Luke Skywalker Wins by Losing

[@thedadon5353]

not me, i found it on the internet: "Luke Skywalker doesn't destroy the bad guy, he saves him. He doesn't even destroy the bigger bad guy. He also doesn't get the girl as in most other stories. He doesn't defeat evil with violence, he defeats evil with love and compassion. And that is why Luke Skywalker is a true hero."

[@friedrichjunzt]

Outlandish concepts in 2024 😔

[@saphiriathebluedragonknight375]

@@jetrexdesign People have started calling good evil, and evil good.

[@That1Redhead28]

Reminds me of characters like Naruto and thorfinn

[@Voidi-Void]

​@@jetrexdesign homie nobody said any of that

[@silly_on_]

@@saphiriathebluedragonknight375 If I were the devil...

[@MrZkinandBonez]

Another things that makes Luke the hero is how he brings out the best in the people around him. If not for Luke Han would have continued being a criminal rather than a hero. Leia would have been killed on the Death Star without Luke (and Han), and she goes on to make a hero out of Lando. Luke's goodness rubs off on people (even Vader!), and its this ripple effect that eventually defeats the entire Empire. Its a very Tolkien-esque idea of heroism that Lucas really managed to tap into when making the OT, and I think this is one of the most important reasons why it still holds up so well.

[@sterlingdennett]

And it is THIS that modern-day disney gets SO wrong! They think it's all about power, and looking cool, and crushing your enemies. Disney truly does not even understand heroism, and pushes a base thirst for power and revenge. They either do not see how they are the villain, or they do not care. Both possibilities are truly sad...

[@Tuning3434]

@@sterlingdennett I think the biggest problem is that Disney-design-by-comité is trying to please the fandom, and because of that misses out on the story telling potential. The OT is extremely simple story-wise and that is actually its strength... but also makes it difficult source material to build such a large franchise around it. Everything you add, clashes with what the OT did right in the first place. I am hesitant to state if Disney really did something wrong. Just like all the spin-off books / comics / etc after the OT, they don't add to the quality of the story.. they just add content that can be consumed. And I think it is obvious there is a real market eager to consume more Star Trek content, caring very little if it is levels lower in quality as the OT. I can rewatch the OT all the time because they are legitimate enjoyable movies. For the other media I know that I am not the kind of customer that those are branded for, and I am totally fine with that.

[@sterlingdennett]

@@Tuning3434 Disney tries to please the fandom? In what fucking universe, buddy? Disney HATES the fandom! All that disney puts out these days is man-hating woke garbage with Mary Sues all over the place, little to no coherent story anywhere to be seen, and massively disrespectful re-writing of established canon for...SOME reason or other. Star Wars these days is nothing but disney mocking the fanbase, bragging about how "making white men cry is the point", taking one great big steaming SHIT after another, all over the Star Wars IP, and rubbing our faces in it! What in the HELL are you even talking about??? Are you so propagandized that you have become COMPLETELY detached from reality??? They're not even hiding how much they hate the fans! It takes REAL effort to deny reality to the degree it takes to seriously say something like "disney is trying to please the fandom". WTF???

[@sterlingdennett]

@@Tuning3434 In what universe?

[@sterlingdennett]

@@Tuning3434 Disney tries to please the fandom? In what fucking universe, buddy? Disney HATES the fandom! All that disney puts out these days is man-hating woke garbage with Mary Sues all over the place, little to no coherent story anywhere to be seen, and massively disrespectful re-writing of established canon for...SOME reason or other. Star Wars these days is nothing but disney mocking the fanbase, bragging about how "making white men cry is the point", taking one great big steaming SHIT after another, all over the Star Wars IP, and rubbing our faces in it! What in the HELL are you even talking about??? Are you so propagandized that you have become COMPLETELY detached from reality??? They're not even hiding how much they hate the fans! It takes REAL effort to deny reality to the degree it takes to seriously say something like "disney is trying to please the fandom". WTF???

[@Stormcrow_1]

The other thing is he gets knocked down repeatedly, but still gets back up again.

[@mdmn-ARCA]

And then he has a whiskey drink, a vodka drink, a lager drink, a cider drink...

[@slothfulcobra]

you ain't never gonna keep him down

[@michaelwinter742]

Thanks, Spiderdad.

[@djco5782]

@@mdmn-ARCA A blue milk drink.

[@undead_corsair]

A hero is just someone who doesn't give up.

[@KaiserMattTygore927]

"Up until recently it was expected to start your hero off with a disadvantage" Such an obvious thing, yet so many companies fail to do that and understand why it was done in the first place.

[@lukestarkiller1470]

The newer movies really don’t have any messages they’re trying to tell through their stories, they’re just intended to take up 2 hours or so and bring in money for Disney. They weren’t made with the intent the original 6 were, to inspire and teach important lessons to both children and adults. And because of that they’ll never have the lasting impact that the original movies still have today

[@RichardHunslet1963]

@@lukestarkiller1470 Indeed

[@pwnmeisterage]

Writers used to read and try to emulate literature. Now they read and try to emulate comic books.

