Luke Skywalker

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Luke Skywalker
Star Wars character
Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi and The Last Jedi.jpg
Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi (top) and The Last Jedi
First appearance Star Wars (1977)
Created by George Lucas
Portrayed by
Voiced byVarious  [lower-alpha 1]
In-universe information
Full nameLuke Skywalker
SpeciesHuman
GenderMale
Occupation
  • Moisture farmer
  • Jedi Apprentice
  • Jedi Knight
Affiliation
Family
Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi
Yoda
ApprenticesLeia Organa Solo
Ben Solo
Grogu
Rey
Homeworld Tatooine

Luke Skywalker is a character in the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. He is the protagonist of the original film trilogy, and also appears in the sequel trilogy. Raised as a farmer on the fictional planet Tatooine, Luke joins the Rebel Alliance and becomes a pivotal figure in the struggle against the Galactic Empire. He trains as a Jedi under Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda, and eventually confronts his father, the Sith Lord Darth Vader. Years later, Luke trains his nephew Ben Solo and mentors the scavenger Rey. Luke is the twin brother of Leia Organa Solo.

Contents

The character is portrayed by Mark Hamill in all six films and in the series The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett . Luke also appears in animated series, novels, comics, and video games.

Creation and development

George Lucas considered various characterizations for the protagonist of the original Star Wars film. [lower-alpha 2] The possibilities included a 60-year-old grizzled war hero, a Jedi Master, a dwarf, and a woman. [1] [2] 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" with Charles Manson, who became a "star killer" in 1969 when he murdered the well-known actress Sharon Tate. [3] [4] Lucas replaced the problematic name "Starkiller" with "Skywalker". [5]

Hamill was injured in a car crash in January 1977, fracturing his nose and cheekbone. [6] 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 the Wampa attack at the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back was written in to explain his facial injuries, but George Lucas specifically disputed this in the DVD commentary of the film. [7]

Appearances

Films

A New Hope (1977)

In a deleted scene preceding the character's first appearance in the film (preserved in the film's radio dramatization), [8] Luke says goodbye to his best friend Biggs Darklighter, who has just joined the Imperial Academy. [9]

In the original 1977 film (later having the extended title, A New Hope), Luke lives at a moisture farm on the desert planet of Tatooine with his uncle Owen and aunt Beru. Luke takes his first steps toward his destiny when he purchases the droids C-3PO and R2-D2. While examining R2-D2, he sees a message from Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan. When R2-D2 goes missing, Luke goes out to search for the droid, and is saved from a band of Tusken Raiders by Obi-Wan Kenobi, an old hermit. Luke and Obi-Wan retreat to the latter's home, and R2-D2 plays the full message for Obi-Wan from Leia, beseeching him to help her defeat the Galactic Empire. Obi-Wan says that he and Luke's father were once Jedi Knights, and that his father was murdered by a traitorous Jedi named Darth Vader. Obi-Wan presents Luke with his father's lightsaber and offers to take him to Alderaan and train him in the ways of the Force, but Luke declines his offer, feeling obligated to his family's farm.

Luke changes his mind when he returns home to find out that Imperial stormtroopers have raided the moisture farm, killing his aunt and uncle. He and Obi-Wan then travel to Mos Eisley, where they meet smugglers Han Solo and Chewbacca at a cantina. They team up and travel on the Millennium Falcon to Alderaan, only to find out that it has been destroyed by the Death Star, the Empire's battle station. The Falcon is brought into the Death Star's hangar bay via tractor beam, where Luke and Han disguise themselves as stormtroopers and infiltrate the station. When they discover Princess Leia is there, Luke persuades a reluctant Han and Chewbacca to help rescue her. Obi-Wan deactivates the tractor beam, and he later sacrifices his life in a duel with Vader, so that Luke and his friends can board the Falcon and escape.

During the Battle of Yavin, Luke joins the Rebel Alliance in attacking the Death Star. In the trench leading to the Death Star's exhaust port, Luke hears Obi-Wan's voice, telling him to "trust his feelings"; he takes Obi-Wan's advice and switches off his X-wing's missile guidance system, instead using the Force to guide the missiles and destroy the Death Star. In the film's final scene, he joins Han and Chewbacca in receiving a medal of honor for his heroism.

