Luke Skywalker Luke Skywalker was a Force - sensitive human male Jedi Master who , along with his twin sister , Prince ss Leia Organa , fought against the rule of the Galactic Empire during the Galactic Civil War . The son of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo , Luke was born shortly after the end of the Clone Wars in 19 BBY . However , as a result of his mother ' s death and his father ' s fall to the dark side of the Force , Luke was sent to Anakin ' s homeworld , Tatooine , to live with his relatives , Owen and Beru Lars , for the first nineteen years of his life . After their deaths at the hand of the Empire , Skywalker became apprenticed to his father ' s former mentor , Obi - Wan Kenobi , in order to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like his father before him . Aided by the smuggler Han Solo , Skywalker rescued Organa but lost his master who died while confronting the Sith Lord Darth Vader . In the subsequent Battle of Yavin , Skywalker succeeded in destroying the Empire ' s planet - killing superweapon , the Death Star , and thereby saved the Alliance to Restore the Republic from destruction . For the next three years , Skywalker continued to support the Alliance in its cause to defeat the Empire and restore the Galactic Republic . At the same time he endeavored to further his Jedi training and , through the guidance of Kenobi ' s spirit , eventually sought out Yoda — the last Grand Master of the Jedi Order . During his trials , however , Skywalker sensed that his allies were in danger and , against his master ' s warning , postponed his training in order to rescue them . In doing so , he was forced to confront Vader and although he stood his ground , the aspiring Jedi was defeated and injured by the Dark Lord of the Sith . Vader then revealed his true identity as Skywalker ' s father , intending to use that revelation to secure his son ' s loyalty , but Skywalker refused to turn and ultimately regrouped with the Alliance to continue the fight against the Empire . He returned to Dagobah in 4 ABY , hoping to complete his training but the Grand Master succumbed to old age and became one with the Force after a 900 - year lifespan . On his deathbed , Yoda told Skywalker that he had to confront his father before he could be considered a true Jedi . At the same time , he also learned of his familial connection with Organa . After returning to the Alliance , Skywalker was sent with a strike team to the forest moon of Endor in preparation for the Rebel fleet ' s attack on the second Death Star . In the course of the mission he allowed himself to be captured in order to face Vader , hoping that he would be able to redeem his father by restoring him to the light side of the Force . As the Battle of Endor commenced between Imperial and Alliance forces , Vader ' s Sith Master , the Galactic Emperor Darth Sidious , tried to turn Skywalker into his next apprentice by goading him to embrace the dark side . Although Skywalker defeated Vader , he refused to kill him and reaffirmed his commitment to the Jedi way , causing the Emperor to torture Skywalker by unleashing a torrent of Force lightning on him . Shaken by the sight of his son in agony , Vader destroyed the Emperor at the cost of his own life , resulting in the extinction of the Sith and the fulfillment of Anakin Skywalker ' s destiny as the Chosen One . With the fall of the Empire and the New Republic ' s rise to power , Skywalker withdrew from public life and traveled across the galaxy searching for lost Jedi lore with the help of Lor San Tekka , a follower of the Church of the Force . He eventually began taking on students , beginning with his sister ' s son , Ben Solo , in an effort to rebuild the Jedi Order . Like his uncle , Solo inherited his potential from the Skywalker bloodline and therefore possessed raw strength in the Force . However , Skywalker also saw glimpses of darkness within his nephew and , in a moment of pure instinct , nearly killed Solo in his sleep . In retaliation Solo attacked Skywalker , destroyed his training temple , and killed half of his students while the rest sided with him . Plagued by feelings of shame and regret , Skywalker exiled himself to Ahch - To , the location of the first Jedi Temple , resolving to live out his remaining years as a hermit before dying as the last Jedi . In 34 ABY Skywalker ' s isolation was interrupted by the arrival of Rey , a Jakku scavenger who joined the Resistance during its war with the First Order . After some time , Skywalker agreed to teach the ways of the Jedi to Rey , but only to convince her that it was time for the Jedi to end . Rey remained adamant in her view that the galaxy needed the return of the Jedi Order and the legend of Luke Skywalker to inspire hope in the people who resisted the First Order ' s rise to power . Having developed a Force connection with Ben Solo , now known as Kylo Ren , Rey left Skywalker in search of Solo , believing him to be the galaxy ' s last hope . The combination of Rey ' s urging and a spectral visit from the late Yoda caused Skywalker to overcome his reluctance and become a symbol of hope . As a result , he used his powers to project an avatar of himself on Crait , where the First Order war machine attempted to annihilate the last of Organa ' s insurgents . During the battle he confronted Ren , now the Supreme Leader of the First Order , and apologized for failing as his master . His actions bought Rey enough time to rescue the Resistance survivors , but the effort of projecting his image across the galaxy had fatal consequences , resulting in Skywalker ' s demise . Before becoming one with the Force , he declared that he would not be the last of the Jedi . Biography . Pre - birth . During the Clone Wars , Jedi Master Yoda set out on a journey to discover the secrets of immortality . His journey took him to Moraband , the ancient Sith homeworld , where he faced visions of the future . At the end of his journey , the Force Priestess , Serenity , who guided his journey told him that there was another Skywalker , and Yoda heard his voice from the future say so as well . These events alluded to the birth and destiny of Luke Skywalker , as well as his twin sister Leia . Early life . Birth . Luke Skywalker was born in 19 BBY on the asteroid of Polis Massa two days after the proclamation of the Galactic Empire . He and his twin sister Leia , who was born shortly after him , were the children of Galactic Republic Senator Padmé Amidala , who died shortly after labor , and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker , who had recently fallen to the dark side of the Force . To protect the children from the Empire and Anakin , the now - Sith Lord Darth Vader , Obi - Wan Kenobi personally sent the infant Luke to live with Anakin ' s stepbrother Owen Lars and his wife Beru on the planet Tatooine , while Senator Bail Organa agreed to adopt Leia together with his wife , the queen of Alderaan . First years on the farm . Skywalker spent his youth on the Lars ' moisture farm , where his uncle unsuccessfully tried to discourage his adventurous tendencies , telling him that his father had been " a navigator on a spice freighter " during the Clone Wars . His aunt , Beru , would read him storybooks ; one day , when his uncle had business in Mos Eisley , she took Skywalker to Anchorhead to use the HoloNet connections there and show him images of forests , rivers , and oceans . Taking on Jabba ' s thugs . At the age of eight , during the Great Drought in 11 BBY , henchmen for the crime lord Jabba the Hutt collected a " water tax " on their master ' s behalf . Despite the damage it caused moisture farmer s , Skywalker naïvely stood up to the thugs at night , trying to take back the water they had stolen from the farmer s . Kenobi , who sensed the danger his protégé was in , blew their vehicle ' s lights with the Force to hide his identity , and proceeded to disable all of Jabba ' s henchmen . One of them became startled and pushed Skywalker to the ground , causing him to hit his head and pass out . Once Kenobi handled the thugs , he carried Skywalker to the Lars ' homestead where he was found asleep , unaware of his savior ' s identity , by his aunt in the morning . Saving Uncle Owen . Some time after grounding Luke from flying his skyhopper , Owen Lars attempted to rebuild his relationship with his nephew by looking to help him fix it . However , before he could , he was captured by the Wookiee bounty hunter Black Krrsantan and tortured . Meanwhile , Luke was running away from home for not the first time . However , he sensed something was wrong and rushed to his homestead . When he arrived , he found many droids destroyed and his aunt Beru rattled , telling him of the attack . She ordered her nephew to lock himself in the homestead ' s maintenance bay , where he found his disabled skyhopper . He proceeded to fix it and make his way to Krrsantan and Owen . As he flew there , the Wookiee was engaged by Obi - Wan Kenobi . During this battle , Owen was thrown off a cliff . Before he could hit the bottom , Luke , in his skyhopper , managed to catch him and escape . Meanwhile , Kenobi defeated Krrsantan . Afterwards , Skywalker was allowed to fly his skyhopper once again . Other adventures . Eventually , Skywalker became an adventure - seeking youth who demonstrated his father ' s natural pilot ing skills , as well as a strong desire to leave Tatooine . As more of Skywalker ' s friends left the planet to follow their dreams , he became increasingly frustrated that his uncle would not allow him to do the same , claiming that he still needed help with the farm . In truth , Owen was trying to prevent Skywalker from following in his father ' s footsteps . In 2 BBY , Skywalker was helping at his foster parent ' s moisture farm when Beru called him inside . As Skywalker ran back to the house , he was watched in the distance by Obi - Wan Kenobi , who was riding a dewback . Kenobi had just defeated and killed the former Sith apprentice Maul , who had a vendetta against Kenobi after being bisected at the torso during the Invasion of Naboo thirty years earlier . In his final moments , Maul asked Kenobi if he was guarding Skywalker . Kenobi affirmed that he believed Luke was the Chosen One before Maul passed away . When not helping his uncle , Skywalker would occasionally go bulls - eye Womp rat s , or go racing through the dangerous Beggar ' s Canyon in his T - 16 Skyhopper by the age of thirteen . He would also spend time at Tosche Station with his friends , such as Biggs Darklighter , Laze " Fixer " Loneozner , Camie Marstrap , Windy , and Deak ; some of them called him " Wormie " . Galactic Civil War . Leaving Tatooine . In 0 BBY , the purchase of two droid s — R2 - D2 and C - 3PO — by Skywalker ' s step - uncle changed the youth ' s life forever . With the discovery of a desperate message to Obi - Wan Kenobi contained within the astromech droid R2 - D2 , Skywalker soon found himself in the company of Kenobi after being attacked by Sand People . Kenobi soon revealed to Skywalker that he had once been a Jedi Knight who served in the Clone Wars with Skywalker ' s father . He went on to inform Skywalker that his father was not a cargo pilot , but a Jedi Knight struck down by Darth Vader , and gave him his father ' s lightsaber . On their way to Anchorhead , Skywalker and Kenobi came upon a group of slaughtered Jawa s — the same ones who sold the droids to his uncle . Skywalker deduced from learning that Imperial stormtrooper s were responsible that they might have looked into the sales records of the droids , and rushed home in the hopes of saving his step - aunt and step - uncle . Upon returning home , Skywalker discovered that he was too late : his step - aunt and step - uncle had been murdered by the Empire . With the people who raised him dead , he decided to accompany Kenobi to Alderaan to deliver the astromech , who was carrying the plans for the Death Star , to Bail Organa at the behest of Organa ' s daughter , Princess Leia