George Lucas considered various characterizations for the protagonist ofthe originalStar Wars film.[u] The possibilities included a 60-year-old grizzled war hero, a Jedi Master, a dwarf, and a woman.[8][9] Luke's original surname was "Starkiller", and it remained in the script until a few months into filming. It was dropped due to what Lucas called "unpleasant connotations" withCharles Manson, who became a "star killer" in 1969 when he murdered the well-known actressSharon Tate.[10][11] Lucas replaced the problematic name "Starkiller" with "Skywalker".[12]
Luke's lack of screen time inThe Force Awakens was due to concerns by screenwriterMichael Arndt that his presence would distract from Rey, leading to an agreement that he be removed from the screen and instead become aplot device.[14][15] Hamill attended meetings for script readings, and helped conceal Luke's role in the film; instead of dialogue, he read stage directions. According to director and co-writerJ. J. Abrams, this allowed Hamill to remain involved and his reading helped make a "better experience for everyone."[16]
Portrayal
Mark Hamill was originally cast as Luke forStar Wars (1977). Other actors who auditioned for the role includeRobby Benson,William Katt,Kurt Russell, andCharles Martin Smith.[17][18] Hamill was injured in a car accident in January 1977, fracturing his nose and cheekbone.[19] Lucas justified the slight change to Hamill's likeness this would impose upon the sequel film,The Empire Strikes Back (1980), by asserting that in the interim between the two films, Luke had been fighting for the Rebel Alliance. It was speculated that thewampa attack at the beginning ofThe Empire Strikes Back was written in to explain his facial injuries, but Lucas disputed this in the DVD commentary of the film.[20]
Luke was introduced inStar Wars (1977), the first film of the original trilogy. He is portrayed by Mark Hamill in all three films of the trilogy. At the beginning of the film, Luke is living on a moisture farm on the desert planet Tatooine with his uncleOwen and auntBeru. After his uncle purchases the droidsC-3PO andR2-D2, Luke finds a message fromPrincess Leia ofAlderaan inside R2-D2. When R2-D2 goes missing, Luke goes out to search for the droid, and is saved fromTusken Raiders by Obi-Wan Kenobi, an elderly hermit. R2-D2 plays the message from Leia, in which she asks Obi-Wan to help her defeat the Galactic Empire. Obi-Wan says that he and Luke's father were once Jedi Knights, and that Luke's father was murdered by a traitorous Jedi named Darth Vader. Obi-Wan presents Luke with his father'slightsaber and offers to take him to Alderaan and train him in the ways ofthe Force. Luke declines his offer, feeling obligated to his family's farm.
Luke changes his mind when he finds thatImperial stormtroopers have killed his aunt and uncle. He and Obi-Wan travel toMos Eisley, where they meet the smugglersHan Solo andChewbacca. They hire the duo to take them to Alderaan on theMillennium Falcon, only to discover that it has been destroyed by theDeath Star, the Empire's battle station. TheFalcon is brought to the Death Star via tractor beam, and Luke and Han disguise themselves as stormtroopers to infiltrate the station. When they discover Leia is being held captive, Luke persuades Han and Chewbacca to help rescue her. Obi-Wan deactivates the tractor beam, then sacrifices his life in a duel with Vader so the others can escape. Luke joins the Rebel Alliance and pilots anX-wing during theBattle of Yavin. He and other Rebels attempt to destroy the Death Star by launching torpedoes into an exhaust port. As he approaches the port, Luke hears Obi-Wan's voice, telling him to trust his feelings. He switches off his ship's missile guidance system, instead using the Force to guide the torpedoes. After destroying the Death Star, Luke receives a medal of honor from Leia.
The Empire Strikes Back
Mark Hamill in 1980
Luke returns inThe Empire Strikes Back (1980). Three years after the destruction of the Death Star, Luke is now a commander in the Rebel Alliance.[21] While on the ice planetHoth, he is captured by awampa, but manages to escape. Obi-Wan appears to him as aForce spirit and urges him to complete his training with the Jedi Master Yoda. When the Empire discovers the Rebel base, Luke leads a squadron ofsnowspeeders against the opposingAT-AT walkers, but is forced to retreat. After escaping in his X-wing, he travels toDagobah and meets Yoda. He undergoes rigorous Jedi training, quickly expanding his Force abilities.
