Luke Skywalker
From Wookieepedia, the Star Wars wiki.
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| Luke Skywalker | |
|---|---|
| Biographical information | |
| Homeworld | |
| Born |
19 BBY (16:5:26), Polis Massa[2] |
| Died |
Unknown, between Second Galactic Civil War and Sith-Imperial War[3] |
| Physical description | |
| Species | |
| Gender | |
| Height |
1.72 meters[4] |
| Hair color |
Blond[5] |
| Eye color |
Blue[5] |
| Cybernetics | |
| Chronological and political information | |
| Era(s) | |
| Affiliation | |
| Known masters |
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| Known apprentices | |
- "I am a Jedi, like my father before me."
- ―Luke Skywalker[src]
Luke Skywalker was a legendary soldier and Jedi who helped defeat the Galactic Empire and found the New Republic, as well as the New Jedi Order. Born in 19 BBY, the son of the prolific Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and the late Naboo queen Padmé Amidala, he was raised on Tatooine in solitude to hide from Emperor Palpatine and his father, now known as Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith. In 0 BBY, Skywalker’s life was changed. A chance purchase of two droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO, led to him meeting Han Solo, Princess Leia Organa, and receiving Jedi training from Obi-Wan Kenobi. Skywalker later destroyed the first Death Star and joined the Rebel Alliance.
Over the next few years, he fought in many of the most important battles of the Galactic Civil War. In 3 ABY, Skywalker received Jedi training from Yoda, and learned from Vader that the Dark Lord was his father. One year later, he fought in the Battle of Endor, and succeeded in turning his father back to the light. Thanks to Skywalker, Palpatine was killed, and the Empire was dealt a crippling blow. One year later, the New Republic was formed. Over the next decade, Skywalker helped keep peace throughout the galaxy as the New Republic slowly defeated small remnants of the Empire. In 11 ABY, he founded the New Jedi Order, and began teaching Force-sensitives about the ways of the Force. In 19 ABY, he married Mara Jade, a fellow Force user.
In 25 ABY, the Yuuzhan Vong War broke out. Though the New Republic was nearly crippled by the extra-galactic invaders, they were able to defeat the Yuuzhan Vong in 29 ABY, in large part due to Skywalker and his Jedi. During the war, Skywalker’s wife gave birth to a son, who they named Ben after Luke’s old master. After the close of the war, the New Republic was reshaped into the Galactic Alliance, and Skywalker reformed his Jedi Order, eventually taking the title of Jedi Grand Master. Following the Dark Nest Crisis, Skywalker began to question the Jedi’s new view of the Force. In 40 ABY, the Second Galactic Civil War broke out, an event that shook the galaxy. Later that year, when his wife was killed, and his nephew Jacen Solo took control of the Galactic Alliance, Skywalker began to fear that Jacen had become a Sith, which proved to be true, as he claimed the title of Dark Lord of the Sith under the name Darth Caedus. With the aide of Skywalker, Caedus was killed by Jaina Solo, ending the war and restoring peace to the galaxy.
Contents
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Biography
Early life (19–0 BBY)
- "It's a boy."
"Luke." - ―Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padmé Amidala[src]
Luke Skywalker was born on the asteroid colony of Polis Massa shortly after the start of the Great Jedi Purge and the foundation of the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY. Moments after the birth of Luke's twin sister, Leia, their mother died, effectively orphaning both children.[2]
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda knew that the children, both having a natural affinity for the Force, needed protection from Palpatine and their father. Deciding it would be best if they were separated, the two Jedi Masters agreed to send the infant boy to live with his father's stepbrother, Owen Lars, and his wife, Beru, on Tatooine. Leia was sent to live under the protection of her newly-adopted parents, Bail and Breha Organa of Alderaan.[2]
Kenobi took the infant to Tatooine personally, making the first leg of the journey in the Soulless One via Nar Shaddaa, then sold the starfighter to buy passage to the homeworld of the Lars family.[8] Intending to watch over Skywalker as he grew, Kenobi chose to go into hiding on Tatooine and live near the boy.[2]
During the first days of his exile, Kenobi visited the Lars homestead every day, always trying to stay clear of Owen and Beru so that they would not see him, in order to watch Luke from afar. Later Kenobi's intervention in the family business of the Lars would mark him an unwelcome man in Owen's eyes, and, as a result, Kenobi would eventually stop watching the boy every single day. According to Skywalker, his first use of the Force was when he was roughly six and, through the Force, located a lost screwdriver that was under the couch. He was severely scolded by his uncle, with the argument that he could only have known its location because he placed it there, and afterwards learned not to duplicate the stunt.[9]