[@gbonkers666]

@@lukestarkiller1470 Yep

[@gbonkers666]

@@pwnmeisterage No. They don't read anything at all.

[@kaleiohu]

In the current fandom I think more people remember the myth of Luke rather than the canonical history of Luke. He was always way more human and relatable than people remember.

[@Soguwe]

But when the Last Jedi tried to make that exact point, and how that myth should be used for good, the crybabies wailed so loudly even Disney blinked

[@RichardHunslet1963]

​@@Soguwe Jake Skywalker is not relatable at all. Whats relatable about trying to kill someone in their sleep? Its 2024, the Disney Trilogy is trash: Just accept it already Just read the EU where Luke embodied the concept of redemption and actually rebuild the Jedi Order.

[@bridgerhibbert2993]

​@@RichardHunslet1963 "What's relatable about trying to kill Vader?" You and I both know that would be a loaded question since it would lack the context of the story as well as the intentions of Luke when he surrendered to his father. The fact is, so many people actually misunderstand the events of what actually happened between Luke and Vader that they often forget the WHYS behind it, romanticizing Luke into a guy that simply spams, "I feel the good in you" to everyone he comes across. But even the EU would prove this wasn't the case.

[@RichardHunslet1963]

​@@bridgerhibbert2993 Its 2024 and you people are still spreading misconceptions to defend crap movies. Luke wasn't trying to kill Vader. You are illiterate for thinking that. Luke flipped out with Dark Side fueled rage because Vader was threatening to turn Leia to the Dark Side. Which is a reasonable reaction since Vader can very much make that happen and Luke cares about his friends. Luke still stopped himself and LEARNED from this experience and how dangerous the Dark Side is. Let me guess. You're gonna hump the fact that Luke beheaded Lumiya under the idea that the Dark Lady was the one who killed Mara aka his wife? That doesn't count since Luke more than knows that not everyone is open to redemption; Which is obvious since Luke doesn't pull this gambit with Palpatine

[@bridgerhibbert2993]

@@RichardHunslet1963 You just proved my point: You literally said that Luke cares about his friends, and so he would react to someone who is capable of harming them. You also admit Luke stopped himself. Stopped himself from what? Trying to kill Vader (And you call me "illiterate for thinking that"?). You also admit that Luke learned how dangerous the Dark Side is. Therefore, he would do what he could to stop it. Luke cares about his sister, so he took in Ben Solo, hoping to pass on his strengths and get the "Vader" out of him. Despite his efforts of helping Ben, the darkness kept growing in him. Luke was worried about his nephew and his power, so he eventually went to his hut to see how much the darkness had grown. Unexpectedly, not only did Luke come across a vision where he saw Ben destroying everything he loved, but also had more darkness than he imagined. This darkness led Luke to believing for a brief moment that Ben had made his choice and that the future he saw was going to happen because Ben was capable of doing it. So he drew his saber and ignited it...AND HE STOPPED HIMSELF. So, Luke has learned how dangerous the dark side is, yet he chooses not to harm his nephew, opting to not follow through with an evil thought, and it's "Jake Skywalker". But Luke learns how dangerous the dark side is, ignites his saber, lashes out in anger multiple times, slices off Vader's hand, yet chooses not to harm Vader anymore, and it's somehow more admirable? Can you not see the contradiction?

[@finaldarkfire]

On a related point, I've always found it so interesting that when you think about it, Luke contributes basically nothing to the Battle of Endor, save arguably keeping Vader and The Emperor occupied and focused on him. Leia, Han, Chewie, R2, C3PO, Lando, Wedge, Ackbar, the Ewoks and literally every other rebel, THEY are the ones who actually defeat the Empire, destroy the Death Star and win the day, not Luke. Luke wasn't actually NEEDED, and he almost certainly KNEW this. Or rather, he had FAITH in his friends and allies that they could win without him. And he was RIGHT.

[@TimberWolf99]

The Emperor specifically calls attention to this, when Luke tells him point-blank that his arrogance was his weakness and Sheev fires back (almost petulantly) that Luke's faith in his friends was his. Fast forward to the end - Who is proven correct?

[@singletona082]

THey had thier battle. He knew he was needed to keep the Emperor's eyes squarely on him. His plan was simple. Either convince his father to turn back to the light, or at the very least buy enough time for his friends to blow up the death star. One life for decapitating the Empire of its head and most feared enforcer. In the cold calculus of it all? That is a good trade.

[@rikk319]

@@TimberWolf99 Teamwork makes the dream work, literally.

[@Jansenbaker]

​@singletona082 Man. Yeah, I never really considered what would happen if Luke stuck around long enough to be blown up. But I guess he had to think about that possibility at least a little. My view is, his main thought was that he couldn't leave Vader up there without trying to save him. Nothing else mattered (to him).

[@Cybermat47]

I wonder what would have happened if Luke was out of the picture, and Vader went into battle in his TIE?