While on Dagobah, Luke has a vision of his friends in danger. Against the advice of both Obi-Wan and Yoda to stay and complete his training, he travels toCloud City to help them, unwittingly falling into a trap set by Vader. He engages in a lightsaber duel with Vader, and is overpowered. After severing Luke's hand, Vader reveals that he is Luke's father, and invites him to join the dark side of the Force and rule the galaxy with him. Luke throws himself into a chasm, and finds himself on the underside of Cloud City. Hanging onto a slender rod, he uses the Force to contact Leia, who is leaving in theFalcon. She hears his plea, and Chewbacca turns the ship around to rescue him. After Luke returns to the Rebel fleet, his severed hand is replaced with abio-mechanical one.
Return of the Jedi
A year later, Luke is a Jedi Knight and has constructed his own lightsaber.[21] At the beginning ofReturn of the Jedi (1983), he returns to Tatooine with Leia, Chewbacca andLando Calrissian to rescue Han, who was frozen incarbonite and delivered to the crime lordJabba the Hutt. Luke offers to negotiate with Jabba, who rejects his offer and imprisons him with a giant beast called arancor. When Luke kills the rancor, Jabba decides to execute him, Han and Chewbacca by casting them into aSarlacc pit. Luke escapes with R2-D2's help, saving his friends and destroying Jabba's sail barge. Luke returns to Dagobah, where he learns from a dying Yoda that Vader is indeed his father. Luke is then informed by Obi-Wan's spirit that he has a twin sister, whom he realizes is Leia. Both Yoda and Obi-Wan tell Luke that he must face Vader again to finish his training and save the galaxy, but he is disturbed by the idea of killing his father.
While his companions undertake a mission onEndor, Luke surrenders to Vader in an attempt to bring him back from the dark side. Vader takes his son to the second Death Star and brings him beforethe Emperor, who attempts to seduce him to the dark side. Luke lashes out at the Emperor with his lightsaber, but Vader blocks his strike, and the two of them duel once again. As Luke regains control of his emotions, Vader senses that he has a sister, and threatens to turn her to the dark side if Luke will not submit. Enraged, Luke overpowers Vader and severs his hand. The Emperor then orders Luke to kill Vader and take his place, but Luke refuses. The Emperor begins torturing Luke withForce lightning, and Luke calls out to his father for help. Vader hesitates, then throws the Emperor down a reactor shaft to his death. Mortally wounded, Vader asks his son to remove his mask, which allows Luke to look upon the face of Anakin Skywalker for the first time. On Endor, Luke burns his father's body on a funeral pyre. As the Rebels celebrate the destruction of the Death Star and the fall of the Empire, Luke sees Anakin's spirit appear alongside the spirits of Obi-Wan and Yoda.
Revenge of the Sith
In the prequel filmRevenge of the Sith (2005),Padmé Amidala gives birth to the twins Luke and Leia and then dies.Obi-Wan and Yoda agree to separate the twins in order to protect them from their father, Vader, and the newly createdGalactic Empire.Obi-Wan takes Luke to the desert planet Tatooine, where he is adopted by Vader's stepbrother, Owen Lars, and his wife Beru. Leia is adopted by SenatorBail Organa ofAlderaan. Both infants are portrayed by Aidan Barton, the son ofRoger Barton, an editor of the film.[22]
The first film of the sequel trilogy,The Force Awakens (2015), occurs thirty years after the destruction of the secondDeath Star.[21] Hamill reprises his role as Luke in all three films. The opening crawl ofThe Force Awakens reveals that Luke disappeared after his nephew and Jedi apprentice, Ben Solo, turned to the dark side and becameKylo Ren, a warlord of theFirst Order. TheResistance, led by Leia, manage to locate Luke on the planetAhch-To; the Force-sensitive scavenger Rey then travels to the planet and offers him his lightsaber. At the beginning ofThe Last Jedi (2017), Luke tosses the lightsaber aside. He refuses to talk to Rey, but eventually inquires about his family. Rey tells him about Han Solo's death at the hands of his son Ren, and explains that the First Order now rules the galaxy. She asks Luke to train her in the ways of the Force, but he is reluctant. He tells her it is time for the Jedi Order to end.