When Skywalker was ten years old, he ran away when Owen refused to tell him information concerning his father. Unfortunately, the boy became lost in a sandstorm. In the desert, he had a vision of a tall, dark figure, and shortly afterwards he met a young boy named Annie. The two boys realized that they had much in common—neither knew much about their father, they were both great pilots, they both wanted to leave Tatooine some day, and that they could sense things before they happened. They soon discovered a Sand Person buried in the sand, and took his gaffi stick. They then sought shelter in a nearby cave but a pack of womp rats drove them back out into the storm, where they stumbled upon a red and white astromech droid. Annie rigged up the astromech's motivator to explode, causing a flare. Unfortunately, the flare attracted the attention of a krayt dragon that attacked the two boys. Skywalker lost sight of Annie, but on instinct, he killed the dragon by throwing the gaffi stick at its throat. Exhausted, Skywalker fell unconscious but, fortunately, Owen and a rescue party found him. Once they did, there was no sign of the krayt dragon or Annie. Skywalker, however, was certain it was more than just a dream, and Owen knew that there was something special about his nephew.[10]
In what was possibly the first encounter Skywalker remembered having with Kenobi, Skywalker and Windy Marstrap were cruising down Beggar's Canyon in Skywalker's T-16 skyhopper in search of womp rats to bullseye. Crashing, the two managed to evade Sand People and discourage Jawas from stealing the skyhopper. Making camp in a cave, they were cornered by a krayt dragon, but Kenobi arrived and chased it off. Then, taming a dewback, the hermit returned Skywalker and Marstrap to the Lars homestead.[11][12]
Sometime during his teenage years, Skywalker was challenged to a speeder race by a local braggart, Gorm Maldorf, in The Cage. On the morning of the race, Gorm's decapitated body was found in the cage. Skywalker began his own investigation of the death, and with the help of Kenobi, he deduced that Gorm had been accidentally killed by his companion Chester the night before, while attempting to rig The Cage for the race.[13]
Skywalker spent the first nineteen years of his life on the Lars' moisture farm, where his uncle tried unsuccessfully to discourage all of his adventurous tendencies. This created friction between the two as Skywalker's daring nature conflicted with Owen's sense of strong moral values. As a teenager, Skywalker dreamed of adventures beyond Tatooine and clashed with his uncle over his desires to fly among the stars to distant worlds. When prompted with inquiries about his father's involvement in the Clone Wars, Lars told him that his father had been "a navigator on a spice freighter." Despite this deception, Skywalker became an adventure-seeking youth, piloting his Incom T-16 Skyhopper through Beggar's Canyon and racing his landspeeder with little regard for his own safety. In addition to sharing his father's natural piloting skills, Skywalker developed a knack for mechanical repairs while looking after droids and fixing the moisture vaporators.[6][12]
Skywalker cultivated a group of like-minded friends on Tatooine, amongst whom he earned the nickname "Wormie." The group included Deak, Windy, Camie Loneozner and Fixer, whose horizons did not extend much past Tatooine itself; and "Tank" and Biggs, who shared Skywalker's dreams of joining the Imperial Academy and becoming pilots. Biggs Darklighter was perhaps Skywalker's closest friend, whom he looked up to as a brother. Biggs left for the Academy in 1 BBY, much to Skywalker's pride, jealousy and dismay. 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 leave, claiming that he still needed help with the farm. In truth, Owen was trying to prevent Skywalker from following in his father's footsteps.[6][12]
Galactic Civil War (0–4 ABY)
- "There is a great disturbance in the Force."
"I have felt it."
"We have a new enemy: the young rebel who destroyed the Death Star. I have no doubt this boy is the offspring of Anakin Skywalker."
"How is that possible?"
"Search your feelings, Lord Vader. You will know it to be true. He could destroy us."
"He's just a boy. Obi-Wan can no longer help him." - ―Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader confer about Luke Skywalker[src]
Leaving Tatooine
- "I want to come with you to Alderaan. There's nothing for me here now. I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father."
- ―Luke Skywalker to Obi-Wan Kenobi[src]
The purchase of two droids by Skywalker's 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 then 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 no cargo pilot, but a Jedi Knight struck down by Darth Vader.[6][12]
Soon after, Skywalker and Kenobi came upon a group of slaughtered Jawas—the same ones who sold the droids to Owen Lars. Upon quickly returning home, Skywalker discovered that his aunt and uncle had been murdered by Imperial stormtroopers looking for R2-D2 and C-3PO. With his family dead, he agreed 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. The two traveled to the Chalmun's Cantina to obtain passage off the planet and met Han Solo and his first mate, Chewbacca, where Skywalker nearly had a fatal run-in with Ponda Baba in the cantina.[6][12]
Rescue on the Death Star
- "I'm Luke Skywalker, I'm here to rescue you!"