[@marscaleb]

The fact that Luke's "highest point" is defeating the Death Star is an INCREDIBLE lesson for writing serials. There is an innate desire for writers/producers/etc to always make everything bigger in the sequel, higher stakes. bigger enemies, greater challenges. The natural desire is to make Luke fight bigger threats and become a bigger hero in each story. But look how successful these stories are without doing that. Instead of being about taking down a greater villain, Luke's arc becomes about his personal development. Destroying the second Death star is handed off to others, as understandably the greater challenge needs to be resolved by a whole team of people in a coordinated strike rather than a lone hero. We don't need to scale the threat to make the audience engaged.

[@westrim]

"But what if we had HUNDREDS of Star Destroyers with planet killer cannons!?"

[@briancramsey2359]

Luke was the "Everyman" character. We all have struggles. We all have had to ask for help. This is why he is a popular character. Fans can watch Star Wars and self insert themselves in as Luke.

[@rikk319]

The best hero fiction lets you empathize with the protagonist.

[@KRobinson-ko1ne]

Exactly

[@jahigains9201]

He’s very spiderman in that way

[@mickmack1409]

Yeah, and just as Lucas copied the traits he gave to Luke from ancient Hero's Journeys, other artists carry on the tradition with heroes like Goku and the Dragon Reborn.

[@ecfeclipse]

Wins by losing, just like life. Truly the most relatable hero

[@swolecapybara]

That’s why I find Luke to be more compelling than 99% of all other Star Wars characters. He’s still scrappy in Return of the Jedi, but he’s absolutely powerful enough to brute-force his way through most situations if he wanted to; he’s just built that way. But it’s the strength of his heart and character that wins the day, not the strength of his sword or his power in the Force. That’s more inspiring to me than a hero who can bulldoze his/her way to victory through every single challenge.

[@lumbagoboi1649]

Yeah we basically never see Luke at his peak power in any movie. We kinda see a hint of it in the mandolorian but other than that Luke wasn't the most amazing Jedi to ever exist. Compared to Anakin who is immediately just awesome because he's the chosen one, Anakin ends up being a little boring until you reach the part of his story where he turns to the dark side. And then rey just straight up sucks- she literally wins against a trained sith in her first movie... It would be like if Luke defeated Vader in a duel in a new hope - Vader would look like a complete buffoon just like kylo was made out to be by losing instantly.

[@garytwinem5275]

​@@lumbagoboi1649 To be fair, Kylo had just taken a Wookie bowcaster bolt in the side, so he wouldn't have been at his best, but I agree Rey would have been a much more admirable character if we got to see her grow in a more realistic way.

[@benengle9621]

​@lumbagoboi1649 so, I guess, no one ever notices that Kylo was injured before that fight

[@HyraxusPrimus]

​@@benengle9621They do, but everyone else forgets that the injured Kylo still 1) gives Rey a concussion or breaks her back by throwing her into a tree and dropping her, and 2) defeats Finn rather handily given the expanded lore apparently paints Finn as a superb CQ combatant. If Kylo's still that strong, it's pure plot convenience that Rey even gets the lightsaber from Kylo's Force grip, let alone win the fight.

[@FGMagala]

Luke's greatest moment was when he threw away his lightsabre because he realized that power got in the way of his heroism, unlike modern protagonists that greedily lap up power in the name of "heroism". It's ironic that I only came to understand such a thing after seeing the modern version, despite having grown up loving Star Wars.

[@Rezzanine]

@@FGMagala sometimes you have to see something done wrong before appreciating that it was previously done right.

[@LuiDeca]

this. now this is something neither the prequel fans nor sequel creators don't understand.

[@RobotRoundupArt]

Rey wins by having TWO lightsabers.

[@sabataskull9661]

​@@RobotRoundupArt Who?

[@dutchmansmine9053]

It's because of this moment Return of the Jedi will always be my favourite star wars movie.

[@benc1180]

Luke has to surrender his fate to something at the end of every film. In a new hope he puts his faith in the force & turns off his targeting computer,in ESB he lets himself fall & calls out to Leia to save him,finally in ROTJ he throws aside his lightsaber & has faith in Vader.

[@mishynaofficial]

Yes, and the Forse was a religion before the prequels.

[@akumaking1]

When it comes to crashing, Luke did seem to inherit that trait from Anakin. Wait: thanks for the spellchecks.

[@jonsnowight9510]

*inherit

[@LernestW]

*trait

[@curtisbrummitt5470]

*happy landings

[@deadshot5007]

The old Marvel comics always started an adventure with him crashing his ship on a planet lol

[@cesaroyola5902]

You call them "crashes" , I call them happy little accidents

[@nunziocombattelli6311]

I just can’t get over how every trilogy ends with Palpatine electrocuting himself lmao

[@autobotproductions1244]

It’s like poetry

[@Taima]

I hope the next time Disney/Lucas fucks around with a trilogy that we get the same. Hopefully better movies all around, but we need to keep the tradition alive.