Mark Hamill (pictured in 2019) reprises the role of Luke in the sequel trilogy.
Luke eventually begins instructing Rey, but is afraid of her power. He tells her the history of the Jedi Order, and how Darth Sidious rose to power. He claims the Jedi were partly responsible for his father's fall to the dark side. Luke admits that he briefly considered killing his nephew after seeing a vision of the destruction he could cause; when Ben woke to see Luke with his lightsaber drawn, he felt betrayed and left his training. Rey urges Luke to help her redeem Ben, but he refuses. When Rey leaves, Luke tries to burn the Jedi temple, but fails. He is then visited by the spirit of Yoda, who assures him that he still has a purpose. Later, Luke appears onCrait, where the Resistance is besieged. He apologizes to Leia for allowing Ben to fall to the dark side, then steps in front of the First Order forces. He survives an onslaught of blaster fire, then engages Ren in lightsaber combat. Ren seemingly cuts through him, but Luke is unharmed; he is still on Ahch-To, having used the Force to project himself to Crait. He then collapses and becomes one with the Force. His battle with Ren gave the Resistance time to escape the planet.
Luke returns in the final film of the trilogy,The Rise of Skywalker (2019). After Rey defeats Ren in a lightsaber duel, she flies hisTIE fighter to Ahch-To, then burns the ship. When she throws Luke's lightsaber into the flames, he appears as a Force spirit and catches it. He reprimands her for treating the weapon with disrespect, and admits he was wrong not to participate in the Resistance. He thanks Rey for helping him rediscover himself, and urges her to continue her battle against the Sith. He gives her Leia's lightsaber and his X-wing for her journey toExegol. After Rey vanquishes Sidious, she visits the moisture farm where Luke was raised. When a passerby asks Rey who she is, she notices the spirits of Luke and Leia nearby, and replies "Rey Skywalker."
Series
Hamill portrays Luke in "Chapter 16: The Rescue", the season two finale of the live-action seriesThe Mandalorian. The Force-sensitive infantGrogu had contacted him ina previous episode, and Luke now arrives to collect him and begin his Jedi training. Luke also destroys a group ofDark Troopers that were threatening Grogu and his guardian,Din Djarin.[23]
The seriesThe Book of Boba Fett features Hamill as Luke in the episode "Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger". While training Grogu, Luke helps him remember some of his past, including his home at theJedi Temple onCoruscant and the events of theGreat Jedi Purge. Soon after, Djarin sends Luke a gift for Grogu: beskar chain mail forged bythe Armorer. Unsure whether Grogu is committed to the Jedi path, Luke decides to let the child choose his own destiny. He invites him to choose between the chain mail and a lightsaber that belonged toYoda.[24] In "Chapter 7: In The Name of Honor", it is revealed that Grogu chose the chain mail, which leads Luke to send him back to Djarin.[25]
Luke appears in two episodes of the animated web seriesForces of Destiny, voiced by Hamill. The episode "The Path Ahead" details his training with Yoda on Dagobah.[26] In "Traps and Tribulations", he and Leia help theEwoks stop a rampaging beast known as aGorax.[27] Grant Feely portrays Luke as a ten-year-old child in the seriesObi-Wan Kenobi (2022).
