Academic Psychiatry (2018) 42:503–509
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-018-0938-y
COLUMN: MEDIA
The Last Jedi Takes His Own Life: Rational Suicide and Homicide-Suicide
in Star Wars
Susan Hatters Friedman 1 & Ryan C. W. Hall 2 & Jacob M. Appel 3
Received: 17 February 2018 / Accepted: 7 May 2018 / Published online: 24 May 2018
# Academic Psychiatry 2018
Star Wars films have been used to teach about psychiatric
disorders ranging from obsessive-compulsive personality dis-
order in C3PO to psychopathy in Jabba the Hutt to malinger-
ing by Yoda [1–3]. This has continued into the new trilogy
with The Force Awakens being used as a case study to discuss
patricide [4]. In a similar vein, The Last Jedi, which contains
multiple examples of self-sacrifice, allows for discussion of
the difficult topics and themes inherent in suicide and homi-
cide-suicide. Although Star Wars is a science-fiction space
opera transcending multiple generations, one must not forget
that it is also about war and death. Even popular characters do
not always live to see another day (e.g., Han Solo).
In this paper, we discuss how The Last Jedi can be used in
psychiatric discussions with trainees to address the real-world
topics of suicide and homicide-suicide through the hypothet-
ical lens of popular culture. Motivations such as honor, duty to
comrades, political/terrorism, personal vulnerability, and
confronting mortality in advancing age are all present. It is
hoped that these sometimes difficult themes and concepts
can be more freely explored through a fictional universe.
Our review will examine examples of suicides, attempted sui-
cides, homicide-suicides, and acts of desperation in the order
in which they occurred in the film.
Basic Review of Terminology: Suicide vs.
Homicide-Suicide vs. Desperate Acts
It is crucial for trainees to consider the differences be-
tween suicide, homicide-suicide, high-risk behaviors and
* Susan Hatters Friedman
susanhfmd@hotmail.com; sh.friedman@auckland.ac.nz
1
University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
2 or may be homicide [5]. Homicide-suicide may be planned or
University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
3
Mt Sinai Hospital, New York, New York, USA
acts of desperation. Recognizing these as distinct entities
helps to develop a structure to consider a person’s moti-
vation and actions. Suicide and homicide-suicide are often
conflated, especially when pilots (as in Star Wars) are
perpetrators [5]. It is also important to realize that desper-
ate acts or long-shot actions are different from homicide-
suicides, especially during combat or catastrophic events.
For example, in the real-world Battle of Mogadishu
(1993), immortalized in the book Black Hawk Down,
Master Sergeant Gary Gordon and Sergeant First class
Randall Shughart engaged in desperate acts, intentionally
putting themselves in a hostile situation during which they
were likely to be overrun, in an attempt to save a downed
pilot. Both soldiers ended up dying after they ran out of
ammunition, but even though they recognized their dire
odds of survival in advance, their deaths were not
inevitable.
One of the paradoxes of western history is that while
suicides were frequently condemned, individuals who
sacrificed their own lives to protect their communities or
to serve the commonwealth have been lauded as heroic.
While “altruistic self-sacrifice is rare, supererogatory, and
not to be expected of any rational agent,” the concept has
long intrigued philosophers, moral theorists, and scientists
[6]. Significant empirical data from hypothetical moral
dilemmas reveals that in zero-sum scenarios, “sacrificing
another person is considered less appropriate than
sacrificing the self.” [7] Evolutionary biologists have de-
veloped a theoretical framework to justify such altruism:
Hamilton’s Rule argues that individuals may be hard-
wired to give their own lives to save genetic kin, because
doing so will maximize the preservation of their genetic
lineage [8]. As the genetic distance between individuals
and groups expands, the likelihood of self-sacrifice
should, according to the rule, diminish.
In homicide-suicide, the primary initial goal may be suicide
impulsive, though anger is often a prominent theme. Marzuk
504
and colleagues described a typology for homicide-suicide
with subtypes of amorous jealousy, declining health, filicide-
suicide, familicide, and extrafamilial [9]. The extrafamilial
type is also known as adversarial type [10]. Adversarial per-
petrators are described as disgruntled or antagonistic and have
often faced a recent stress, or are seeking revenge [10].
Perpetrators of homicide-suicide have commonalities with
both those who commit homicide and those who commit sui-
cide [11]. Mental health or substance use issues or past suicide
attempts may be present. Stressful life events such as finan-
cial, relationship, and work problems are often seen [11]. Yet,
most people struggling with mental health issues and stressful
life events do not go on to perpetrate homicide-suicide.