The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Mark Hamill in 1980 Amerikaanse akteur Mark Hamill die de rol speelt van Luke Skywalker in de film , Bestanddeelnr 931-2165.jpg
Mark Hamill in 1980

Three years after the destruction of the Death Star, Luke is now the commander of the Rebel Alliance's Rogue Squadron. [10] While on a mission on the ice planet Hoth, he is captured by a wampa, but manages to escape using his lightsaber. In the frozen wasteland, he sees Obi-Wan's Force spirit, who tells him to travel to the planet Dagobah and complete his training with the Jedi Master Yoda. Luke collapses but is later rescued by Han. When the Empire discovers the Rebel base on Hoth, Luke leads his squadron of snowspeeders to battle the enemy's AT-ATs , but he is forced to retreat when his wingmen are overwhelmed. Escaping in his X-wing, he travels to Dagobah and meets Yoda. He undergoes rigorous Jedi training, quickly increasing his power in the Force.

During his training, Luke sees a vision of his friends in danger. Against both Obi-Wan and Yoda's advice to stay and complete his training, he travels to Bespin to save them, unwittingly falling into a trap set by Vader. He engages in a lightsaber duel with Vader. As his mentors warned, Luke proves to be no match for Vader; the Sith Lord easily overpowers Luke and severs his right hand. Vader then reveals that he is Luke's father, and offers him the chance to turn to the dark side of the Force and rule the galaxy at his side. Resolving that he would rather die than become an agent of evil, Luke throws himself into a deep reactor chasm. He survives, but is pulled into a garbage chute to the underside of Cloud City, and left hanging perilously onto a vane rod. Leia, flying away from Cloud City in the Millennium Falcon, senses Luke's call out to her with the Force, and turns the ship around to save him. Aboard the ship, he hears Vader telepathically telling him that it is his destiny to join the dark side. Luke's severed hand is replaced with a bio-mechanical one.

Return of the Jedi (1983)

One year later, Luke is a Jedi Knight, [11] and has constructed his own lightsaber. [lower-alpha 3] He returns to Tatooine with Leia, Chewbacca, the droids, and Lando Calrissian to save Han, frozen in carbonite, from the crime lord Jabba the Hutt. Luke offers to negotiate with Jabba, who rejects his offer and casts him into a pit to battle a rancor. When Luke kills the rancor, he, Han, and Chewbacca are sentenced to death in the sarlacc pit. Luke escapes with R2-D2's help, saving his friends and destroying Jabba's sail barge.

Luke returns to Dagobah, and learns from a dying Yoda that Vader is indeed his father. Luke then learns from Obi-Wan's spirit that he has a twin sister, whom he immediately realizes is princess Leia. Both Jedi Masters 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 own father.

Arriving on Endor as part of a Rebel commando squad, Luke surrenders to Vader in an attempt to bring his father back from the dark side of the Force. Vader brings Luke to the second Death Star orbiting around Endor, where his master, Emperor Palpatine, tries to tempt Luke to the dark side, revealing his plan to destroy the Rebel fleet. Luke lashes out at the Emperor with his lightsaber, but Vader blocks his strike, and father and son once again duel with each other. Luke regains control of his emotions until Vader senses that Luke has a sister, and threatens to turn her to the dark side if Luke will not submit. Luke snaps and overpowers Vader, severing his father's mechanical right hand. The Emperor orders Luke to kill Vader and take his place. Luke looks at his own bionic hand and realizes that he is on the verge of suffering his father's fate. He casts his lightsaber aside, declaring himself a Jedi.

Furious, the Emperor tortures Luke with Force lightning. In agony, Luke calls out to his father for help; unwilling to let his son die, Vader throws the Emperor down a reactor shaft to his death, but is mortally wounded by the Emperor's Force lightning in the process. As Rebel fighters head toward the second Death Star's main reactor, Luke removes Vader's mask and looks upon his father's real face for the first and last time. The redeemed Anakin Skywalker reassures Luke that there was good in him after all, and to tell his sister that he was right about him, before dying peacefully. On Endor, Luke burns his father's body on a funeral pyre, giving him a proper Jedi funeral. During the Rebels' victory celebrations on Endor, Luke sees his father's spirit appear alongside those of Obi-Wan and Yoda.