Novels and comics
The 2015 novelHeir to the Jedi takes place betweenStar Wars andThe Empire Strikes Back, and chronicles the adventures of Luke as he continues to battle the Empire with his Rebel companions.[28][29] He grows close with Nakari Kelen, a fellow Rebel, and he begins to develop his Force abilities. The novel is written from the first-person perspective of Luke, and is only the secondStar Wars novel to utilize this type of narrative voice.[v][28] Luke is featured in the junior novelThe Legends of Luke Skywalker, which was adapted as amanga.[30] He also appears in the 2015 comicStar Wars, which is set between the films of the original trilogy.[31] The 2022 novelShadow of the Sith, which is set betweenReturn of the Jedi andThe Force Awakens, follows Luke and Lando Calrissian as they search for Exegol.[32][33]
Following the acquisition ofLucasfilm byThe Walt Disney Company in 2012, most of the licensedStar Wars novels and comics produced between 1977 and 2014 were rebranded asStar Wars Legends and declared non-canon to the franchise. TheLegends works comprise a separate narrative universe.[w]
Novels
The novelThe Truce at Bakura (1997) takes place one day after the Battle of Endor. Luke and his friendWedge Antilles recover a message droid from the planet Bakura, which is being invaded by theSsi-Ruuk. Luke turns back the army and meets Dev Sibwarra, a Force-sensitive human who had been captured by the Ssi-Ruuk. Sibwarra is eventually killed after turning against his captors.[39]The Courtship of Princess Leia (1995) is set four years after the Battle of Endor. Luke travels to the planetDathomir, where he encounters the Force-sensitiveWitches of Dathomir. He discovers a prophecy stating that a Jedi will change the way of life on Dathomir, and he eventually realizes what the Force truly is. Luke destroys most of the Nightsisters—a group ofdark-side witches—and their leader Gethzirion. He also terminates Zsinj, the galaxy's most powerful warlord. Luke recovers Jedi records left by Yoda roughly 400 years prior, then decides to start a newJedi Academy.[40]
In theThrawn trilogy, Luke meetsMara Jade, the formerEmperor's Hand who is bound by Palpatine's disembodied voice that repeatedly commands "You will kill Luke Skywalker". Although she was ready to terminate Luke to stop the voice, she keeps him alive so he can help her escape from danger. Despite her threats, Luke learns about the spell Mara is under and vows to free her from it. Later, Luke and Mara fight against Luke's clone, Luuke Skywalker, a creation ofJoruus C'baoth. Mara destroys the clone and eliminates C'baoth with help from Leia. Mara's curse is then silenced.
Luke resigns his commission in the New Republic starfighter corps in theJedi Academy trilogy. He turns his attention to his Jedi studies and begins to rebuild the Jedi Order in theMassassi Temple onYavin 4, a decision some anti-Jedi politicians use against him. He is forced to contend with the spirit of the ancient Sith Lord Exar Kun, who lures one of his most powerful students, Kyp Durron, to the dark side. In theHand of Thrawn Duology, Luke is a Jedi Master. He works again with Mara, who has gained knowledge of the Force since her training at Luke's Jedi Academy. Luke falls in love with her and they eventually marry. InEdge of Victory: Rebirth, they have a son whom they nameBen, after Obi-Wan's alias.
Luke creates a NewJedi Council in theNew Jedi Order series. He envisions a conclave composed of Jedi, politicians and military officers. InForce Heretic: Remnant, he spearheads a mission to the Unknown Regions during theYuuzhan Vong invasion to find the mysterious planetZonama Sekot, which creates living starships. After the invaders are defeated, Luke leads the New Jedi Order on Denon, the temporary capital of the Galactic Alliance.
InThe Swarm War, the Order moves to Ossus, the site of Jedi temples and libraries that were mostly destroyed 4,000 years prior. Upon the Killik's invasion of Chiss space and the transformation of most of the Myrkr mission survivors into Killik Joiners, Luke deduces that the Killik's collective mind is being unconsciously controlled by a hive called the Dark Nest. The hive, in turn, is controlled by a former Nightsister namedLomi Plo, who became the Unseen Queen through her ability to become invisible by exploiting the doubts of inferiors. One of the Myrkr survivors, Alema Rar, suggests to Luke that Mara may be responsible for the death of his mother. Luke almost believes the lie due to Mara's previous role as the Emperor's Hand. His doubts are assuaged when he discovers several hologram recordings hidden in R2-D2's memory. He sees his father Force-choking his mother onMustafar, as well as his own birth and his mother's death. Luke defeats Lomi Plo in the final battle of the Swarm War, cutting her into four pieces.