- ―Luke Skywalker to Leia Organa[src]
After escaping stormtroopers and blasting off the planet in Solo's ship, the Millennium Falcon, Kenobi began Skywalker's instruction in the ways of the Force, much to the mocking of Solo. This teaching, 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. To their horror, however, it turned out to be the Death Star. Caught by the Death Star's tractor beam, they were brought aboard the massive space station.[6][12]
Once on board, Kenobi separated from Skywalker, Solo, Chewbacca, and the droids to deactivate the tractor beam. However, when R2-D2 discovered that Leia Organa was being held captive, Skywalker insisted on rescuing her. With Solo and Chewbacca's help, the trio made it into the detention area in the guise of Imperial stormtroopers escorting a Wookiee prisoner. They were able to rescue Organa but had to jump into the garbage chute in order to escape the pursuing Imperial forces. Later, Skywalker and Organa were separated from Solo and Chewbacca, but after swinging across a deep shaft, they were to meet back up with their companions in the hangar bay.[6][12]
Eventually, the group escaped the Death Star, but only after Kenobi sacrificed himself in a duel with Darth Vader. They traveled to the hidden Rebel base on Yavin 4, even though the Death Star was tracking them. It was then that Solo received his reward 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.[6][12]
Hero of the Rebellion
- "Luke, you switched off your targeting computer. What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I'm all right." - ―A Rebel comm officer and Luke Skywalker moments before the destruction of the Death Star
It was at the Yavin Base that Skywalker first became an official member of the Rebel Alliance. He spent much time in the base's flight simulators, showcasing his piloting skills for the Rebellion's leaders. In several simulations he was opposed by an entire starfleet and was killed only twice. Red Leader Garven Dreis, after inspecting Skywalker's simulator results with Vanden Willard, approached him and told him how impressed he was with his abilities. Dreis welcomed him as a member of Red Squadron, gave him his own T-65 X-wing starfighter, and assigned him as Red Five.[12]
Just prior to boarding his X-wing, Skywalker encountered his old friend Biggs Darklighter. The two would be flying as wingmen just like old times in the upcoming battle. In a brief conversation, Darklighter reassured Dreis of Skywalker's piloting skills, and promised Luke that the two would catch up on each other's stories when they got back.[6]
Skywalker took part in the Battle of Yavin, witnessing 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 Power Concentration to direct his proton torpedoes to their target[14], destroying the station. For this action he and Han Solo were awarded the Medal of Bravery.[6]
After the destruction of the Death Star, Skywalker spearheaded a number of missions for the Rebel Alliance. Within two weeks of the Battle of Yavin, Skywalker had participated in destroying the Imperial I-class Star Destroyer Liquidator, helped the Alliance collect new X-wings directly from Vors Voorhorian (where he displayed his extraordinary potential in bringing down a TIE Fighter using only his father's lightsaber), fought in the Battle of Vactooine, and traveled to Bonadan and the Unknown Regions. He was also sent to investigate new base locations on the Keeper's world, Akuria II, and Drexel. All three ventures ended in violence and failure.
Six months after the Battle of Yavin, Skywalker, Solo, and Chewbacca were dispatched to investigate BloodScar pirate activity near a Rebel supply line, although Solo was reluctant and unsure of his ultimate role in the Alliance. During the mission, Skywalker and the others became mixed up with a group of AWOL stormtroopers, and traveled with them on their ship after the rogue stormtroopers began following them and helped them beat off a pirate attack. The stormtroopers originally posed as Consolidated Shipping investigators while the Rebels posed as independent shippers, but they quickly learned each other's identity. Neither side fully trusted the other, but Skywalker was able to keep hostilities from breaking out between them. However, they then learned that Leia Organa was being hunted on Shelkonwa, and sought to help her, while the Hand of Judgment believed that the pirates had a connection to the Governor's office on Shelkonwa. The three Rebels, with some aid from the renegade Imperials, were able to sneak into Makrin City and rescue Organa, and escape back to the Rebel Alliance despite a large Imperial presence, including that of Darth Vader.[15]
Eager to serve the Rebel Alliance, Skywalker's early years were filled with adventures including fighting pirates, aiding in battle against Imperial forces and evading the clutches of Darth Vader and his agents. While on a scouting mission, Skywalker's vessel was caught in the hyperwash of a transdimensional comet, depositing him onto the barren ice world Hoth. Skywalker returned to the Alliance, informed his superiors of the isolated world, and the Rebel Alliance planned to evacuate their outposts on Yavin 4 and Thila to set up a base on Hoth.
When Yavin IV was evacuated, Jan Dodonna promoted Skywalker to Commander, but the promotion was not filed before the General's capture. Even so, mere days after the base was evacuated, Skywalker became a Lieutenant Commander, and led missions to Dantooine, Ralltiir and Tatooine. It was during this time that Skywalker also began to truly feel at home in a starfighter squadron. When not flying alongside Red Squadron and his mentor Commander Narra, he led the neophyte fighter group Rogue Squadron to planets like Barkhesh, Chorax, Corellia, and Gerrard V.
Before the year was out, Skywalker was also finding himself participating in missions outside of a starfighter cockpit. He saw action at Jabiim, Kalist VI, Kiva, and Per Lupelo, and learned first-hand of the horrors of war. He even met a clone trooper, Able, who was unaware of the events in the galaxy, with a little bit of history and showing of his lightsaber, Luke was able to convince Able that the Jedi took up arms against the Empire. On Kalist VI, Luke had an unexpected reunion with his childhood friend Janek Sunber, now a lieutenant in the Imperial Army, which ended with the near destruction of the Alliance Fleet.