Firearms and planes are highly lethal weapons in homicide-
suicides [5, 10, 12]. Among aviation suicides, a relatively
large percentage is in reality homicide-suicides [5]. For exam-
ple, among kamikaze pilots perpetrating homicide-suicide, the
primary motivation for the “suicide mission” is to inflict ene-
my casualties. While the majority of homicide-suicide victims
are female [13], this is likely because most homicide-suicides
occur within the family and are perpetrated by male partners
against females. When homicide-suicides are extrafamilial
and occur at the workplace, the gender split may be different.
Paige, Militaristic Duty in Face
of the Inevitable
Paige Tico, a gunner on a Resistance bomber, died in combat
when death was almost inevitable. She had been told, “You’re
the only [Bomber] left, it’s all up to you.” When her aircraft
was hit by enemy fire, she fell a great distance, landing heavily
on her back. But, in an agonizing move, she was able to catch
a remote control detonator and detonate some explosives,
defeating the enemy dreadnought at the cost of her own life.
She faced the choice of either trying to complete the mission
or attempting to save herself. Paige’s sister, Rose, memorial-
izes her dead kinswoman as a hero to fellow resistance fighter
Finn, and at the same time says she was “doing her job”.
Paige’s choice can be used to discuss military duty-based
homicide-suicide, among people who expect death is likely
imminent but continue to stay on mission either due to a sense
of duty or for fear of violating rules (e.g., desertion leads to
punishment). Paige is not alone in the Star Wars universe as a
potential kamikaze. In Return of the Jedi, an A-wing pilot
crashed into the bridge of a star destroyer. In that case, death
also seemed imminent, so the pilot’s thought process likely
involved using one’s death in a meaningful way (e.g., destruc-
tion of the enemy, protection of comrades and the larger
group). Mental illness does not appear to play into either of
these situations, but a rational calculation of what can be ac-
complished does.
Acad Psychiatry (2018) 42:503–509
Paige’s case may also serve to generate a discussion regard-
ing suicide bombers. (Table 1) Whether or not Paige’s behav-
ior can be considered analogous to that of suicide bombers is
itself a complex question. Suicide bombing is “the deadliest
form of terrorism” and is also known as suicide terrorism [14].
Terrorism involves extreme violence against innocent civil-
ians or societal infrastructure [15] “in order to create fear for
the purpose of forcing political, social, or religious change”
[14]. Those who engage in suicide terrorism most often have
political, social, and religious motivations, rather than mental
illness [14]. Suicide terrorists kill themselves and others to
maximize the effect of the attack—not only in terms of lives
lost, but in terms of the effect on “the broader audience”
[14–16]. They have often been described as “true believers,”
who feel a need for belonging [14]. Revenge, envy, personal
stressors (e.g., financial or relationship), entitlement, paranoia,
and problematic personality traits also have a role to play in
the psychology of suicide bombers [14]. It is also worth noting
that suicide bombers are not only men (e.g., Chechnya black
widow terrorists involved in the Moscow theater attack in
2002). Yet, while Paige does consciously sacrifice herself to
destroy an enemy ship, the speed of her decision, occurring
under duress, suggests her act may differ from that of most
suicide bombers. Examining her conduct can help trainees
reflect on the nature and limits of our definition of suicide
bombings and terrorism. Her choice can also lead to a discus-
sion of foreseeability. Despite psychiatry’s efforts to improve
prognostication, predicting and thus preventing suicide terror-
ism is a very different prospect than predicting and preventing
other types of suicides or even other homicide-suicides.
Finally, one should not lose sight of the paradox that one side’s
freedom fighter is the other side’s terrorist; it is a matter of
perspective whether or not the members of the First Order are
innocently trying to keep order in the galaxy or are suppress-
ing liberties sought by the Rebellion.