Organa . . On their way to Mos Eisley , Kenobi began training him and gave Skywalker his first lesson , during which he learned the basics of Jedi meditation . They would later reach Chalmun ' s Cantina , where Skywalker nearly had a fatal run - in with the criminals Ponda Baba and Dr . Evazan , and where they obtained passage off the planet and met Han Solo and his first mate Chewbacca . Kenobi brokered a deal to pay Solo two thousand credit s up front plus fifteen more when they arrived on Alderaan , with Skywalker selling his speeder to pay for the two thousand up front . Death Star rescue . After escaping stormtroopers on Solo ' s ship , the " Millennium Falcon " , Kenobi began Skywalker ' s instruction in the ways of the Force , much to the derision of Solo . The lesson , however , was soon interrupted by their arrival in the Alderaan system and their discovery of the planet ' s destruction . They then spotted a patrolling TIE fighter and , upon following it , found that it was approaching what appeared to be a small moon , which turned out to be the Death Star . Caught by the Death Star ' s tractor beam , they were brought aboard the massive space station . Once on board , Luke and Han knocked two stormtroopers out and stole their armor , whereas Kenobi set out to deactivate the tractor beam . However , when R2 - D2 discovered that Leia Organa was being held captive on the station , Skywalker insisted on rescuing her . With Solo and Chewbacca ' s help , the trio made it into the detention area escorting the Wookiee as a prisoner . They were able to rescue Organa , but had to jump into the garbage compactor in order to escape the pursuing Imperial forces . Though Skywalker and Organa were separated from Solo and Chewbacca , they were able to reunite with their companions , and the droids , in the hangar bay . Eventually , the group escaped the Death Star , but only after Kenobi sacrificed himself in a duel with Darth Vader . Angry and confused , Organa offered some comfort for his grief . They traveled to the hidden rebel base on Yavin 4 , under the suspicion that the Death Star was tracking them . Yavin 4 . On their arrival , they met with Commander Willard , and Organa introduce him to Skywalker so that he could join the Rebel Alliance as a pilot . Skywalker then separated and met Wedge Antilles , who oversaw his flight simulation test . Lasting no more than 30 second s , the more experienced pilot advised Skywalker to listen to his explanations , and encouraged him not to give up . In his second try , Skywalker used what he had learned from Antilles , and managed to surpass the highest score , that of Antilles ' s , prompting Willard to accept him without objection . He joined Red Group with the designation of Red Five . After the briefing for their plan of attack against the incoming Death Star , Skywalker prepared himself for the attack , when he saw Solo loading his payment onto the " Falcon " for rescuing Organa and prepared to leave the group . Skywalker attempted to persuade him to stay and help them against the Empire , but Solo refused , deeply disappointing him . After bidding farewell to Organa as well , Skywalker was about to board his T - 65B X - wing starfighter , when he encountered his old friend Biggs Darklighter , the two about to be flying as wingmen in the upcoming battle . In a brief conversation , Darklighter promised Luke that the two would catch up on each other ' s stories when they got back . During the Battle of Yavin , Skywalker witnessed the death of many compatriots , including Darklighter . After the death of the two squadron leaders , he took it upon himself to lead the final assault . With the timely arrival of the " Millennium Falcon " and the guidance of Kenobi ' s spirit , Skywalker took a single shot and used the Force to direct his proton torpedo es to their target , destroying the station . For this action he , Chewbacca , and Han Solo were awarded the medal of Bravery for their bravery the morning after . Just as the ceremony ended , Skywalker told Organa to allow herself some time to grieve for the loss of her family and homeworld . Afterwards , General Jan Dodonna sent him and Antilles , the only other survivor of Red Group , in their X - wings to retrieve the wayward princess and bring her to the Great Temple . Her shuttle ' s pilot , Evaan Verlaine , however , managed to outsmart them and make the jump to hyperspace with course to Naboo , with R2 - D2 accompanying the two women . They would later reunite after she had successfully accomplished her mission . Soon after , Skywalker became an officer in the Alliance and was given the rank of Lieutenant and was regularly assigned numerous independent missions . The " Desert Jewel " . In an errand for Admiral Ackbar , Skywalker was dispatched to the planet Rodia in order to open a secret weapon supply line for the Alliance . He was accompanied by Artoo and a pilot named Nakari Kelen , and they flew her ship , the " Desert Jewel " . During their mission together , they helped a Kupohan ship — which , unknown to them at the time , carried vital intelligence on a Givin cryptographer named Drusil Bephorin — near Llanic . They then continued their journey to Rodia . Skywalker was greeted by Laneet Chekkoo , who guided him to Toopil . During business with Taneetch Soonta , the Rodian told Skywalker about the Jedi , including a story about Anakin during the Clone Wars . From her , Skywalker received her uncle ' s lightsaber . After killing a ghest and getting some treatment for his wounds , Skywalker focused on analyzing Huulik ' s lightsaber and trying to learn telekinesis , but a planetwide alert for the " Desert Jewel " forced him to leave Rodia immediately and meet up with Ackbar and Organa on the " Promise " . The two assigned him to a mission to rescue Bephorin on Denon , but the need for upgrades for the " Jewel " prompted him to go on another mission to Fex with Kelen before that . Warned by Organa not to blindly trust Kelen , Skywalker set off for Pasher with Kelen and Artoo to receive intel from her father about their destination and the necessary equipment to survive its atmosphere . The two then headed towards Fex . Once they successfully retrieved the " Harvester " and were rewarded for it , Skywalker and Kelen traveled to Rodia to fix the " Desert Jewel " . Following the ship ' s modifications , the two Rebels returned to the " Promise " to receive more intel on the Denon mission from Organa and Ackbar , only to depart for the planet as soon as possible , meet with their contact Sakhet , and prepare Bephorin ' s liberation . Once in motion , their plan allowed them to escape from Imperial Security Bureau agent s , and Denon altogether , with the Givin cryptographer onboard the " Jewel " . Despite several hiccups along the way , including an extended stop on Kupoh , they reached Omereth . There , however , the " Jewel " was intercepted by bounty hunter s and a confrontation ensued between the Rebels and their pursuers . Despite the formers ' victory , Kelen was killed by one of the bounty hunters — saddening Skywalker , who had come to develop feelings for her . After allowing himself some time to grieve for those he had lost during the war , Skywalker completed his mission by reuniting Bephorin with her family and meeting with Major Bren Derlin . Afterwards , Skywalker returned Kelen ' s body to her father , after reflecting on the fact that he had learned how to move objects with the Force thanks to her support . Devaron . After numerous missions alongside Antilles and earning each other ' s complete trust , Skywalker assisted on a mission for Red Squadron above Giju : he helped protect a transport carrying underground rebel leaders being evacuated from the planet , along with Antilles and Commander Narra . Once the package was clear , they followed the scatter protocol , and Skywalker and R2 - D2 set course to Devaron when he had a vision about future events on that same planet . He soon met with Antilles and Narra , who sent him , C - 3PO and R2 - D2 on a mission for Chancellor Mon Mothma . After refueling the ship , the trio departed for Whiforla II and jumped out of hyperspace in the Tertiary Usaita system , but an Imperial attack forced them to return to Devaron and repair the Y 4 , this time letting the Force guide him into the Temple of Eedit . Landing in Tikaroo , Skywalker left the ship for repairs with Kivas and his daughter , Farnay , using the alias " Korl Marcus " , and went onto the depot where he was told the Temple was off - limits ; after resting and a vision of the past , he left the depot and met with Farnay , to whom he revealed his true identity . Ultimately , Sarco Plank accepted to be his guide and brought Skywalker and the two droids close to Eedit , where Skywalker found a secret entrance to the Temple and entered alone with the droids . During his stay on the Temple , Skywalker heard Kenobi ' s voice , from whom he received further instructions . He managed to enter a secret chamber where he and the droids found three training remotes . Using what Kenobi had taught him on the " Falcon " , Skywalker gradually managed to pass the exercises after a few days , only to find himself surrounded by Imperials with orders to apprehend him and his fugitive starfighter , using Farnay as a hostage . However , Plank unexpectedly appeared and helped Skywalker fight the stormtroopers with his electrostaff , and observed that Skywalker was merely a Padawan . Planning to ransack the Temple to pay his debts , Plank then challenged him to a duel , during which he used a grenade to blind him , seeing that Skywalker would not be defeated so easily . Prepared to administer the coup de grace , Farnay interrupted him , for which Plank put binder s on her ; however , it gave Skywalker time to stand up and slash Plank ' s control box , casting him and his electrostaff into a pit leading to the temple ' s underlevels . Skywalker then passed out and Farnay tended his wounds , to whom he swore he would become a Jedi and rebuild the Order , and return to Eedit one day . With the droids , they left the Temple as Imperial reinforcements arrived afterwards . Back in Tikaroo , Skywalker reclaimed his now - repaired starfighter from Kivas , and before departing Devaron , he dropped several bombs at the base of the spire to cut off the paths into the jungle , meaning to stop the pikhron hunt . Years later , after defeating the Emperor , Skywalker kept his promise to Farnay and returned to Devaron . He was accompanied by C - 3PO for the trip . Cymoon 1 . Alongside Organa , Solo , Chewbacca , R2 - D2 , and C - 3PO , Skywalker took part of a mission to infiltrate Cymoon 1 . To do so , the rebel team hijacked the ship of an emissary sent by Jabba the Hutt to negotiate a weapons deal at Weapons Factory Alpha , with Solo as its replacement and Organa and Skywalker disguised as his bodyguards . Once inside the facility , they revealed themselves as rebels to Overseer Aggadeen , took their escorts down and made their way to the central power station . While Organa , Solo , and R2 - D2 rigged the place to destroy it , Skywalker watched for additional Imperial troops , using what little he knew of the Force to reach out and sense any nearby presence . However , he was drawn to caged slaves , whom he proceeded to free , and guided them to a rendezvous with Solo and Organa , when they were alerted of Vader ' s arrival by Chewbacca . Determined to fight Vader for killing his father and Kenobi , he heard his mentor ' s voice speak to him from beyond , telling him to run , just as he faced the Dark Lord . However , he was no match for Vader , who quickly seized Skywalker ' s lightsaber and was about to kill him , until he realized that Skywalker ' s lightsaber had been once his own . Solo then intervened with an AT - AT , crashing the walker through the factory ' s walls , giving Skywalker and the slaves an opening to escape from the facility . Seeing so many of the freed slaves die by Imperial fire , Skywalker regretted