[@pisscvre69]

he comes back in a post credit scene looking even more like shit hes so “shocked” that he shocks himself to death AGAIN

[@williammagoffin9324]

To borrow from a description of David Weber's character of Honor Harrington: Luke Skywalker is someone who encourages you to be a better person; either in terms of valor, skill, or morality.

[@swolecapybara]

It’s like in Battlefront 2 when Luke interacts with that one Imperial spec-ops dude. The choice isn’t between staying with the Empire or joining the Rebellion, but a choice to be better. I fricken love that.

[@arnowisp6244]

​@@swolecapybaraThe fact someone actually understood Luke Skywalker in that game.

[@EntretuGaming]

All these years watching star wars and I needed this video to realize that Luke Skywalker was a positive masculine role model..

[@mishynaofficial]

Yep. Women's most popular Star Wars male character for a reason. He's a soft boy ❤

[@andersonic]

Yep. This is why 47+ years later I still love Luke and the first movie's my favorite. There still hasn't been a scene like the trench run and it's so intimate. Sort of like how Fellowship Of The Ring was powerful with our heroes only fighting small bands of orcs and Legolas only landing some good shots.

[@lilacocto9103]

A hero built by failure and hardship is destined to succeed, a hero without struggle or flaws is doomed to fail.

[@rikk319]

This is why Superman never did much for me as a kid, but Spider-Man was my favorite.

[@laurentfranco8075]

In a perfect world build up by human logic. Yes! But not by the laws of the universe. Any woman or man that has tried a million times before can still fail. Any jokel that plays the game for the very first time can hit the jackpot. There are no heroes!

[@comradecam9530]

This is why Rey sucked as a character, she doesn't really have any flaws and doesn't struggle. At least not in the way Luke does of actually being defeated or needing to be saved.

[@CaptainGrackle]

Paraphrasing a part of Matthew Polly's American Shaolin book but a lotta main characters in old Kung Fu movies die in the final battle. He said the Chinese don't view a character who knows he can win as very heroic, but characters that know they could very well die fighting for what they believe in are far more heroic figures to watch.

[@kronosbot5]

The mark of a hero is not the list of foes defeated but his enduring and undefeatable nature.

[@ShinGallon]

First off, excellent character analysis. Perfectly illustrates why Luke is the anti-gary-stu that characters like Batman have been morphed into over the years, and why he's still my favorite hero character. Second, a thousand thank yous for using original-theatrical-versions footage!

[@Imperial_Novatrooper]

Mirroring in almost every way his father, whose power grows against his moral deterioration and whose selflessness is ultimately eroded by his surroundings-- who ultimately loses by winning.

[@Deuteromis]

Well Luke follows the Hero's Journey and Anakin follows the Hero's Fall.

[@icepl831]

luke himself was never really that skilled, but he was inspiring in his determination. he made everyone try harder to be better, and inspired the rebelion, showing them that even a clueless boy from the middle of nowhere can be a hero. arguably he was the one allowed Han to go from an outlaw to a hero, who gave leia and all of her rebels the hope that they might win. even showed vader, a person thought to be long too far gone, that he can still be a hero.

[@Samdegraff]

this is related to the idea of courage. you cannot have courage without fear. courage is overcoming fear. lack of fear is stupidity. Luke constantly tried to overcome his shortcomings. that's an actual hero.

[@txtmstrjoe]

As character studies go, I think this is BRILLIANT. Thank you. Your salient point - that a hero is a hero not because of their power or any other superlative, but because they are a good person - is one that often gets lost. That's what makes Optimus Prime, Superman, and Abraham Lincoln who they are: They are all beings with the strongest moral character. I mean, that's why these are among MY heroes, you know? Awesome job, buddy. I'm glad to be one of your subscribers.

[@NickMichalak]

Luke’s quality of person and selflessness is why Han comes back to the battle for the Death Star. He inspires others to heroism and nobility.

[@threadsketch7267]

Preach it from the rooftops. I love it when people make videos highlighting what actually makes Luke the valuable, relatable, timeless hero that he is.

[@jeynarl]

When you put it that way it makes sense why I freaking loved Luke as a kid growing up with star wars

[@NickyNustar]

'Luke needs a team'. Words of wisdom have rarely whittled so wise.

[@bradbarber799]

I always liked how he never gave up, regardless of the odds.

[@Xadhoom]

Nearly brought me to tears, this video did. Thank you.

[@thequeenofspades]

It doesn't matter how many times you fall down. It matters how many times you stand back up.

[@slothfulcobra]

I kind of think of the original trilogy as so much running away and trying to avoid obstacles, rather than having to face everything head on and directly. When the cast is confronted by trouble, they usually flee, they don't summon a great power within them to just fight better and kill everybody. That's what makes them scrappy underdogs, and makes them adventure movies rather than just action. That's also part of how Indiana Jones works, he gets constantly defeated and worn out. In a lot of current movies there's a lot of scenes where everything in the plot just stops dead because some enemies show up and the heroes have to stop what they're doing and pop some fancy dance moves to show how cool and great they are at fighting and better than everyone else. It sometimes can feel a little gross if the scenes are just lingering on how great the hero is at killing people.