Medical Frigate Captain Goes Down with His
Ship
Another minor character from The Last Jedi, who engaged in
a potentially needless act of “self-sacrifice” is the unnamed
captain of the Resistance’s Nebulon C medical frigate
Anodyne. In a galaxy far, far away, with astromech droids able
to fly a ship fairly autonomously, there was no reason for this
captain not to evacuate with the rest of his crew. The only
potential insight we have for his actions are his final words,
prior to the frigate being destroyed by the First Order after it
ran out of fuel and its shields went down: “The rest of our crew
has been evacuated and heading your way. It’s been an honor,
Admiral. Godspeed, rebels!” This implies he engaged in some
form of honor sacrifice and followed the culturally sanctioned
action of a “captain going down with his ship.” His crew had
Acad Psychiatry (2018) 42:503–509 505

Table 1 Teaching points raised by the The Last Jedi characters about suicide

Character Suicide teaching points

Paige Engaged in homicide-suicide act to meet military goals and possibly protect family (her sister Rose
on command ship)
Discuss “suicide-terrorists”
Similar to A-wing pilot in Return of the Jedi
Medical Frigate Captain Culturally sanctioned, honor suicide as ship captain
Altruistic suicide per Durkheim, optional subtype
Discuss other Durkheim suicide motives
Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo Culturally sanctioned, honor suicide as ship captain
Homicide-suicide by extremely violent means by female
Sudden change from apparent suicide plan to homicide-suicide
Finn Homicide-suicide attempt in an altruistic manner (glory/‘suicide mission’) to save Resistance, though
anger at First Order prominent
Rose Suicide attempt in altruistic manner to save Finn’s life from his above homicide-suicide attempt
Luke Skywalker Perceived obsolescence similar to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s “Suicide-by-Vader” decades before in A New Hope
Symptoms of depression evidenced vs. rational suicide

already evacuated and this captain’s action did not save any
lives.
Honor sacrifices have long interested sociologists and psy-
chologists. In 1897, the sociologist Emile Durkheim defined
four types of suicide: Egoistic, Altruistic, Anomic and
Fatalistic [17]. Although not the first to discuss altruistic mo-
tivation for suicide as a potential cause, Durkheim was per-
haps the most influential in recognizing that this type of act
was a form of suicide, whether committed for “heroic” pur-
poses or not. Prior to this, many would romanticize these
altruistic acts as either spiritual obligations (of martyrs), or
acts of bravery, but not as forms of suicide. Durkheim postu-
lated that individuals who commit altruistic suicide do so be-
cause these individuals are too heavily integrated into their
societies or cultures, thereby devaluing their own lives to
some degree [17]. People who engage in altruistic suicide
often see their deaths as a duty or honor that either advances
society, restores or maintains honor to a particular group, or
maintains the overall conventions needed for society to func-
tion. For that reason, culturally sanctioned acts of altruistic
suicide, outside of cases involving direct personal connection
(e.g., family) are often found to occur in individuals who
identify strongly with structured organizations, usually with
a chain of command and an internal and external societal
responsibility (e.g., military, police departments, fire depart-
ments, maritime).
For example, ship passengers ideally follow a ship cap-
tain’s orders even though they are not directly part of his chain
of command because they know the captain is responsible for
the safety of everyone aboard the ship. The positive or nega-
tive actions of any one ship’s captain can call the assumptions
society has created for safety into question. Hence, captains’
obligations are larger than just to their current passengers, but
also include society at large. One of the captains who best
represented this ideal and who has been celebrated for his
actions (which resulted in his own death) was Captain
Edward Smith of the RMS Titanic. He oversaw the evacua-
tions of the ship but never tried to leave the ship himself. An
example of a captain whose actions were generally perceived
as disgraceful and even criminal (i.e., convicted of
abandoning a ship with passengers still aboard) was
Francesco Schettino, the captain of the Costa Concordia,
which capsized after hitting a rock, resulting in 32 fatalities
in 2012. As described by Stefano Pizza, the prosecutor in the
case, “The captain’s duty to be the last person off the ship is
not just an obligation dictated by ancient maritime rules, it is
also a legal obligation intended to limit the damage to those on
the ship” [18]. Although varying international laws do not
mandate that a captain must go down with their ship, there is
a widely held public expectation and professional norm that
the captain will remain even if his safety is jeopardized until
others are assured rescue.
Durkheim further subdivided altruistic suicide into three
categories: obligatory, optional, and acute [17]. With obliga-
tory altruism, it is widely accepted that one must put the safety
of others before one’s own and the individual knows of this
obligation when he accepts his position (e.g., ship captains).