Luke later joined a team sent to a desert moon near Aridus. When they were attacked by the long-extinct creatures known as rakghouls, he heard a calling in the Force and was carried off the by the rakghouls. He was soon confronted by a centuries old Jedi Celeste Morne, who was driven insane by the spirit of the much older Sith Karness Muur, who was residing inside the Muur Talisman she wore.
In 2 ABY, he accompanied Leia Organa on a diplomatic mission to the Circarpous system, where they crash landed on the planet of Mimban. On Mimban, Skywalker and Organa encountered a Force-sensitive old woman named Halla. They struck a deal with her, promising to find the Kaiburr crystal if she promised to aid them in their escape off the planet. However, Darth Vader was also looking for the powerful Kaiburr crystal. Both in pursuit of the powerful Force relic, Skywalker and Vader dueled in the ancient Temple of Pomojema. Every movement of Skywalker was guided by the spirit of Kenobi and empowered by the crystal, so the young man amazingly managed to hold Vader off, even managing to sever the Dark Lord's mechanical arm. Shocked, Vader tumbled down a deep pit, ending their duel.[16]
Transferred to Echo Base alongside Rogue Squadron in 3 ABY, Skywalker participated in regular patrols of the frozen perimeter. While reconnoitering the surroundings of Echo Base, Skywalker was attacked by a wampa. He regained consciousness in the creature's cave, severed its arm with his lightsaber, and escaped only to find that he was far from Echo Base. 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, and was then rescued by Han Solo.[7]
Skywalker recovered from his wounds, including a deeply gashed face and a crushed cheekbone[17], in a bacta tank, but did not have much time to recover; one of Vader's thousands of probe droids, launched across the galaxy in search of the Jedi and the new Alliance base, had reached Hoth and sent proof of Rebel activity to the Galactic Empire. In the ensuing battle, Skywalker led Rogue Squadron in an effort to counter the attack and buy time for the evacuation of Echo Base. Under his leadership, the speeders proved more effective in attacking the massive Imperial walkers than the Empire realized was possible. Furthermore, even after he was shot down, Skywalker demonstrated his formidable potential as a Jedi when he proceeded to single-handedly destroy a walker with spectacular effectiveness. As Imperial forces breached the defenses, the last Rebel transport departed and Skywalker fled the planet aboard his X-Wing.[7]
Training to become a Jedi
- "Will he finish what he begins?"
"I won't fail you. I'm not afraid."
"Oh, you will be. You will be." - ―Yoda and Luke Skywalker[src]
Skywalker then traveled to Dagobah, where he encountered Yoda. In their initial meeting, Skywalker was frustrated and confused about his surroundings and was thus rather short with the diminutive Yoda, who did not initially identify himself. Skywalker gained a new appreciation for the small creature upon learning his identity, though 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 towards 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 Darth Vader's armor. 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.[7]
Duel with the Dark Lord
- "Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father."
"He told me enough! He told me you killed him!"
"No. I am your father." - ―Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker[src]
Skywalker arrived at Cloud City and, with blaster drawn, moved in to rescue his friends. He was shot at by Boba Fett and ambushed by a group of stormtroopers and Imperial officers. He briefly spotted Organa being used as a human shield by a Imperial officer. As she was dragged away, Organa attempted to warn him that he was walking into a "trap". While attempting to pursue them, Skywalker's path was diverted to the carbon-freeze chamber where Darth Vader awaited him.[7]
Skywalker engaged the Dark Lord in a fierce duel. Vader proved his superiority in his customized Form V swordplay, executing cho mai and Dun Möch. 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.[7]
Faced with this shocking and horrifying claim and the even more fearsome temptation to join Vader, Skywalker found the moral courage to choose death instead by throwing himself down a long shaft. He was sucked through an opening portal at the bottom of the chamber, then through another one which led out of the floating city. Skywalker grabbed onto a weather vane, preventing a fall to his death. Weak and helpless, Skywalker reached out to Organa with the Force, and soon the Millennium Falcon, with Lando Calrissian, Organa, Chewbacca, and the droids onboard, arrived to rescue him. After reuniting with the Rebel fleet, Skywalker received his cybernetic hand aboard the Redemption.[7]
Alliance hero
A short time after the Battle of Hoth, Skywalker was assigned as part of a diplomatic delegation to Abridon. Doubtless playing off his heroic stature as the Rebellion's Jedi hero, Skywalker was one of five dignitaries sent to convince the Abridon Government Council to join the Rebel fold after its revolution against the Empire. However, Abridon's freedom didn't last. Grand General Malcor Brashin and General Brenn Tantor arrived within days and crushed the rebellion. Hamman Flatt, a leader of the Abridon Nationalists, sold out the Rebel diplomats in an attempt to save his life. Skywalker, along with the rest of the delegation, was hunted down by Tantor and captured.[18]