his decision , but continued fighting after stealing a speeder bike . After the Rebels ' walker opened fire against Vader , Skywalker picked his lightsaber up from the rubble , rushed to assist his team — whose walker had fallen down due to Vader — , and provided some cover fire . Determined to destroy the factory , Skywalker disobeyed Organa ' s orders and used his stolen speeder bike to destroy the power core despite Vader ' s threat . Afterwards , he managed to board the " Millennium Falcon " , reunite with his team and escape Cymoon 1 , yet with his morale at rock bottom . Return to Tatooine . Once they returned to the Alliance Fleet , Skywalker continued working on his lightsaber techniques until Organa came to see him . Skywalker told her that he lacked interest in undertaking any more missions , as he did not consider himself a Jedi but a danger , and that until he could figure out who he was , he could not be around the Alliance ; he asked Organa to let him go . Much to her and Solo ' s dismay , Skywalker ( along with R2 - D2 ) took off in an X - wing and set off on a course for Tatooine . Hoping to find some guidance in Kenobi ' s hut , Skywalker and R2 made their way across the desert to the abandoned residence , where they found it being pillaged by Tusken raiders , who fled in fear upon seeing his activated lightsaber . Inside the hut , Skywalker had R2 scan the ransacked place for anything of value , and the small android came across a box addressed to Skywalker . However , before they could find out its contents , one of Boba Fett ' s flash grenade s incapacitated R2 - D2 and blinded Skywalker . Fett proceeded to aim a rifle to his head , but Skywalker fought back with his lightsaber despite his temporary blindness . Despite his disadvantage and multiple wounds done by Fett , Skywalker managed to deflect the bounty hunter ' s shot at point - blank and Fett tackled him in anger . Close to death by his own lightsaber as he struggled against Fett , R2 - D2 saved him by hurling Kenobi ' s box and knocking the hunter out . Still blinded and carrying the box , Skywalker had R2 - D2 lead him to his X - Wing . On his way to an unknown location , he read some of Kenobi ' s passages on his journals , including one set during the Great Drought involving him . Showdown on Nar Shaddaa . Though Kenobi ' s journals contained a number of stories , Skywalker became frustrated as he continued to read them as he did not understand what lessons were to be learned about using a lightsaber or wielding the Force . Though Artoo suggested returning to the fleet , Skywalker had no intention of returning until he found the answers he was seeking . Artoo ' s suggestion did , however , give the young Jedi an idea : to venture into the Jedi Temple on Coruscant , the former home of the Jedi Order . Before he could travel to Coruscant , however , Skywalker set a course to Nar Shaddaa , a world of pirates and outlaws known as the " Smuggler ' s Moon . " Upon landing , Skywalker set off looking for someone who could help him get to the Jedi Temple . He entered a cantina , where he was immediately attacked by criminals looking to rob and kill him . Skywalker brandished his lightsaber and demanded that they cease their attack , while the bartender asked where he acquired a Jedi ' s lightsaber . He did not answer , instead saying that he was simply on Nar Shaddaa to conduct business and had already stated his purpose for entering the establishment . The bartender guessed that Skywalker was seeking entry into the Jedi Temple , meaning he would need to hire someone who could sneak him onto the capital world of the Empire . The bartender told him that he could do that for the boy , but the price would be the lightsaber — a price that Skywalker rejected , so the bartender resorted to his previous plan of killing and robbing the boy . Before the others could kill him , however , a thief stole the lightsaber and fled the bar . Skywalker gave chase , pursuing the thief through the streets and over rooftops . The thief jumped onto a ship that was passing by and hung onto the bottom of it , and Skywalker used the Force to make the now - even longer jump towards them and grab the thief ' s leg . The thief lost his holding and both men fell towards the streets of Hutta Town below , where Skywalker retrieved his lightsaber once both he and the thief landed . The young Jedi was then confronted by Grakkus the Hutt , a Nar Shaddaa crime lord who employed the thief that stole the lightsaber . Skywalker fought the Hutt ' s MagnaGuard , while at the same time overhearing the thief telling Grakkus that Skywalker said his father was a Jedi and that he was seeking access to the Jedi Temple . Having his own plans for the boy , Grakkus knocked Skywalker out with a punch to the face . Skywalker later awoke to find himself in Grakkus ' palace , which contained untold numbers of relics from the Jedi Order . Grakkus held out a Jedi holocron , though Skywalker did not know what it was . Grakkus , who explained that he was a collector of Jedi artifacts in addition to being a crime lord , told him that the item was a holocron and that only an individual who was strong with the Force could open it . Though Skywalker had no experience with holocrons , the Hutt gave him five seconds to open the holocron or be killed . Under threat of death , the boy reached out with the Force and was able to open the holocron , as well as the many others that were in the collection . They revealed themselves as containing historical records about the Jedi and the Sith , including the revelation that there was a Jedi Temple on Vrogas Vas . With Skywalker having proved himself , Grakkus believed he would make a fine addition to his collection as the last living Jedi . Grakkus planned to put Skywalker into an arena fight that he would bill as the death of the last Jedi , so the Hutt ordered him taken to the arena ' s gamemaster to be prepared . Artoo , knowing that Skywalker had been captured , send a distress call to the Alliance Fleet , where it was intercepted by the High Command . Though Chancellor Mothma was unwilling to send a team of Rebels on a suicide mission despite Skywalker ' s importance to the Rebellion , Chewbacca and Threepio — who remained with the fleet while Solo and Organa were on their own mission — volunteered to rescue their captured friend . The gamemaster — secretly an Imperial stormtrooper named Sergeant Kreel — introduced himself to Skywalker once the Jedi was led to the arena , and he stated that it was his job to make sure Skywalker was prepared to put on a good show before ultimately dying in the arena . Though Skywalker initially refused to fight , Kreel knew he would ultimately do so because he wanted to learn to hone his skills as a Jedi . The Kreel also told him that the Jedi Temple no longer existed , as it had been converted into the Imperial Palace — so whatever Skywalker was hoping to find was gone , as were the other Jedi temples in the galaxy . He then threw the lightsaber to Skywalker and removed the binds that the boy ' s hands were in . While surrounded by MagnaGuards , the Kreel used a lightsaber of his own and engaged in a duel to begin preparing him for the arena match . Though the Kreel was not a Jedi , he was a more - skilled swordsman and quickly bested Skywalker . Skywalker then engaged multiple MagnaGuards in combat . The big event soon arrived , and crime lords and other criminal types flocked to watch the death of the last Jedi . Skywalker spoke to Grakkus , who reminded him that no one wanted to watch him win and that everyone had paid to see him die , though the young Jedi believed he could succeed nonetheless . Grakkus also revealed that scavengers had found Skywalker ' s X - wing and the Journal of Ben Kenobi , which Grakkus intended to add to his collection . The event began once Grakkus left , and Skywalker entered into the arena and was introduced as the last of the Jedi . The announcer claimed that he was a veteran of battles across the galaxy and that he had fought Hutts and bounty hunters alike , hyping up the untrained Jedi hopeful . The announcer then introduced the Jedi ' s opponent : Kongo the Disemboweler , a large and fearsome creature from the dolovite mines of Mustafar . Skywalker ignited the green - bladed lightsaber that was given to him for the show and the fight began . The young Jedi slashed his blade at the creature , but the opponent ' s armor was resistant to a lightsaber blade and made it difficult for Skywalker to combat the creature . He remained confident , however , reminding himself that he blew up the Death Star , fought Boba Fett , and was trained by Obi - Wan Kenobi . He closed his eyes in an attempt to use the Force as his ally , but Kongo used the opportunity to throw Skywalker across the arena and knocking him onto the ground . The beast grabbed Skywalker as the audience cheered for Kongo to make the kill , and Skywalker tried calling out to Kenobi to ask for miracle . Just as he did so , the beast ' s shock collar was activated by Kreel , who revealed himself to Grakkus as an Imperial and announced he was taking Skywalker into custody . Stormtroopers poured into the arena and surrounded Skywalker , arresting both him and the Hutt . Grakkus had one trick up his sleeve , though , and triggered an electromagnetic pulse that disabled the Imperials ' blasters . Grakkus , skilled at combat in his own right , began fighting the weaponless stormtroopers , while other troops grabbed Skywalker . Just then , the young Jedi saw that Artoo , who had infiltrated the palace , recovered his lightsaber and threw it into the arena , so Skywalker grabbed it and cut the soldiers down . Kongo chased the spectators out of the arena , and Skywalker while Kreel confronted Skywalker , knocking him to the ground and revealing his true identity as a stormtrooper of the 501st Legion tasked with arresting him . Skywalker was saved by the timely arrival of Grakkus , who Kreel attacked as Skywalker got away . Skywalker regrouped with Solo , Organa , Chewbacca , and the droids , all of whom ultimately traveled to Nar Shaddaa to rescue their captive friend . Solo , Organa , and Chewbacca each wielded lightsabers that Artoo stole from the palace so they were not defenseless in the wake of the EMP blast , leading Skywalker to quip that Solo looked good with a lightsaber . Artoo recovered Kenobi ' s journal and Skywalker wanted to go back to the palace to recover more artifacts , but the arena was flooded with blaster - wielding stormtroopers so Chewbacca grabbed the resistant Skywalker and brought him out of the arena . The Rebels returned to the " Millennium Falcon " and escaped from Nar Shaddaa . Vrogas Vas . Though he was unable to acquire the relics in Grakkus ' palace , the holocrons he activated gave Skywalker one important piece of information : the existence of a Jedi Temple on Vrogas Vas . Skywalker returned to the Alliance but still sought answers , so he traveled to Vrogas Vas and was stationed in orbit with Red Squadron , along with Blue Squadron and Yellow Squadron . While in orbit and preparing for training exercises , Darth Vader — who had learned of Skywalker ' s location from one of his associates , a rogue archaeologist named Aphra — dropped out of hyperspace in his TIE Advanced x1 starfighter . Vader made quick work of Blue Squadron and Yellow Squadron , destroying them both as Red Squadron looked on . Skywalker sensed that Vader was the pilot of the enemy starfighter , made a run towards him , and crashed his X - wing fighter into the Sith Lord ' s TIE Advanced . The collision damaged both vessels and send them hurtling towards the surface of Vrogas Vas . Skywalker and Vader both survived the crashes of their starfighters , though they impacted on the surface in different places . The young Jedi crashed outside of the ruins of the Jedi Temple , from which he witnessed the destruction of Gray Squadron forces sent to attack Vader — part of a major Rebel operation to capture the lone Sith Lord . He put off his search for answers and began to make his way towards the Rebel forces , determined to help his friends . As he passed through the ruins of the Jedi Temple , he could see yet another Rebel pilot being killed by the Dark Lord . Unknown to Skywalker was that , at the same time , he was being tracked by Vader ' s companions — Aphra and the assassin droid s BT - 1 and 0 - 0 - 0 . While the Sith Lord ' s followers prepared a plan to capture the boy , Skywalker found writings in the ruins that were written with a lightsaber , letting him deduce that the ruins were from the Jedi . A cold feeling passed over him and he could sense the presence of what he thought was Obi - Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker . He tried to concentrate , but he was interrupted by what he thought was Threepio ' s arrival . In reality , it was Triple - Zero , painted in gold by Aphra , who placed his metal hand on Skywalker and sent an electrical charge through the boy ' s body , knocking him unconscious . Aphra and Triple - Zero prepared to take Skywalker hostage when Artoo stepped in to help . Bee Tee then brought his arsenal to bear on the rebel ' s astromech and chased him off . Aphra and Triple - Zero then seized Skywalker but were stopped by the smuggler Han Solo , who had a sniper rifle aimed at them . Chewbacca then came in and attacked the protocal droid , ripping his arm off . Skywalker then regained consciousness , dispatched Bee Tee , and sliced off Triple - Zero ' s other arm with his lightsaber . Skywalker and his allies then retreated when Bee Tee fired his weapons blindly . Skywalker , Solo , Chewbacca , and Artoo made their way back to the Millennium Falcon . They then lifted off in order to aid princess Leia . They were forced to the ground when their ship was crashed into by the Wookiee bounty hunter Black Krrsantan . While Solo and Chewbacca dealt with the mercenary , Skywalker left to head back to the Jedi ruins . Luke arrived back at the the Jedi temple looking for Leia . It was then that he heard the voice of Obi - wan Kenobi , who told him that he should not have come to this place and that he wasn ' t ready for what is coming . Luke was then intercepted by a company of stormtroopers who opened fire on him . He retreated behind cover but was hit in the head and knocked unconscious . Luke was taken prisoner by the forces of Commander Karbin . However Darth Vader , who had a rivalry with Karbin , used the force to crash the shuttle Skywalker was kept in . Now free , he then caught up with Solo , Chewbacca , C - 3PO , and R2 - D2 . They made their way back to the Millennium Falcon , however Dr . Aphra had laid out a minefield to stop them . When she was distracted she was knocked out from behind by Princess Leia . Believing her to be of use , Organa decided to take the archaeologist with them . As they departed Vrogas Vas , Skywalker felt remorse that he wouldn ' t be able to go back to the temple and see what was hidden there . Learning the ways of the smuggler . Upon returning to the Rebel fleet with their new prisoner , Doctor Aphra , Skywalker and his friends went their separate ways ; Organa , Artoo , and Threepio went to detain Aphra at an Alliance - controlled space station , Sunspot Prison , with the assistance of Sana Starros , whom Organa hired to transport them to the prison . Meanwhile , Solo and Skywalker were dispatched to buy supplies for the rebellion . Solo attempted to double the money he was given for supplies by betting on Sabacc . However , he was caught cheating , and had to escape with Skywalker on the Millennium Falcon . Skywalker and Solo traveled to Nar Shaddaa where Luke was tasked with finding a customer in need of a ship . He made a deal to haul nerf s to Ibaar for 5 , 000 credits , which was just enough to replace the credits lost by Solo . Skywalker and Solo were soon intercepted by TIE fighters who suspected the Falcon of smuggling illegal livestock . Luke was able to shoot the fighters and he and Solo made it to Ibaar with the nerfs . While on Ibaar , Skywalker blackmailed Solo into allowing him to fly the Falcon for a few parsecs by threatening to tell Leia about losing the credits in a Sabacc game . After buying the supplies , Skywalker and Solo received a distress call from Sana and arrived at Sunspot Prison . They were immediately knocked out and taken captive by the masked assailant who was attacking the prison . Neither came to until after the battle had already ended and the attacker had been captured . Hijacking the " Harbinger " . Sometime after the assault on Sunspot prison , Skywalker , along with the efforts of Red Squadron , along with Solo , Organa , and Chewbacca in the " Millennium Falcon " participated in a hijacking of the " Harbinger " , an " Imperial " - class Star Destroyer . He was crucial to securing the ship after the crew abandoned the mighty warship , barely able to eject the main reactor . Over the next week , he helped repair the ship . When the time came to break the Siege on Tureen VII , Skywalker dueled Sergeant Kreel again , whose SCAR Squadron had snuck aboard . Using a Force push , Skywalker subdued the trooper , and was able to join the fight in his X - wing . Skywalker elected not to dogfight Vader ' s TIE fighter , and escaped into hyperspace with the rest of the Rebels . The Screaming Citadel . Sometime later , as the Alliance was setting up a temporary base , Skywalker went to a local cantina . There he was met by Dr . Aphra , who convinced him to visit the Screaming Citadel together . There Aphra introduced him to the Queen of Ktath ' atn as a Jedi . The Queen soon betrayed them , and Aphra turned him over to her as part of a deal to unlock the Rur crystal . The Queen implanted Skywalker with an Abersyn symbiote . Due to his power of the Force , he was able to overpower the Queen ' s own symbiote , causing chaos among the hive . Along with his Rebel friends , who had come to rescue him , they were able to escape , but not before Organa threatened to demote him back to moisture farming . Angered by Aphra ' s betrayal , Skywalker ordered her not to contact them again . Among the stars . During a mission , he piloted a Taylander shuttle with Organa . He piloted into a nebula , which disabled it , forcing them to crash on an ocean planet for three weeks . Skywalker ' s experience with machinery such as moisture vaporator s helped keep them alive . Realizing that there was a native species , so Skywalker and Organa set a trap for the Imperial forces that were pursuing them . After disabling the AT - AT , they were able to repair the shuttle and return to the Rebel Fleet . Shortly afterward , Skywalker and his team intercepted a message from R2 - D2 , who had gone off alone on a rescue mission . They saved R2 ' s X - wing from Darth Vader and left in hyperspace . By then , Task Force 99 had destroyed the Horox III rebel outpost . The team arrived there , discovering the devastation . Fearing further danger , they left without burying the rebel troopers , but Skywalker insisted that they honor the dead . Together they built a cremation pile before leaving . Temporary outpost . Sometime after the hijacking of the " Harbinger " , the Alliance established a temporary outpost on the Outer Rim planet Reamma . Leia Organa gave Luke a mission to find a missing Alliance cargo vessel . Skywalker , and his droid R2 - D2 , prepared to make the flight to look for them . Before they could do that , however , Organa informed Skywalker that the vessel reported in , cancelling the mission . Er ' Kit . At some point after becoming a commander of his own , Skywalker was sent to the desert world of Er ' Kit , where the locals were being oppressed by a group of mercenaries known as the Malachor Company . Upon arriving to Er ' Kit to investigate , Skywalker felt mysterious echoes in the Force , which made him think there was more going on there than met the eye . Thus , he requested the help of an agent who had a reputation for desert warfare . Together , the two defeated the outposts and bases of the mercenaries . In order to ensure faster progress , Skywalker and the agent discovered from the Imperial operatives present in the sector that Imperial supplies had been ferried to Er ' Kit via Nar Shaddaa , which meant a big operation . Eventually , Skywalker and the agent arrested the mercenary leader . Skywalker then successfully tracked the last members of the Malachor Company , who had holed themselves in an empty village . Among the mercenaries ' possessions , Skywalker and the agent discovered a document which proved that Malachor Company was preparing to ship supplies somewhere , and its coordinates led Skywalker and the agent to an Imperial base on the planet . They subsequently attacked several of its Imperial bases until they found intelligence pertaining to the Empire ' s operation on Er ' Kit . Having located the base from which the Imperials deployed most of their troop s on E ' rKit , Skywalker assaulted it with the assistance of Organa . The Rebel forces razed the base , which dealt a huge blow to the Imperial operations on the planet . Although still lacking on information of the Empire ' s secret experiments on the planet , Skywalker gradually discovered various logs showing that the Malachor Company had been hired by the Imperial Security Bureau . The mercenaries had been forcibly relocating natives to make room for Project Hidden Eye , which aimed at creating sleeper operative s who would spread throughout the galaxy . The project was nearly ready to send its first wave of spies . In great haste , Skywalker and the agent took their troops to the base Project Hidden Eye was being run from , defeating its staging area and taking out the installations , ending the Imperial project for good . Skywalker then thanked the agent for their services , but he himself remained on Er ' Kit for a time , executing other missions for Rebel Command . Hoth . Three years after the Death Star ' s destruction , Skywalker was transferred to Echo Base alongside Rogue Squadron to Hoth , where he participated in regular patrols of the frozen perimeter . Once while reconnoitering the surroundings of Echo Base , Skywalker was attacked by a wampa , only to regain consciousness in its cave . He severed its arm with his lightsaber , and escaped ; after a long walk in the icy wind , he collapsed from exhaustion . Near death , he had a vision of Kenobi , who told him to seek the teachings of Yoda in the Dagobah system . Rescued by Solo , Skywalker recovered from his wounds in a bacta tank . However , Vader had located Echo Base with one of his probe droids and prepared an imminent attack on the recently - opened Alliance base , thus prompting the Alliance to evacuate the base at once . After bidding farewell to his friends , for the impending battle , Skywalker led the Rogue Squadron in an airspeeder . Though he was shot down , and his gunner Dak Ralter was killed , he got out of his damaged speeder and single - handedly destroyed a walker with his lightsaber . As Imperial forces breached the Rebels ' defenses , the last Rebel transport departed , and Skywalker fled the planet aboard his X - wing with R2 - D2 . Dagobah . Skywalker then traveled to Dagobah , where he encountered the former Grand Master of the fallen Jedi Order , Yoda . In their initial meeting , Skywalker was frustrated and impatient and was rather short - tempered with the diminutive Yoda , who did not initially identify himself and purposefully tested Skywalker ' s patience , telling him a story about three brothers . However , Skywalker gained a new appreciation for the small creature upon learning his identity , and Yoda agreed to train Skywalker only at the insistence of Kenobi ' s spirit . Skywalker ' s training proved to be difficult , as his adventurous past had shaped his mind toward action and emotional instinct . When Yoda asked him to enter a cave in which he was supposed to find only what he took with him , he was challenged by a vision of himself wearing Vader ' s armor . Master and apprentice then had an encounter with a raging elephoth , which Skywalker managed to calm by leading her to her child . Shortly after , he had a vision of Han Solo and Leia Organa suffering at Cloud City on Bespin . Despite Yoda and Kenobi ' s warnings and disapproval , Skywalker rashly departed from Dagobah to rescue them but not before making a promise to return to Dagobah to complete his training . Vader ' s trap . Upon his arrival at Cloud City ' s East Platform , Skywalker felt Vader ' s presence , and went into the nearest building , where he was shot at by Boba Fett , and tried to pursue a group of stormtroopers and Imperial officer s who held Organa , Chewbacca , and C - 3PO captive . The princess attempted to warn Skywalker that he was walking into a trap , but his path was diverted to the carbon - freezing chamber where Darth Vader awaited him , with the intention to freeze him in carbonite to present him to the Emperor . Skywalker engaged the Dark Lord in a fierce duel . After severing Skywalker ' s hand from his body , Vader attempted to seduce the weakened Jedi to the dark side of the Force , offering Skywalker the chance to destroy the Emperor and " bring order to the galaxy . " In his efforts to sway Skywalker from his defiant refusals , Vader then revealed his identity as Skywalker ' s father . Faced with this shocking and horrifying claim , which he was sure was a lie at the time , and the temptation to join Vader , Skywalker chose likely death instead by throwing himself down the long shaft surrounding them . He was sucked through an opening portal at the bottom of the chamber , which brought him outside the floating city . Skywalker grabbed onto a weather vane , preventing a fall to his death . Weak and helpless , Skywalker at first called out for Kenobi , unsuccessfully , but then reached out to Organa through the Force . Soon , the " Millennium Falcon " , with Lando Calrissian , Organa , Chewbacca , and the droids onboard , arrived to rescue him . As they escaped from Bespin , and the " Falcon " was faced with the Imperial fleet , Vader reached out to Skywalker through the Force , calling him " son . " Skywalker fought tears back , after hearing the word he had always longed to hear , just as the " Falcon " made the jump into hyperspace thanks to R2 - D2 . Back at the Rebel fleet , Skywalker received a prosthetic hand onboard the Nebulon - B frigate " Redemption " , while Calrissian and Chewbacca set out to find Solo . Zastiga . After the command of Red Squadron was transferred to Antilles following his promotion to squadron leader , which pleased Skywalker , he declined to rejoin the squadron and chose to be stationed onboard the " Redemption " . When he went to Zastiga , he and R2 - D2 were the ones to greet Organa on her arrival to the planet after she and C - 3PO left the " Mellcrawler " , piloted by its owner Nien Nunb and Lieutenant Caluan Ematt . When the time came for Organa to attend the top clearance meeting with the Rebel leadership , Skywalker and Nunb met with Antilles for a discussion of " reconnaissance tactics " about Antilles ' refusal to pay the Sullustan a drink . He would later return to escort Organa to her quarters before going to his , and two days later , he saw her off , before catching his own shuttle back to the " Redemption " . Soon afterwards , he would go to Kothlis , where he would learn of Solo ' s location — still frozen in carbonite and kept in Jabba the Hutt ' s palace — , and where he would keep himself up - to - date with the status of the Alliance Fleet ' s assembly . He had already devised a plan to rescue Solo when Organa contacted him following the successful Operation Yellow Moon , and showed eagerness to join him on his attempts to rescue the Corellian smuggler . Solo ' s rescue . In 4 ABY , Skywalker set in motion the plan to rescue Solo from Jabba the Hutt . Once again , Skywalker returned to Tatooine , and to Kenobi ' s hut , wherein he found the missing parts he needed for the construction of his own lightsaber , the pieces left to him by Kenobi . While his friends bustled about preparing for the rescue , Skywalker retreated into the solitude of a desert cave they had chosen as their rendezvous point . Using the Force to assemble the weapon , he brought the kyber crystal inside to life , making the weapon his own , almost an extension of himself . Afterwards , Skywalker waited to see if Organa ' s impersonation of Boushh and liberation of Solo was successful without his intervention , but she was only half - successful . She then sent a message to Skywalker and Calrissian that she had been captured as well , prompting Skywalker to act and go to Jabba ' s Palace . Skillful use of the Force allowed Skywalker to get past Jabba ' s Gamorrean guards and his majordomo , Bib Fortuna , but the Hutt was not so easily swayed and attempted to feed Skywalker to his rancor . Skywalker killed the monster , but Jabba was furious and sentenced all the captured Alliance heroes – including an unfrozen Solo – to death in the Great Pit of Carkoon . However , right before he was put into the pit , Skywalker escaped when R2 - D2 shot his lightsaber to him and freed the other prisoners on the skiff . A skirmish ensued in which Skywalker protected his friends , ended the life of several of Jabba ' s thugs including Klaatu , and helped Organa escape the " Khetanna " after she had killed the Hutt . After destroying the sail barge , Skywalker and his entire team escaped unscathed through a dangerous sandstorm , after which he boarded his X - Wing with R2 - D2 and parted ways with the others . Keeping the promise . Skywalker then returned to Dagobah to complete his training , but the elderly and dying Yoda , who had used the Force to prolong his life beyond what was natural , could only leave a few pieces of wisdom to Skywalker . Yoda told him that his training was complete , but in order to be a true Jedi , he would have to confront Darth Vader again . Having grown less and less sure since the revelation , Skywalker feared that it was the truth , he inquired if Vader was truly his father . Skywalker received such confirmation from Yoda , which angered him that they had lied to him for so long . After warning him not to underestimate the Emperor ' s powers and that as " the last of the Jedi " he had to pass on what he had learned , Yoda made one final revelation to Skywalker before he became one with the Force — that there was " another Skywalker . " Sensing his turmoil , the spirit of Kenobi appeared before Skywalker , who confronted him for lying about his father . Claiming that Anakin Skywalker had disappeared upon his fall to the dark side , Kenobi told him he needed to face Vader . Skywalker found the notion of killing his own father painful to accept , and claimed he could not do it . He also asked about who Yoda was referring to earlier , and Kenobi told him it was his twin sister . Skywalker instantly recognized it was Organa , but his old master warned him that she would be in peril if their father discovered her identity . Skywalker almost immediately inquired about their mother ' s identity and fate , but Kenobi asked him to let that truth stay with him for a while longer , as he knew Skywalker carried too many burdens already . Endor ' s test . Skywalker nevertheless accompanied his friends on the mission to the forested moon of Endor to destroy the shield generator that protected the Death Star II in orbit , volunteering immediately upon arrival at the Rebel briefing above Sullust . As they approached the moon on the " Tydirium " , Skywalker sensed Vader ' s presence on the nearby Super Star Destroyer " Executor " and realized his presence was endangering the mission ; yet , it was his presence that prompted Vader to allow their landing . Upon doing so , the Rebel force was discovered by Imperial scout troopers , and Skywalker and Organa pursued them on speeder bikes . Though they successfully stopped the scouts , Organa became separated from Skywalker . Upon learning of her disappearance , Solo , Skywalker , Chewbacca , and the droids went looking for her , only to be captured by a tribe of Ewok s . Using the Force to prove C - 3PO ’ s deific " magic " , Skywalker convinced the Ewoks to release them and , after C - 3PO ' s tale of their adventures , the whole group was accepted as a part of the village . However , Skywalker felt as Vader reached out to him through the Force and landed on the moon , and knew that he had to confront Vader ; he decided to leave his friends , only after revealing to Organa her true familial heritage . Not long after , Skywalker surrendered to Vader in an attempt to bring the Dark Lord back to the light side , and although he managed to make Vader question the dark truths that had long ruled him , Skywalker ultimately became a prisoner of the Emperor as he was escorted to his throne room . As the Battle of Endor unfolded before their eyes , and Rebel casualties began to mount , Emperor Palpatine attempted to corrupt Skywalker with promises of saving his friends and the Rebel fleet , should Luke agree to join the dark side . Giving in to the temptation to strike Sidious down , Skywalker seized his lightsaber and lashed out against the Emperor . Luke ' s would - be killing blow was intercepted by Darth Vader and the final battle between father and son began . Unlike their previous encounter on Bespin ( where Vader was largely able to dominate the proceedings , throughout ) , this time the pair would fight as equals . After successfully parrying a flurry of blows , Luke sent Vader tumbling down a stairwell before regaining his composure and appealing to the good in his father . Vader , for his part , would have none of it and attacked . Again , Luke was able to fend - off his attacker and , citing a conflict Skywalker had sensed in his father ' s intentions , stated his refusal to continue with the fight . Eventually , Vader would send Luke scurrying into a corner of the throne room , where Skywalker would bide his time hiding in darkness . While searching for Luke ' s whereabouts , Vader began to use the Force to probe his son ' s mind , eventually uncovering the existence of Luke ' s twin sister . Grasping his opening , Vader announced that if Luke continued to refuse to be turned to the dark side , then perhaps his sister would make for a more suitable candidate . Finally overcome with anger , an indignant Luke Skywalker dropped any pretense of holding back , emerging from the darkness and unleashing a ferocious , hate - fueled attack against his tormentor . Skywalker pummeled Vader , bringing one heavy blow after another down upon his father ' s blade and eventually driving the Sith Lord to his knees . With one final , devastating strike of his lightsaber , Skywalker sliced Vader ' s hand off at the wrist , sending it — and the weapon it still gripped — cascading down into the depths below . A cackling Sidious , pleased with Skywalker ' s unprecedented assault , encouraged Luke to kill his father and take Vader ' s place at the Emperor ' s side . Realizing that he was becoming what he sought to destroy , Luke threw his lightsaber away and declared himself a Jedi , just as Anakin Skywalker had been before him . Enraged , Sidious unleashed Force lightning against Skywalker , intent on torturing and killing him . Unable to stand idly by as his son writhed in pain , Vader cast the Emperor down the reactor shaft to his death . In doing so , however , he turned Sidious ' s lethal Force lightning on himself , irreparably damaging his life - supporting armor . On the rapidly - deteriorating Death Star after Calrissian and Antilles destroyed its core , Skywalker carried Anakin to the Imperial shuttle " ST 321 " , where he was asked to remove his father ' s mask . Skywalker looked upon his father ' s face for the first and only time . Though Skywalker was insistent on saving Anakin , his father assured him that he already had , and told him to tell Leia he was right about him before passing away . Skywalker