Mark Hamill praises bullied boy for following 'the Jedi way'
The Star Wars actor tweets kudos to 10-year-old Aiden Vazquez, who refused to go to the dark side by fighting back.
Mark Hamill commended a young fan thinking like a Jedi by not fighting bullies with violence.
A Jedi knows that when battling the dark side one must always take the high ground rather than immediately reach for a deadly lightsaber.
And that's exactly what 10-year-old Aiden Vazquez did when he was face-to-face with violent bullies at his Desert Hot Springs, California, school.
Aiden was hospitalized after bullies reportedly called him names, punched him in the face and stole his backpack at school on Monday. He left with several stitches to close a wound above his eyebrow.
When Aiden's mom asked why he didn't defend himself, the boy explained he was inspired by Jedi characters, according to ABC News.
He said he got the idea from Star Wars , and that fighting violence with violence is "not the Jedi way," she said.
SHOUT OUT to Aiden Vazquez for his courage & wisdom in the face of adversity. I'm so proud of you for showing that you can be a Jedi in real life. Congratulations, Aiden- The Force will be with YOU... Always!!!
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) August 29, 2018
Your fan, mh https://t.co/jkWqrhMaC0
Star Wars actor Mark Hamill heard about the story and commended the young fan on Twitter for his bravery.
"I'm so proud of you for showing that you can be a Jedi in real life," Hamill tweeted to Vazquez on Wednesday. "Congratulations, Aiden - The Force will be with YOU... Always!!! Your fan, mh."
If anyone understands the ways of the Force, it's Hamill, who's best known for playing iconic Jedi Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars films for over four decades. Considering the latest Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi, ended with Luke Skywalker using the force to avoid direct conflict, there's an interesting parallel there.
Hamill will star as Skywalker again in the yet-to-be-titled Star Wars Episode 9 that opens worldwide in theaters on Dec. 20, 2019.
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