From Abridon, Skywalker was sent to Kalaan Prison, from which he awaited transfer to Coruscant. Fortunately, he was rescued by none other than his captor, Tantor. Shortly after Skywalker's capture, Tantor had refused an order to massacre civilians. For that, he was imprisoned on Kalaan. Unlike Skywalker, Tantor had a unit of loyal stormtroopers to call upon. His stormtroopers freed Tantor, who escaped to the Rebels' General Tyr Taskeen, taking Skywalker with him to prove his good intentions.[18]
The aftermath of the Battle of Hoth scattered the Alliance, and Skywalker was stationed at temporary bases on Golrath and Arbra, from where he continued to perform missions for the Rebel Alliance. On one such mission, while boarding an Imperial ship, Skywalker found the entire crew dead. Suspecting an unusual crimson stone to be the cause of the mysterious deaths, Luke returned to Golrath, but was already infected with the disease. Soon, he was lying comatose with his eyes scarlet red. The disease Skywalker had contracted was indeed related to the crimson stone. Known as the Crimson Forever, it was caused when the two stones from the Red Nebula were separated. Calling Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca back from the search for Solo, Organa and Calrissian journeyed to find the other stone in the Falcon to save Skywalker. Actually, Skywalker's infection by the Crimson Forever was part of a revenge attempt by Domina Tagge, because Darth Vader had told her that Skywalker was responsible for the death of her brother, Orman. Tagge had set the trap for Skywalker when, after she retrieved the stones, her ship was boarded by Imperial stormtroopers. After her bounty hunters had fought the stormtroopers off, she triggered a canister with one of the stones inside on the Imperial ship, killing all of them and preparing the way for Skywalker's infection. Although Calrissian and Organa were captured by Tagge's minions, they escaped and another prisoner unleashed the second stone on Tagge's ship. Calrissian and Organa then struck a deal with Tagge, who was trapped in a sealed off compartment, to trade the second stone for a ship to escape with. Tagge agreed, and Organa and Calrissian brought the second stone back to Golrath, where the crystals were reunited and Skywalker was cured. After his recovery, they loaded the crystals on the abandoned Imperial ship and sent it into Golrath's sun, and Skywalker returned to serving the Alliance.[19]
When the Alliance discovered the Imperial superweapon Tarkin, a small commando team consisting of Skywalker, Organa, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and C-3PO was dispatched to pose as workers and infiltrate the battle station. Flying the Falcon to Hockaleg—the location of the Tarkin—the Rebel commandos planned to use proton grenades to destroy the superweapon's reactor. Unfortunately, Vader was present on the station and, sensing Skywalker's presence, laid a trap to protect the reactor and catch the aspiring Jedi.[20] Only an assassination attempt on Vader's life by several Imperial officers allowed the Rebel team to escape. Fleeing the Sith, Skywalker and the others aborted their mission and left in a ship. They were hotly pursued by Imperial TIE Fighters, but Calrissian, who had stowed away on the Falcon, flew the freighter up from Hockaleg and blasted the fighters. The Rebel team then boarded the Falcon and prepared to make good their escape, but Vader, having survived the assassination attempt, now gave chase in his personal fighter. To escape him, Skywalker dumped the Falcon's water supply into space, which froze. Vader crashed into the wall of ice, ending that threat, but the Imperials then fired the Tarkin's main weapon at them. However, Organa had sabotaged it, so instead of destroying the Rebels, the weapon destroyed itself.[21]
In preparation for another Alliance mission, Skywalker, Calrissian, and Chewbacca were sent to retrieve four TIE Fighters. Meeting their contact, Orion Ferret, on Bazarre, Luke and Lando received a ship and the coordinates of the garbage world of Patch-4, where the fighters had been located. Upon arrival, they found the TIE Fighters, but were attacked by the Watchbeast, which unbeknownst to Skywalker, was controlled by Ferret. Skywalker and Calrissian fled into some nearby caves, only to find an entire community of people living inside. Acting off of a tip received from Serja Kesselrook, one of the inhabitants, Skywalker dashed for the ship they arrived in while Calrissian distracted the Watchbeast. Reaching the shuttle, Skywalker activated the sonic pacifier that controlled the beast, putting it to sleep. They then retrieved the fighters, the Falcon, and Chewbacca, and returned to Arbra.[22]
Ascending to the command of Rogue Squadron, Skywalker fell in love with one of his squadron mates, the talented and enigmatic Shira Brie. During a heated battle with Imperial forces, Skywalker's targeting computer was knocked out of commission, and he instead relied on the Force to pick his targets. Inexplicably, the Force told him to fire on a friendly vessel, and he shot Brie out of the sky.[23] For this act, Skywalker was stripped of command and put on trial. As a result, Skywalker's confidence in the Force was shaken. He investigated the matter and discovered that Brie was actually an Imperial agent. Skywalker cleared his name and was reinstated as a Rebel commander.[24]
