Luke Skywalker creator George Lucas
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. Portrayed by Mark Hamill, Luke first appeared in Star Wars (1977), and he returned in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). Over three decades later, Hamill returned as Luke in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, cameoing in The Force Awakens (2015) before playing a major role in The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). He later played a digitally de-aged version of the character in the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, appearing in the second-season finale, which premiered in 2020, and The Book of Boba Fett, in the sixth episode, released in 2022.
Originally a farmer on Tatooine living with his uncle and aunt, Luke becomes a pivotal figure in the Rebel Alliance's struggle against the Galactic Empire. The son of fallen Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker (turned Sith Lord Darth Vader) and Padmé Amidala, Luke is the twin brother of Rebellion leader Princess Leia and eventual brother-in-law of the smuggler Han Solo. Luke trains to be a Jedi under Jedi Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda and rebuilds the Jedi Order. He later trains his nephew Ben Solo and mentors Rey. Though Luke dies at the end of The Last Jedi, he returns as a Force spirit in The Rise of Skywalker, encouraging Rey to face her grandfather, the resurrected Emperor Palpatine. At the end of the film, the spirits of Luke and Leia give Rey their blessing to adopt the Skywalker surname and continue their family's legacy.
The character also briefly appears in the prequel film Episode III – Revenge of the Sith as an infant, portrayed by Aidan Barton, and in the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi as a child, portrayed by Grant Feely. In the de-canonized Star Wars Expanded Universe (renamed Legends), Luke is a main character in many stories set after Return of the Jedi, which depict him as a powerful Jedi Master, the husband of Mara Jade, father of Ben Skywalker, and maternal uncle of Jaina, Jacen and Anakin Solo.Concept and creation
Series creator George Lucas considered various characterizations for the protagonist of the original Star Wars film. This included a 60-year-old grizzled war hero, a Jedi master, a dwarf, and a woman. In an interview about his early drafts, Lucas said:The first [version] talked about a princess and an old general. The second version involved a father, his son, and his daughter; the daughter was the heroine of the film. Now the daughter has become Luke, Mark Hamill's character. There was also the story of two brothers where I transformed one of them into a sister. The older brother was imprisoned, and the young sister had to rescue him and bring him back to their dad.
Though Luke's surname was "Skywalker" in Lucas's 1973 treatment of The Star Wars, it was changed to "Starkiller" in subsequent drafts, at one point featuring in the title (The Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Starkiller). The "Starkiller" surname remained for the first few months of production; Hamill used the name "Luke Starkiller" the sole time he referred to himself during filming, in a scene during which a stormtrooper helmet obscures his mouth; this was dubbed "Skywalker" in the film. "Starkiller" was dropped due to what Lucas called "unpleasant connotations" with Charles Manson.Hamill was injured in a car crash in January 1977 (on his was to shoot pickups for Star Wars), 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; Lucas further considered utilizing a crash-related story point near the beginning of the sequel. (In addition to Luke's trauma while fighting on Hoth, the script specified that a snow monster would bash him in the face.) Some months into the development of The Empire Strikes Back, Hamill asked Lucas if he would have recast him if he had been killed in the accident; Lucas said he would have instead introduced "a long-lost brother or sister, something genetic" to explain their strength in the Force. Lucas thought during the writing of The Empire Strikes Back that Luke should have a twin sister who simultaneously develops as a Jedi, but that this would explored in a different episode. Producer Gary Kurtz later revealed that Lucas's early outline for a nine-film saga specified that this would take place in Episode VIII, with Luke's sister being someone other than Leia.In an alternative ending pitched by Lucas for the original Star Wars trilogy's final film, Return of the Jedi (1983), Luke assumed his father's role as Darth Vader after the latter's death and intending to rule in his place. Though co-writer Lawrence Kasdan favored the idea, Lucas ultimately declined, since the films were made for children. Another conclusion to the film featured the character disappearing into the wilderness akin to "Clint Eastwood in the spaghetti westerns."The backstory of prequel trilogy protagonist and Luke's father, Anakin Skywalker (later Vader), parallels Luke's journey in some ways. Both hail from desert planet Tatooine. (A similar home world, Jakku, was later utilized for sequel-trilogy protagonist Rey.) Additionally, both Anakin and Luke question their training, have emotional attachments taboo for Jedi (though Luke has no girlfriend), and are tempted by Palpatine and the dark side—but Luke remains good, allowing Anakin to finally return as a Jedi. (Instructed by Luke, Rey follows in these footsteps.)Hamill variously discussed a return to the franchise for a potential sequel trilogy, saying in 1983 that his return to the franchise would be "either be another plane of existence or not the same character". During the filming of the original film, Lucas had asked him if he would reprise the role for a cameo when he was in his 60s to pass the torch to the next generation. Hamill learned that a sequel trilogy was in production in mid-2012 at a Star Wars Celebration, when Lucas told him that one was in development. Luke's lack of screen time in The Force Awakens (2015) 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".After filming The Force Awakens, Hamill shaved his beard to portray the Trickster in The Flash, then let it grow back to film The Last Jedi. According to concept designer Christian Alzmann, Luke's appearance in that film was partly inspired by that of Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now (1979).
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