The central character of Star Wars and the one who did the most growing over the course of the film. Luke Skywalker is the son of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Skywalker (Queen Amidala / Senator Padmé). He didn't know who his parents were growing up. Born just as his father turned to the dark side, Obi-Wan hid him away for his own safety. Luke was raised on the planet of Tatooine by Owen and Beru Lars, who were moisture farmers. Young Luke comes to identify them as aunt and uncle. They try to raise him as a normal youth, keeping from him the identity of his father in the hope that they can save him from his fathers fate. Growing up, Luke's best friend was Biggs Darklighter. With Biggs, Luke honned his piloting skills in his T-16 Skyhopper, shooting womp rats. Like Biggs (and his other friends who called him Wormie), Luke wants to leave Tatooine behind and join the Academy and become a starpilot. However, Uncle Owen always has and excuse for keeping him round for another year.

On a regular trip with his Uncle to by droids from the scavenging Jawas, Luke brings home his destiny. A little astromech droid, R2-D2, who shows him a looped image of a beautiful princess and she insist that she must find Obi-Wan Kenobi. The only Kenobi he knows is Ben Kenobi and he thinks maybe there is a connection. The R2 droid then cons him into removing his restraining bolt and runs away. Luke goes after the droid the next day with C-3P0. On the way, he is attacked by sandpeople and rescued by Ben Kenobi (whom discovers is Obi-Wan Kenobi). It is from Kenobi he gets some truth about his past (his father being a Jedi) and his father's lightsaber. However, Kenobi has selective memory when it comes to telling the whole truth. Viewing the message from the princess in full, Kenobi insist Luke must come with him. He refuses until he discovers his aunt an uncle have been killed by Imperials. With the War now personal, Luke goes to Mos Eisley with Kenobi. It's there he meets hot shot pilot Han Solo and co-pilot Chewbacca, they aren't fond of each other at first.

After gaining passage on Solo's ship, the legendary "Millenium Falcon". They barely make an escape from the Imperials and head for Alderaan. During thier trip, Luke gets some preliminary leasons in the force. However, they come out of hyperspace to find no Alderaan, just what looks like an asteroid shower. The planet has been blown to bits.  When a tie fighter appears out of nowhere, Han Solo chases it right into what he thought was a small moon, but was actually a humongus space station - The Death Star. Aboard the first Death Star, while Ben is sneaking around to disable the tractor beam, Luke discovers that his princess is aboard the station and due to be executed. He cons Han into saving the princess from her detention cell. They make a creative, almost death trap, escape down a garbage chute, but there far from in the clear.  Heading back to thier ship, they run into a number of Storm Troppers, so Han and Chewie provide a distraction for the Princess and Luke.

Working as a team, Luke and Princess Leia fought thier way through the ship and eventually found thier way back to the "Millenium Falcon", collect the droids, and meet back up with Han and Chewbacca. They also arrive just in time to see Ben intentionally lose a lightsaber battle with Vader. Luke's shock and anger almost caused him to do the most foolish thing he could do, go after Vader. But his new comrads get him out of there quick. They barely escape.

Tracked by the Imperials, the Death Star came to Yavin IV with the intent of destorying the Rebel base. On Yavin IV, Luke meets up with his friend Biggs only to later lose him in battle. It is on Yavin IV Luke becomes a hero when he blows up the first Death Star, thanks in part to Han's sending Vader's fighter spinning off into space. Luke's career as a rebel hero began at that momment. He joined the Rebels and spent the next three years growing closer to his new friends Leia, Han, R2-D2, C-3po and Chewbacca as they fought against the Empire.

The rebel base eventually moved to the snow planet Hoth, where Luke barely escaped death at the hands of an abomidibal snow man look alike. After his escape from the beast, he had a vision of Ben telling him to go to Dogabah. Unfortunatly, he was half dead at the time and saved barely by Han Solo. When he got back to the base, Luke found himself stuck between the romantic intrest growing between Leia and Han (Upon which, yuck! She kissed him). But thier wasn't much time for buddy-buddy chating, Vader found the base. After Vader discovered the base, it became necessary to evacuate. Luke helped them fight the rebels fight there way out in his X-wing and went to Dogabah, where he was trained by Yoda. During his training, he got a glimpse of the future and despite warnings not to rush into anything by both Yoda and a "ghost" Obi-Wan, he ran right into Vader's trap on cloud city. By the time Luke arrives, it is to late to save a carbon frozen Han who had been taken away by the bounty hunters. And Leia, with Chewbacca, Lando, and the droids, was well on her way to saving herself. In a battle with Vader he wasn't prepared for, Luke lost his hand and learned that Vader was his father. His "long lost father" offered his partnership, but Luke refused and jumped to what he thought would be his death. He relied on his connection with Leia to save him. Once he was safely onboard the falcon with his friends, Vader called to him through the force. Luke recieved a replacement hand, but Han was gone. It was Lando who took on the task of hunting him down. Luke would continue to hone his Jedi skills and he would build a new lightaber.

A year later they locate Han. An elaborate sceheme landed him and all his friends in Jabba's palace and they made another of thier famose narrow escapes. After they were free of Tatooine, Luke went back to Dogabah in time to see Yoda die and recieve his last peice of family history, the knowledge that Leia is his twin sister. He also learn the true story of what happened between Ben and his father from Ben. Learning for sure that what Vader said was true, Luke thinks he can save his father and isn't happy to hear Ben and Yoda's theory that the only medicine for his father is death.

He rejoined his sister while the Rebels were planning to destroy the incomplete 2nd death star. He travels with his old friends Han, Leia, Chewie and the droids to the Endor moon. On the moon, he and his sister fight off scout troopers on speeder bikes and they all make friends with the Ewoks. However, Luke leaves the group realizing he must confront Vader. But first, realizing he might not return, he fills Leia in on the history he's just discovered himself.

When he meets up with Vader, he's very different from the young untrained boy beaten on cloud city and Vader expresses what almost seems like pride in his son's progress. Luke insist he will not take him to the Emperor, that there is good in him, but he does take him to the Emperor. The Emperor chides him into fighting his father and he eventually wins. But when he cuts off his father's hand and sees he's repeating his father's actions, he throws down his weapon. Sick of games, the Emperor tries to kill him. But in the end, his father choose to saved his son by killing the Emperor. However, it took all of he had left to do it and he died soon after. Luke returned to his sister and the victorious rebels, who destroyed the 2nd Death Star (which Luke barely escapes). It was the big victory, but not the last.

Luke's journey as a Jedi was just begining and large factions of the Empire survived the Emperor's death. Luke unintentionally remained a part of the clean up job against the Empire. Still, Luke resigned his millitary title when the new republic was established. He attempted to train his sister as he was told to, but her postition in the establishment of the New Republic didn't allow her the luxary. He gave her a lightsaber and she learned how to tap into her force sesativity, but she never became a Jedi.

Luke continued to try to peice together his past and the past of the Jedi. He eventually opened a new Jedi Academy on Yavin IV and trained his two nephews and his neice there as well as a young force sensative Wookie relative of Chewie. And after many love intrest, he married his long time friend (and former enemy) Mara Jade. They share a son named Ben. (named after Obi-Wan Kenobi a.k.a Ben Kenobi).