Prequel trilogy

Revenge of the Sith (2005)

In the prequel film Revenge of the Sith (2005), during the waning days of the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and the Separatists, Senator Padmé Amidala, wife of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, becomes pregnant with Luke and Leia. Anakin has a prophetic vision of Padmé dying in childbirth, and allows Chancellor Palpatine – secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious – to corrupt him to the dark side as Darth Vader.

After Vader uses the dark side to choke her, Padmé is taken to Polis Massa, where she gives birth to Luke and Leia and dies, having lost the will to live after Vader's betrayal. Obi-Wan and Yoda agree to separate the twins in order to protect them from the Sith and the newly created Galactic Empire. Obi-Wan takes Luke to the desert planet Tatooine, where he is adopted by Vader's stepbrother, Owen Lars, and his wife, Beru, while Leia is adopted by Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan. The infant Luke is portrayed by Aidan Barton, the son of Roger Barton, an editor of the film. [13]

Sequel trilogy

The Force Awakens (2015)
Mark Hamill reprised the role of Luke in The Force Awakens (2015) Mark Hamill by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg
Mark Hamill reprised the role of Luke in The Force Awakens (2015)

In the first installment of the sequel trilogy, The Force Awakens (2015), the opening crawl reveals that Luke Skywalker had mysteriously vanished some time in the 30 years after the destruction of the second Death Star. Luke went into hiding after his nephew and apprentice, Ben Solo, turned to the dark side and became Kylo Ren, a warlord of the tyrannical First Order and its leader, Snoke. When Ren killed all of his fellow apprentices and ushered in the fall of the New Republic, Luke felt responsible, and disappeared. At the end of the film, the Resistance, led by Leia, manage to reconstruct a map, which traces the location of the temple from the Empire's archives to his location, and he is subsequently found on the planet Ahch-To by the young scavenger, Rey, who presents him with the lightsaber previously wielded by both Luke and his father.

The Last Jedi (2017)

In The Last Jedi (2017), Luke throws the lightsaber away after Rey gives it to him. He then seals himself in his home, refusing to talk to Rey. However, when he sees Chewbacca without Han and that Rey came on the Millennium Falcon, he inquires about what has gone on with his family. Rey informs Luke about Solo's death at the hands of Kylo Ren and that the First Order has risen to rule the galaxy. Rey asks Luke to train her in the ways of the Force. Luke is initially reluctant to train Rey, telling her that it is time for the Jedi Order to end.

After some persuasion from R2-D2, however, Luke starts training Rey, but grows increasingly afraid of her power. Luke then tells Rey the history of the Jedi Order, how Darth Sidious rose to power and how the Jedi were partly responsible for his father's fall to the dark side. Luke also initially tells Rey that Ben was corrupted by Snoke, and destroyed the Jedi Temple he confronted his treasonous nephew. Ultimately, however, Luke tells Rey the truth: He had briefly considered killing the sleeping Ben after seeing a vision of the destruction he could cause, but immediately relented; Ben woke to see Luke with his lightsaber drawn and turned to the dark side because he felt betrayed. Upon learning this, Rey urges Luke to help her redeem Ben, but he refuses to participate in this nor help the Resistance. When Rey leaves, an embittered Luke tries to burn the Jedi temple, but fails. He is then visited by the spirit of Yoda, who assures Luke that he still has a purpose.

Luke appears on the planet Crait, as the Resistance are staging a standoff against the First Order, and he apologizes to Leia for allowing Ben to fall to the dark side. Luke steps in front of the First Order walkers, and unexpectedly survives an onslaught of blaster fire ordered by Ren. Ren charges at Luke in hand-to-hand combat, seemingly bisecting him with his lightsaber, but Luke remains unscathed; still on Ahch-To, Luke has sent a projection of himself to Crait, using the Force. This distraction allows the Resistance to escape the planet. Luke tells Kylo that he will not be the last Jedi before his projection disappears. On Ahch-To, Luke collapses then looks off in the horizon to see the planet's two suns setting before he becomes one with the Force and vanishes.

