Rian Johnson stands by his treatment of Luke Skywalker in 'The Last Jedi'

Filmmaker Rian Johnson has defended the portrayal of iconic "Star Wars" character Luke Skywalker in "The Last Jedi" after being criticised by a user on social media. The "Knives Out" filmmaker, who helmed the penultimate movie in the beloved franchise's nine-part Skywalker saga, was accused of "destroying" the fan favourite character by a user on Twitter.

"This is the best-written explanation I've seen of how (Johnson) completely destroys the character of #LukeSkywalker and almost derailed the franchise," the user wrote. The man also hailed JJ Abrams, the director of latest instalment "The Rise of Skywalker", for undoing many of Johnson's creative decision.

Responding to the user, Johnson said it would be sad to reduce a hero to the level of a video game avatar and not explore his humanity. "I understand that point of view but I completely disagree with it. In fact, I think it disrespects the character of Luke by treating him not as a true mythic hero overcoming recurring wounds & flaws, but as a video game character who has achieved a binary, permanent power-up," the director wrote. Johnson has been facing the wrath of toxic "Star Wars" ever since he made "The Last Jedi". Though the film was hailed by the critics for its originality, the fans criticised it for several twists in the plot as well as killing a major character.