episode VII with Luke as the villain would be a daring way to play with audience expectations.  As much as I love Luke Skywalker, I hope this turns out to be true.  I think it's important for Star Wars to go in new directions that are unexpected.  Look at The Empire Strikes Back.  That movie featured our heroes coming off the highest high of destroying the Death Star only to constantly beat them down over the course of the film (attack on Hoth, Luke being shot down, Millennium Falcon hyperdrive not working, Lando turning against Han and Leia, Han being tortured, Luke loosing a hand, and, of course, "I am your father").  If you look at where we left off in Return of the Jedi, it's very similar to where we left off at the end of A New Hope.  All seems well, the Emperor and Vader are dead and the second Death Star has been destroyed.  So why not pull an Empire and have Episode VII be all about taking our heroes down a notch and make VIII and IX about the crawling their way back.  It makes a lot of sense to me.

But if you want more proof, MakingStarWars.net has a few more details about some concept art of key scenes in the film that relate to the Luke-is-the-villain rumor.  According to MakingStarWars,

A picture believed to be from the middle of the film shows a mountainous snow planet (not Hoth okay?). “Kira” holds her blue laser sword behind her as if she is trying to run. With her back to the cyborg, he has his fingers in the classic “Darth Vader” force pinch posture and is perhaps pulling her laser sword out of her hand. Behind him, her companion attempts to get up, probably to sneak attack the cyborg. Note: this piece has yet again, another face. It looks like a Darth Vader mouth piece but the eyes look red and sunken in like Vaders but harder to make out since he’s in the foreground.

The black figure sits on a throne. He’s cloaked. We see him from the side. His boots are not unlike Anakin Skywalker’s from Revenge of the Sith. He is approached by “Kira.” The light from outside the shrine emanates from the door way and she walks through it. The cloaked figure sits in darkness, a natural red/yellow fiery light behind him, almost like amber backlights the figure.

According to a source, “Kira” believes she is there to meet Luke Skywalker, but instead she finds the monster.

In another depiction, she is facing the camera, the cyborg character is embracing her and the look on her face is one of resignation and defeat. We are looking over a character’s shoulder, of what is believed to be Boyega’s character.

There is a rumor she is evil. I think the film might leave off with the revelation she has joined the figure’s faction. Her in-progress romance with her companion is clearly halted in this moments and shelved for the next films.

I believe this is the interior of the Michael Skellig set. There is a giant castle on that island area and this is interior “throne room” if you will. It is like a cave but mechanical and dark. Think of McQuarrie’s lava throne for Darth Vader concept if you’ve seen it. It is similar in idea.

In another picture we see the Falcon parked outside on a landing platform which makes me think two character enter and only one flees with the crew of the Falcon at the end of the film.
So why does “Kira” appear to give up? The reason for her resignation? The cyborg is none other than Luke Skywalker. The revelation beats “Kira” and her quest becomes hopeless. She resigns herself to joining the figure who is the opposite of what she hoped to find. The evil she sought to vanquish with the power of Luke Skywalker, is Luke Skywalker.

We are left not knowing the future and how this happened. The cloak appears to be especially close to Luke Skywalker’s Return of the Jedi cloak as well.

There is some tantalizing stuff in there.  now we just have to wait until December 18, 2015 to find out if it's true.

As always this is just a rumor until confirmed or denied by Lucasfilm or Disney.

Sources: MakingStarWars.net, Furious Fanboys

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