[@rikk319]

Look at Marvel. What made some of the films so great? Guardians of the Galaxy had to work together to succeed--no one of them were strong enough. Captain America got his ass handed to him by Thanos but he refused to give up, and he held on just long enough for everyone to return and have his back. For hero fiction, winning an individual battle really isn't the height of glory--it's facing certain death, accepting it, and getting your fat pulled out of the fire at the last instant by your buddies. Wrecking bad guys with an OP hero is fun in a video game, but it doesn't make for a relatable protagonist in fiction.

[@Rezzanine]

Basically the essence of good fiction is conflict. In the adventure genre, it's not very exciting if the heroes are constantly curb-stomping all opposition, as that's not really a conflict. But if they for example make a daring escape from a lethal situation, that is very much a satisfying resolution to a genuine conflict.

[@daefaron]

It's why the OT also has some of the scary stormtroopers. They tend to be something to run away from for the heroes vs standing and fighting.

[@mishynaofficial]

I mean the Original Trilogy is 55% adventures and only 20% war movie.

[@vytas5584]

Winning or losing has nothing to do with being a hero. The fortunes of war affect Luke just like anyone else. He confronts evil, as well as he knows how. He could die, but doesn’t run away. That’s a hero.

[@rolfathan]

I absolutely love how great he is at getting knocked down and still fighting the good fight. A lot of people seemed to imagine him as this action hero post RotJ. I imagined him continuing his struggles and triumphs.

[@rikk319]

He was like Rocky in the OT. I never enjoyed the Expanded Universe because he lost that everyman quality with so many novels and the power creep they required to keep the drama and tension going.

[@wescreedle9801]

3:15 says it. He’s just a guy willing step into the gap. A man of honor and determination regardless of competence.

[@devinpike7883]

I love seeing the Sebastian Shaw force ghost! Its the version I grew up with and it is the version of Anakin that was actually redeemed.

[@DemoNinja79]

The part in ESB where he opens up the cockpit hatch and realises that he crashed into a swamp and being visibly frustrated with the mess he got himself into is so realistic. I could immediately relate to being in a similar situation.

[@ReptilianLepton]

Alas, stories where the hero is or swiftly becomes "super powerful and gifted and constantly amazing his friends with how cool he is" have become extremely popular. The amount of money thrown at stereotypical wish-fulfillment xianxia, isekai, and adjacent genres is mind boggling.

[@rikk319]

When social skills decline, people retreat deeper and deeper into wish fulfillment in their fiction.

[@pierresaelen3097]

@@rikk319 That's a very insightful comment to make. Thank you for sharing this observation.

[@erinzaharris2162]

Luke being the most powerful he's even been as a fighter while also channeling his inner anger and thus the dark side is so poetic

[@HabitualButtonPusher]

Luke would have died in the trench by Daddy if the Millennium Falcon didn’t show up to save the day.

[@Angelos_K]

He gets rescued a lot

[@rikk319]

@@Angelos_K Uber heroes are fun to play as wish fulfillment in video games, but if you're trying to tell a story, the flawed everyman works best. One of the reasons why Cal Kestis, Cassian Andor, and Din Djarin are so much better as protagonists than Galen Marek, Rey, or Iden Versio.

[@DIEGhostfish]

@@rikk319 I mean Galen fucks up a decent bit, but yeah there's a lot of dissonance between your comically high in-battle powerlevel and the cutscene defeats.

[@Knuck_Knucks]

Nah. Luke guilt tripping Han was a backdoor Jedi mind trick. All according to Luke's plan. 🐿

[@Giraffe-Dealer]

I believe that's exactly what makes Luke a very realistic character. I mean, in a real war fighter aces would get shot down, real soldiers would get hurt, snipers would get captured. I really liked that about Luke.

[@yourwishfulfilled]

Dude, I actually almost got a bit choked-up a few times from this. *Excellent vid!*

[@matthewallen787]

Enlightened take on Luke’s alternative path to heroism. From young ideologist wanting to fight against an oppressive government, to a naive do-gooder accepting elderly wisdom and spiritual concepts, and emerging as an underpowered Jedi wannabe who only wins because he’s willing to accept on faith that given the opportunity, anyone can succeed and be redeemable. Thank you for this, I don’t care for modern cinematic heroes that demonstrate unrealistic power and invulnerability only to come out on top no matter what. Why should anyone care if a god-like being “kicks ass”?