In theLegacy of the Force series, a schism develops between Luke and his nephew,Jacen Solo. Already a powerful Jedi, Jacen has begun adopting radical interpretations of the Force, which causes a dramatic change in his personality and makes Luke afraid that he will fall to the dark side. During this time, Luke begins having visions of a dark figure destroying the galaxy and the Jedi. The situation worsens inBloodlines, when Luke's sonBen becomes Jacen's apprentice. InTempest, Luke determines that the figure from his visions isLumiya, a former Emperor's Hand now known as the "Dark Lady of the Sith".
When Mara is murdered inSacrifice, Lumiya convinces Luke that she killed her. They battle, and Luke saves Lumiya from falling to her death so that he can kill her himself. However, he later realizes that Lumiya could not have killed Mara. He breaks down over the death of his wife, knowing that her murderer is still at large. He does not realize that the killer is Jacen, who has taken theSith name Darth Caedus. InRevelation, Ben proves that Jacen killed Mara, but Luke is reluctant to destroy Jacen, fearing that he or Ben may fall to the dark side in the process. The decision is taken out of his hands inInvincible, when Jaina kills Jacen in a lightsaber duel.
TheFate of the Jedi novels are set about forty years after the originalStar Wars film. Now in his sixties, Luke is deposed from his position as Grand Master and exiled from Coruscant. He will be allowed to return if he can discover why Jacen fell to the dark side. Luke and Ben embark on a journey together, exploring dangerous and little-known parts of the galaxy. They learn about each other, about the Force, and about the great dangers threatening the Jedi. The love between them grows greater as they repeatedly save each other's lives.
The Matthew Stover novelLuke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor (2008) takes place shortly afterReturn of the Jedi and the novelProphets of the Dark Side. Luke and the Rebel Alliance are attempting to stop Lord Shadowspawn and his "shadow stormtroopers", a struggle which culminates in the Battle of Mindor.[41] Stover saidShadows of Mindor was meant to evokeBrian Daley's Han Solo novels, which are Stover's favoriteStar Wars books.[42]
Comics
Luke appears in theMarvel-published comic adaptations of the original trilogy, as well as an ongoing series that ran from 1977 to 1986. He also appears in numerous titles released byDark Horse Comics, includingStar Wars: Legacy.[43] In this series, which takes place 125 years after the events of the original trilogy, Luke appears to his descendantCade Skywalker as a Force spirit. He persuades Cade to once again become a Jedi in order to defeatDarth Krayt and his burgeoning Sith Empire.
In regards to Luke's portrayal inThe Last Jedi, some fans expressed disappointment in how he was depicted "as a grumpy old man whose failures had driven him into hiding" and the actions the character takes in contributing to Kylo Ren's backstory.[44] Hamill originally stated that he fundamentally disagreed with "every choice [The Last Jedi directorRian Johnson] made for this character," but that he had the utmost respect for Johnson and was willing to do his part to realize Johnson's vision.[45]
^Hollis, Tim; Ehrbar, Greg (August 16, 2011).Mouse Tracks: The Story of Walt Disney Records. Univ. Press of Mississippi.ISBN9781617034336. RetrievedApril 10, 2025.With an exhausting repertoire of voices from original creations to on-target impressions of numerous talents such as John Huston, Orson Bean, and Ed Wynn, Burton appeared on dozens of Disneyland and Buena Vista read-alongs, including a stint as Luke Skywalker on theStar Wars records that impressed Mark Hamill. "It may have been Tony Pope who told him that I did the impression for the read along, and Tony had copies with him," Burton remembers. "The next time I saw Mark he said, 'Boy you sounded exactly like me! How do you do that?'"
Hidalgo, Pablo; Sansweet, Stephen (2008).The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia. Vol. II (First ed.). New York: Del Rey.ISBN9780345477637.
Rinzler, J.W. (2007).The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film (eBook v3.1 ed.). New York: Del Rey.ISBN978-0-345-54286-1.
Rinzler, J.W. (2008).The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film (2008 ed.). Ebury Press.ISBN978-0-09-192499-7.
Rinzler, J.W. (2010).The Making of The Empire Strikes Back (eBook v3.1 ed.). New York: Del Rey.ISBN978-0-345-54336-3.
Further reading
Miller, Martin (Summer 1981). "The Appeal of Star Wars: A psychoanalytic view".American Imago.38 (2). Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press:203–220.
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