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Luke Skywalker
Biographical information
Homeworld	Tatooine[1]
Born	19 BBY (16:5:26), Polis Massa[2]
Died	Unknown, between Confederation-Galactic Alliance War and Sith-Imperial war[3]
Physical description
Species	Human[1]
Gender	Male[1]
Height	1.72 meters[4]
Hair color	Blond[5]
Eye color	Blue[5]
Cybernetics	Prosthetic right hand
Chronological and political information
Era(s)	Rise of the Empire era Rebellion era New Republic era New Jedi Order era Legacy era
Affiliation	Alliance to Restore the Republic[1] Alliance of Free Planets Rogue Squadron[1] New Republic[1] New Jedi Order[1] Galactic Empire Galactic Federation of Free Alliances[1] Jedi Coalition
Known masters	Obi-Wan Kenobi[6] Yoda[7] Joruus C'baoth (temporarily) Palpatine (Sith Master)
Known apprentices	Leia Organa Solo Kam Solusar Gantoris Streen Brakiss Desann Corran Horn Tionne Solusar Kyle Katarn Madurrin Kirana Ti Kyp Durron Cilghal Mara Jade Skywalker Jacen Solo Anakin Solo Ben Skywalker

[Source]

Luke Skywalker was a legendary Jedi Grand Master who helped defeat the Galactic Empire and found the New Republic. 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 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 a 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. Following the Dark Nest Crisis, Skywalker began to question the Jedi’s new view of the Force. In 40 ABY, the Confederation-Galactic Alliance 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.

Biography

Early life (19–0 BBY)

Luke as an infant in 19 BBY.

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. Seconds after the birth of Luke's twin sister, Leia, Padmé Amidala died, effectively orphaning both children.^[2]

Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda knew that the children, both having a natural affinity for the Force, needed to be protected 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.^[2]

Kenobi himself took the infant to Tatooine, 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, Obi-Wan 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 Obi-Wan's intervention in the family business of the Lars would mark him an unwelcome man in Owen's eyes, and as a result Obi-Wan would eventually stop watching Luke every single day. According to Luke, 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 Luke was ten years old he ran away when Owen refused to tell him information concerning his father. Unfortunately, Luke 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. Luke lost sight of Annie, but on instinct, Luke killed the dragon by throwing the gaffi stick at its throat. Exhausted, Luke fell unconscious but fortunately, Owen and a rescue party found him. Once they did, there was no sign of the krayt dragon or Annie. Luke, 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 Luke remembered having with Obi-Wan, Luke and Windy Marstrap were cruising down Beggar's Canyon in Luke's T-16 skyhopper in search of womp rats to bullseye. Crashing, the two managed to evade Sand People and discourage Jawas from stealing their ship. Making camp in a cave, they were cornered by a krayt dragon, but Obi-Wan arrived and chased it off. Then, taming a dewback, the hermit took Luke and Windy back to the Lars homestead.^[11][12]

Sometime during his teenage years, Luke 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. Luke began his own investigation of the death, and with the help of Obi-Wan 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 Luke's adventurous 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]

He cultivated a group of like-minded friends on Tatooine, amongst whom he earned the nickname "Wormie." The group included Deak, Windy, Camie 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 Luke from following in his father's footsteps.^[6][12]

Galactic Civil War (0–4 ABY)

Leaving Tatooine

Luke Skywalker is given his father's lightsaber by Obi-Wan Kenobi.

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 Ben 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]

Upon 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 Mos Eisley cantina to obtain passage off Tatooine and met Han Solo and his first mate, Chewbacca, where Luke nearly had a fatal run-in with Ponda Baba in Chalmun's Cantina.^[6][12]

Rescue on the Death Star

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]

Luke and Han Solo in Stormtrooper armor on the Death Star.

Once on board, Kenobi separated from Skywalker, Solo, Chewbacca, and the droids to deactivate the tractor beam. But 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 Leia but had to jump into the garbage chute in order to escape the pursuing Imperial forces. Luke and Leia were separated from Han and Chewbacca, but after a good luck kiss from Leia and swinging across a deep shaft, they were able to meet back up with the smuggler duo 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 Rebellion base on Yavin IV, even though the Death Star was tracking them. It was then that Solo received his reward for rescuing Leia and was preparing to leave the group. Luke tried to persuade him to stay and help them against the Empire but Solo refused, which deeply disappointed him.^[6][12]

Hero of the Rebellion

Luke boards his X-wing prior to the Battle of Yavin.

