The Skywalker Saga in its entirety took up more than 60 years of Star Wars history, but how long was Luke around through it all?
Luke Skywalker was the main hero of the galaxy far, far away before the introduction of Anakin Skywalker in the prequel trilogy. After blowing up the first Death Star, Luke would go on to lead the Rebellion as a general in the fight against the Empire and confront his father, Darth Vader, in the final battle against Emperor Palpatine’s minions. By then, Luke was essentially the only living Jedi in the galaxy, but have you ever wondered how old Luke really was when he became one with the Force in Star Wars: The Last Jedi?
Of course, when talking about a literal Jedi legend, it’s difficult to estimate things by solely taking the physical realm into account. After all, we know that Luke’s spirit lived on, and appeared in The Rise of Skywalker to guide Rey one last time. Fortunately, though, the details of the canon can still give us an idea as to how old The Last Jedi really was.
How old was Luke in the original and sequel trilogies?
Luke and his twin sister Leia were born in 19 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin), which means that following the events of Revenge of the Sith and at the beginning of A New Hope, Kenobi’s young pupil was exactly 19. The Empire Strikes Back, meanwhile, took place in 3 ABY (After the Battle of Yavin), meaning that Luke was 22 when he learned Vader was his father.
Return of the Jedi picks up the story one year after the events of Cloud City, so the young Skywalker was 23 during the historic Battle of Endor.
As for the sequels, the continuity of Disney’s Star Wars indicates that much of the first two films were set in 34 ABY, and the last installment a year after in 35 ABY. So, when you do the math, Luke was actually 53 years old when he sacrificed himself in the Battle of Crait to save the Resistance.
While the Last Jedi’s lifespan as a physical entity in the world of the galaxy far, far away was a meager 53 years, his spirit still lives on, which is great news for Star Wars as they might still get to see their beloved protagonist, perhaps even as early as Rey’s upcoming solo outing.