took his father ' s body on board the shuttle and escaped just before the Death Star ' s destruction , when he was almost intercepted by Green Squadron Shara Bey , who proceeded to cover him from TIE / IN interceptor s after he identified himself . Back on Endor , Skywalker cremated his father ' s armor in the manner of a Jedi ' s funeral , and then joined his friends and sister in the celebration . It was during this moment of celebration that Skywalker saw the onlooking Force spirits of Kenobi , Yoda , and his father , looking at him in approval and with a sense of peace . In the battle ' s aftermath , Skywalker reported to the Rebel Alliance that the Emperor and Darth Vader were dead . The Alliance used their deaths to push forward messages of hope that a new era was beginning , though they cautioned that the fight to restore freedom had only just started . In the days ahead , the Rebel Alliance began the formation of the New Republic , a successor state to the Galactic Republic . The Empire , meanwhile , reeled from its defeat and its leadership was in chaos , and the Imperial government claimed that the reports of the Emperor ' s demise were treasonous propaganda . Stopping a Gorax . Following the Battle of Endor , Skywalker and Organa helped the Ewoks Kneesaa and Wicket W . Warrick reset their traps to stop a Gorax . Sensing that Ewoks and Organa needed time to complete the task , Skywalker used his lightsaber to slice through a log that the Gorax had thrown at him before he threw his lightsaber to Organa to use to cut a log . Pillio . Not long after the Battle of Endor , Skywalker felt a calling from Pillio in the Jinata system . Chasing the call , Luke along with R2 took his X - wing and set course for the remote aquatic planet . When they arrived , the two came across an Imperial Shuttle making its descent , confirming Skywalker ' s suspicions that the planet held something of importance . He left his faithful Astromech Droid with his ship , and it wasn ' t long before the young Jedi encountered Stormtroopers on guard , who attacked him on sight . Skywalker made his way through several dozens of troopers and officers , remarking that the Empire must have been searching the planet . Sensing something unnatural from within a nearby cave , the Jedi found that native wildlife , Scritter s , were attacking the invading imperials . Hearing cries for help , Skywalker made his way further into the depths of the planet to find Del Meeko , a member of Imperial Special Forces Unit Inferno Squad , with his arm stuck in the amber of the Scritters . Despite their different allegiances , Skywalker used his lightsaber to cut through the amber and free the soldier . When Meeko asked why the Jedi helped him , Skywalker simply responded , ' Because you asked ' . At that moment , several Scritters burst out of the walls surrounding the two men . Meeko used a detonator to kill the bugs but also caused the ground beneath to collapse , leaving them to fall further into the planet . They landed in a small shallow stream of water , and Skywalker used the Force to protect Meeko from falling rocks . After being helped to his feet , Meeko remarked that stories of the Jedi always scared him as a young boy . Skywalker responded that if they want to get out , they ' ll need to work together . Making their way through the caves , Luke shared that the Force has brought them to together and apologizes for killing the rest of his men ; he was reluctant to do so , but they left him no choice , while Meeko did . As the two made their way out of the cave , Del revealed that the Emperor had an observatory on the planet and that Meeko was tasked with destroying it . Skywalker and Meeko eventually escaped the cave and gained access to the observatory by destroying its defense system . Skywalker discovered that the key to opening the vault door is to use the Force , prompting Meeko to wonder why the observatory could only be opened by the Force and if the man who hunted down the Jedi was secretly one of them . Luke suggested that Del had learned to fear the wrong thing . The two investigated the vault , apparently full of junk , and Skywalker took a compass . When Meeko asked why he should be allowed to keep it , Skywalker responded , ' Because I asked ' . As the two left , Skywalker remarked that the Empire had done enough damage to innocent worlds and that Meeko could choose not between the Empire or the Rebellion , but to be a better person . He wished the Force with Meeko before leaving . Vetine . In 5 ABY , three months after the Battle of Endor , Skywalker planned a mission to an Imperial research base on the planet Vetine in order to retrieve the last remaining fragment of a Force - sensitive tree . The tree , which once dwelled in the heart of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant , was stolen by the Emperor after he came to power and converted the Jedi Temple into the Imperial Palace . Skywalker recruited Shara Bey to fly as his co - pilot on the mission , and , along with Artoo , they flew a stolen Imperial shuttle , " Antarra " , to Vetine . While en route , Skywalker told Bey about the plan , including how she would pose as ISB Agent Alecia Beck , using codes obtained by Solo and the Pathfinders during a raid on an ISB base at the Wretch of Tayron . Upon their arrival , Bey claimed she was Agent Beck and that she had arrived to perform an unannounced inspection . The base ' s commander , Commandant Hurron , showed them into the facility and led them to the research lab containing the tree , at which point he revealed that he knew that Bey was not Beck . Hurron questioned why two Rebels would break into the facility , and Skywalker explained the importance of the tree — which he found had two remaining fragments . Skywalker and Bey fought their way out of the base , making their way through numerous stormtroopers who attempted to stop their escape . Once back at " Antarra " , Hurron ordered his forces to throw thermal detonators at the escaping Rebels , but Skywalker used the Force to deflect them back , killing Hurron and several of his stormtroopers in an explosion . The Rebel trio made their way back towards the Alliance Fleet . During the trip back , Skywalker and Bey discussed the latter ' s future plans for service in the Rebellion , as Skywalker knew that Bey was considering leaving the Alliance to reunite with her husband , Pathfinder Sergeant Kes Dameron , and their son Poe . Bey was unsure as to whether she wanted to leave the Rebels behind , but Skywalker ' s guidance helped Bey decide to leave the Alliance . The Jedi Knight gifted one of the tree fragments to her , as he had only expected to find one , believing that the important relic would be kept safe with Bey and her family . She and Dameron planted it outside of their new home on Yavin 4 . Restoring the Jedi Order . The Galactic Civil War came to a close with the signing of the Galactic Concordance , a peace treaty between the Republic and the Empire that forced the Empire to remain within pre - established borders , though the remnants of the once - powerful military force disappeared into the Unknown Regions . Following the signing of the treaty , Han and Leia gave birth to their son and Luke ' s nephew , Ben Solo . There were rumors that Luke visited his sister and Han before disappearing on an untold mission . Others claimed that his absence was conspicuous . Following the Empire ' s defeat , Skywalker continued to seek out Jedi lore , hoping to find information that the Empire had erased , Gatalenta being one of the first destinations in his search . He was aided by Lor San Tekka , an explorer and member of the Church of the Force . San Tekka was old enough to remember the Jedi Knights before the Clone Wars , and he did not believe the Emperor ' s lies about how the Jedi betrayed the Old Republic . San Tekka , who believed that the return of the Jedi Order was essential to bring balance to the Force , became a valuable ally for both Skywalker and Organa . During this time , Luke began to teach Leia the ways of the Force as his first apprentice . Leia learned some basics but ultimately decided her destiny lied in the political arena in the fledgling New Republic . Fulfilling the dying wish of Jedi Master Yoda , Skywalker set out to begin training a new generation of Jedi , passing on everything that he had learned in his own training . He based his new Jedi Order at a secret Jedi Temple of which only those in his order and his loyal droid R2 - D2 knew the location . He found a dozen Force - sensitives who became his Padawans , including his nephew , Ben . Ben ' s parents could tell that he felt the pull of the dark side of the Force and feared he was much like his grandfather , so they sent him to be trained by Skywalker in the hopes that it would help him . During this time , a being known as Snoke began influencing Ben from afar , clouding him with the dark side . Luke sensed this and , one night , began to probe Ben ' s mind as he lay asleep . Seeing the dark designs of his apprentice ' s mind , Luke briefly succumbed to fear and anger and ignited his lightsaber , only to realize the mistake he was making . Too late , Ben awoke and seeing this , pulled his lightsaber in self - defense and attacked Luke , using the Force to pull down the hut on top of him . When Luke came around , he emerged from the rubble of the hut to find his temple destroyed , with his apprentices either killed or gone to follow Ben . A broken Luke blamed himself and lost his faith in the Force , disappearing into exile and leaving R2 behind taking off in his X - Wing . No one knew for sure where he went , but those closest to him believed he went off in search of the first Jedi Temple . The Jedi Master eventually discovered the location of the Temple on an aquatic planet named Ahch - To , where he made his exile and shut himself off from the Force . To those who knew what Skywalker was seeking , there remained a way to find him : after destroying the Jedi , the Empire had begun to seek out the thousands of Jedi temples scattered across the galaxy , with the aim to prevent anyone from discovering the lost secrets of the Order . As such , Imperial authorities discovered the locations of some of the first Jedi Temples , including the one on Ahch - To . The information remained within the archives of the Empire , the access to which was severely restricted after the Galactic Civil War . The First Order was able to acquire most of the map , save for a fraction which was apparently stolen by Lor San Tekka . As he had downloaded most of the information possessed by the Empire during his time on the Death Star , R2 - D2 , Skywalker ' s faithful astromech , was also able to recover the contents of the map , but only by going into low power mode , which allowed him to sort through the wealth of information present in the Empire ' s archives . Exile on Ahch - To . Absent though he may have been from galactic affairs , Skywalker ' s story was nonetheless a thing of myth and legend in certain corners of the galaxy . His exploits in the Galactic Civil War were known to the Resistance , a band of freedom fighters led by now - General Organa to combat the rise of the First Order . Resistance fighter pilot Jessika Pava learned that C - 3PO , who also served in the Resistance , knew Skywalker and asked the droid to tell her a story about his former master . Threepio regaled her with the tale of Skywalker ' s encounter with Sarco Plank on Devaron , and how Skywalker kept his promise to Farnay and indeed returned to Devaron . Members of the First Order , however , had a less - than - ideal view of the Jedi Master ; the First Order taught their followers , including stormtroopers like FN - 2187 , that Skywalker was an enemy who helped destroy the Empire . Despite the knowledge about Skywalker , the mystical elements of his life , as well as the Jedi in general , were seen as mythic rather than historic . In 34 ABY , thirty years after the Battle of Endor , Organa sent