It was at 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. He 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 was amazed to run into his old friend Biggs Darklighter from back home. 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 as Red Five. He witnessed the death of many compatriots, including Darklighter, and 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, the young 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 sent to investigate new base locations on the Keeper's world, Akuria II, and Drexel. All ended in violence and failure.

Six months after the Battle of Yavin, Luke, Han, and Chewie 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, Luke 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 the others' identity and vice versa. Neither side fully trusted the other, but Luke was able to keep hostilities from breaking out between them. However, they then learned that Leia 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 Leia, 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 a 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.

Luke, R2-D2, C-3PO and Leia on Mimban.

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 began to truly feel at home in a starfighter squadron. When not flying alongside Red Squadron and his mentor Commander Narra, he was leading 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. 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 Rebellion Fleet.

In 2 ABY he accompanied Princess Leia on a diplomatic mission to the Circarpous system where they crash landed on the planet of Mimban. On Mimban, Luke and Leia 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 boy 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]

Afterwards, Luke would serve in many Rebel operations, and would soon discover the icy world of Hoth, which the rebels chose as the location of their next base.

Luke riding a tauntaun while on Hoth.

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 knocked out by a wampa. He regained consciousness in the creature's cave, severed its arm 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 on 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 headquarters, had reached Hoth and sent proof of Rebel activity to the Galactic Empire. In the ensuing battle, Skywalker led his squadron in an effort to counter the attack and buy time for an evacuation. Under his leadership, the speeders proved more effective in attacking the massive AT-AT's than the Empire realized was possible. Furthermore, even after he was shot down, Luke 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 aboard his X-Wing.^[7]

Training to become a Jedi

Luke Skywalker studying the Jedi ways under Yoda.

Luke then headed to Dagobah, where he encountered Yoda. In their initial meeting, Luke was frustrated and confused about his surroundings and was thus rather short with the diminutive Yoda, who did not initially identify himself. Luke 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 Princess Leia suffering at Cloud City on Bespin. Despite Yoda and Kenobi's warnings and disapproval, Skywalker rashly left Dagobah to rescue them.^[7]

Duel with the Dark Lord

Luke Skywalker dueling with Darth Vader on Bespin.

Luke arrived at Cloud City and, with blaster drawn, headed in to rescue his friends. He then was shot at by Boba Fett and ambushed by a group of stormtroopers and Imperial officers. He then saw Leia being used as a human shield by a Imperial officer. As she was led away, Leia attempted to warn him that he was walking into a "trap." While attempting to pursue them his path was diverted to the carbon-freeze chamber where Vader awaited him. The two engaged in a fierce duel. Vader proved his superiority in his customized Form V swordplay, executing cho mai and Dun Möch. Vader attempted to seduce the weakened Luke to the dark side of the Force. In his efforts to sway his son, Vader revealed that he was Skywalker's father. Faced with this 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. Luckily, he survived. He was sucked through an opening 'portal' in the bottom of the chamber, then through another one which led out to the floating city. Had he not grabbed on to a few bars which were at the bottom of the floating building, he would have fallen and died. Weak and helpless, he reached out to Leia with the Force, and soon the Millennium Falcon, with Lando Calrissian, Leia, Chewbacca, and the droids on board, 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]

Luke Skywalker.

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, Luke 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 Luke 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 and Chewbacca back from the search for Han, Leia and Lando journeyed to find the other stone in the Falcon to save Luke. Actually, Luke's infection by the Crimson Forever was part of a revenge attempt by Domina Tagge, because Darth Vader had told her that Luke was responsible for the death of her brother Orman. Tagge had set the trap for Luke 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 Luke's infection. Although Lando and Leia were captured by Tagge's minions, they escaped and another prisoner unleashed the second stone on Tagge's ship. Lando and Leia 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 Leia and Lando brought the second stone back to Golrath, where the crystals were reunited and Luke was cured. After his recovery, they loaded the crystals on the abandoned Imperial ship and sent it into Golrath's sun, and Luke continued serving the Alliance as he had before.^[19]

When the Alliance discovered the Imperial superweapon Tarkin, a small commando team consisting of Luke, Leia, Chewbacca, Artoo, and Threepio 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 Luke'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, Luke and the others aborted their mission and left in a ship. They were hotly pursued by Imperial TIE Fighters, but Lando, 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, Luke 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, Leia had sabotaged it, so instead of destroying the Rebels, the weapon destroyed itself.^[21]