Optional altruism exists where the legal duty has been met but
more for the sake of honor or atonement for failure, one stays
behind in a truly suicidal act (i.e., it is known or it is highly
likely that one is going to die with no tangible benefit for one’s
action). This is also seen in some culturally sanctioned acts
such as in the Japanese act of seppuku. Alternatively, acute
altruism is where one impulsively or unexpectedly places one-
self in a position that requires a sacrificial duty, as is the case
with various Star Wars rebels. (Acute altruism may also apply
506
to anyone who ever tells either Darth Vader or his grandson
that the rebels are getting away.)
The captain of the medical frigate’s actions were an act of
suicide because he stayed even though his death was not re-
quired and did not directly save others. His “sacrifice” was
still meant to be seen as noble. The medical frigate command-
er is the cleanest example of altruistic suicide (optional sub-
type) since we cannot identify any other potential influences
or motivations that resulted in his actions except honor.
Amilyn Holdo, Homicide-Suicide
as Self-Sacrifice for Community
Many forces appear at play in what is arguably both the most
dramatic and the most surprising scene in The Last Jedi: the
self-sacrifice of Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo. After the First
Order liquidates much of the Resistance leadership including
Admiral Ackbar with an attack on the bridge of their flagship,
Holdo assumes command of the fleet (which at that point
included only 400 rebels on three ships). She plays a “by-
the-books” “pseudo-antagonist”—an “unlikable authority fig-
ure” in conflict with her “fan-favorite” subordinate, Poe
Dameron [19]. Over Dameron’s objections, she orders the
surviving rebels into evacuation transports bound for the salt
planet Crait, while remaining aboard the Raddus as a decoy.
So far, this appears to be a traditional military maneuver sim-
ilar to staying behind to allow others to retreat. Yet, in a sud-
den turnabout that stuns onlookers—both Resistance fighters
and opposing General Hux—Holdo then steers the ship into
hyperspace, directly into the First Order’s mega star destroyer,
Supremacy, intentionally giving up her own life. In doing so,
she both severely damages the enemy’s fleet and allows
General Leia Organa and the ragtag remaining Resistance to
escape on their transports. Holdo’s homicide-suicide can be
contrasted to the frigate captain’s suicide by trainees.
Holdo’s actions, as expected, are viewed as heroic. With
this audacious and highly irregular maneuver, she redeems
herself in the eyes of both Dameron and audiences for her
earlier rigidity. In doing so, she protects those most like
her—members of the Resistance, who are largely human—
although not enough is known of Star Wars genetics to be
certain that her sacrifice actually maximizes genetic preserva-
tion as one would expect according to Hamilton’s Rule.
Finn, a Suicide Mission like Many Rebels
Before Him
One could argue that Rebel fighter Finn’s attempt to destroy
the First Order’s door opening cannon on the salt planet Crait
was a form of acute altruistic suicide, impulsively putting
himself in a position requiring sacrifice. Arguably, Finn’s
Acad Psychiatry (2018) 42:503–509
commander, Poe, did not meet his obligation, telling Finn
“we’re not gonna make it…it’s a suicide run.” Finn accepted
the responsibility for destruction of the device in the final
battle, to save the lives of the others he served alongside and
to further the future of the Resistance. However Finn’s moti-
vations for homicide-suicide are complex and include other
personal and possibly even selfish reasons for his actions such
as vengeance or retribution against the First Order. Finn de-
clares: “I can’t let them win”—even if his own death is the
result. This raises the question of whether there can ever be an
example of a pure form of altruistic homicide-suicide in the
real world or whether other motivations or rationales always
influence the decision (see Table 2 [5, 9, 10, 20]). In Finn’s
“suicide run” from which he was ordered to retreat, Rose tells
him “it’s too late, don’t do this.” The audience, too, sees that it
is too late as his ski speeder appears to be melting while
approaching the charged cannon.
Fortunately for Finn, Rose intercepts his assault in her own
potentially self-sacrificing way. This can be seen from her
quote “I saved you, dummy…saving what we love.” It can
be argued that her sacrifice is irrational as well because the
First Order still plans to kill all the rebels, and her actions at
the time did not likely increase either her or Finn’s long-term
odds of survival.
