Luke Skywalker

"I am a Jedi, like my father before me."

- Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker was a human male Jedi Master who was instrumental in defeating the Galactic Empire and the Sith during the Galactic Civil War. He was the son of the redeemed Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and Senator Padmé Amidala, the grandson of Shmi Skywalker Lars, the grandson of both Ruwee Naberrie and Jobal Naberrie, the step-nephew of Owen and Beru Lars, the twin brother of Leia Organa and the uncle of Ben Solo. Luke and his sister were born in 19 BBY on the asteroid Polis Massa, unbeknownst to their father; the recently christened Sith Lord Darth Vader. After his mother died during labor, Luke was separated from his sister and taken by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi to the planet Tatooine to be raised by the Lars family, out of sight of the Galactic Empire.

Luke grew up unaware of his origins, but his life changed forever with his uncle's purchase of two droids—R2-D2 and C-3PO—carrying plans to the Imperial Death Star superweapon. After his aunt and uncle were killed by Imperial troops searching for the plans, Skywalker embarked on a journey to deliver the plans to the Rebel Alliance, receiving training in the ways of the Force from Kenobi, and meeting Han Solo and (unbeknownst to him) his sister, Princess Leia Organa, a member of the Rebellion. Though Kenobi was killed by Vader, Skywalker participated in the Battle of Yavin alongside the Rebels with guidance from Kenobi's spirit, and managed to destroy the Death Star.

As a member of the Rebel Alliance, Skywalker and the Rebels evaded Imperial forces led by Vader, who hunted Skywalker relentlessly over the next three years. As the Rebels were forced to abandon their base during a battle on the snow planet Hoth, Skywalker flew to the swamp planet of Dagobah at the posthumous advice of his late mentor, Kenobi, where he received Jedi training from the exiled Jedi Master Yoda. However, Skywalker was lured into a trap by Vader at Cloud City on Bespin, where he engaged the Sith Lord in a lightsaber duel, discovering Vader's identity as his father and losing his hand in the process.

One year later, after freeing Han Solo from the clutches of crime lord Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine, Skywalker fought in the Battle of Endor before surrendering himself to Vader, realizing he had to confront his father and the Galactic Emperor, Sheev Palpatine, who was also the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Though Sidious attempted to convert Skywalker to the dark side of the Force, Skywalker declared himself a Jedi and successfully appealed to the good in Vader, who redeemed himself as Anakin Skywalker by destroying Sidious at the cost of his own life. Thanks to Skywalker, the battle ended in a Rebel victory, and he joined his celebrating allies on Endor.

After the fall of the Empire, Luke founded a new Jedi temple in an attempt to rebuild the Jedi Order. However, he was betrayed by his apprentice and nephew Ben Solo, the man who would become Kylo Ren, who killed the rest of Luke's Padawans and joined the dark side under the mysterious Snoke. Blaming himself, Luke disappeared and withdrew from the galaxy, going on a quest to find the first Jedi temple. Years later, Luke was found by the Force-sensitive scavenger Rey, who followed a map to him left in fragments with R2-D2 and Lor San Tekka.

Pre-birth
"He is to teach one that will save the universe from a great imbalance."

- Serenity, concerning Yoda's future training of Luke Skywalker

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
"It's a boy.''" "''Luke."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padmé Amidala

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 in 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.

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 farmers, Skywalker naïvely stood up to the thugs at night, trying to take back the water they had stolen from the farmers. 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.

Other adventures
"Tell me...is it the Chosen One?''" "He is." "''He will avenge us."

- Maul and Obi-Wan Kenobi's final conversation, referencing Luke Skywalker

Eventually, Skywalker became an adventure-seeking youth who demonstrated his father's natural piloting 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 Skywalker was the Chosen One before Maul passed away.

When not helping his uncle, Skywalker would occasionally go bulls-eye Womp rats, 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
"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."

- Sheev Palpatine and Darth Vader confer about Luke Skywalker

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

In 0 BBY, the purchase of two droids—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 Jawas—the same ones who sold the droids to his uncle. Skywalker deduced from learning that Imperial stormtroopers 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 credits 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
"I'm Luke Skywalker. I came to rescue you.''" "You're who?" "I came to rescue you. I've got your R2-Unit. I am here with Ben Kenobi." "Ben Kenobi? Where's he?" "''Come on!"

- Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa

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
"Great shot, kid; that was one in a million!"

- Han Solo to Luke Skywalker after the destruction of the Death Star

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 seconds, 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 torpedoes 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
"Ever since the Battle of Yavin, I feel sometimes that people expect me to top it and wonder why I haven't yet."

- Luke Skywalker

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&mdash;which, unknown to them at the time, carried vital intelligence on a Givin cryptographer named Drusil Bephorin&mdash;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 agents, 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 hunters and a confrontation ensued between the Rebels and their pursuers. Despite the formers' victory, Kelen was killed by one of the bounty hunters&mdash;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
"Hyperspace scout. Historian. Farm boy. And yet here you are with a Jedi laser sword in your hand, like you mean to use it."

- Sarco Plank

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 binders 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
"You boy, are no Jedi. Who are you?"

- Darth Vader to Skywalker, during a brief duel in 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
""There's nothing here for me now." That's what I said when I left this place. Let's hope I was wrong."

- Luke Skywalker

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 grenades 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
"You want to finally be a Jedi Knight, kid? Here's your chance. Go die like one."