Search for a scoundrel
Over time, Skywalker grew more powerful in the Force, and his exploits in the Alliance gained a higher profile. Skywalker received word that Boba Fett, who had in his possession the frozen Han Solo, was lurking near Gall. Skywalker and the Rogues set off to provide cover for Organa and Calrissian in the Millennium Falcon. However, the attack was unsuccessful as their guide, Dash Rendar, abandoned them and Boba Fett escaped. On the return trip, Wes Janson's astromech malfunctioned, took over his fighter, and targeted Skywalker's craft. He was able to disable it, though, thankfully without harm to Janson. Upon returning to their base, it was discovered that the droid had been sabotaged by a mechanic.[25]
Returning to Tatooine, Luke spent much time at the old residence of Obi-Wan Kenobi, where he constructed a new green lightsaber with the help of a journal prepared by Kenobi, based on the design of his old lightsaber. After fending off an attack by a swoop gang, with the aid of Dash Rendar, who had been hired to watch out for him, Skywalker encountered a message droid that was originally sent to Organa, who had gone to meet with Black Sun representatives. However, Skywalker was able to determine the password to reveal the message. The message was sent by Koth Melan, a Bothan spymaster. Skywalker traveled to meet with Melan along with Rendar. Melan sought Luke's help in attacking the freighter Suprosa, which was carrying top secret Imperial data. Skywalker trained the squadron of Bothan Y-wing pilots and led the attack. Although they suffered heavy losses, the information was retrieved, and Rendar again left after failing to prevent the deaths of several Bothan pilots. However, upon returning to the Bothan base, they fell under attack. Though the data was safely moved for translation, Skywalker was temporarily captured by Barabel bounty hunters. He managed to escape during another attack and was contacted by Chewbacca, who reported that Organa was in the hands of the Black Sun leader, Prince Xizor, who had been behind the repeated assassination attempts on Skywalker to aggravate Darth Vader as part of a power struggle with the Dark Lord. Skywalker met up with Calrissian and Chewbacca and smuggled them into Imperial Center. After joining forces once more with Rendar, Skywalker was able to infiltrate Xizor's palace by entering through the sub-sub-basement sewers. They were able to rescue Organa, but were intercepted by numerous guards. Xizor fired on Skywalker, but the aspiring Jedi easily blocked his shots. At that point, Calrissian activated the timer on a thermal detonator and dropped it into the maintenance shaft, dooming the building. Xizor and the guards fled, allowing the rescue party to meet the Millennium Falcon, which was piloted by C-3PO and R2-D2. Before they left, Skywalker was challenged by Guri, Xizor's powerful Human replica droid. Skywalker accepted the challenge, beating her empty-handed, but refused to finish her. Along with Organa, Calrissian, and Chewbacca, he escaped in the Millennium Falcon. They were pursued by Xizor's private fleet, but the intervention of Rogue Squadron and the Imperial Navy allowed the Falcon to escape, escorted by the Rogues.[25]
Shortly thereafter, Skywalker and his friends were sent to Lahsbane to investigate the disappearance of Rebel agents Tay Vanis and Yom Argo. The search took them from Lahsbane to Iskalon, Gamandar, Kabray, a stopover at Belderone until finally, it concluded with the discovery of a broken and comatose Vanis on Arcan IV. While there, Calrissian and Chewbacca learned that Boba Fett had finally delivered Han Solo to Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine. Skywalker began to put a plan for rescue in motion.
Rescuing a hero
- "I am taking Captain Solo and his friends. You can either profit by this or be destroyed. It's your choice, but I warn you not to underestimate my power."
- ―Luke to Jabba Desilijic Tiure[src]
Skywalker finally arrived on Tatooine early on in 4 ABY. When Organa and half the rescue party were held captive by Hutt crimelord Jabba Desilijic Tiure, Skywalker went to free them and Solo. 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.[26]
Skywalker killed the fearsome monster, but Jabba was furious and sentenced all the captured Alliance heroes – including an unfrozen Solo – to death in the 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. The aspiring Jedi massacred Jabba's guards, though he sustained a minor wound on his cybernetic hand.[26]
Skywalker, Solo, Organa, Chewbacca, Calrissian and the droids escaped after destroying both Jabba's barge and the gangster himself. Mara Jade, at Jabba's palace undercover as a dancer, was unable to complete her mission of assassinating Skywalker because Jabba would not allow her to come with him on the barge. Skywalker later had a vision of how she would have prevented his escape when he revisited Dagobah.[26]
The test of Endor
- "I will not turn, and you'll be forced to kill me."
