Luke Skywalker has been the face of Star Wars from the very beginning. Even as A New Hope introduced myriad compelling and beloved characters like Leia, Han Solo, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, along with the fearsome villain Darth Vader, it was Luke who always felt like the true protagonist of the galaxy far, far away. Although the prequels shifted gears to focus on Anakin Skywalker’s backstory, Luke never really lost his role as the central figure of the franchise, and the sequels ultimately reinforced that (even if it was done in a way that many in the fanbase were unhappy with).
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Yet, Luke’s death in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and the unlikelihood that Star Wars will ever do a full-blown recast make it most likely that Star Wars movies and TV shows will now need to fully move on from not only Luke but also the Skywalkers in general. It’s certainly true that Luke Skywalker can never truly be replaced in Star Wars, but the franchise has nevertheless introduced characters who are meant to fill the hole that Luke has now left behind. Here are the top 5 Luke replacements, based on those parameters.
Ryan Gosling’s Starfighter Character
Star Wars’ next movie after The Mandalorian and Grogu, titled Star Wars: Starfighter, was a bit of a surprise when it was announced. It was known that Shawn Levy was working on a Star Wars movie, and in the weeks leading up to Star Wars Celebration 2025, when Starfighter was officially announced, there were even rumors that Ryan Gosling was attached to a Star Wars project. However, few expected that these projects were one and the same or that it would be released so soon (ahead of Rey’s movie, rumored to be titled New Jedi Order, for example).
At present, not a lot is known about the movie, although Gosling will be playing the role of the titular starfighter. Nevertheless, it seems clear that Star Wars is positioning this mysterious character as a new lead to bring in a brand-new era of Star Wars, set after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. With that in mind, it seems safe to assume that this character will be one of the Luke Skywalker replacements, and while audiences don’t know what that will look like, with Gosling signed on, this story seems fated to land with audiences.
Wim
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew arguably didn’t get enough attention when it was released in 2024. While it wasn’t directly connected to the Skywalker Saga (which is arguably a good and refreshing thing), the show centered on an adorable group of kids and had a fun 80s flair that made it enjoyable to watch. Among the cast of kids was Wim, a young boy who—notably, much like Luke in A New Hope—was desperate to get off his ‘boring’ planet and go see the galaxy.
Wim didn’t seem to have any Force sensitivity; he actually struggles to use a lightsaber at all. Yet, he is still a clear Luke replacement, not only because of his desires to experience something bigger and grander but also because he was depicted as a leader and a hero with a clear sense of optimism, highly reminiscent of original trilogy era Luke. Whether Wim will be back remains to be seen, though. There have been rumblings of a second season for Skeleton Crew, but nothing has been confirmed.
Din Djarin
It might seem like an odd comparison, given that he is a Mandalorian and not a Jedi whatsoever, but Din Djarin has also become a kind of Luke Skywalker replacement in Star Wars. That is perhaps most clearly communicated in the fact that he is the lead in an upcoming movie, The Mandalorian and Grogu. In fact, this will be Star Wars’ first new theatrical release in nearly 7 years, signaling just how important Din really is.
Din’s role in The Mandalorian and Grogu is also very similar to Luke’s, or so it seems, at least, as Din is now playing a role in the New Republic and will no doubt face a major threat. In that sense, Din (along with Grogu) may very well become a new major hero in the larger Star Wars timeline, therefore filling in that gap that Luke’s absence has created.
Ezra Bridger
Yet another Luke Skywalker replacement is Ezra Bridger, who was introduced in Star Wars Rebels as a young, spunky, troublemaking Force-sensitive teenager who has been surviving on his own during the Dark Times. Throughout Rebels, he became a much more serious Jedi under the guidance of his Jedi Master, Kanan Jarrus. Already, that proved that Ezra was a Luke replacement, just given the trajectory of his story.
However, Ezra returned in Ahsoka (and will be back again in Ahsoka season 2), reinforcing that he is a key character in Star Wars’ future and will, presumably, only become an even more obvious Luke replacement. This is especially true in light of Ezra being one of very few Jedi during this era.
Rey
Finally, no matter how controversial it is, Rey is the biggest Luke Skywalker replacement, and she’s also the one who has the most potential to truly take his place in Star Wars’ future. Rey was already positioned as a clear Luke replacement in the sequel trilogy, and following The Rise of Skywalker, she seems like the most likely character to actually take up the mantle and move the franchise forward.
The only thing really calling that into question is the uncertainty surrounding her upcoming movie, New Jedi Order. While that previously seemed like a sure thing, and was announced as such at Star Wars Celebration 2023, few updates have come. This has raised major questions about whether the movie is actually happening, which largely haven’t been answered. Nevertheless, from what audiences currently know, it seems Star Wars does want Rey to take Luke’s place—as much as anyone could, at least.
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Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
