Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. He first appeared in Star Wars (1977), and he returned in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). Over three decades later, Mark Hamill returned as Luke in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, cameoing in The Force Awakens (2015) before playing a major role in The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019) .

In The Last Jedi, Luke Skywalker dies after Force projecting his appearance from Ahch-To to Crait. Force projecting himself so far across the galaxy required every ounce of his energy and willpower. While he successfully achieved this feat, the energy and mental stress required to make it happen drained everything from him and is what ultimately killed him. Luke made this sacrifice knowing it was the only way to save Leia, Rey, and what remained of the Resistance. The distraction that he provided gave them the opportunity to escape. It also taught his nephew Ben Solo a final lesson about redemption and sacrifice, along with reigniting a much-needed spark of hope for the entire galaxy.

Despite his death, Luke Skywalker appears as a Force ghost in The Rise of Skywalker, encouraging Rey to face her grandfather, the resurrected Emperor Palpatine.