In preparation for another Alliance mission, he, Lando, and Chewbacca were sent to retrieve 4 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 Luke, was controlled by Ferret. Luke and Lando 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, Luke dashed for the ship they arrived in while Lando distracted the Watchbeast. Reaching the shuttle, Luke 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 Shira Brie out of the sky.^[23] For this, 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 Shira 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. Luke received word that Boba Fett, who had in his possession the frozen Han Solo, was lurking near Gall. Luke and the Rogues set off to provide cover for Leia and Lando 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 Luke's craft. Luke 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]

Luke, as a Jedi Knight, wielding his lightsaber at the Pit of Carkoon.

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 Luke, Luke encountered a message droid that was originally sent to Leia, who had gone to meet with Black Sun representatives. However, Luke was able to determine the password to reveal the message. The message was sent by Koth Melan, a Bothan spymaster. Luke 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. Luke trained the squadron of Bothan Y-wing pilots and led the attack. Although they suffered heavy losses, the information was retrieved, and Dash 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, Luke was temporarily captured by Barabel bounty hunters. He managed to escape during another attack and was contacted by Chewbacca, who reported that Leia was in the hands of the Black Sun leader, Prince Xizor, who had been behind the repeated assassination attempts on Luke to aggravate Darth Vader as part of a power struggle with the Dark Lord. Luke met up with Lando and Chewbacca and smuggled them into Imperial Center. After joining forces once more with Dash Rendar, Luke was able to infiltrate Xizor's palace by entering through the sub-sub-basement sewers. They were able to rescue Leia, but were intercepted by numerous guards. Xizor fired at Luke, but the aspiring Jedi easily blocked his shots. At that point, Lando 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, Luke was challenged by Guri, Xizor's powerful Human replica droid. Luke accepted the challenge, beating her empty-handed, but refused to finish her. Along with Leia, Lando, 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, Lando 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

Luke Skywalker fighting Jabba Desilijic Tiure's henchmen.

Luke finally arrived on Tatooine early on in 4 ABY. When Leia and half the rescue party were held captive by Hutt crimelord Jabba Desilijic Tiure, Luke went to free them and Han. Skillful use of the Force allowed Luke to get past Jabba's Gamorrean guards and his majordomo Bib Fortuna, but the Hutt was not so easily swayed and attempted to feed Luke to his rancor.^[26]

Luke 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, Luke was not fated to become the Sarlacc's meal, and right before he was put into the pit, he 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 artificial hand.^[26]

Luke, Han, Leia, Chewbacca, Lando and the droids escaped after destroying both Jabba's barge and the gangster himself. Mara Jade, at Jabba's palace undercover as one of the Emperor's dancers, was unable to complete her mission of assassinating Luke because Jabba would not allow her to come with him on the barge. Luke later had a vision of how she would have prevented his escape when he revisited Dagobah.^[26]

The test of Endor

Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight in 4 ABY.

Not long after, Skywalker returned to Dagobah to complete his training and received confirmation from the dying Yoda and the spirit form of Obi-Wan 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 Luke found painful to accept. Furthermore, Skywalker realized that Leia was his sister and would be in peril if their father found out as well.^[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, Luke sensed Vader's presence on the nearby Star Destroyer, and suddenly realized he was endangering the mission. His companions dismissed his concerns, and proceeded on. However, thanks to Luke 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, Luke and Leia hopped on speeder bikes and pursued them through the dense foliage and successfully prevented them from reporting the Rebels' presence. Luke 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 swift stroke of his new lightsaber. However, during the high speed chase, Leia became separated from Luke. Upon learning of her disappearance, Han, Luke, Chewbacca, and the droids went looking for her, but were captured by a tribe of Ewoks.^[26]

Luke 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. Luke used the Force to levitate Threepio, convincing the Ewoks to release and aid the Rebels. However, Luke knew that he had to confront Vader. In the Ewok village, Luke revealed to Leia 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 Rebels who were being defeated in the Battle of Endor. Skywalker, in a moment of weakness, lashed out, but Vader stopped his strike.^[26]

Luke Skywalker clashes with Darth Vader.

Despite the clash, Skywalker managed to keep emotional control, much to the frustration of his enemies. Luke, maintaining control of his emotions, hid himself and said he would not continue to fight. However, that control was lost when Vader telepathically sensed the existence of Skywalker's sister and threatened to concentrate on corrupting her instead.^[26]

Luke defeats Darth Vader in their final confrontation.