A close variation on such self-sacrifice are those cases,
often in a military context, where a solider pursues a course
of action that is overwhelmingly likely to result in their own
death—but where such an outcome (unlike Holdo’s) is not
100% certain. British “forlorn hope” squads and French
“enfants perdus” were troops sent on high-risk missions ex-
pected to produce overwhelming casualties—with the caveat
that survivors, if any, would often receive considerable honors
and promotion. Unlike in traditional European warfare, the
enfants perdus in Star Wars usually survive to fight another
day (except those of the Rogue One cast). Star Wars films
frequently feature such heroics, especially after someone iden-
tifies that an act is fundamentally “suicidal” and that they
“have a bad feeling about it” (e.g., Han Solo and Luke
Skywalker breaking into the detention block in A New
Hope—each with his own motivations). In The Last Jedi,
Poe Dameron’s initial assault on the First Order dreadnought
reflects such long odds and is also when BB8 utters the fa-
mous "bad feeling" line. When Poe attacked the dreadnought,
he yelled, “we’ve pulled crazier stunts than this!” General Hux
even proclaims, “He’s insane,” regarding Poe in this scene. In
fact, Poe does not follow Leia’s order to “disengage” because
he believes that he can take out the dreadnought without nec-
essarily sacrificing himself. He has difficulty keeping his
“head out of [his] cockpit.” Poe later asserts, “There were
heroes on that mission,” and Leia corrects him, that they are
“dead heroes.” Admiral Holdo later describes Poe as a “trig-
ger-happy fly-boy” who is impulsive and a danger to the
Resistance. Similarly, among human pilots who commit
Acad Psychiatry (2018) 42:503–509 507

Table 2 Homicide-suicide relationships and motivations

Relationship to victim Motivation

Intimate partner homicide-suicide -Amorous jealousy/ possessiveness

Filicide (parent killing child)-suicide
Familicide-suicide (extermination of family)
Extrafamilial/ adversarial
Any of the above
-Declining health/ altruism [9, 10]
-Altruistic (e.g., to alleviate child suffering)
-Acutely psychotic (e.g., frenzy of psychotic agitation with no rational motive)
-Revenge against ex-partner (custody battle) [5, 9, 10, 20]
-Anger/ narcissistic injury/depressed/recent stressors (loss of career)/proprietary/preserving
honor/ shame/guilt [9, 10]
-Disgruntled/antagonistic/revenge/recent stressors [9, 10]
-Psychosis [10]

Adapted from References [5, 9, 10, 20]

suicide by aircraft, the vast majority are male and mental ill-
ness is often not a “defining contributor” [5]; alcohol, drugs,
and stressors are more common underlying factors. This data
and these Star Wars examples can lead to a discussion about
the difference between mental illness and factors seen in risk-
taking behavior.
Luke Skywalker, Suicide in Perceived
Obsolescence
Suicide rates are highest among those over 65 [21]. The ma-
jority of older people committing suicide do so for the same
reasons as young people including “psychiatric illness, lack of
social connectedness, physical illness, and poor subjective
sleep quality and insomnia” [22]. However, in some cases,
where no mental or physical illness is present, the elderly
engage in so-called “rational suicide”—reflecting an existen-
tial fatigue with continued existence. This existential fatigue
may have contributed to some of Luke Skywalker’s actions in
The Last Jedi. If so, this would not be the first time such
existential fatigue has appeared in the Skywalker family.
Luke and Leia’s mother, Padme Amidala, “lost the will to
live” in Revenge of the Sith. Fortunately, in The Last Jedi,
Leia still seems interested in fighting for life (e.g., she uses
the force to return to habitable compartments of the Raddus
after the bridge is destroyed).
Some commentators have even suggested narrowing the
very definition of suicide to those acts which are “irrational,
intentional, and deadly” [23]. Werth has outlined widely ac-
cepted criteria for “rational” cases including that “the person
considering suicide has an unremitting ‘hopeless’
condition...or a quality of life no longer acceptable to the in-
dividual,” that “the person makes the decision as a free
choice,” and that “the person has engaged in a sound
decision-making process” including consultation with mental
health professionals and other objective third parties [22]. A
crucial factor in whether such suicides are rational may be
whether the underlying causes may be readily remediated.
Yet trainees may find that distinguishing cases of perceived
obsolescence from those occurring when capacity is dimin-
ished by mental illness or duress may be easier in the abstract
than in the field—as demonstrated by the final days of Luke
Skywalker.
