Luke Skywalker
played by Mark Hamill
Luke Skywalker. In a sense, the trilogy is his story. It is the story of his graduation from a boy to a man... or something of the sort. Luke Skywalker, the first in a long line of Jedis to come. Luke Skywalker, the New Hope...
At the start of Episode I, Luke seems to be an impossible hero. Whining, complaining, yet self-confident and probably in all respects, and with due respect, a righteous dude. He seems to be living his life for others; not altruistically, but simply for a lack of belief in himself. It is an amazing string of coincidences(?) that lead him into another world; another life; towards his destiny...
It all started with a droid. And a message. A message of galactic importance. So from the deserts of Tatooine with Obi Wan and the droids; to the Cantina with Han and Chewy. From the Detention Block at Death Star; to the Rebel Base at Yavin... and from there back to Death Star.. in a final battle between good and evil... that is won, by Luke.
In the second episode, Luke still starts as an unsure young guy; with the thought of being the galaxies only hope still quite overwhelming. From there to Yoda; Jedi Master Yoda, who teaches him more than just the force... who teaches him fear... who teaches him his own importance, from a Galactic point of view. And from there to his epic duel with Darth Vader. One that would challenge his inner self; his values, his integrity and most importantly, his faith. His faith in Ben, in Yoda and in the Light side of the Force.
By the thid episode, Luke Skywalker has become a Jedi Knight. Or so people believe. He is now confident of his abilities; probably a little too confident. In his battle with Jabba, where he almost single-handedly defeats Jabba's mighty "Empire"; we observe that Luke believes. He believes in himself, and in his friends. From there to his promised visit to Yoda, to continue his training. But Yoda is ready to die; to become one with the force. There he learns a few things. One that, yes, Darth Vader is his father. Two, that Leia is his sister. And three, that no he is not a Jedi yet. He will be only when he faces Vader. He must face Vader. (Quite amouthful to hear in a day, what?). And the final conflict between good and evil. Luke's second duel with Vader in the Emperor's throne room on the second Death Star; where he faces the ultimate test of his strength; both mental and in the force. But in an interesting twist, Luke is victorious in defeating the Dark side in his mind; yet the power of the Emperor proves to be too much. Until...