Luke Skywalker was the original Star Wars hero, and the Jedi Knight had a long and complicated timeline that stretched across the entire franchise. Introduced in the first movie that was released in 1977, Luke's journey from an adventurous teen to the savior of the galaxy mirrored classic stories of old, and was the basis for the franchise's enduring legacy. Even after he became a secondary character in the sequel trilogy, Luke still managed to be a compelling addition to the Star Wars movies, and his adventures were fleshed out in the massive library of in-canon books, shows, and comic books.
Embodying the traits of the classical hero written about by theorists like Joseph Campbell, Luke Skywalker's life was the quintessential hero's journey and helped to explain the universal appeal of Star Wars. Though A New Hope's original script was somewhat different, and the production was notoriously troubled, it set the franchise on stable footing and delivered brilliant characters like Luke. As his frequent appearances in the timeline have proven, Luke was the linchpin for Star Wars, and every major event had something to do with him, his family, or his legacy. Even after his death, Luke could possibly still continue to be an integral part of the story.
Early Life (19 BBY - 0 BBY)
The Star Wars prequel trilogy chronicled the rise and fall of Luke's father, Anakin Skywalker, and the finale saw the birth of Luke and his twin sister, Leia, in 19 BBY. The infants were spirited away to entirely different lives, and Luke was sent to live with his step-uncle and aunt on the desert planet Tatooine. Though recent shows have fleshed out the secret history of Tatooine, Luke's early life was relatively peaceful and uneventful. In the year 9 BBY, Obi-Wan Kenobi attempted to visit the youngster but was rebuffed by Luke's protective aunt and uncle. Obi-Wan rescued Luke from the Inquisitor Reva Sevander and met the child briefly.
Luke s The Rebellion (0 BBY - 3 ABY)
Luke Skywalker's life on Tatooine continued uninterrupted until the year 0 BBY when he and his uncle purchased C-3P0 and R2-D2 from local Jawa traders. Contained with the R2 unit was a distress call from Princess Leia Organa, who plead for assistance from Obi-Wan Kenobi, a man Luke thought could be the hermit Ben Kenobi. R2-D2's tenacity to reach Obi-Wan led to Luke once again meeting the former Jedi. Obi-Wan informed Luke of the Force and his place in the galaxy. The death of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru at the hands of the Empire left nothing for Luke on Tatooine, and he ed Obi-Wan on his mission.
Along with Obi-Wan, Luke commissioned age on the Millennium Falcon under Han Solo and set off before being captured and brought aboard the Empire's Death Star. The group pulled off a daring rescue of the captured Princess Leia, and after beginning Luke's training in the force, Obi-Wan battled Darth Vader and died. Newly committed to ing the Rebel cause, Luke put his piloting skills to good use when flying in the Battle of Yavin. He used his newfound Force abilities to deal a crippling blow to the Death Star, winning the battle. After becoming a hero, Luke continued to fight alongside the Rebellion for several years.
Luke's Jedi Training (3 ABY - 4 ABY)
After several years among the Rebels, Luke Skywalker ed his comrades on the ice planet Hoth where he was attacked by a vicious Wampa. While incapacitated, Luke saw a vision of Obi-Wan, who told him to seek out Master Yoda on Dagobah to continue his Jedi training. Luke served valiantly as a pilot during the Battle of Hoth, then departed for Dagobah in his X-wing with R2-D2 in tow. Finding his Master on the swampy planet, Luke was instructed by Yoda until a vision of his friends in peril called him away before his instruction was completed.
Luke then set out for Cloud City where he was immediately caught in a trap set for him by Darth Vader. The Sith Lord engaged Luke in an extended lightsaber duel that saw the younger Skywalker bested at every turn. Vader sliced off Luke's hand during the battle and trapped the young Jedi-in-training on a precipice before revealing that he was Luke's father. Luke escaped, but spent a year in disillusion as he grew used to his robotic hand while searching for the whereabouts of Han Solo, who had been frozen in carbonite by the bounty hunter Boba Fett and auctioned off.