The Last Jedi opens with Skywalker in self-imposed exile
on the aquatic world Ahch-To. The obscurity of Ahch-To and
its social isolation—Luke appears to be the only human being
on the planet—parallels the seclusion and loneliness that af-
flict many in old age. His x-wing starfighter lies buried under
the sea, making escape appear impossible. Luke has come to
Ahch-To, in part, because the planet is home to the origins of
the Jedi movement; similarly, many elderly patients with de-
pression or dementia find themselves reliving or revisiting
their pasts. Luke appears to be depressed: he is highly irritable,
lets his appearance and grooming suffer, and broods on his
prior mistakes, especially those that led to the deaths of his
Jedi disciples and the loss of Kylo Ren to the dark side. When
Rey arrives to solicit his assistance against the First Order, he
replies: “I only know one truth. It’s time for the Jedi to end.”
Later, he marshals the projective powers of the Force long
enough to project himself onto Crait for a final fight with
Kylo Ren and to say farewell to his sister, Leia. The closing
moments of the movie see him becoming a “Force Ghost,” the
Jedi equivalent of death.
Has Luke committed suicide by actively pursuing his own
death? Or has he merely allowed nature to take its course? Or
does this distinction even exist in Jedi phenomenology, as
both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda appear to have acquiesced
in their earlier demises? Do all Jedi do this? After all, there is
no mention of Jedi old-age homes, retirement, or pension
plans anywhere in the Star Wars canon. Is Luke acting ratio-
nally in his final moments or is he driven by despair? The film
leaves viewers uncertain, but leaves much fodder for discus-
sion with trainees.
One might interpret Luke’s role in saving the Resistance as
evidence that he has shaken his depression and interpret his
508
self-willed transition into a “force ghost” as forward-looking.
Having led a full life and served his purpose, he now considers
his human role to be obsolete. Rey opines, “But it wasn’t
sadness or pain, it was peace and purpose.” Alternatively,
although Luke is able to rouse himself for a few moments—
as depression often ebbs and flows—he remains physically
isolated on Ahch-To and abandons the galaxy in a state of
despair.
Luke’s old age has parallels to Obi-Wan’s. Both encoun-
tered the challenge of a pupil who turned to evil, and both
became hermits, full of guilt, in the far reaches of the galaxy.
In The Force Awakens, Han described that “…an apprentice
turned against him destroyed it all. Luke felt responsible; he
just walked away from everything.” While Luke does not
demonstrate pseudo-dementia, unlike Obi-Wan [1] in that he
recalls R2D2 and calls him “old friend”, Luke demonstrates
other signs of depression as noted above. When Rey comes to
Luke, similar to Luke meeting Obi-Wan a generation before,
Luke demonstrates his nihilism, “you think I’m going to face
down the whole First Order with a laser sword?” Luke also
tells Rey, “I came to this island to die.” Rey recognizes that
Luke has “closed [himself] off from the Force”. Luke (like
Obi-Wan before) is struggling with the Eriksonian stage of
ego integrity vs. despair. Obi-wan’s death was a mystical
and bloodless suicide-by-Vader [1], similar to Luke’s death
as suicide-by-Kylo. As mentioned earlier, the Skywalker fam-
ily has a family history of suicide, “losing the will to live”, or
at least of “force ghosting” oneself with unclear motives.
Although Luke’s father (Darth Vader) did not die in The
Last Jedi, the authors of this paper would be remiss in not
pointing out the teaching points his passing raises for address-
ing aspects of medical ethics, end of life care, and suicide.
Darth Vader appears to engage in a suicidal act by asking
Luke to remove his mask at the end of Return of the Jedi,
knowing that this will kill him, merely so he could see Luke
“with [his] own eyes”. However, Vader also believed his death
was inevitable whether he kept his mask on or not (e.g., Luke:
“but you will die”; Vader: “nothing can stop that now”), so his
decision in this circumstance might be equivalent to a patient
asking to be taken off of life support in a futile care situation
rather than suicide. For his own personal reasons, Vader en-
gaged in an intentional action which hastened his demise rath-
er than causing it. He and Luke appear to be following the
classical bioethics principle of autonomy.
In conclusion, The Last Jedi includes many acts of self-
sacrifice, rather than a singular “I am your father” moment.
As demonstrated in this paper, it is important to consider an
individual’s motivation, culture, mental health, and under-
standing of their situation. Our hope is that in discussing the
various subtypes of suicidal and homicidal-suicidal actions in
the fictional Star Wars universe, we will enable trainees to
better understand the choices that people make in the real
world and how to better interpret and treat them.
Acad Psychiatry (2018) 42:503–509
Compliance with Ethical Standards
Ethical Considerations Not applicable/film review
Disclosures On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states
that there is no conflict of interest.
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