Celebrated Star Wars actor Mark Hamill has recalled his first impression of Luke Skywalker, and his words serve as a reminder to the true message of Star Wars. Nobody ever imagined quite how successful Star Wars would become; according to his friend Steven Spielberg, even George Lucas only expected the first movie to gross $15-20 million in the box office. In reality, it made $775.8 million – more than $3.8 billion adjusted for inflation. Mark Hamill originally thought Star Wars was a parody, but he was won over when he read the full script.

Speaking on the Smartless podcast, Hamill recalls his first impression of Luke Skywalker. “When I tested, I was like, Harrison [Ford]’s the leading man, I’m the annoying sidekick,“ he recalled. “I’m badgering him and all this stuff.” It’s true that Luke Skywalker follows a classic Hero’s Journey, but Hamill can be forgiven for his misunderstanding; after all, the hero traditionally gets the girl, and it was Han who wound up with Leia instead of Luke.

Mark Hamill’s First Impression Of Luke Shines A Light On George Lucas’ Genius

Luke Skywalker Was A Different Kind Of Hero

Modern viewers have forgotten just how unusual George Lucas’ plot really is. Harrison Ford is the cocky, wisecracking hero figure, a scoundrel pilot who can even win over a princess’ heart; he’s the traditional lead. Instead, Lucas gave the lead role to a somewhat whiny everyman hero from a galactic backwater, whose ultimate act of heroism lay in setting down his lightsaber rather than using it. Viewed from this perspective, Luke Skywalker is a very different kind of hero.

Reading Hamill’s comments, I couldn’t help remember the Luke Skywalker of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. “You think what?” Luke asked Rey. “I’m gonna walk out with a laser sword and face down the whole First Order?” That’s the Luke Skywalker viewers were expecting to see (and, in fact, it’s the Luke we’d eventually be given in The Mandalorian season 2’s finale). But that’s the traditional Hollywood hero – the Marvel-type superhero – rather than the one George Lucas created.

Viewed through this lens, Luke Skywalker feels rather more counter-cultural. He may have trained with the Force, but it is his heart that wins out; his faith in his father, his love and compᴀssion for others. We all get so excited about Force powers, but the message of Star Wars is that power won’t save the day; in fact, the ones obsessed with power are thrall to the dark side. Luke is admirable because he is an everyday person who overcomes his background and loves even the unlovely.

Our Take On Luke Skywalker

A Hero For All Ages

Oddly enough, the old Star Wars Expanded Universe – now considered non-canon – trod the same ground. Writers became fascinated by Luke’s sheer power; I’ll never forget Kevin J. Anderson’s “Jedi Academy” trilogy, which literally saw Luke walk over the surface of a lava lake. Ultimately, though, Timothy Zahn’s “Hand of Thrawn” duology featured an (admittedly heavy-handed) scene in which the former Emperor’s Hand, Mara Jade, chewed Luke up for always “shouting” in the Force – meaning he had lost so much.

Mark Hamill’s comments remind me so much of this. At first glance, the Luke Skywalker of George Lucas’ Star Wars is the character who feels like he’s the whiny sidekick, rather than the lead. But the new hope that dawned across the galaxy was not the return of some superman, some all-confident hero who can drive back the villains with a flick of his wrist and a sweeping slash of his lightsaber. Rather, the new hope of Star Wars is that everyday people can choose to love – despite it all. And in so doing, the sidekick becomes the lead.

Source: Smartless