The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

Luke appears briefly in The Rise of Skywalker , the ninth and final chapter of the main series. [14] When Rey discovers her lineage as the resurrected Emperor Palpatine's granddaughter, she exiles herself on Ahch-To, just as Luke had. Meaning to isolate herself, she throws Luke's lightsaber towards the burning wreckage of Ren's TIE whisper, in which she had traveled to her new home. Luke appears as a Force spirit, and reprimands Rey for treating the lightsaber with disrespect. Luke then admits that he was wrong not to participate in the Resistance, and thanks Rey for helping him rediscover himself. Luke convinces Rey to not view herself as a Palpatine, but as the good person Leia saw her as when training her, and not to give up on her battle against the Sith. Luke lends Rey his old T-65B X-wing Red Five and tells Rey to combine his father's lightsaber with Leia's in her battle on Exegol. He also restrengthened Rey when she reached out to and heard the voices of the past Jedi to help her destroy Palpatine once and for all.

After Rey vanquishes Palpatine once and for all, she visits the moisture farm on Tatooine where Luke was raised. She buries Luke and Leia's lightsabers, revealing that she has constructed her own. A local asks Rey who she is. As Leia, who died earlier, and Luke appear as Force spirits, Rey names herself Rey Skywalker.

Television series

Luke appears in the animated Disney micro-series Star Wars Forces of Destiny (with Hamill reprising his role). The episode "The Path Ahead" details him training with Yoda on Dagobah. [15] He also appears in the episode "Traps and Tribulations", which takes place shortly after the Battle of Endor and shows him and Leia assisting the Ewoks in stopping a rampaging monster known as a Gorax. [16]

Luke appears in "Chapter 16: The Rescue", the season two finale of The Mandalorian , after Grogu contacted him via the Force in a previous episode. Luke arrives on Moff Gideon's cruiser and destroys all of the Dark Troopers, saving Grogu and his guardian, Din Djarin, as well as their companions. Luke then takes Grogu with him to train him as a Jedi, with Djarin's permission. [17]

Luke appears in the sixth episode, "Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger", of the spin-off series The Book of Boba Fett . While training Grogu, he helps him remember some of his past, including his home at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and the events of the Great Jedi Purge. Djarin comes to visit Grogu, but decides against it after speaking with Ahsoka Tano, not wanting to hinder his training; however, he gives Ahsoka a gift to deliver to Grogu: beskar chain mail forged by the Armorer. Ahsoka gives the chain mail to Luke, who confesses that he is unsure whether Grogu is fully committed to the Jedi path and that he does not know how to handle the matter. Following Ahsoka's advice to listen to his instincts, Luke decides to let Grogu choose his own destiny by asking him to choose between the chain mail and the lightsaber of his old master, Yoda. [18] In the seventh episode, "Chapter 7: In The Name of Honour", it is revealed that Grogu chose the chain mail, leading Luke to send him back to Djarin. He places him in his X-wing starfighter, which is then flown to Tatooine by R2-D2, where Grogu and Djarin are eventually reunited. [19]

Literature

Luke is the main character of the novel Heir to the Jedi and the junior novel The Legends of Luke Skywalker (the latter of which was adapted as a manga). [20] He is also a main character of the 2015 comic Star Wars, which takes place between the films of the original trilogy. [21]

Star Wars: Heir to the Jedi was announced as one of the first four canon novels to be released in 2014 and 2015. [22] Set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, Heir to the Jedi chronicles the adventures of Luke as he continues to battle the Empire with his Rebel friends, [23] grows close with fellow Rebel Nakari Kelen, and begins to develop his Force abilities. The novel is written from the first-person perspective of Luke, and is only the second Star Wars novel to attempt this type of narrative voice. [lower-alpha 4] [23]

Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith is a novel set between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. The book follows Luke and Lando Calrissian on a mission to locate Exegol. [24]

Legends

In April 2014, most of the licensed Star Wars novels and comics produced since the originating 1977 film Star Wars were rebranded by Lucasfilm as Star Wars Legends and declared non-canon to the franchise. [25] [26] [22] The Legends-branded novels, comic books and video games detail Luke's exploits following Return of the Jedi. [27]

Novels

In the novel The Truce at Bakura , set one day after the battle of Endor, Luke and his friend Wedge Antilles recover a message droid from the titular planet, which was being invaded by the Ssi-Ruuk. Luke commands a task force, turning back the enemy army. He also meets Dev Sibwarra, a Force-sensitive human who had been captured by the Ssi-Ruuk, who is killed in the battle after turning against his captors. [28]