- Kreel to Luke Skywalker

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&mdash;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&mdash;who remained with the fleet while Solo and Organa were on their own mission&mdash;volunteered to rescue their captured friend.

The gamemaster&mdash;secretly an Imperial stormtrooper named Sergeant Kreel &mdash;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&mdash;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
"...right now I'm just a Rebel pilot who needs to help his friends. Learning to be a Jedi will have to wait."

- Skywalker, to R2-D2

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 &mdash;who had learned of Skywalker's location from one of his associates, a rogue archaeologist named Aphra &mdash;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&mdash;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&mdash;Aphra and the assassin droids 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 Millenium Falcon. They then lifted off in order to aid princess Leia. Unfortunately, they were forced to the ground when their ship was crashed into by the wookie 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 Millenium 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
"How else are we gonna replace the money we just lost?''" "''Heh, don't worry, kid. I know just the thing. It's a big galaxy. And believe me, there's always something somewhere in need of smuggling."

- Skywalker and Solo

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 Millenium 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 nerfs 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
"Chances are...This is the last voyage of the Harbinger. So Let's make it a memorable one"

- Skywalker to Organa and Solo

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 II-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.

Er'Kit
"Rebel intelligence heard some strange things about the Malachor Company, and as soon as I got here to investigate I felt an... echo in the Force. I don't quite know how to explain it, but there's more going on here on Er'Kit than meets the eye."

- Luke Skywalker, during the operations on 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 troops 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 operatives 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
"You will go to the Dagobah system.''" "Dagobah system?" "''There, you will learn from Yoda, the Jedi Master who instructed me."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker

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
"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

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
"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

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 officers 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
"Weapons and war don't make you a Jedi. I know that now."

- Luke Skywalker

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
"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 powers."

- Luke to Jabba the Hutt

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
"Your father was seduced by the dark side of the Force. He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed. So what I told you was true, from a certain point of view."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi to Luke Skywalker

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
"Now, go, my son. Leave me.''" "No. You're coming with me. I'll 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&hellip; you were right."

- Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker

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 Ewoks. 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&mdash;and the weapon it still gripped&mdash;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 interceptors 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.

Vetine
"And why exactly are we doing this?" "Because in the lab at the heart of that base is something the Emperor stole a long time ago. We're taking it back."

- Shara Bey and Luke Skywalker

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.

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&mdash;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
"He was training a new generation of Jedi. There was no one else left to do it, so he took the burden on himself. Everything was going good, until one boy, an apprentice, turned against him and destroyed it all. Everything Luke had worked toward: gone. Luke felt responsible. He walked away from everything."

- Han Solo

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, Luke's sister Leia gave birth to her son 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.

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 taught a number of Jedi disciples, and took on his nephew Ben Solo, the son of Leia Organa and Han Solo, as one of his apprentices. 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. Instead, Ben became corrupted by a being called Snoke, a dark Force user who led the First Order as its Supreme Leader&mdash;and believed that a new generation of Jedi would destroy the resurgent Imperial war machine. Ben took on the name Kylo Ren and slaughtered the new Jedi, apparently destroying everything Skywalker had tried to build. Feeling responsible for what happened, Skywalker vanished into exile. 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.

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.

Into exile
"If Skywalker returns, the new Jedi will rise."

- Supreme Leader Snoke to Kylo Ren and General Armitage Hux

Exile on Ahch-To
"...Luke Skywalker may be the only hope we have left."

- General Leia Organa

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 Threepio, 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 knowing 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, presenting him with his father's old weapon as a symbol of the only hope that the galaxy had left.

Legacy
"Do I know Luke Skywalker? Of course I know him! Well, I mean, I've never met him, but everybody knows Luke Skywalker. He defeated the Emperor, and they say he's the best star pilot in the galaxy."

- Jessika Pava

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.

Personality and traits
"This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away... to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing. Hmph. Adventure. Heh! Excitement. Heh! A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless!"

- Yoda

In his youth, Skywalker was often impatient, looking ahead to the future with little regard for his present surroundings. 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.

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.

Lightsaber abilities
"I see you have constructed a new lightsaber."

- Darth Vader to Luke Skywalker

Though he received little training, Luke Skywalker became a skilled Jedi in 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 Dark 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, on Bespin, that he was an extraordinarily gifted duelist. 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 battle of the Great Pit of Carkoon, 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.

Force powers
"The Force is strong with this one."

- Darth Vader during the Battle of Yavin

Like his father, Skywalker possessed an immensely strong 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. Under Yoda's training, this ability was further developed, enabling him to levitate several objects at once. Skywalker eventually learned other uses, such as choking enemies and doing mind tricks, as well as performing Force-enhanced jumps. He also demonstrated the ability to have visions several times.

Other abilities
"Okay, that was some pretty good piloting. Maybe even legendary."

- Nakari Kelen

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 cruiser 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.

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.

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 Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi and the upcoming film Star Wars: Episode IX. He was portrayed as an infant by Aidan Barton in Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. In Episode IV: A New Hope Read-Along Storybook and CD 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."

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 LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales and in the LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures, Skywalker is voiced by Eric Bauza. In the LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens video game, Mark Hamill reprises his role as Skywalker through archive footage. While these appearances are not a part of the official Star Wars canon, they are set in a unique, continuous universe.