Star Wars 8 shock: 'Luke took the Barash Vow and now he CAN'T fight the First Order'

DID STAR WARS hero Luke Skywalker take the ancient Jedi Barash Vow which took him into exile and prevents him from fighting back agains the First Order?

Why has Luke been missing for so long? Why has the last remaining Jedi (allegedly) abandoned friends and family to a terrible new foe?

He knows that the galaxy is in terrible danger from the First Order so why hasn't he helped fight back? Why didn't he even wield his lightsaber in The Last Jedi trailer?

Has he really taken the Barash Vow and what the Force is it exactly?

This would explain his seclusion in a remote temple and his unwillingness to engage directly in the current war.

The extended Star Wars universe continues to yield incredible clues and lay the groundwork for what is coming in Episode 8.

It has also just introduced an entitrely new piece of Jedi lore.

The curent run of Darth Vader comics set immediately after The Revenge of the Sith shows the Sith on a quest to create his own lightsaber.

This can only be done be defeating a Jedi and perverting his lightsaber to the Dark Side.

Palpatine's Order 66 has seen almost every active Jedi murdered by the clone troops so Vader is seeking Jedi who were absent, like those who have take the Barash Vow.

Wookieepedia says: "The Barash Vow was an oath taken by Jedi who completely refrained from all activities related to their order as a form of penitence, disengaging from anything but the Force itself."

It is likely that Luke might have sought answers in penitent retreat after the slaughter of all his Jedi students and destruction of his hopes to found a new Jedi Order.

We know he has been seeking answers to what went wrong as well to try and understand why the Jedi Order always seems doomed to fail.

This would explain why he is not shown using his lightsaber while training Rey.

All the latest leaks from The Last Jedi set describe his various costumes and tools but make no mention of a lightsaber. This would fit if he is communing with the Force but not using it.

The new Darth Vader comic is officially Canin and this is the first time fans have been introduced to the Barash Vow.

Disney and Lucasfilm rarely do anyting without ripples elesewhere, so this could be a tantalising clue about what Luke has really been up to and why.