"If that is your destiny…" - ―Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader[src]
Not long after, Skywalker returned to Dagobah to complete his training and received confirmation from Yoda and the spirit of Kenobi that Vader was indeed his father, Anakin Skywalker, a former Jedi Knight who turned to the dark side of the Force. The elderly and dying Yoda told Luke that his training was complete, but in order to be a Jedi, he would have to confront Darth Vader again, a notion that Skywalker found painful to accept. Furthermore, Skywalker realized that Organa was his sister and would be in peril if their father discovered her identity.[26]
Skywalker nevertheless accompanied his friends on the mission to the forest moon of Endor to knock out the shield generator that protected the second Death Star in orbit. Upon approaching Endor, Skywalker sensed Vader's presence on the nearby Star Destroyer Executor, and realized his presence endangered the mission. His companions dismissed his concerns, and proceeded on. However, thanks to Skywalker merely accompanying the mission, Vader was able to detect the presence of the Rebels in the shuttle in which they infiltrated the forest moon, but allowed them to land so he could deal with them himself. When the Rebel force was discovered by Imperial scout troopers, Skywalker and Organa pursued them on speeder bikes through the dense foliage and successfully prevented them from reporting the Rebels' presence. Skywalker showed off his skill in the Jedi ways by leaping from one speeder to another while traveling at high speed and deflecting the laser fire of another, which he destroyed with a stroke of his new lightsaber. However, during the high speed chase, Organa became separated from Skywalker. Upon learning of her disappearance, Solo, Skywalker, Chewbacca, and the droids went looking for her, but were captured by a tribe of Ewoks.[26]
Skywalker prevented a skirmish with the small forest-dwellers and ingeniously rescued the party after the Ewoks, who thought C-3PO was a god, planned to sacrifice the Rebel heroes. He used the Force to levitate the protocol droid, convincing the Ewoks to release and aid the Rebels. However, Skywalker knew that he had to confront Vader. In the Ewok village, Skywalker revealed to Organa her true familial heritage and resolved to face Vader. Not long after, Skywalker surrendered to Vader in an attempt to bring the Dark Lord back to the light side, but he ultimately became a prisoner of the Emperor.[26]
Once on board the Death Star, the Emperor and Vader attempted to corrupt Skywalker with promises to save his friends from their trap if he joined the dark side. As a backup idea, the Emperor goaded Skywalker to strike him down to save the Rebel Fleet, which was being decimated in the Battle of Endor. Skywalker, in a moment of weakness, lashed out, but Vader stopped his strike.[26]
Despite the clash, Skywalker managed to keep emotional control, much to the frustration of his enemies. Maintaining control of his emotions, he hid himself and refused to continue to fight. However, that control was lost when Vader telepathically sensed the existence of Skywalker's sister and threatened to to corrupt her instead.[26]
- "Give yourself to the dark side. It is the only way you can save your friends. Yes. Your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for them are strong. Especially for…sister. So, you have a twin sister. Your feelings have now betrayed her, too. Obi-Wan was wise to hide her from me. Now his failure is complete. If you will not turn to the dark side, then perhaps she will."
"NEVER!!!" - ―Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker[src]
Furious at the threat, Skywalker viciously attacked, wielding the full power of Djem So, and eventually cut off the Sith Lord's right hand, nearly killing Vader. Palpatine then demanded he finish Vader and take his place at his side. Luke, however, threw his lightsaber away, realizing that he was becoming what he sought to destroy. He declared himself a Jedi, just as Anakin Skywalker had been before him.[26]
Enraged, the Emperor unleashed Force lightning against Skywalker in an attempt to kill the young Jedi. Seeing his son dying (and perhaps recalling the death of Mace Windu twenty-three years earlier), compassion finally broke through to Vader. In an act of self-sacrifice and love for his son, Anakin Skywalker re-emerged to destroy the Emperor.[26].
- "Now, go, my son. Leave me."
"No. You're coming with me. I will not leave you here. I've got to save you!"
"You already have, Luke. You were right. You were right about me. Tell your sister… you were right." - ―Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker[src]
On the deteriorating Death Star at the foot of Vader's shuttle, Skywalker removed the former Vader's mask and looked upon his father's face for the first and only time before Anakin became one with the Force. Skywalker took his father's body on board the shuttle and escaped just before the Death Star's destruction. Back on Endor, Skywalker cremated his father's armor in the manner of a Jedi's funeral, as his father's body had already vanished.[27] He then joined in the celebration of the apparent defeat of the Empire, during which he saw the spirits of Kenobi, Yoda, and Anakin Skywalker appear. Thus, Skywalker came full circle both as a Jedi and as a person.[26]
Post Endor
- "Sometimes I feel like I've been running full speed since we blasted out of Tatooine with the droids and Ben Kenobi way back when."
- ―Luke Skywalker during the Thrawn Campaign[src]
The day after his duel with Darth Vader at the Battle of Endor, while still recovering from the wounds inflicted by Palpatine's Force-lightning, Skywalker saved Wedge Antilles from certain injury or death. Antilles had discovered a message droid that was threatening to self-destruct, requesting help for the beleaguered outpost world Bakura.