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 laughed, and demanded him to finish Vader, and take his place at his side, Luke threw his lightsaber away, realizing from the mechanical stub of Vader's right hand that he was becoming what he wanted to destroy.^[26]

Enraged, the Emperor unleashed Force lightning against Skywalker in an attempt to kill the young Jedi, in an excruciating manner. Seeing his son dying (and perhaps remembering the death of Mace Windu) compassion finally broke through to Vader. In an act of self-sacrifice and pure love for his son, Anakin Skywalker re-emerged to destroy the Emperor.^[26]

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 the Death Star's destruction. Back on Endor, Skywalker cremated his father in the manner of a Jedi's funeral, and joined in the celebration of the apparent defeat of the Empire. Thus, Skywalker came full circle both as a Jedi and as a person.^[26]

Post Endor

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. Luke's friend 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. Luke 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, Luke 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, Luke was able to escape the Ssi-Ruuk, disable their ship, and win the battle. Luke 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 scourge was not absolute. Surely, he believed, there were Force-users that had escaped the dark times.^[27]

After returning from Bakura, Luke 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, Luke 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 Luke and Wedge commandeered TIEs of their own to pursue him. Meanwhile, Wes Janson discovered that Ten was already dead, tortured and killed by Weir. Luke and Wedge shot down Weir, and they took him prisoner back to the Alliance. Shortly afterwards, Luke turned responsibility for the squadron over to Wedge.^[28]

In search of a legacy (4–11 ABY)

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 a 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.^[29]

Luke, openly fighting as a Jedi on Rebel Alliance and New Republic missions.

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.^[30] 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.^[31]

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.^[31] Flint had become the Dark Lord of the Sith under Lumiya and was leading Imperial forces on Naldar.^[32] 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.^[31]

Nagai-Tof War

Luke and Lumiya duel on Kinooine.

Before the training could start, Luke was caught up in the Nagai-Tof War. The Nagai Commander Ozrei N'takkilomandrife had created infighting among the rebels on Saijo, and Luke, Leia, and Han were forced to resolve the dispute by discovering the traitor Durne.^[33]However, this was just the start of the conflict, and in a routine check on Kinooine, Luke came face to face with the power of the Nagai war machine. Along with Kiro and Dani, Luke surveyed the planet, searching for a missing scouting party. Unknown to Luke, his scouting party had been executed by Lumiya and her Nagai aide, Den Siva. Dani and Kiro encountered the dangerous Sith Lady before Luke and Kiro was critically injured and Dani was captured by Den Siva. Luke confronted Lumiya, but suffered one of his first defeats when she attacked him with her lightwhip. Luke was captured and placed in an underground cell on the planet.^[34]

Luckily, Kiro had recovered from his more serious wounds, and he set out to rescue his master and Dani. Kiro infiltrated the prison, killing the Nagai guards. He released Luke and helped him create a shoto. Kiro and Luke confronted Lumiya again, but the outcome was drastically different. Luke used two sabers against Lumiya's whip, and the Dark Lady was defeated. Unmasking the woman, Luke was surprised to find that her true identity was Shira Brie, his former love. Unfortunately, at this exact moment, the Nagai fleet arrived and Luke and Kiro were forced to bring their prisoner with them into hiding.^[34]The team met another snag when they were forced to tie up Lumiya so that they could rescue Dani. Kiro and Luke rescued the Zeltron, but their escape was foiled by Den Siva, who attacked Kiro and critically injured him leaving him to die in the waters of Kinooine. Luke and Dani were forced to make a hasty retreat believing that Kiro had been killed. Luke had lost another potential apprentice, and Lumiya escaped from her bonds.^[35]

The war took a step up during the Battle of Endor where Alliance forces came into direct conflict with Nagai forces. Space forces led by Lumiya almost destroyed the Alliance fleet, but Luke's leadership on the ground and Lando's tactics in the air turned the tide.^[36] The seriousness of the Nagai threat now apparent, Luke began to take a more central role in dealing with the Nagai. In the Battle of Iskalon, Luke faced the forces of General Kruskob Tiltanka, destroying the Nagai presence on the world. Luke also became reunited with his apprentice Kiro during the engagement, but Kiro's priorities had changed, and he had opted to remain on Iskalon to protect his people. Luke was saddened by Kiro's decision but accepted it.^[37]

The war took another turn when the Nagai's sworn enemies, the Tof, entered the war in the