While we're all anxiously awaiting the release of Knights of the Old Republic #1 on Jan. 25 (me, too -- can't wait to see the final product), I'll give you a topic. Discuss...

A theme I've always been interested in from the original movies is the tension between the heart and the larger mission -- as evidenced by Yoda's "You must not go" speech, in which he suggests Luke risks all that his friends are fighting for if he abandons his training early.

Which brought up a point I've heavily debated -- at least, back with the philosphy students in grad school who thought Star Wars was a subject worthy of argument: Was Yoda wrong?

My contention has always been that if Luke does not go to Cloud City and learn his true identity from Vader, he falls to the Dark Side in Episode VI.

The logic is simply this: It's the hand. Luke is driven to a berserker rage -- and is broken from it only by seeing the hand he's chopped off, looking at his own, and making the appropriate connection, as he is finally able to interpret the vision from The Tree on Dagobah.

Let's look at the alternative, if Luke stays on Dagobah:

* Yes, Han is taken by Fett, anyway. Score one for Yoda.

* Yes, Lando is still able to help Leia escape -- and it is perhaps not even as close a call since they didn't have to pick up Luke. So Yoda is right, here, too.

* Luke finishes his training -- and, finally "ready for the burden," he is told Vader's identity by Yoda.

* He sallies off for the final confrontation (having freed Han in the interim). Perhaps he hopes he can redeem Vader, as in our "reality." But he's still driven into a berserker rage, because the ploy of turning Leia to the Dark Side still works.

* Only, now, when he lops off Dad's wing, there's no pause to reflect. He's still got two fine hands -- or, if he still got injured on the sand skiff, he doesn't connect it to The Tree vision. Without this pause, he strikes Vader down -- and falls to the Dark Side.

Thus, while Yoda is right about the basics, he's wrong about the ultimate end. The confrontation before Luke was "ready for the burden" was a necessary precondition for his own salvation -- and for Vader's redemption. Without the very tangible symbol of his and Vader's similarity -- the gloved hand -- I'm not sure the vision of The Tree resonates nearly enough to save him. It's too theoretical, if you will.

This may seem a very simple, self-evident thing -- maybe it's even a settled matter in the community, I don't know. But I think it has a good deal to say about the fallibility of the Jedi, and in particular the tension between the Living Force and the Unifying Force, as I see them. One's about the little things and one's about the Big Picture -- but you need the little things to make the Big Picture make sense.

Anybody have a similar/different take on this? I don't think there's a right or wrong answer, but I personally like to think this was the interpretation that Lucas had in mind...