Arguably the most important single character in the Rebel Alliance's struggle against the Empire, Luke Skywalker also proved to be one of the most changed over the course of the war. Starting out young and naïve, the events portrayed in the original Star Wars trilogy of movies and related games would shape him into a powerful, confident warrior strong with the Force.
Luke grew up with no memory of his parents. Raised by his adopted uncle and aunt, Owen and Beru Lars, he spent most of his first 18 years of life goofing off with his friend Biggs Darklighter and helping out on his guardians' moisture farm on the desert planet of Tatooine. But that's not what he wanted to do. Liking nothing better than to leave his homeworld, Luke dreamed of joining the Imperial academy so that he could become a pilot as he was told his father Anakin Skywalker was before him.
Before he knew it, Luke would get the chance he had always dreamed of -- but at a cost. In search of two droids the farm had recently acquired that were believed to hold plans for a secret new Imperial space station called the Death Star, Stormtroopers destroyed the establishment and killed Owen and Beru. Absent because he was chasing after one of the droids, R2-D2, along with the other, C-3PO, Luke had no one to turn to but Ben Kenobi, a former Jedi Knight also known as Obi-Wan Kenobi. Kenobi would educate Luke about the powers of the Force and, after viewing a distress call from Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, persuade him to leave Tatooine with him. Kenobi also provided Luke with his father's lightsaber and promised to teach him how to become a Jedi.
After hiring a space pirate named Han Solo to take them to Alderaan, Luke's time of glory with the Rebellion began. In the course of the next few days, he saved Leia from imprisonment on the Death Star and, with a little help from Han and the Force, blew up the battle station in the Battle of Yavin. In the course of the adventure, however, he lost his mentor to the lightsaber of Darth Vader, a ruthless Dark Jedi second only to Emperor Palpatine in the ranks of the Empire.
After the Battle of Yavin (the climax of the movie Star Wars as well as several related games), Luke was promoted to Rebel Alliance commander and leader of the Rogue Squadron. Many of Luke's experiences with this elite band of Rebel pilots are featured in the game Rogue Squadron, occurring in the three-year interim period between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back.
As seen in The Empire Strikes Back, Luke began to mature as the war with the Empire started to take its toll on the Alliance. Under the tutelage of Jedi Master Yoda on the swamp planet of Dagobah, he continued to learn the ways of the Force. However, his training was cut short after learning of Leia and Han's being captured by the Empire on Bespin's Cloud City.
He left Dagobah against the wishes of Yoda and would eventually find himself in a trap set by Darth Vader, who had hopes of capturing Luke and converting him to the dark side. The movie's climax featured a lightsaber battle between the two with the Dark Lord of the Sith triumphant, cutting off Luke's right hand in the process. But that's not all. To Luke's horrific surprise, Vader declared to him, "I am your father." The Jedi in training managed to escape -- but not without a lot on his mind.
Though Luke's presence is minimal in the game Shadows of the Empire, his role in the battle against Xixor and Black Sun (the organization that tried to assassinate him) is chronicled in novel and book form. It was also during this period that he built his first lightsaber, replacing the one he had lost in his battle against Vader. The new weapon had a green blade instead of the blue one he once utilized.
Soon, as seen in Return of the Jedi, Luke was ready to confront Jabba the Hutt back on Tatooine in the hopes of releasing Han Solo, who had been encased in carbonite and was decorating the notorious gangster's wall. Of course, Jabba proved unreasonable, but Luke (along with Princess Leia and Lando Calrissian) managed to pull off a rescue. He then proceeded to Dagobah to finish his training, but a dying Yoda told him that he needed only to defeat Vader to become a Jedi -- and that the Dark Jedi was indeed his father. Moments after the Jedi Master's death, Luke was also informed by the spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi that he had a twin sister of which he had never known -- none other than Leia.
After assisting with a Rebel mission to the forest moon of Endor, Luke turned himself in to the Empire with the full intent of converting his father back to the light side of the Force. Though Luke could sense resistance to Emperor Palpatine in the man once known as Anakin Skywalker, Vader was reluctant and unwilling to turn. The two eventually squared off in another lightsaber duel, the battle taking place before the Emperor aboard a new Death Star as other Rebels fought to destroy it.
This time, however, Luke would prove victorious -- in more ways than one. After defeating his father in battle, the young Jedi -- you could now call him that -- refused the Emperor's pleas to join the dark side and was then assaulted by powerful energy bolts. Seeing his son in mortal danger, Vader showed the Anakin Skywalker within him by picking up the Emperor and throwing him down a shaft into the reaches of space. Though the newly revived Anakin would die in the coming minutes, Darth Vader was already dead. Luke had won the most important battle of all.
Though Luke's story according to George Lucas ends here, many others have continued it in books and comics. It seems only a matter of time before Luke Skywalker takes part in a videogame outside of the time span of the original Star Wars trilogy.
VIDEOGAME HEROICS: Of the plethora of Star Wars games available, no other character has had players assume his identity more than Luke Skywalker. In most instances, players must either guide his ship against Imperial TIE fighters and AT-ATs or control the young Jedi himself as he wields his lightsaber or shoots away with a blaster. Some of his most unique roles in games have been tournament fighter (Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi), Monopoly Star Wars game piece and "king" of the Alliance on a chessboard (Star Wars Chess).
EDUCATION: On Tatooine, Luke's education was standard. However, Ben Kenobi -- and later Yoda -- would eventually teach him the ways of the Force on his way to becoming a Jedi.
FAMILY:Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader (father), Amidala (mother, presumed deceased), Princess Leia Organa (sister), Owen and Beru Lars (foster parents)
BEHIND-THE-SCENES CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: In early Star Wars scripts, the name Luke Skywalker was attached to a hardened general who would mentor a young man named "Annikin Starkiller." Later, the general would be further developed and become Obi-Wan Kenobi while Annikin Starkiller would be renamed "Luke Starkiller," and finally Luke Skywalker.
HOW THE CHARACTER GOT HIS NAME:George Lucas created this hero of Star Wars to represent himself by naming him Luke Skywalker, or "Luke S."
FAVORITE TRANSPORT: His X-wing
AMBITIONS: To help restore peace to the galaxy and convert his father from the dark side of the Force to the light side.
QUOTES: "I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father." (to Obi-Wan Kenobi)
"I've got a bad feeling about this." (reaction to seeing the Death Star after realizing that it isn't a "small moon")
"No! ... NO! ... That's not true! ... That's impossible!" (reaction to Vader's revelation)
"The Force is strong in my family. I have it. My father has it.... My sister has it." (revealing to Leia their relation with one another)
"I feel the good in you." (to Vader after turning himself in to the Empire)
"I am a Jedi. Like my father before me." (to Emperor Palpatine after defeating Vader)
OTHER MEDIA: Outside of the Star Wars films and games, other notable media featuring Luke Skywalker include comic books, toys from Kenner and countless Star Wars fan sites. Additionally, it's hard not to find a piece of merchandise that the name Star Wars has yet to attach itself to.