[@lukestarkiller1470]

Return of the Jedi was the only Star Wars movie I had while growing up, so I watched it over and over, but the way Luke acts in that movie is basically what my entire moral compass was formed around. Luke Skywalker taught me how to be a good and selfless person. He taught me that there’s good in everyone and no one is beyond saving, he taught me how to be a good friend and a good leader, even when you’re not the most qualified person to be the leader. He taught me that doing what’s right is more important than “winning” or being the strongest. I will always be thankful for the lessons I learned from Star Wars. The original 6 movies, for all their flaws, were amazing at teaching very important life lessons to kids at a very crucial point in their lives. The newer movies don’t really have messages they’re trying to tell, which is fine, but because of that they’ll never live up to the impact that the original movies had on so many people’s lives.

[@mafuletrekkie]

"Luke Skywalker is a good person." We can "fix" that..... ~Disney

[@syzygygyoza]

disney luke sucks but i don't think they portray him as BAD... just disillusioned. good people can still become pessimistic. too bad they did absolutely nothing to make it believable.

[@ajdz1840]

@@syzygygyoza No, Disney Luke is definitely bad. His actions started Kylo on the path of the dark side, and instead of trying to save him like his dad, he completely gives up on him and even worse, straight up trolls him

[@koalabrownie]

@@ajdz1840 Kylo was already going to the dark side. That's why he drew his sword in the first place. Han tries to save him? He abandons his wife to go piss around with Chewie being a smuggler again.

[@t3tsuyaguy1]

This is pretty bang on. I really enjoyed Daisy Ridley, and for a while, I mistook that for enjoying Rey. But the more I thought about each movie, the more bored I was by the character. This really crystalized my thoughts as to why. I'm pressed to think of a single time that she really fails or struggles or gets saved by anyone. And you're right. Luke is constantly struggling, constantly just barely eeking out a victory after messing up first. This definitely plays a huge role in why we root for him. In fact, this even helps me understand why I was so emotional watching him wade through all those super droids in 'The Mandalorian' season 2. I had seen him struggle to use the force, struggle to face Vader, struggle against falling to the Dark Side. After all of that hardship, seeing him in his prime, functioning as a true Jedi Master, was exhilarating and meaningful in a way it could never be if it had been my introduction to the character. We want to see someone's struggles, because it gives a reason to be really excited _for them_ when they succeed.

[@shaggycan]

Its not how powerful you are. Its the willingness to hold to your code and keep trying.

[@YouTuber1303]

Because he's imperfect like most of us but good inside, and tries his best to do good... and that's heroism.

[@LordDrail]

Anyone else notice and likes the fact that the author used original footage and not the special editions or other edits? I greatly appreciate that.

[@TheGenericavatar]

Thank you for using the original, old Anakin Force ghost at the end of the video rather than the prequel trilogy Anakin. :)

[@sabre0smile]

He doesn't just do the best he can to be the best he can, he inspires it in *everyone* around him.

[@stevethefishdotnet]

In ROTJ, Luke defeats Vader. His dillemma with the Emperor is all about the Hegelian Dialectic. Luke refuses to participate, taking himself out of the equation, and by doing so he defeats the Emperor.

[@mattkuhn49]

Awesome points! This really changes how I see Luke Skywalker and heroism. "Let others have the glory." Love it!

[@JeghedderThomas]

Well observed, Luke is the hero because he's kind and doesn't give up. He's inspiring in that regard. The less said about the writing in recent endeavours the better.

[@mileslegionis]

Absolutely fantastic and truthful video it very much add to Luke Skywalker being on the hero's journey. There was actually a TV special some time back where they were interviewing George Lucas and he specifically was talking about Joseph Campbell.

[@MajorCanada]

A true hero's journey is one of peaks and valleys. There are no gifts. Everything is earned. Dynamic characters are enticing to audiences across history and cultures. Gifting your "hero" invincibility and OP skills completely breaks the Greek Mythology of what it means to be a hero, and how connected audience can be to your story.

[@SAClassHunterZero]

What I love about Luke the most is that he refused to do what both Ben and Yoda he had to do: kill Vader. He found a different way, and he was even willing to lay down his life to try and redeem his father. That’s true heroism right there. It adds a nice little wrinkle to the prequel trilogy, showing how Ben and Yoda became jaded and bitter after losing everything, unable to see an alternative to Vader’s demise. It took a naive farm boy to prove them wrong

[@ZER-sc3pc]

YES NEW VIDEO

[@freethinker233]

I love this take on Luke and it revealed a deeper understanding to me. Thanks for the video, you have my like and subscription

[@HandofOmega]

Great video topic, and one of the things that really bugs me when Sequel defenders try to say that Luke is just as much of a Mary Sue as Rey is! Rey would have fought off the sand people, wouldn't have needed Wedge to save her in the dogfight, was able to *effortlessly* life tons of rock on the same day she learned the Force existed, whereas Luke could barely pull a lightsaber from a snowbank literally *years* after discovering it...🙄

[@LoneWolf-rc4go]

One of the things about Luke was the fact that he had a certain skill set, as did the other characters in the original trilogy and they have to work together in order to be able to succeed. Luke had chances to shine but he also has to undergo harsh lessons in order for him to grow into the person that we see at the end of Return of the Jedi. Even then he isn't the one to defeat the Emperor and is left almost as a spectator to the climax of the story.

