The wide-eyed, naive farmboy seems like the last person who would defeat the Galatic Empire, but just as in any good coming-of-age story, his growth throughout the saga makes it possible. Just like a traditional archytypal hero, Luke has grown up living a simple life, has never known his parents, and has always dreamed of a life with more adventure than his moisture farming lifestyle permits, not realizing that adventure comes with pain and hardships as well. Luke has been called a stereotypical hero by some, but a look into his layers reveals that he is a real fleshed-out character.
One of two children born to Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala, Luke was taken to the planet Tatooine soon after his birth to hide him from his father, and (as is typical) his uncle and aunt lied to him about his parentage, telling him his father was a navigator, and Force only knows what they told him about his mother. Had he known that his mother was a queen AND a senator, he probably would have fled the farm faster than you can say Jedi.
Anyway, Luke's journey in the first movie is one we all take, except that it usually doesn't involve rescuing captive royals and destroying massive weapons. It is the journey of breaking away from childhood and choosing your own path as an adult. In this movie, he makes the choice to dismiss the destiny his aunt and uncle have given him and leave the farm. His transition into adulthood occurs very quickly, first with the deaths of his guardians and then with the death of Obi-Wan Kenobi soon afterward. Life forces him to live as an adult, and he rises to the challenge (and ends up saving the Rebellion while he's at it).
Those who call Luke a stereotypical hero often only think about the first movie, without taking the other two into consideration. In The Empire Strikes Back, more of Luke's depth and growth is revealed. Most obviously, of course, he learns that the father he has idolized for so long is actually the Emperor's evil right-hand man. The scream he gives after Vader's revelation is one of the most heartbreaking screams in movie history - a scream of an image, a dream, a heratige all shattered. Here is where Luke truly ceases to be an innocent boy.
Even before Luke discovers the truth about his father, he is faced with a difficult decision. Will he give up on his training to rescue his friends, and possibly destory all that the Rebellion has fought for, or will he stay for the greater good, and risk the two people he loves most in the galaxy dying? A lot of heroes have to deal with possibly sacrificing their own lives for their friends, but Luke is asked to sacrifice his friends' lives for the lives of many unknowns. This moment asks the diffcult philosophical question: are those we care about truly worth more than those who have the misfortune of us not knowing them?
In Return of the Jedi, Luke's mission has changed. In addition to continuing his service to the Rebellion, he is now also on a personal mission: a mission to redeem another. Rather than sink into despair when he discovers the truth about his father, he becomes motivated to bring him back. Here is where Luke's strength of character truly shines. Not only does he resist the dark side, but his compassion (and dare I say it, love) for his father ultimately achives the seemingly-impossible task of turning him back to Anakin Skywalker. One of the most moving Luke scenes is when the Emperor is torturing him and he desperately calls out to his father. The boy who has spent three movies becoming an adult now crys out to his father like a child. His fighting and determined stance couldn't change his father, but becoming like a child again finally stimulated Vader's long-hibernating compassion. It is a moment of coming full-circle.
TOP TEN LUKE QUOTES
In A New Hope
10. "It looks like I'm going nowhere."
9. "Well, if there's a bright center of the universe, you're at the planet it's farthest from."
8. "I'm Luke Skywalker, I'm here to rescue you!"
7. "Uh, I think I just blasted it."
6. "She's rich!"
5. "You know, between his howling and your blasting everything in sight, it's a wonder the whole station doesn't know we're here."
4. "What good will it do us if he gets himself killed?"
3. "It's not that I like the Empire, I hate it, but there's nothing I can do right now."
2. "Take care of yourself, Han. I guess that's what you're best at, isn't it?"
1. "I want to go with you to Alderaan. There's nothing here for me anymore. I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father. "
In The Empire Strikes Back
10. "Father!"
9. "You're lucky you don't taste very good."
8. "You'll find I'm full of surprises."
7. "Ben....why didn't you tell me?"
6. "Han?....Leia!"
5. "I'm not afraid."
4. "Hear me, Leia."
3. "And sacrifice Han and Leia??"
2. "You want the impossible."
1. "NOOOOOO!!! NOOOOOOO!!!!"
In Return of the Jedi
10. "Leia! Leia's my sister."
9. "I will not fight you, Father."
8. "You serve your master well, and you will be rewarded."
7. "The Force is strong in my family. My father has it, I have it, and....my sister has it."
6. "There is still good in him."
5. "I've accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker, my father."
4. "This is the last mistake you'll ever make!"
3. "You're wrong. Soon I'll be dead, and you with me."
2. "Then my father is truly dead."
1. "You've failed, Your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me."
TOP TEN REASONS TO LOVE LUKE SKYWALKER
10. He's got a ranch named after him.
9. He made the lightsaber famous.
8. He's the son of Darth Vader.
7. He's a wholly decent person.
6. His innocence - he always believes in the good in people.
5. His issues - how many other movie heroes have to deal with their father being the second-most evil being in the galaxy?
4. He's got a gentle sense of humor.
3. He shows that not only bad guys wear black.
2. He succeeded in turning someone away from the dark side - even Obi-Wan and Yoda couldn't do that.
1. Duh, he's the protagonist of the most successful movie series of all time!
Background courtesy of here.
Back to Index
