The Importance of Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker doesn't destroy the bad guy, he saves him. He doesn't even destroy the bigger bad guy. He also doesn't get the girl as in most other stories. He doesn't defeat evil with violence, he defeats evil with love and compassion. And that is why Luke Skywalker is a true hero.

"Lucas doesn't tell stories about good people and evil people, he's telling stories about people who can choose good or evil." Why do I like this line so much?

Luke is the kind of guy who when asked "Did you save the galaxy" would respond with "No. My father and my friends did"

I can’t believe I never realised that the very first person to recognise Luke as a true Jedi Knight/Master was The Emperor himself

"If he can become a Jedi like his father, his father can become a Jedi like him." I'm in awe. This was so beautifully written!!

George Lucas talking about joy vs pleasure overplayed with clips of Anakin and Luke perfectly captured the differences between them.

I’ve just realized something; Luke’s electrocution is eerily reminiscent of Mace Windu’s in ROTS, and as such, Vader’s sudden realization that he can finally reverse the mistake he made decades ago motivates him to save his son. He’d probably replayed that moment for years, and in an instant, is given a second opportunity to save a Jedi from a Sith Lord instead of compromising himself and the galaxy in the process. I’m guessing that Windu’s death was a deliberate reference from Lucas to that scene. Damn; like poetry, it rhymes.

I remember walking out of "Return of the Jedi" in 1983 completely in awe. Luke had progressed from saving the princess, to saving his friends, to saving the villian. It doesn't matter that he's being tortured and slowly killed, he will not turn. I also remember the audience's reaction: cries of empathy, pain, and pleading that Vader help his son. Probably one of the most moving climaxes I've ever seen. I don't think the final trilogy understood that....

It's so refreshing to hear a Star Wars fan that actually respects George Lucas

The George Lucas speech about happiness is the wisest thing i've ever heard.

“Just accept the fact that it’s here, and it’s gone, and maybe again it’ll come back.” Exactly what Anakin couldn’t accept

I’ve always thought “Return of the Jedi” meant the Jedi Order coming back into existence (aka the sequels) but now it’s so much clearer that it refers to the Return of the Jedi, none other than Anakin Skywalker

This is why I think Return of the Jedi might actually be my favorite out of the original 3. All the Ewoks and other stuff aside, the core conflict between Luke and Vader is so beautifully done.

I gotta admit what called my attention most was the observation that Luke, in spite of being the hero, needed to be saved at the ending of each movie. That's really a great insight, while it helps him to resist hubris, it also shows how important it is that he's not alone. Luke has an underrated quality that is simplicity. Many consider it to be a writing flaw, but simplicity is present in a lot of heroes and this is what saves them from falling (like Frodo resisted the Ring for so long because of his hobbit simplicty and when he fell because the ring was just that unbearable, he was helped by his pity and Sam who's an even simpler character).

Luke is such an amazing hero. What Disney did with him is unforgivable.

When I watch RTOJ, and it gets to Luke's triumphant declaration "...I am a Jedi, like my father before me..." I can see under Vader's mask in my mind. I see him shedding a tear. The love of Shimei, the love of Qui Gon, The love of Obi Wahn, most of all the love of Padme, finding him again, all embodied in the courageous love of his son. For the first time, he is a proud father, in awe that Luke could stand up to The Emperor. He loves again. In that moment he realizes he can be Anakin again. He owes it to all those who have ever loved him.

The ending of “Return of the Jedi” left such an impact on me. I went in fully expecting Luke to kill Vader and save the day, but instead I got Luke INSISTING there was still good in Anakin, refusing to fight his father, and then throwing down his weapon. Luke didn’t fight to the death; he refused to give up hope on someone, and so his heart saved the galaxy. It‘s a masterpiece, and so profound. “I am a Jedi, like my father before me.” One of my favorite lines in cinema besides “You bow to no one” from Lord of the Rings 🤧

I would disagree that Luke isn’t the hero of the story. He’s the one that inspires his father to seek redemption. He may not be the one to defeat the villain physically, but he does so in a metaphorical sense. His way of life is pitched against the Emperor’s, and Luke’s way wins. Vader is the judge.

Lucas’s speech about pleasure vs joy is such a great description of Light vs Dark, or Jedi vs Sith. Anakin fell to the dark side because he couldn’t accept what was: that Padme would die. He needed to maintain the pleasure of his relationship, so he kept doubling down on the path to the dark side. Yoda tells Anakin, “Rejoice for those around you who transform into the force.” Yoda is mirroring George Lucas’s words from this speech. Anakin would lose Padme from the material, but she would be with the force, and Anakin would find joy again with Luke and Leia. Lucas frames joy in a very Stoic manner: acceptance that the world is, and happiness is an internal state that comes from focusing on the things we can control.

George Lucas is one of those gems that no one will appreciate until he's gone. We as a whole will never realize how much Lucas gave us until he's not around to give us any more.