As one of the main characters in the Star Wars galaxy, Luke Skywalker isn't suffering from a shortage of stories. You can see him front and center in the whole of the original trilogy and for slightly less time in The Force Awakens. Yes, that is a joke.
Initially, Luke Skywalker was a farm boy on an out of the way planet and didn't seem to have much beyond a vague idea about what was happening in the broader universe. The Empire hadn't found a resource to exploit on Tatooine, so the white buckets of stormtroopers weren't a common sight -- certainly not as common as in towns and on planets that were hosting garrisons. Luke was thrown into the bigger picture headfirst after he purchased C-3PO and R2-D2 and met Obi-Wan Kenobi. He went through a dazzling amount of change in a relatively short period of time.
He got woke. Exploding moon-sized battle stations will do that to you.
In between the movies, Luke continued to work with the Rebel Alliance while trying to learn more about the Jedi and the Force. To get more insight into how Luke evolved off-screen, you should read these stories...
Luke's activities between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back are the most heavily documented in the current storytelling universe. The canonical timeline has found space to allow for many adventures in the three years separating the films. The Weapon of a Jedi: A Luke Skywalker Adventure by Jason Fry is set in that territory (with a little part of the book devoted to the period after Return of the Jedi) and saw Luke go to a Jedi temple. The story was also adapted as a comic book in the German Star Wars Magazine and turned into an animated comic by Nestle.
This story is fascinating because of the primary setting and because of what Luke learns about the Force. In addition to being a Jedi temple, the Temple of Eedit was used as a base during the Clone Wars. It was embedded on the planet Devaron upon a vergence in the Force, which I like to think of as mystery spot for the Force (kind of). Though it was wrecked by the Empire after Order 66, Luke had visions that spurred him to find the location.
Luke got a glimpse at Darth Vader in A New Hope, but he didn't encounter the Sith Lord in a more direct way until the next film. At least that was the case until Marvel's Star Wars #2: Skywalker Strikes, Part II by writer Jason Aaron and artist John Cassaday. During a mission on Cymoon 1 with the usual team, Luke had some face-to-face time with Vader. Their entanglement had ripple effects in the Darth Vader comic.
For a dogfight between Luke and Vader, see Vader Down #1.
With over 30 issues published since January 2015, Marvel's ongoing Star Wars comic is where to turn for page after page of Luke Skywalker insights and development. The arcs set between Episode IV and Episode V (you're surprised, right?) feature Luke catching up with the hero title he earned by destroying the Death Star. The Force was on his side along with a whispering Ben Kenobi, but he had much to learn about the galaxy -- and about being part of a military organization.
More time with Han, Leia, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2, learning from Obi-Wan Kenobi's journal, searching for Jedi secrets, growing up -- all that and more unfold from the perspectives of different writers and artists.
Flipping to the time after Return of the Jedi, Marvel's Shattered Empire #4 by writer Greg Rucka and artist Marco Checchetto pairs Luke with Shara Bey, talented rebellion pilot and mother to Poe Dameron, on a mission to infiltrate an Imperial base. The Battle of Endor recently happened, and though the Rebel Alliance celebrated the death of the Emperor, there was still plenty to do to shake out the remnants of the Empire.
Luke's mission was more personal though. He wanted to retrieve a Force tree the Emperor stole from the Jedi temple on Coruscant. He had Shara pretend to be an Imperial Security Bureau officer with him as her bodyguard. The team-up has an adventurous tone with plenty of action from Luke.
As this series of articles focuses on characters you want more of, we always share a look at a more high-end collectible you may want to bring into your home. Gentle Giant Ltd. has a celebratory bust for your shelves. Since Luke scored the kill shot for the Death Star in the Battle of Yavin, he was given a medal along with Han and Chewbacca (yes, he actually got one, just not onscreen). This sculpt captures the triumphant moment with a very serious looking Luke, and you can pick one up right here.
Which Luke Skywalker stories would you add to this list? Share your picks in the comments!
Amy Ratcliffe is a writer for IGN. She likes Star Wars a little. You can follow her on on Twitter at @amy_geek.
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