Summary

• Luke Skywalker's heroic nature shines through in a pivotal offscreen moment in Return of the Jedi.
• Despite witnessing his father's death and needing to escape, Luke still chooses to save his enemies, the Red Guards.
• Luke's act of comion towards the Red Guard exemplifies his character and solidifies his status as the greatest hero of Star Wars.

A moment that happens just offscreen in Return of the Jedi demonstrates how heroic Luke Skywalker truly is. While Luke is only one of the Star Wars original trilogy’s heroes, his journey from farmer to rebel pilot to Jedi Knight makes him the trilogy’s main protagonist for many viewers. Given his importance to the Star Wars saga, it is crucial to get Luke Skywalker’s characterization right; while some tales are controversial, one short story in the current Star Wars canon undoubtedly portrays Luke correctly.

Return of the Jedi is the completion of Luke Skywalker’s journey to Jedi Knighthood, with Luke refusing to follow the poor advice of his old guard Jedi mentors but nevertheless resisting the temptation of the dark side of the Force. In perhaps the most powerful moment in the movie, Luke refuses to kill and replace Darth Vader, declaring himself a Jedi like the good man his father once was. Luke’s comion and healthy understanding of love ultimately, lead Darth Vader to kill Emperor Palpatine, saving Luke and bringing balance to the Force.

Luke Skywalker Took Time To Save His Enemies While Leaving The Death Star

While Luke Skywalker is not the main character of “The Emperor's Red Guards,” a short story by Gloria Chao in From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi, he plays a pivotal role that exemplifies his characterization. The story is told by an unnamed Red Guard who, to their shock returns to Palpatine’s throne room to find that the Emperor is dead. Given their training, this causes the Guard to experience an existential crisis, though one comrade named Tauk resolves to avenge Palpatine. The two trail Luke Skywalker to a hangar, where they confront him immediately after Anakin Skywalker dies. Rather than defending himself, Luke urges the two to find a ship and escape the doomed Death Star II.

The narrator’s hesitation to kill Luke leads to a brief but intense duel between the two Red Guards, ending with Tauk’s death. The unnamed Red Guard nearly dies as well when debris traps them, but Luke Skywalker goes out of his way to lift the wreckage off the Guard with his Force powers, sparing them. The Guard escapes and, due to both gratitude and a newfound sense of freedom, makes no attempt to destroy Luke’s shuttle.

This Is The Most Beautiful Luke Skywalker Moment In Star Wars Canon

Luke Skywalker just witnessed his father die in front of him and needed to escape the battlestation as soon as possible, yet he still urged the Red Guards to flee rather than fight them. The Red Guards are the most elite of the Imperial Military, and it would have been perfectly reasonable for Luke to make no effort to save them, yet he goes a step further and ensures the survival of one of the Guards. This offscreen moment of comion in Return of the Jedi showcases Luke's character, confirming he really is the greatest hero of Star Wars.