In the novel The Courtship of Princess Leia , set four years after the Battle of Endor, Luke travels to the planet Dathomir. There, he discovers a group of Force-sensitive witches called the Witches of Dathomir, banded into two separate groups: a collective of benign, matriarchal clans; the one he is in contact with being the Singing Mountain Clan, and the witches who have turned to the dark side, called the Nightsisters. Discovering a prophecy in which it was told a Jedi would change the way of life on the land, Luke eventually realizes truly what the Force is for the first time in his life. While there, he destroys most of the Nightsisters (including their powerful leader, Gethzirion, and the galaxy's most powerful remaining warlord, Warlord Zsinj). Thanks to the help of the prophecy and witches, Luke recovers old Jedi records left by Yoda about 400 years prior. He decides to start a new Jedi Academy, something he has been trying to do for six months before the start of the novel by finding old Jedi records and archives. [29]

In the Thrawn trilogy, Luke meets former Emperor's Hand Mara Jade, who is bound by Palpatine's disembodied voice that repeatedly commands "You will kill Luke Skywalker". Mara Jade is working with her boss, a fringe-of-the-galaxy smuggler named Talon Karrde, who also plays a crucial role in this era. Although she was ready to fulfill that order to stop the voice, circumstances force her to keep him alive long enough to have him help escape a mutual danger. Despite her threats, Luke learns of the spell Mara is under and vows to free her from it. Meanwhile, the rest of the New Republic is fighting against Grand Admiral Thrawn, and thanks to Leia's help, he is eventually defeated, although several times Luke had to avoid getting captured by Thrawn or seduced by his ally, Joruus C'baoth. Eventually, he and Jade fight against Luke's clone, Luuke Skywalker, C'baoth's creation. During the fight, Mara Jade destroys the clone and, with Leia's help, destroys C'baoth. This entire time, C'baoth has been obsessed with "molding" Luke and Mara to serve him, perhaps due to the fact that the Spaarti cloning cylinders he was made from have a reputation of turning people insane later in life. Nonetheless, C'baoth is defeated by Mara along with Luuke, and Mara's acts silences her curse and completes her reconciliation with the Jedi, whom she later joins. [30]

In the Jedi Academy trilogy, Luke resigns his commission in the New Republic's starfighter corps to pursue his Jedi studies and rebuild the Jedi Order in the Massassi Temple on Yavin 4, a decision some anti-Jedi politicians use against him. Luke becomes the New Jedi Order's leader. His students in the ways of the Force include; Gantoris, Kam Solusar, Tionne, Streen, Cilghal, Kirana Ti and others. He is forced to contend with the spirit of ancient Sith Lord Exar Kun, who lures one of his most powerful students, Kyp Durron, to the dark side.

In the Hand of Thrawn Duology , Luke, now a Jedi Master, works again with Mara Jade, who has learned to better her Force knowledge since her training at Luke's Jedi Academy. He falls in love with her and they eventually marry. Later, in Edge of Victory: Rebirth , they have a son whom they name Ben, after Obi-Wan Kenobi's pseudonym.

In the New Jedi Order series, Luke creates a New Jedi Council. He idealises a new conclave, made up of Jedi, politicians and military officers. In Force Heretic: Remnant , he spearheads the mission into the Unknown Regions during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion to find the mysterious planet of Zonama Sekot, a planet that creates living starships. After the invasion is defeated with the help of the new Mandalorian Warriors, a Sekotian fleet and a Galactic Alliance-Imperial Remnant fleet, Luke leads the New Jedi Order on Denon, the temporary capital of the Galactic Alliance and the site of the newly rebuilt Jedi Temple on Coruscant. In The Swarm War , the New Jedi 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 determines that the Killik's collective mind is being unconsciously controlled by a hive called the Dark Nest. The Dark Nest is controlled by a former Nightsister named Lomi Plo, who became their Unseen Queen with her ability to become invisible by exploiting the doubts of inferiors.

One of the Myrkr mission survivors, Alema Rar, attempts to plant seeds of doubt in Luke's mind by suggesting that his wife, Mara, may be somehow responsible for the death of his mother, Padmé Amidala, which he almost believes because of Mara's previous role as the Emperor's Hand. This allows Lomi to escape from Luke, who discovers recordings of his father Force-choking his mother on Mustafar, his own birth, and his mother's death hidden inside R2-D2's memory drive. Because of this, he is able to overcome his doubts about Mara and defeat Lomi Plo in the final battle of the Swarm War, cutting her into four pieces.

