Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He was introduced in the original film trilogy as the main protagonist and also appears in the sequel trilogy. Raised as a poor moisture farmer on the desert planet Tatooine, Luke joins the Rebel Alliance and becomes a major figure in its struggle against the Galactic Empire. Training as a Jedi Knight under Jedi Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda, he eventually confronts his father, the Sith Lord Darth Vader, in two pivotal duels. Years later, Luke trains his nephew Ben Solo and mentors the scavenger Rey. Luke is the twin brother of Leia Organa.

Mark Hamill portrays Luke in all the films of the original and sequel trilogies, as well as in the television series The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Hamill won the Saturn Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Luke in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983) and The Last Jedi (2017). He was also nominated for the award for his performance in Star Wars (1977). Luke also appears in novels, comics, and video games.

George Lucas considered various characterizations for the protagonist of the original Star Wars film. The possibilities included a 60-year-old grizzled war hero, a Jedi Master, a dwarf, and a woman. 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. Lucas replaced the problematic name "Starkiller" with "Skywalker".

An alternate ending to the film reportedly featured Luke disappearing into the wilderness "like Clint Eastwood in the spaghetti Westerns."

Luke's lack of screen time in The Force Awakens was due to concerns by screenwriter Michael Arndt that his presence would distract from Rey, leading to an agreement that he be removed from the screen and instead become a plot device. 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-writer J. J. Abrams, this allowed Hamill to remain involved and his reading helped make a "better experience for everyone."

Mark Hamill was originally cast as Luke for Star Wars (1977). Other actors who auditioned for the role include Robby Benson, William Katt, Kurt Russell, and Charles Martin Smith. Hamill was injured in a car accident in January 1977, fracturing his nose and cheekbone. 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 Lucas disputed this in the DVD commentary of the film.

Luke was introduced in Star 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 uncle Owen and aunt Beru. After his uncle purchases the droids C-3PO and R2-D2, Luke finds a message from Princess Leia of Alderaan inside R2-D2. When R2-D2 goes missing, Luke goes out to search for the droid, and is saved from Tusken 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's lightsaber and offers to take him to Alderaan and train him in the ways of the Force. Luke declines his offer, feeling obligated to his family's farm.

Luke changes his mind when he finds that Imperial stormtroopers have killed his aunt and uncle. He and Obi-Wan travel to Mos Eisley, where they meet the smugglers Han Solo and Chewbacca. They hire the duo to take them to Alderaan on the Millennium Falcon, only to discover that it has been destroyed by the Death Star, the Empire's battle station. The Falcon 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 an X-wing during the Battle 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.