Skywalker commanded an Alliance mission to the Bakura system, which was under siege by a strange alien race, the Ssi-Ruuk, which used the life force of their captives to power their technology. There Skywalker and Organa negotiated a temporary truce between the Rebel and Imperial forces to help fight off the invasion. Skywalker encountered a young Bakuran senator, Gaeriel Captison, and they eventually developed a mutual attraction for each other, but parted ways after the mission was complete. During the mission, Skywalker was infected with Olabrian trichoid parasites by the treacherous Imperial governor Wilek Nereus and was also taken prisoner by the Ssi-Ruuk. With the aid of Dev Sibwarra, a Force-sensitive Human serving the Ssi-Ruuk, Skywalker was able to escape the Ssi-Ruuk, disable their ship, and win the battle. Skywalker later dictated the terms of surrender to Wilek Nereus for the Bakurans to have their freedom to choose their governing authority. The discovery of Dev Sibwarra during the Battle of Bakura fueled Skywalker's conviction for finding others like him in the galaxy. Palpatine and Vader's purge was not absolute. Surely, he believed, there were Force-users that had escaped the dark times.[28]
After returning from Bakura, Skywalker led the pilots of the under-strength Rogue Squadron to Corellia on a vacation/scouting mission. They found the planet to be almost free of Imperial occupation. However, while sitting in a tapcafe in Coronet City, the city came under attack by General Weir and his forces. The Rogues held off the stormtroopers sent after them, and Luke's Jedi skills came in handy in defending the other pilots from blaster fire and keeping an AT-ST from falling over until Tycho Celchu and Ten Nunb could get away from it. After Nunb was captured, Luke pursued his Imperial captors, but they escaped off the planet in transports. Fortunately, Tycho and the astromechs brought their X-wings for them. Taking off in pursuit, they were delayed by a diversionary TIE fighter attack on a civilian convoy. Nevertheless, Skywalker and the other Rogues tracked Weir and Ten to Tralus, where they found a hidden underground base. After a short firefight, Weir fled in a TIE and Skywalker and Antilles commandeered TIEs of their own to pursue him. Meanwhile, Wes Janson discovered that Nunb was already dead, tortured and killed by Weir. Skywalker and Antilles shot the general down, and they took him back to the Alliance as a prisoner. Shortly afterwards, Skywalker turned responsibility for the squadron over to Wedge.[29]
In search of a legacy (4–11 ABY)
- "The Force will be with you. Always."
- ―Obi-Wan Kenobi[src]
However, Luke had to put his dreams for a New Jedi Order on hold. The death of Palpatine had created a time of frenetic activity, and Luke was caught up aiding worlds trying to break from the Empire at its time of weakness. On the world of Solay, Luke helped the local resistance overthrow King Blackart. During the coup, Luke fell in love with a local girl named Mary, and hoped for the first time to leave the war behind. However, Luke was jolted back into reality when the Empire returned to enslave Solay. Mary was killed in the reoccupation, and Luke escaped the planet with the aide of a local named Braxas. The death of Mary renewed Luke's commitment to the Rebellion, and he took to his duties with renewed fervor.[30]
At the Rebellion's base on the moon of Endor, Luke began to hone his Force powers with Wicket and the Ewoks. It was there that Luke would receive his first official mission since the death of Palpatine. Luke became a representative of the victorious Rebellion and visited the planets of Iskalon and Shawken to ask for representatives to attend the First Conference of Free Peoples. On this mission, Luke met the Iskalonian Kiro. Kiro was Force-sensitive and hoped that Luke would train him to become a Jedi Knight. However, the death of Sibwarra had made Luke question his readiness to train a new generation of Jedi Knights and he refused Kiro's request. Kiro was visibly upset, but he accepted Luke's judgment.[31] Around this time Luke began to train more recruits for the Alliance including Barney, Rik Duel, Chihdo, Dracos, Dani, and Faron. Although they may not have been Force-sensitive, they too wished to be trained as Jedi Knights, but Luke's mind was made up and his fear of new Jedi falling to the dark side kept him from schooling them in the powers of the Force. Unfortunately, Luke's decision would later come back to haunt him.[32]
During his time as a squad commander, another young rebel named Vila arrived on the forest moon demanding that Luke train her so that she could save her homeworld of Naldar. Luke's convictions held strong, and although he promised to help Vila he would not train her. Luke's fear of training new Jedi was tested on Naldar where he came into conflict with Flint, another young man that he had refused to train.[32] Flint had become the Dark Lord of the Sith under Lumiya and was leading Imperial forces on Naldar.[33] Luke fought the Dark Lord and realized that his refusal to train Flint had actually created evil instead of preventing it. Luke was able to make Flint realize how lost he had become, but the ensuing battle claimed the life of Vila. Flint was put in Alliance custody, and a Force vision with Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the redeemed Anakin Skywalker made Luke realize that he should no longer be afraid of the dark side. Luke decided to take up Kiro's request to be trained as a Jedi Knight, and Kiro became Luke's first apprentice.[32]
