Luke Skywalker is one of the most beloved characters in the Star Wars franchise. For many, he was their point of view character for the first time they experienced the wide and colorful universe inside the movies. Other fans experienced Luke as one of the most important figures in the expanded universe of works in Star Wars Legends. To others, he represents the time when Star Wars was at its best. Regardless of how people view him, Luke Skywalker is the pinnacle of what a Jedi should be, as growing into that person is what his entire arc in the original trilogy is. He has grown beyond being just a character, and has become this ideal that later characters must strive to stand beside. The character who struggles the most because of this ideal is Luke himself, as how he is portrayed in different forms of Star Wars media can be very contentious among fans.
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People often argue over what the best representation of Luke’s character is. Some say Luke in the original three movies is the best, while others argue that his appearance in Star Wars: The Last Jedi shows the best growth for his character. Many cite Star Wars Legends’ expanded lore as the best showcase of Luke’s character. However I argue that while there is merit to all of these choices in some way, and some have far more than others, the best interpretation of Luke Skywalker isn’t from any of them, but instead the version of Luke portrayed in the Marvel Comics Star Wars comics. Specifically, in the 2015 and 2020 series each simply titled Star Wars.
What Do the Comics Have That Other Media Doesn’t?
The 2015 series centers around Luke, Leia, and Han as they navigate the galaxy immediately after the events of A New Hope, while the 2020 series follows the main cast after the events of The Empire Strikes Back. There is also an upcoming series that follows the cast immediately after Return of the Jedi. Regardless, these are two timeframes that we do not get to see much of from Luke’s perspective, as the movies only focus on the current events, not what the characters did in between. Importantly, these eras are when Luke undergoes the most changes in his life.
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Although Obi-Wan did what he could to teach Luke in their limited time together, ultimately Luke was still much more farmboy and rebel than Jedi prior to his training with Yoda. The 2015 series shows the audience Luke’s steps into getting entangled in everything in the wider galaxy, meeting all kinds of people and broadening his horizons. Luke questions what a Jedi is, and through his adventures, begins to come to the definition he will use in his final battle against Vader and Palpatine. Similarly, the 2020 series shows us the fallout of Luke learning that Darth Vader is his father, which forces him to confront the darkness and fears inside himself. He sees what he could become, and at his emotional lowest, strives to find a way to hold onto hope.
How Do the Comics Portray Luke?
Although there are several creative minds behind these distinct runs, the portrayal of Luke is incredibly consistent across the two runs. First and foremost in these runs, Luke is a student and a hero. Luke is in constant search of what it means to be a Jedi, following any lead that could potentially connect him to their history or an artifact of them. There are people on all sides that are either constantly telling him that he is or isn’t a Jedi, but Luke just continues to ask what a Jedi even is. We see him find more and more broken pieces of Jedi history, from holocrons to journals to old teachings, and each gives Luke a glance into how the Jedi operated. Importantly, however, Luke almost exclusively finds records of the Jedi’s actions, not their mentality. Their devotion and strict compassion he derives from Obi-Wan’s words and his own sense of justice, always letting those guide him in his understanding.
Not only do we get to see Luke develop his definition of what the Jedi are, we see his growth into one. He starts as a naive but well intentioned and hopeful young man, and over time develops into a patient and wise warrior. In every incarnation, Luke Skywalker is supposed to be the embodiment of hope and goodness. He is the moral heart of the Star Wars universe that redeems Darth Vader and becomes the hero Anakin was supposed to be. These comics very heavily focus on that. No matter where he goes, Luke tries to help others fight the never ending fight against oppression and abuses of power. The same could be said of anyone in the Star Wars cast, but Luke is different because he always tries to save his enemies. He inspires people to be better and kinder.
The best example of this incredible portrayal of Luke comes in the 2020 series, issues #42 and 43. This two-part story shows Luke’s quest to heal a red kyber crystal by traveling within it and confronting the echo of its long gone Sith master. Once in the crystal, Luke is captured and tortured by the Sith, who continuously tells Luke that pain can never be forgotten and makes people who they are. Luke, however, refuses to accept that. He travels back to the most painful memories of the Sith and offers him help and comfort. In the end, Luke is forced to confront his own fear of his father, where he realizes that even someone like Vader must have their evil come from fear and pain, and thus he can be redeemed. Luke faces his fears and lets them fade away, because they were only holding him back. In doing so, he shows the Sith that pain does not need to control you, and helps him to heal, healing the crystal in turn.
Luke Skywalker is the ultimate Jedi. It doesn’t matter if this version is weaker than the Star Wars Legends one, or if other characters are more beloved. Luke is the embodiment of what the Jedi are meant to be; good people who help everyone, even their worst enemies, find the light inside themselves once again. That is who he is supposed to be, and why the Star Wars comics have the best version of Luke ever.
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