Luke Skywalker was 19 years old in the first Star Wars movie, A New Hope, released in 1977. He is portrayed as an ordinary youth and farmer who later grows to become one of the most notable heroes in the universe.
Luke Skywalker spearheads the fight of the Jedi knights against the evil Darth Vader over the course of several years. He succeeds at most times but fails on some occasions. By the time of his last appearance in the Star Wars movie, i.e., 2017’s The Last Jedi, Luke Skywalker is 53 years old and has helped groom the next set of heroes, notably Rey, who will continue where he and others like Leia left off.
How Old was Luke in A New Hope?
Luke Skywalker was 19 years old in A New Hope. This is the very first movie in the Star Wars franchise and was released in 1977. Luke’s biographical information has it that he is an orphan growing up with his uncle and aunt. He is a farmer on a planet known as Tatooine and has a normal existence. He later comes in contact with Obi-Wan Kenobi, a knight with the Jedi who tries to convince him to join the resistance, but he refuses.
He, however, joins them when he returns home to find that his beloved aunt and uncle have been murdered by the evil forces. At the time A New Hope was released, Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, was already 26 years old, meaning that he was about seven years older than the character he was playing.
He, however, gave a good performance and set the film off on its way to birthing a great franchise. He also established himself as one of the most iconic movie characters ever.
Luke Skywalker’s Age in The Empire Strikes Back
The events in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), the second Star Wars movie, takes place three years after the first film, meaning that Luke Skywalker is now 22 years old. He has fully embraced his role as a member and even a commander of the resistance and continues fighting against the evil Darth Vader without realizing that the evil Vader is his biological father.
Father and son eventually face off in a brutal battle, and Luke is no match for his dad, no matter how hard he tries. His dad cuts off his arm but stops short of killing him. He then makes him an offer to join the dark side so that they can rule the world together. He also informs the young man that this is his inevitable destiny.
Luke rejects the offer and is ready to die rather than live and become evil. He is, however, rescued by Princess Leia and gets a bionic arm to replace the one that he lost.
How Old is Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi?
Luke Skywalker is 23 years old in Return of the Jedi, the third Star Wars movie, which was released in 1983. The film once more sees him take a very prominent role. It starts out with a lot of emotional upheaval as he discovers that Leia is his twin sister and that Darth Vader is his real father.
Luke is determined to turn his father to the good side, and during the battle of Endor, he surrenders to his father to see if he can convince him to change for good. His father does not change, and they battle it out. Things, however, change for the better when the evil emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader’s superior, gets involved.
Palpatine tells Luke to kill off his father and take his place, but the young man refuses. He and his father now join forces to take on Palpatine, and his father pays with his life. However, before his death, Vader realizes the error of his ways and reconciles with his son.
Luke Skywalker’s Age in Revenge of the Sixth
2005’s Revenge of the Sixth is one of the prequel movies in the Star Wars universe that tells the backstory of the characters. Luke’s father, Anakin Skywalker, is originally a Jedi knight but is disillusioned after a vision that his wife, Padmé Amidala, will die in childbirth.
He joins Palpatine on the dark side and becomes Vader. He chokes his wife to death, but she is able to give birth to twins. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda step in to separate the twins for their protection. Luke Skywalker is an infant in Revenge of the Sixth.
Luke Skywalker’s Age in The Force Awakens
The Force Awakens is the fourth film in the Star Wars universe. It is dubbed as the first in the sequel trilogy and was released in 2015. The events in the movie take place thirty years after that of Return of the Jedi.
Luke Walker has basically gone into hiding and isolated himself after being brokenhearted when Leai’s son, and his nephew, Kylo Ren, turns to the dark side. It is left for others to continue the resistance, and a key figure amongst them is Rey, who ironically is Palpatine’s granddaughter. While fighting, she and her fellow warriors embark on a search for Luke, and she finds him in the ending scenes. Luke Skywalker is now 53 years in The Force Awakens.
How Old is Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi?
Luke Skywalker is 53 years old in The Last Jedi. The Last Jedi is the second film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy and was released in 2017. Rey has now found Luke and returned his lightsaber to him, but Luke wants nothing to do with the resistance.
He, however, succumbs to her persuasions and begins training her. He also joins her in the fight against his nephew, Kylo Ren, and other members of the evil First Order. He is later killed, meaning that Luke Skywalker died at the age of 53 years old. His death is a devastating one, but he assures Rey that he is not the last Jedi knight.
Luke Skywalker’s Age in The Rise of Skywalker
Luke Skywalker’s ghost made an appearance in 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. He helps encourage the despondent Rey to get back to the fight against the evil forces. Rey is disillusioned after discovering her links to Palpatine and wants to leave the battle.
Luke, however, encourages her with his words and also calls forth the voice of other departed Jedis to do the same. Having been strengthened, Rey goes on to defeat Palpatine and even manages to turn Kylo to the good side before he dies.
The Rise of Skywalker may be Luke Skywalker’s last appearance in a Star Wars movie. In a 2023 interview, Mark Hamill made it known that there was no need to bring Luke Skywalker back to the Star Wars movies, either as a ghost or a de-aged version. For him, Star Wars has many stories to tell and can do without Luke Skywalker.
