Luke Is The Least Impressive Skywalker At Age 19…And That’s Why He Became The Best Of Them


Of all the Star Wars saga’s Skywalkers, Luke Skywalker was the least impressive initially, but his humble origins are directly responsible for him becoming the best of them. Luke Skywalker is one of the Star Wars franchise’s most cherished characters, with his journey from simple farmboy to Jedi Knight being the central character arc and plot line of the original Star Wars trilogy. In the hearts and minds of viewers in the real world and characters within the two Star Wars continuities, Luke became a living legend, yet his humanity is, ultimately, far more important than his astounding feats.

The original Star Wars Legends continuity understood the core of Luke Skywalker’s character perfectly. Although the original Legends-era iteration of Luke is remembered more for his “overpowered” Force abilities, the non-movie materials of the Expanded Universe consistently made his humanity and altruism far more important. In the Legends timeline, Luke failed and had to learn from his failures as often as he prevailed against evil – just like he did in the original trilogy. Luke Skywalker became the Star Wars saga’s greatest hero, but he would not have done so if he had not simply been a good man first.

Luke At Age 19 Lacks All The Spectacle Of Anakin Skywalker

To keep Luke and Leia safe from corruption or death at the hands of the Sith, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda sent Leia to live on Alderaan with Bail and Breha Organa and Luke to Tatooine, where he was raised by Owen and Beru Lars. Luke’s upbringing on Tatooine was, infamously, mundane and often boring, with Luke working on the Lars moisture farm and flying his T-16 Skyhopper in his spare time – all while wishing to become a pilot and explore the galaxy. Compared to the rest of the Skywalker family, the young Luke was unimpressive.

At age 19, Anakin Skywalker was an accomplished pilot and Padawan who had won the dangerous Boonta Eve Classic a decade prior. The Separatist Crisis dragged the galaxy into the Clone Wars and Anakin became a high-ranking officer, leading clones into battle on planetary surfaces and in space. This allowed him to demonstrate exceptional skill as a military strategist, pilot, and combatant.

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By the time she was 19, Padmé Amidala had already served her first term as the Queen of Naboo and led the Naboo Resistance against the Trade Federation, repelling the invaders. Padmé earned the admiration of her homeworld and helped bridge the planet’s human and Gungan populations. Naturally, Padmé was reelected as Naboo’s Queen.

Leia was an invaluable leader within the Rebel Alliance at 19, undermining the Empire from within the Imperial Senate and quietly completing vital missions for the growing Rebellion. As shown in the original Star Wars radio drama and Star Wars: Empire comics, Leia assisted a Rebel cell and extracted a Rebel spy on Ralltiir. Leia would also have active leadership roles in the Battles of Kattada and Toprawa, both of which were part of the larger Rebel victory known as Operation Skyhook. During the Battle of Toprawa, Leia was instrumental in the Rebellion’s theft of the Death Star plans.

The Star Wars franchise has revealed little about the early life of Shmi Skywalker, so it is difficult to compare her to Luke. Mara Jade, however, was already a highly trained assassin and Emperor’s Hand with an exceptional connection to the Force by age 19. Luke’s descendants, nieces, and nephews – in both the original Legends and modern canon timelines – were trained as Jedi well before they turned 19.

Anakin Solo died in the Yuuzhan Vong War before reaching age 19.

Luke’s Humble Beginnings Are The Reason He Can Become So Great

Of course, Luke did gain valuable skills by growing up on the harsh world of Tatooine. Luke had no formal military training before A New Hope, yet his skills with a blaster and as a pilot impressed Han Solo and experienced Rebel pilots alike, allowing Luke to join Red Squadron in the Battle of Yavin. The most important part of Luke’s upbringing is not how it prepared him to become a warrior, however.

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Luke’s formative years as a farmer on Tatooine made him the only Skywalker to have a relatively normal upbringing. Luke was a simple farmer who dreamed of adventure but was nevertheless humble and good-natured. Among his friends, Luke was often the subject of light teasing, earning the unflattering nickname of “Wormie,” indicating their dismissive attitude toward him.

Owen and Beru Lars were loving adoptive parents to Luke, even if the former was infamously strict. Thanks to Owen and Beru, Luke was as hard-working as he was adventurous, and they instilled a strong sense of right and wrong in him. Luke, Owen, and Beru lived on a backwater world in the Outer Rim Territories, far away from the influence of the Empire, yet Luke knew of the Empire and hated it. Upon learning that Biggs Darklighter had joined the Rebellion, Luke expressed interest in joining the movement as well, even before stormtroopers murdered Owen and Beru.

Without Wormie, There Would Be No Jedi Grandmaster

Luke’s relatively mundane upbringing and the values instilled in him by Owen and Beru are, ultimately, as responsible for his Jedi Knighthood as his training by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda. Luke learned lightsaber combat techniques and how to hone his connection to the Force from his two Jedi mentors. It was, however, Owen and Beru – as well as his ordinary life on Tatooine – that helped him avoid the pitfalls of the older generation of Jedi.

Luke was never taught to forgo attachments like the old-guard Jedi, he simply cultivated and maintained healthy relationships with his friends and family. Luke remained faithful to the good man that his father once was, and he refused to give in to the poor advice of his mentors and the goading of Palpatine to kill Darth Vader – a choice that would have resulted in his fall to the dark side. Moreover, Luke’s journey to Jedi Knighthood and his background as a farmer and fighter pilot made him the ideal Grandmaster of the New Jedi Order.

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The original Legends continuity’s New Jedi Order corrected many of the errors of the previous Jedi generation. Attachments were allowed (and even encouraged), as long as they were healthy. The Jedi also retained relatively normal lives and occupations in addition to their Jedi duties, keeping the Order in touch with the ordinary beings of the galaxy.

Luke’s Jedi path in the original Star Wars trilogy inspired the philosophies of the New Jedi Order, making for a more balanced and effective iteration of the Jedi than before. Even as the superlatively powerful Jedi Grandmaster, Luke Skywalker never stopped being the good-natured, slightly dorky, farmer who Owen and Beru raised. Luke Skywalker would never have become one of the Star Wars galaxy’s greatest heroes if he had not been “Wormie” first.

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