Back in 1977, the direction of Hollywood was altered by thegroundbreaking release ofStar Wars: A New Hope. On a scale that hadn’t quite been seen before, the film took the sci-fi genre to new heights, still influencing films today. Evolving into easily one of the most popular media franchises of all time, breaking into so many different areas of the media industry.
Among the countless entries into the universe, there are a handful of characters who have transcended the franchise, becoming entities in themselves. One of these characters has been there from the start, that beingLuke Skywalker. One of the best Jedi in the galaxy, here areMark Hamill’sbest moments as Luke Skywalker, the actor who brought the character to life:
11His Monumental Return in Episode 7
One of the most anticipated films of the century so far wasStar Wars: The Force Awakens. The first entry into what’s now known as the sequel trilogy, the return of the iconic franchise to the big screen created levels of hype that had rarely been seen before. One of the most hair-raising, tear-jerking moments of the film came at the very end, when Rey (Daisy Ridley), handed him his father’s lightsaber after finding him on a remote island.
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The scene was simple, but seeing Hamill in his Jedi robes holdingthe Skywalker saberwith his metal arm was without a doubt a highlight of a pretty strong return to the saga.
10Destroying the Death Star
Going back to the first installment in the Skywalker saga,A New Hope, the film features so many standout moments from different characters, establishing who they are for the next two films, even if only one film was originally planned. One of the most memorable and coolest moments courtesy of Luke was when he destroyed the Death Star with his bulls-eye shot in his famed Red 5 X-Wing. This was one of Luke’s most important moments in regard to establishing the fearless, skillful protagonist that became one of the most admired film characters of his time.
9The Barge Rescue
With the franchise’s popularity taking over in the early ’80s, the final installment to the original trilogy wasStar Wars: Return of the Jedi, which saw the characters in the highest stake situations. In the first major action sequence, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) was being held hostage by Jabba the Hutt, located on his sail barge.
With a rescue mission planned out, Luke ignited his newly-constructed green lightsaber and cut through almost everyone on the barge, including Boba Fett, one of the most dangerous bounty hunters alive. This moment was not only a standout moment of this film, but it perfectly showcased Luke’s skill with the Jedi’s iconic weapon.
8Confronting Palpatine/Final Fight With Darth Vader
By the end ofReturn of the Jedi, Luke has developed into a full-fledged Jedi, with his integrity unquestionable. After being brought to Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) by Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones), Luke showed no fear, confidently standing in front of the most powerful Sith in the galaxy, perhaps of all time.
This moment is another that displayed the bravery that the film’s protagonist had, making it impossible to not rally behind him. What follows this moment is an intense fight with his father Darth Vader, which is still one of themost emotionally charged duelsin the franchise’s history.
7Training With Yoda
In the second film of the original trilogy,Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back, Luke spends most of his time on the planet of Dagobah, where he meets Jedi Master Yoda, who went into exile after the fall of the Jedi Order at the hands of Palpatine. After Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) was killed by his once apprentice Darth Vader, his force ghost leads Luke to Yoda, where Yoda then trains Luke in a much lesser time than a Jedi would normally need. The entire training sequence of the film has become one of Luke’s most iconic scenes, with Hamill’s performance being the main reason behind that.
6Meeting Obi-Wan for the First Time
Towards the beginning ofA New Hope, Luke finally crosses paths with Obi-Wan, who’s been hiding on the same planet that Luke grew up on his whole life. This element of the story is further fleshed out in the recentObi-WanKenobiTV series, which only made this moment more special.
Luke finds out that his father was one of the best Jedi Knightsduring the Clone Wars, and that Obi-Wan was beside him the entire time. Luke forms an instantaneous bond with Kenobi, leading to us seeing Luke wield a lightsaber for the first time, that being his father’s saber.
5Binary Sunset
In one of the more simple moments in this list, the first time we see Luke look over the two suns that the planet of Tatooine orbits is without question one of the most iconic shots not just in Star Wars, but in cinema history. With theperfect score crafted by John Williamsin the background, this scene still holds up as well as it did almost 50 years since its release with goosebumps coming on no matter what. This moment is also one of the earliest that captures the scale of what Star Wars had to offer, with Luke looking over a vast desert plain with two stars lighting up the sky.
4"A Jedi’s Weapon Deserves More Respect."
With Luke once again being a main character inStar Wars: The Last Jedi, the direction that the film went with for Luke was massively controversial, with passionate fans feeling that Luke’s return was underwhelming and not feeling like the Luke of old. However, in Episode 9,Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Luke returns as a force ghost after passing inThe Last Jedi.
It’s clear that Episode 9 was attempting to fix the problems that so many people had with Luke in Episode 8, which led to one of Hamill’s best moments as his character,perfectly capturing the feel of a wise Jedi. He stops Rey from throwing Anakin’s lightsaber into the burning ship, delivering one of Luke’s best times across the franchise.
3His Last Moment with Leia
In what may be the most emotional moment for the audience with Luke is his last moment with his sister, Leia (Carrie Fisher). With the Resistance pushed back into an old abandoned base on the planet of Crait, The First Order begins to break through the defenses. Before the battle starts, Luke has a beautiful moment with Leia, after being apart for so many years.
For audiences, this scene was a tough watch, as Carrie Fisher passed away the year before the film’s release. Many viewers grew up with Carrie Fisher’s Leia along with Luke, and others grew the same attachment after watching the originals. Seeing the two siblings who had so much importance in the success of the franchise makes this one of Hamill’s best moments as Luke alone, but it’s made that much better by Fisher being there with him.
2"I Am Your Father."
In what is perhaps the most iconic quotesacross the franchise, the famous line from Darth Vader came in the second film,TheEmpire Strikes Back. After Luke has an intense duel with his father Vader, he ends up losing his hand after Vader slices it off. Backed into a corner, Vader decides that it’s time to let Luke know the truth, that he is his father.
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At the time of release, this line was without a doubt one of the biggest twists in film history, with audiences losing their minds over it. The scene is just as impactful today, being one of the defining moments in what is easily one of the most iconic father-son dynamics in film.