Resistance fighter Poe Dameron , the son of Shara Bey and Kes Dameron , to Jakku to find San Tekka and recover the map to Skywalker ' s alleged location , as she hoped her brother would return and help in the fight against the dark side . The First Order also learned of the map and sought it so they could destroy the one remaining Jedi . San Tekka gave the map to Dameron , who in turn gave it to his astromech droid BB - 8 , before Kylo Ren and the First Order arrived . Ren killed San Tekka and took Dameron into custody in the hopes of finding the map , while BB - 8 came into the possession of a Jakku scavenger named Rey . Rey believed that Skywalker was only a myth , but she too possessed a latent Force ability that she had not yet discovered . Rey teamed with FN - 2187 , who took the name Finn after defecting from the First Order , and , with the help of Han Solo and Chewbacca , sought to return the map fragment to the Resistance . After Rey discovered the lightsaber that once belonged to both Anakin and Luke in the pirate castle belonging to Maz Kanata , a thousand year - old being who had knowledge of the Force , she began to unlock her own Force abilities . BB - 8 ' s map fragment was soon combined with R2 - D2 ' s , and together they provided a complete map to Ahch - To . Rey took the lightsaber with her and found the old Jedi Master on an island . When Rey arrived on the island , Luke was standing up top the saddle , summoning the will to try to torch the tree library again having just failed to do so . After making her way to Luke , Rey presented him with his father ' s old weapon as a symbol of the only hope that the galaxy had left . A reluctant teacher and enlightenment . After taking his father ' s lightsaber and looking it over , Luke tossed it behind him and left the plateau , with Rey following close behind him . Despite her repeated attempts , Luke declined to help her or the Resistance . Eventually , Rey and Chewbacca broke into Luke ' s hut and revealed that Han was dead , stunning Luke . When Rey discovered several original texts of Jedi teachings hidden within a sacred tree on the island , Luke learned that she had the Force within her and sought assistance to understand it and her place in the galaxy . Luke revealed that he had come to the place where the Jedi started in order to die as the last of the Jedi . The next night , the former Jedi Master slipped into the " Millennium Falcon " and recalled the adventures he had experienced . While aboard , Luke reunited with R2 who , after he insisted that he could not be convinced to help , replayed Leia ' s holographic message to Obi - Wan . This inspired Luke to agree to give Rey some basic initiation training as a Jedi , explaining the basic foundations of the Force . During the first lesson , Rey sensed the presence of the dark side cavern underneath the island , causing the ground to shake around them as Rey felt the pull of the dark side . It was at this moment that Luke realized Rey ' s level of power was identical to that of his nephew Ben , causing him to worry whether he should train another with such power and to promptly abandon the lesson . He later found Rey practicing with her quarterstaff and then with the returned lightsaber . He silently watched from afar and his concern and dismay only increased when he witnessed her speed and ferocity with the weapon allowing her to slice through several rock formations apart with ease . Eventually after the second lesson , Luke revealed that his nephew Ben had the same tremendous power in the Force she had and was warped by Snoke ' s teachings to the dark side , becoming Kylo Ren . He then destroyed the Jedi temple Luke had started , taking some of his other apprentices with him and killing the rest . Luke went to the cliffside outcrop and managed to regain his Force abillities , which were supressed for years after he shut himself off the Force allowing him to sense his sister from across the galaxy . After restoring his connection to the Force , Luke came to realize that Rey had been right about her , the Resistance and Leia needing him . He went to find Rey in order to tell her that he was going back to the Resistance with her but instead he found Rey talking with Kylo Ren through the Force due to a Force - bond that he previously was unable to detect . Witnesses them touching hands , Luke blew the roof off of the hut Rey was in before ordering her to leave the planet . An enraged Rey proceeded to battle Luke with her staff , only to be swiftly disarmed , leading to Rey threatening him with his father ' s lightsaber . She revealed that , according to Kylo , Luke had tried to murder him while he was asleep and defenseless , sparking a duel between mentor and student . Luke clarified that when he had arrived at the hut , he sensed the power and darkness within his nephew and , for a brief instant , did desire to kill him and activated his lightsaber on instinct . However the moment passed and left him filled with shame , for the look on his nephew ' s face was not one of darkness , but of a scared child , only for the boy to collapse the hut around them in self - defense . Rey told Luke that like when he confronted his father about the light side still within him , she sensed the goodness still within Kylo Ren . Luke disagreed , saying that it is no longer there . Unable to convince him otherwise , Rey secretly stole the texts to teach herself later and left the planet without him to confront Kylo . As Rey boarded the " Millennium Falcon " , Luke saw R2 for the last time and told him to send his best to Threepio and that he would need to stay with Rey to make sure she got back to safety . The following night , Luke returned to the tree containing the Jedi texts with the intention of burning it to the ground . As he approached the tree , he was greeted by the spirit of Yoda , whom he had not seen in decades since he last saw him on Dagobah and Endor . Luke affirmed his desire to burn the tree with the texts inside but then began to hesitate when he attempted to do so . Yoda instead proceeded to summon a bolt of lightning , setting the tree alight and while laughing , repelled Luke with the flames when he changed his mind and tried to save the texts . As the tree burned , the two masters sat next to each other and Yoda reminded Luke that he needed to heed his final instructions to him before Yoda ' s physical death on Dagobah , namely passing down what he had learned . Luke lamented over the loss of the texts , but Yoda slyly stated that although the texts held wisdom , ' page turners , they were not ' , and they didn ' t contain anything Rey did not already have with her . Luke tried to explain that by failing Ben he felt that he a had failed the Jedi , but Yoda explained that ' failure is the greatest teacher ' and that failure was an essential part of what he had implored Luke to pass on so many years before . Finding peace and purpose . Luke later appeared at the Resistance base on Crait and greeted his sister for the first time in years . Reconciling his failure to stop Kylo and for not being there to prevent Han ' s death , Luke resolved to finally confront Kylo to buy the Resistance time to escape . Before Luke went to confront his nephew , he wordlessly greeted his old friend C - 3PO . Stepping outside , Luke was spotted and targeted by a barrage of cannon fire from multiple AT - M6 walkers , but when the fusillade came to a stop , Luke strolled out of the smoke completely unharmed . Kylo Ren , having witnessed the impossible feat , approached Luke on foot . Kylo taunted Luke , and mockingingly asked him if he had come to save his former apprentice ' s soul . But Luke knew that Kylo was already lost , and acknowledged that he was not there to redeem him . Engaging his former master in combat , Kylo charged at Skywalker but Skywalker simply danced around Kylo without engaging in any form of counter attack . After evading Kylo for a time , Luke stopped and apologized to Kylo , stating that he had failed him . He also informed his former student that victory was not so certain as he believed ; that the war was only beginning , and that the Jedi would continue . He then deactivated his lightsaber and offered to let Kylo strike him down , but warned him that doing so in anger would only cause him pain , just as killing Han had , and stated that in death , he would always be with his nephew . Kylo ignored all these warnings and slashed Skywalker across the torso . Believing himself to have been victorious , he was instead astonished to find that his attack had had no effect on Luke . He walked over to his former master and tentatively ran him through , and discovered that Luke was not physically present ; he was in fact projecting an illusion of himself through the Force . The illusion was tailored to have the maximum effect on Kylo , as Luke portrayed himself as he had last appeared to his nephew before they came to blows . Likewise , he portrayed himself as wielding Anakin Skywalker ' s lightsaber , knowing that it would have more effect on Kylo than if he had used his green blade . Luke taunted Kylo one last time , and his image faded into nothingness . Light years away , Luke collapsed from the mental toil necessary to sustain such a lifelike illusion , which Kylo realized meant that Luke would become one with the Force . As he sat down on the cliff where he first trained Rey , Luke beheld the twin suns of Ahch - To in their final descent towards the horizon . Hearing a familiar voice saying ' Let go , Luke ' , though uncertain if it was real or if it was just from his memory , Luke did so and silhouetted by the binary sunset , Luke Skywalker — Jedi Master , ace pilot , savior of the galaxy and son of the Chosen One — passed away , joining his father and former masters as one with the Force , finally at peace . Legacy . One of the most influential people in the entire galaxy , Luke Skywalker ' s accomplishments would be remembered for decades . Within the annals of the Resistance , basic training would see all pilots in its Starfighter Corps learning the Skywalker Swoop , which was based on Luke ' s piloting abilities during the Galactic Civil War . Many remembered him for destroying the Death Star and killing the Emperor , and as such viewed him as a hero of mythic proportions . Some questioned whether or not Luke could have used his powers for evil , while others simply viewed him as a myth . Personality and traits . In his youth , Skywalker was often curious , impatient , looking ahead to the future with little regard for his present surroundings , and even a bit brash . Like his father , he was impulsive , reckless , and often had little regard for his own personal safety . Some time after the Battle of Yavin , he would confer with Nakari Kelen that he regretted his behavior before then , acknowledging he complained " about everything " because of his desire to escape from Tatooine . He also acknowledged his scarce talent at lying , a trait that many people could infer . Despite these traits , Skywalker had a happy childhood anyway . However , as his skills in the Force progressed and , especially after losing a hand to Darth Vader , Skywalker became more patient and seasoned , and was often seen as having wisdom beyond his years . However , he still retained his idealistic viewpoint , willing to think the best of anyone , and believing that Vader was redeemable . He was also unable to ignore those who needed help , sometimes to the point of endangering missions for the sake of saving someone else ' s life , as his father would throughout the Clone Wars . Even as a child , he had a strong sense of morality and a need to help others despite likely danger . After his nephew , Ben Solo , betrayed him and killed most of his apprentices , Luke became embittered as well as grief - ridden and chose to exile himself to the planet Ahch - To , where he would spend the rest of his life in with the intention of dying where the Jedi began to forever end the Jedi . He also became more