[@ignaciorodriguez5636]

Never realized this. Very eye-opening 😮

[@erikbihari3625]

You never seen"so uncivilised"? Many of his work scratch itch.

[@Cre8Lounge]

?

[@EnjoySackLunch]

@@Cre8Loungehe never realized it. He found it eye opening.

[@hornet718]

I totally agree with this look at Luke's character. And it can be said that he persevered when many elements worked against him. He is more believable as a character/real person which makes the story flow easier. Unlike the sequel movies where Rey can do all these amazing things and has not been tested or has a reason for all the powers she gains. She is what we call a "Mary Sue", and her character is not believable. Luke demonstrates that his heroism comes from the bonds he forms with others, there lies his strength.

[@gibster9624]

Basically after they lost on Hoth Luke spent the entire movie in darkness. It wasn't until he refused Vader's offer we see him literally fall into the light. It's when we are at our lowest is when we can be rebuilt, and he literally was.

[@marychocolatefairy]

But, but, this can't be true! I've been reliably informed by Rey defenders that Luke Skywalker is a Mary Sue who always wins easily, with no training! Seriously though- one of the most impactful scenes to me in all of SW is when Luke defies the Emperor and says, "I am a Jedi, like my father before me." It shows he can hang onto his morals even when threatened by the more powerful Emperor, and it also shows that he has pride in the good and accomplished man his father was in the past.

[@TenToAceStudios]

It is important to note that Luke is incredibly powerful and talented, it’s just that his enemy is so dangerous and difficult that by comparison he isn’t all that special. Like he looses to Vader on cloud city, but that is still Darth Vader, and Luke does surprisingly good against Vader, even with as little training as he has had, showing his talent. But yeah, Luke doesn’t win by being overwhelmingly powerful or godlike, he wins by being good, and just. This is something brought up in the legends novels post return of the Jedi. Luke begins to rely on his power in the force too much, overwhelming enemies with his might. But through that, he looses sight of what made him who he was, and so things keep going badly for him. Once he gets a wake up call about that, he begins to not rely so much on his power and starts relying more on his instincts and sense of self, and things get better for him, because that’s what makes Luke a hero, his morality, not his power

[@rikk319]

This is what George R. R. Martin flipped with Eddard Stark--the most honorable and morally good character gets killed off in the first season. Different plot for a different story.

[@TenToAceStudios]

@@rikk319 yeah George RR Martin is the opposite kind of storyteller from George Lucas lol, he likes things dark.

[@sobreaver]

Excellent depth of analyzes and if so correct, proves the great deepness of the original character writing rather than some other recent ones >.>

[@blocky_luke]

Bro almost popped a blood vessel trying to not talk about rey being trash

[@gdog2831]

Great video mate. Spot on about strong moral character being at the core of true heroism .

[@obato76]

To be fair, Luke was fully the MVP at the sailbarge rescue of Han. Everyone else was meant to back him up when the shit hit the fan, but they all got taken out early - Leia got captured (although arguably she was always meant to, to get close to and take out Jabba), Lando and Chewie got taken out early, and of course Han was blind and helpless. Only Luke's badassery saved the day.

[@nunyabusiness22]

the single best EC Henry video

[@DaniG._.German]

I remember a time when some people claimed that Anakin and Luke are Gary Stews😂

[@ronvitale]

Dude, he helps redeem his father and saves the galaxy.

[@joelawry1064]

I love how in The Mandalorian, despite being raised in a renowned warrior culture, we frequently see Din Djarin getting his butt kicked, being sloppy, and making mistakes. There's also one moment I really loved in season 3 where he jumps out of a ship and jetpacks down to a landing platform, and I was expecting him to do some kind of "superhero landing" where he's supposed to look really cool, but instead he hits the platform, stumbles over, and just slides across the platform or something. I only saw it once, but it was something like that.

[@RorikH]

I find it funny that in order to keep Mando's W/L record against actual humans/humanoids pretty high, they just have a random critter almost eat him every other episode.

[@rikk319]

He's a working man when it comes down to it, and he's very relatable. And a struggling dad, too.

[@10secondsrule]

Yeah but the series was modern trash anyway. Good cinematography but everything else was a disaster. The fact it was the best of what came after it is hardly a positive at such a generally low level. This is the way.

[@avalonmandrake3989]

Bruh

[@MrMorvana]

There is a big difference: -Luke start is journey, Din Djarin is supposed to be an accomplished Mandalorian. Characters which are already "legendary" should face bigger problems (moral questions, dilema...) where they can fail. You can't make them "sloppy" or struggle against random grunts, espeacially when they have defeated 100 of them before.