Luke creates a New Jedi Council, and becomes the Grand Master of the New Jedi Order. He tells the Jedi to either follow his leadership, make the order their priority, or leave. Luke is also forced to exile the Padawans Tahiri, Lowbacca, and Tesar Sebatayne to Dagobah for divulging secret information to people outside the order.

In the Legacy of the Force series, Luke begins having visions of a figure cloaked in darkness destroying the galaxy and the Jedi. Luke is troubled that he has been unable to discern the identity of this figure, who seems to be much like Darth Vader. Complicating matters even more is the recent schism that has developed between Luke and his nephew, Jacen Solo. Already a tremendously powerful Jedi Knight, Jacen has begun adopting radical interpretations of the Force, causing a dramatic change in his personality. Luke fears that Jacen is pursuing the same path that ultimately led to Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side.

In Bloodlines , the situation worsens when Luke's son, Ben, becomes Jacen's apprentice. Luke must also battle his wife, who refuses to confront Jacen for fear of alienating Ben. In Tempest , Luke determines that the dark figure from his dreams is Lumiya, a former Emperor's Hand now known as the "Dark Lady of the Sith". When Mara is murdered in Sacrifice , Lumiya deceives Luke into believing that she killed her. They battle again, and Luke saves a weaponless Lumiya from falling to her death simply so that he can kill her himself. Luke returns to Coruscant where he is found by Ben, standing guard over Mara's body; upon speaking with his son, he realizes that Lumiya could not have killed her. Later in his private cabin, Luke breaks down over the death of his wife, knowing that her murderer is still at large. He does not realize that the killer is his own nephew, Jacen, who has now taken the Sith name Darth Caedus. In Revelation , Ben proves that Jacen killed Mara, but Luke is now reluctant to kill Jacen out of fear that he or his son will fall to the dark side in the process. The decision is taken out of his hands in Invincible , when Jaina kills Jacen in a final lightsaber duel.

In Fate of the Jedi novels, set about 40 years after the first film, Luke Skywalker, now in his early sixties, is deposed by the government from his position as Grand Master, and exiled from Coruscant. However, if he finds the reason of why Jacen Solo fell to the dark side, he can be allowed to return. Ben insists on coming with him. Together, father and son explore dangerous and little-known portions of the galaxy. Luke and Ben learn much about each other, about the Force, and about the great dangers threatening the Jedi. The great love the two surviving Skywalkers have for each other grows even greater as they repeatedly save each other's lives and explore the limits and powers and mysteries of the Force.

Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor

Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor is a standalone novel that chronicles the Battle of Mindor, a fictional event in the Star Wars expanded universe. The novel was written by Matthew Stover and released in December 2008. [31]

The novel is set shortly after Return of the Jedi and the novel Prophets of the Dark Side , with Luke Skywalker and the Rebel Alliance attempting to stop Lord Shadowspawn and his "shadow stormtroopers", culminating in the Battle of Mindor. [31] Matthew Stover has said on his personal weblog, [32]

Comic books

Luke Skywalker appears in the Marvel-published Star Wars comics adaptations of the original trilogy, as well as an ongoing series that ran from 1977 to 1986. When Dark Horse acquired the license two years later, he appeared in numerous projects based on the franchise as well. In Star Wars: Legacy , set 125 years after the events of the original films, Luke appears as a spirit in the Force to his descendant Cade Skywalker and persuades him to once again become a Jedi in order to defeat the evil Darth Krayt and his burgeoning Sith Empire.

Characterization

Psychoanalytic

Each of the Star Wars characters instantiates one of the archetypes in Joseph Campbell's hero's journey, [33] with Luke Skywalker filling the hero archetype. [34] As such, he is a relatable protagonist who encounters the basic struggle between good and evil in the same way as other heroic figures such as Harry Potter, Bilbo Baggins, and Jesus Christ. Luke's central dilemma is the ongoing war between good and evil, both externally and internally.