cautious in teaching others of immense power due to Ben ' s betrayal , feeling finished with the Jedi Order , as evidenced when he initially refused to train Rey and would later decide to abruptly end their lessons after seeing her starting to turn to the dark side . He also now believed that there was no hope for those who fell to the dark side , as shown when he openly expressed that he believed there was no hope for Kylo to return to the light . However , after Yoda ' s spirit encouraged him that Rey was the Jedi ' s hope , Luke finally realized his wrongs and chose to help the Resistance . Despite his resentment for his nephew , Luke showed some remorse for failing to stop his fall to the dark side . In the end , Luke willingly sacrificed himself for the Jedi to be revived and the Resistance to live on . Luke passed away on Ahch - To shortly after , having made peace with his failures and having no regrets . Powers and abilities . Lightsaber abilities . Though he received little training , Luke Skywalker quickly became quite proficient in lightsaber combat . Luke ' s initial training with the weapon of the Jedi was a brief session with Obi - Wan Kenobi and a training remote on the way to Alderaan , when he learned the initial position and the four defensive postures . Though his level proved inadequate during his first , but brief duel against Darth Vader on Cymoon 1 , his combat skills had improved for their duel on Bespin , and culminated with him besting the Sith Lord in combat during the Battle of Endor . Skywalker had some skills in Form V , able to intercept blaster fire . During his mission to Rodia , he tried his hand at Jar ' Kai for the first time with his and Huulik ' s lightsaber . Although he killed a ghest , he admitted that it hadn ' t been a matter of skill , but of " panicked reflexes and really good weapons . " He received further training from the " Gamemaster " , a servant of Grakkus the Hutt , who had learned the art of lightsaber combat . Forced to fight him and the Hutt ' s MagnaGuards , Skywalker improved his cursory abilities . After a brief time of training with Yoda , Luke revealed himself to be a gifted duelist on Bespin . Skywalker engaged Vader in a fierce duel but was defeated , with the Dark Lord proving his superiority . Later , Skywalker showed his abilities in battle during the rescue of Han Solo , where a skirmish ensued in which the Jedi killed many guards aboard the execution skiff and Jabba ' s sail barge . Later , on board the second Death Star , Luke showed his improved abilities and was finally able to duel Vader on an even footing , overpowering and defeating the Dark Lord . Later in life , Luke showed even greater abilities in lightsaber combat . He easily disarmed an angry Rey with a metal stick and his projection managed to easily avoid every single one of Kylo Ren ' s attacks without needing to use his lightsaber to block , holding the latter off on the planet Crait long enough that the remaining members of the Resistance could escape . Force powers . Like his father , Skywalker possessed a powerful connection to the Force . Indeed , Darth Sidious believed that Skywalker was strong enough in the Force to destroy the Sith . However , most of what he learned was self - taught due to Kenobi ' s few days of mentorship before his demise , and later Yoda ' s one year of mentorship before he died of old age , and Kenobi ' s sporadic guidance from beyond the Netherworld of the Force . After learning the basics of the Force , he quickly learned how to sense through it , and took the habit of opening himself to the Force in hopes of learning more than Kenobi had told him , and becoming aware of his surroundings . In time , he would also learn to sense the presence of his father . He was capable of seeing and hearing those who had become one with the Force . By using the Force during the Battle of Yavin , he managed to destroy the Death Star with a shot that many thought was impossible . After obtaining Huulik ' s lightsaber and dismantling it to know his inner workings , Skywalker surmised on his own that the Force could be used to manipulate matter in the manner of telekinesis and managed to learn how to move small objects , such as a noodle or a fork . By the time of the Battle of Hoth , Skywalker had the ability to pull his lightsaber to his hands , though not without difficulty . Under Yoda ' s training , this ability was further developed , enabling him to levitate several objects at once while meditating . At the time of his exile some 30 years later , Luke demonstrated even stronger telekinesis such as when he caused Rey ' s hut to break into pieces around the two , prying an antenna from the roof of a hut and summoning it to himself in seconds and keeping himself suspended off the ground , both when stopping himself from hitting the ground hard when dueling Rey . Skywalker eventually learned other uses , such as choking enemies and doing mind trick s , as well as performing Force - enhanced jumps . He also demonstrated the ability to have visions several times . Before his death , Luke displayed the ability of projection , sending a life - like image of himself across the galaxy to distract Kylo Ren and the First Order . However , the strain of sending and maintaining this projection proved to be fatal to Luke . Other abilities . Skywalker was acknowledged to be an expert pilot , being the person who was responsible for destroying the first Death Star and managing to evade Darth Vader himself ( albeit with help from Han Solo ) . He also managed to destroy an Interdictor vessel on his own while piloting the " Desert Jewel " , although he acknowledged that R2 - D2 saved him when the astromech droid made the ship jump into hyperspace in the nick of time . He was also able to pilot a Imperial Lambda - class T - 4a shuttle with relative ease , outmaneuvering an RZ - 1 A - wing interceptor that was trying to get a lock on him . In fact , Luke had a talent for tinkering and a passion for speed . Because of his upbringing in the desert planet of Tatooine , he never learned how to swim out of the lack of necessity . He was a native speaker of Galactic Basic , and although Skywalker could not understand Shyriiwook , he had quickly learned how to read Chewbacca ' s moods by his tone and expression before the Battle of Yavin . After many years , he also learned binary , being able to communicate with his R2 unit without any help from a protocol droid , which he didn ' t when he was younger as a farm boy . Equipment . Luke Skywalker wielded at least two lightsabers during the Galactic Civil War . The first was his father ' s former weapon , that was retrieved and given to him by Obi - Wan Kenobi . He wielded this weapon for three years before losing it , and the hand holding it , in a duel against Darth Vader on the cloud city on Bespin . After losing his father ' s lightsaber , Skywalker built himself a new weapon , with a green blade , that he used to rescue his friends from Jabba the Hutt and during his final duel with Darth Vader . Behind the scenes . Luke Skywalker was portrayed by actor Mark Hamill in the films , , , , and . He was portrayed as an infant by Aidan Barton in . In " " he was voiced by Joshua Fardon , who also voiced the character in the radio dramatization of " Return of the Jedi " , which is now considered part of the continuity of " Star Wars " Legends and not canon , save for those portions which matched the material presented in the film . Luke ' s minimal screentime in " The Force Awakens " was decided by screenwriter Michael Arndt , who felt whenever the character entered his draft of the script , he would upstage Rey and the audience would cease caring about her . Ultimately , he , J . J . Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan agreed Luke would have to withdraw from the story and become a plot device instead . Hamill still attended the cast ' s script reading , thereby concealing Luke ' s role , and was assigned to read the stage directions . " It was a way of having [ him ] be part of every scene , every moment , not just spiritually or thematically or narratively , but actually , " Abrams said . " Having his voice in it made the read through a better experience for everyone . " Hamill was initially concerned by how Luke was written in " The Last Jedi " . " I got into trouble because … I was quoted as saying to Rian [ Johnson ] that I fundamentally disagree with everything you decided about Luke , and it was inartfully [ sic ] phrased . What I was , was surprised at how he saw Luke . And it took me a while to get around to his way of thinking , but once I was there it was a thrilling experience . I hope it will be for the audience too . " Hamill agreed that an old , comfortable Luke would have been too reminiscent of Obi - Wan , but his issue was that " ' Jedis don ' t give up . ' " Johnson added the back - and - forth to get Luke ' s character to make sense helped " made me really dig in and justify the choices I had made to bring Luke to where he was at . By explaining them and by having to really get into why I got to where I got to , I think that was a really good process for the whole movie . " Johnson deemed it best to conclude Luke ' s " Last Jedi " arc with him dying partly because , " honestly , thinking about the number of characters we have on our plate going into the [ . . . ] it just vaguely seemed good to me that putting Luke in another realm could open possibilities for his possible involvement in the next one . As opposed to him just being another character that had to be juggled into the plot , if that makes sense . " He was unconcerned that the audience might feel unable to cope with Luke ' s death so soon after Han ' s murder in " The Force Awakens " , as Luke ' s passing was victorious and peaceful , not a violent defeat . Hamill was particularly not keen on Luke dying , feeling he had to return a triumphant hero , but Johnson argued that " if Skywalker just came back like he did in the original trilogy , an optimistic fighter , he ' s just an older version of Rey . And Johnson needed someone to bounce up against Rey . " Hamill said his primary lesson from the experience was how , " At times , I ' d say to Rian , ' We gotta think of what the audience wants , ' " And he ' d say , ' No , we ' ve gotta think of what we want . ' " Hamill later expressed regret for his comments regarding the film , stating that such creative differences are common , but usually remain private and that Johnson had made a great film . He later disclosed he had similarly disputed the way the character was written in " Return of the Jedi " , revealing " I read [ the script for ] Jedi and thought , ' Wait a sec ! I thought I was heading toward the struggle of heading to the Dark Side . I ' m in black . I have a glove . I see a trend here . ' " Other storylines . Luke ' s childhood . A Korean web comic features a short story of a young Luke Skywalker . According to the comic , when Skywalker was just 12 years old , he and his friend , Windy went off on their own through the Tatooine desert and wandered away from the moisture farms riding a dewback . The two encountered a sandstorm during their time outside and both lost consciousness . A krayt dragon was nearby when Skywalker woke up , but they were saved by the Jedi - in - exile , Obi - Wan Kenobi , meeting him for the first time after his adoption to Lars family . Skywalker asked him who he was , and Kenobi revealed that his name was Ben Kenobi and an old friend of his father . Soon after , Skywalker exhausted and with Windy , he returned safely to their homes , carried on a dewback . " LEGO Star Wars " . In various LEGO releases such as the television series " " and in the " " , Skywalker is voiced by Eric Bauza . In the " " video game , Mark Hamill reprises his role as Skywalker , however through archive footage and not newly - recorded dialogue . While these appearances are not a part of the official " Star Wars " canon , they are set in a unique , continuous universe .