Luke Becomes A Jedi (4 ABY)
While searching for Han, Luke returned to his home planet of Tatooine and created his own lightsaber using parts he found in Obi-Wan's hut. Armed with his new green saber, Luke infiltrated Jabba the Hutt's palace and discovered his friend there. Along with Leia, and a recently thawed Han Solo, Luke escaped from custody while on Jabba's pleasure skiffs and saved himself from being fed to the Sarlacc monster. Luke then returned to Dagobah to see Master Yoda but found his teacher dying of his extended age. Yoda informed Luke that his path to becoming a Jedi required him to fight Darth Vader, and then the old Master died.
The spirit of Obi-Wan informed Luke that Leia was his sister and reaffirmed that Vader was his father. Armed with his new knowledge, Luke reed the rebellion on the moon of Endor where he helped dismantle the shield generator that protected the new Death Star. Luke surrendered himself to the Empire in order to face his father in a final showdown. Brought before the Emperor, Luke battled Vader again but was able to best him before becoming overcome by hate. Luke was then saved by Vader after the Emperor began using Force lightning on him, and Vader was redeemed before dying.
Luke's Quest For Knowledge (4 ABY - 9 ABY)
The destruction of the second Death Star and the assumed death of Emperor Palpatine left the Empire in shambles. Luke Skywalker turned his attention to the Force and his studies. Having learned that Leia was his sister, he began instructing her in the ways of the Force where she proved to be quite adept. Leia's pregnancy resulted in her having a vision of her child's future death, and she discontinued her training as a Jedi. Luke then turned all of his attention to learning about the history of the Jedi, and resolved to rebuild the Jedi Order after its decimation in the year of his birth.
Training Other Jedi (9 ABY - 28 ABY)
Initially reticent to train other Jedi after his sister's departure, Luke Skywalker met Grogu in the year 9 ABY and began teaching him to harness his overwhelming abilities. It was then that he encountered his father's former pupil, Ahsoka Tano, who encouraged him to continue his teaching despite his trepidation. Though Grogu chose to reunite with Din Djarin instead of pursuing his training, Luke was less deterred by his student's choice and soon became Master to his young nephew, Ben Solo. Luke sensed Ben's power from the outset, but he also sensed his penchant for the dark side. He began training him anyway.
Luke and Ben spent many years as Master and Padawan, and in the year 19 ABY, they fought the Knights of Ren, which began Ben on his eventual path of darkness. During that time, Luke also began taking on other students and made the first steps toward establishing another Jedi Academy to train young Force s. While training his nephew, and a host of other young pupils, Luke began to see visions of the Sith world of Exegol, and he would eventually seek the dark planet in order to deepen his knowledge of the Force.
Years Of Exile (28 ABY - 34 ABY)
Throughout their partnership, Luke Skywalker sensed evil within Ben Solo but allowed his familial connection to blind him to the truth. However, in 28 ABY, Luke discovered the connection between Ben and the evil Snoke, and he was prepared to destroy his nephew with his lightsaber. Ben caught his uncle in the act and used his tremendous powers to incapacitate him while he made his escape. Luke awoke to find the destruction that his former Padawan had brought, and many of his students were killed or missing. Gripped with disillusion, Luke then exiled himself to the planet Ahch-To where he suppressed his Force abilities.
Training Rey & Death (34 ABY)
Despite his attempt to remain hidden, Luke was discovered by Rey as she sought out the former Jedi for training. Witnessing her commitment to the craft, Luke decided to instruct Rey, and he was impressed by the scope of her connection to the Force. However, Luke discovered the Force bond between Rey and Kylo and refused to train her any further because of the evil of his former apprentice. Rey eventually departed with her training incomplete, but Luke's lesson's proved to be invaluable to her development of the Force.
Luke made up his mind to destroy the sacred Jedi texts that he possessed, but he was stopped by the spirit of Master Yoda. Yoda then burned the texts himself and imparted one last lesson upon Luke that the power of the Jedi was contained within him and not within old books. Luke then sent a Force approximation of himself to duel with Kylo Ren, and the distraction opened the door for the Resistance to win the day. The effort depleted all of Luke's strength, and he died by becoming one with the Force. Luke's place in Star Wars was then affirmed by the appearance of his Force ghost.