Religious

Some argue that Luke mirrors fundamental values of Christianity and Abrahamic religion; Luke's journey is often compared to that of Jesus Christ. Scholars argue that Luke is a Christ-like figure, while Yoda represents a god, and Darth Vader represents the temptations of evil. Luke's struggle between good and evil is contrasted with that of his father, Anakin Skywalker, in a way that represents the story of the Prodigal Son. [35]

Reception

In regards to Luke's portrayal in The Last Jedi, many 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, a stark departure in how Luke was characterized in the original trilogy. [36] Hamill originally stated that he "pretty much fundamentally [disagreed] with every choice [The Last Jedi director Rian 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. [37]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ In addition to Mark Hamill, voice performers include Eric Bauza, Bob Bergen, Joshua Fardon and Lloyd Floyd.
  2. ↑ The film was originally titled Star Wars, then later retitled Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope.
  3. ↑ Phil Szostak notes that Luke's lightsaber design reflects that of Obi-Wan Kenobi's. [12]
  4. ↑ The first was Michael A. Stackpole's 1997 Expanded Universe novel, I, Jedi .

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Count Dooku of Serenno, also known by his Sith name Darth Tyranus, is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, created by George Lucas. He is an antagonist in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, appearing in both Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) and Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), played by Christopher Lee, as well as associated media, such as books, comics, video games, and television series. Actor Corey Burton has voiced Dooku in most of his animated and video game appearances, most notably Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003–2005), Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and the miniseries Tales of the Jedi (2022). Lee reprised the role in the 2008 animated film that launched The Clone Wars series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qui-Gon Jinn</span> Fictional character in the Star Wars universe

Qui-Gon Jinn is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, played by Liam Neeson. He is a main character in the prequel film trilogy, serving as one of the protagonists of The Phantom Menace (1999). He appears briefly as a Force ghost in the 2008 animated series The Clone Wars, the season finale of the 2022 live-action series Obi-Wan Kenobi, along with Attack of the Clones and The Rise of Skywalker as a disembodied voice, with Neeson reprising his role in all of the above. Qui-Gon also appears in two episodes of Tales of the Jedi, which depicts some scenes from his life before the events of The Phantom Menace; Neeson voices adult Qui-Gon in the series, while his son Micheál Richardson voices Qui-Gon as a padawan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R2-D2</span> Fictional character from Star Wars

R2-D2 or Artoo-Detoo is a fictional robot character in the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. He has appeared in ten of the eleven theatrical Star Wars films to date, including every movie in the original trilogy, prequel trilogy, and sequel trilogy. At various points throughout the course of the films, R2, an astromech droid, is a friend to C-3PO, Padmé Amidala, Anakin Skywalker, Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. R2-D2 and his companion C-3PO are the only characters to appear in every theatrical Star Wars film, with the exception of Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoda</span> Fictional character in the Star Wars universe

Yoda is a character in the Star Wars franchise. He is a small, green humanoid alien who is powerful with The Force. He is a Jedi Master and a leader in the Jedi Order. Frank Oz voices and puppeteers Yoda in the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back, which was the character's first appearance. Oz voices Yoda in five additional films, puppeteering him in three of them. Yoda also appears in animated series, comics, novels, video games and commercials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacen Solo</span> Character in Star Wars

Jacen Solo is a fictional character in literature based on the Star Wars film series, set in what is now designated as the original-canon Star Wars Legends continuity. The son of Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo, as well as the nephew of Luke Skywalker, he is a major character in several novels, particularly the New Jedi Order series. He becomes the antagonist of the Legacy of the Force series under the name Darth Caedus. Jacen's other familial connections of note to his native continuity include being the brother of Jaina Solo and Anakin Solo as well as the cousin of Ben Skywalker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skywalker family</span> Fictional family in the Star Wars series

The Skywalker family is a fictional legendary human family in the Star Wars franchise. Within the series' fictional universe, the Skywalkers are presented as a bloodline with strong inherent capabilities related to the Force and sometimes lightsaber skills. Luke Skywalker, his twin sister Princess Leia Organa, and their father Darth Vader are central characters in the original Star Wars film trilogy. Darth Vader, in his previous identity as Anakin Skywalker, is a lead character in the prequel film trilogy and so is his wife and the twins' mother Padmé Amidala; while his mother Shmi is a minor character in the first and second films respectively. Leia and Han Solo's son, Ben Solo, renamed himself Kylo Ren and is the main antagonist in the sequel film trilogy, while they and Luke serve as supporting characters. Shmi, Padmé, and Han are the only members who are not Force-sensitive. The Skywalker bloodline, alongside the Palpatine bloodline, are the two bloodlines that are the strongest with the Force.

Lego Star Wars: Revenge of the Brick is a brickfilm loosely based on Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Revenge of the Brick premiered on Cartoon Network on May 8, 2005, at 7:00 p.m. EST. The movie can now be seen in QuickTime format on the Lego website or directly downloaded. It was also released with the Clone Wars Volume Two DVD as one of its special features.

Star Wars Infinities is a graphic novel trilogy published by Dark Horse Comics from 2002 to 2004. It tells a non-canon alternate version of each film in the original Star Wars trilogy in which a point of divergence occurs and changes the outcome of the story. Each individual Infinities story is unrelated to the others and is set within the timeline of their original film.

<i>Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith</i> (novel) 2005 novelization of the film of the same name

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith is a novelization of the film of the same name, written by Matthew Stover and published on April 2, 2005, by Del Rey Books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sith</span> Organization in the Star Wars series

The Sith are the main antagonists of many works in the fictional universe of the Star Wars franchise. They are the antithesis and ancient enemies of the Jedi. The Sith Order is depicted as an ancient cult of warriors who draw strength from the dark side of the Force and use it to seize power by any means necessary, including terrorism and mass murder; their ultimate goals are to destroy the Jedi and rule the galaxy. The various antagonistic factions in the franchise, namely the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the First Galactic Empire, the Imperial Remnant, and the First Order, all originated with the Sith. Sith, known individually as Sith Lords, are, by nature, ruthless. At any point a single individual assumes absolute authority amongst their kind and is granted the honorific Dark Lord of the Sith. Sith culture is based on perpetual treachery and betrayal. The fate of Sith Lords is, typically, to be murdered and replaced by their own apprentices. Sith teach their apprentices to revere the dark side of the Force, to give full reign to aggressive emotions such as rage and hatred, and to believe that others are expendable in the pursuit of power, it makes the Lords' demise inevitable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palpatine</span> Fictional character and Star Wars antagonist

Sheev Palpatine is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. He first appears on screen in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), in which he is credited as The Emperor, and is the overarching antagonist of the three film trilogies in the Skywalker Saga, in which he is portrayed by Ian McDiarmid. The character is also known by his Sith name, Darth Sidious, which was first used in the novelization of The Phantom Menace (1999). In creating Palpatine, Lucas was inspired by real-world examples of democratic backsliding during the rise and rule of dictators such as Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Adolf Hitler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darth Maul</span> Star Wars character

Darth Maul, later known simply as Maul, is a character in the Star Wars franchise. He first appeared in the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace as a powerful Sith Lord and Darth Sidious' first apprentice. Though seemingly killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi at the end of the film, Darth Maul returned in the 2008 animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Star Wars creator George Lucas had intended for the resurrected Maul to serve as the main antagonist of the sequel film trilogy, but these plans were abandoned when Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012. The character nonetheless reappeared in the 2014 animated series Star Wars Rebels and the 2018 film Solo: A Star Wars Story, voiced again by Witwer; Park physically reprised the role in Solo. Since his initial defeat in The Phantom Menace, Maul has become an independent criminal mastermind and endured as Obi-Wan's archenemy.

<i>Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II</i> American TV series or program

"Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II" is a 2008 episode of the television comedy series Robot Chicken, and the sequel to the Annie Award winning "Robot Chicken: Star Wars", which aired as a one-off special during Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block on November 16, 2008. Like "Robot Chicken: Star Wars", it has been released on its own DVD on July 21, 2009, and will not be part of a season box set. The DVD contains the original broadcast version, and the "Extended Version", which features an additional 15 minutes of footage cut from the broadcast version. It was nominated for a 2009 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program.

Rey (<i>Star Wars</i>) Fictional character in Star Wars

Rey is a character in the Star Wars franchise and the main protagonist of the sequel film trilogy. She was created by Lawrence Kasdan, J. J. Abrams, and Michael Arndt for The Force Awakens (2015), the first installment of the trilogy, and is primarily portrayed by Daisy Ridley. She also appears in the film's sequels, The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019), and related Star Wars media.

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Works cited

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