[@Delerane]

Exactly ! Very good analysis. Another one, a bit similar, is how Leia, Han and Chewie only survive... because of Vader ! First in ep. IV, they espace the Death Star because Vader and Tarkin let them fly away to find the hidden base. Then, in ep. V, Vader wants to catch them alive to bring Luke to him. Also, in ROTJ, when Luke surrenders, he gives order to "bring his companions" to him, for the same reason. It also explains why the Stormtroopers seems to be bad shooters (which they are not, as you explained it years ago in a previous video). In fact, the main heroes of the Original Trilogy only survive... because Vader was not as ruthless as he was before. And it is particulary true since Rogue One came out, where all the heroes die: the Imperials shoot to kill, not to catch. And Vader is the dark warrior we all fear.

[@curriphacreator]

Well, I suppose that’s why we don’t have good protagonists anymore. Morality isn’t admired these days. Thanks for giving me yet another reason to consciously love my favorite character! 😊👍

[@V1ns0mn1a]

This is why Luke is one of my favorite Star Wars characters He's not the best Jedi in terms of power or strength, far from it in fact, but he's the best Jedi in terms of his character and spirit, he is what the Jedi should be

[@BrickStopmotions]

Wake up EC Henry posted!

[@kri249]

This is a perfect summary of why Luke is awesome and such a loveable character. He brings out the good in flawed people, like Han who returned to save Luke from Vaders tie fighter. He is the everyman that normal people can relate to. Life will always beat you down. But it's not your strength or skill but your character and principles that will help you persevere when it does.

[@DocWolph]

Luke enabled the heroism of others. That little thing that brings about greater results.

[@jahigains9201]

“Relentless moral fortitude” well said, sir 🔥

[@robmusk5201]

“I can do this all day” No, wait. That’s the wrong franchise 😂

[@YellowpowR]

I really liked your Star Trek Original Series analysis, so I'm very happy to see you upload something similar.

[@smartalec2001]

"Years earlier, and just hours before Luke’s birth, Yoda discovered that one cannot fight a Sith, for the same reason we earthlings cannot catch up with the speed of light. In fusing themselves with death and the darkness, the Sith have attained the universe’s power constant. Becoming more powerful than the Sith is impossible; even becoming *as* powerful as the Sith would mean joining them in their union with death. However, there is one thing Luke can do that the Sith and their all-powerful ally, the Dark, cannot do: he can lose. By sacrificing himself, by surrendering even his desire to protect his friends and beloved sister, Luke gives away everything he has. He has essentially chosen death, the source of the Sith’s power; but he’s done so by giving himself to the universe, not by trying to suck the entire universe into himself. In this way, he enters totality by the back door. The Sith have one weakness - the fear of losing their power. A Jedi not only does not fear this, he gives his power away freely, as old Ben did during his last fight with Vader. Such an act makes a Jedi “more powerful than you can possibly imagine.” Jedi, too, can be united with death, but their connection to it is not brittle. They can be beaten down a thousand times, and still get up and prevail on the thousand and first. A Sith, by contrast, must win every single battle or he loses his claim on totality, and ceases to be a Sith."

[@StavrosMueller93]

That is amazing. What is this from?

[@smartalec2001]

@@StavrosMueller93 An essay called 'It`s So Easy Being Evil - Star Wars and the Dark'. You can googlesearch it. "The darkness Vader served has a name, and is real. Real people sometimes choose to serve it, although none of them have Anakin/Vader’s command over the laws of physics. The moral dimension of the saga only makes sense if you keep the power of the real darkness in mind."

[@smartalec2001]

@@StavrosMueller93 It's from an essay called 'It's so Easy Being Evil: Star Wars and the Dark'. You can search online for it, i can't post the link here alas

[@pierresaelen3097]

@@smartalec2001 Thank you for this quote and for referencing to its source. It's a very interesting read.

[@georgepenguin2515]

In real life, a lot of successful people are “losers” who never gave up. People who lost and failed again and again but kept learning, kept stepping up. They can also handle success better than others had better luck

[@baron7755]

Wedge for the win!

[@Nostalgic-Mechanic]

I love your usage of the CORRECT! movie versions. The despecialised ones with Sebastian Shaw as Anakin. As for your topic.. it is sad to see how right you are in regards that this is no longer how good caracters are written, especially in disney 😞

[@poesanchez7755]

Its always a great day when EC Henry uploads

[@Thelastetherborn]

Fantastic analysis of Luke Skywalker. Well done 👍

[@lynngreen7978]

And the true Anakin at the end!

[@Angelos_K]

Intentional choice 🥰

[@curriphacreator]

Man, I just love this video. Wonderful editing and explanation of a wonderful character. This is the fourth time I’ve watched this, and it won’t be the last. Thank you so very much! :)

[@BlueBrick]

This is a really great analysis. Luke may have mishaps and fails in the short-term, but he is a shining example of honor in the long-run. This makes his loss that puts him where he is on his journey in TLJ all the more valid - he reached an all-time low, but eventually got around to being the model hero for others.

[@RichardHunslet1963]

Its 2024. TLJ is a shit movie and Luke is OOC in that film. Idk why you people are still trying to defend it. Read the EU for better stories

[@dramonmaster222]

A hero who struggles is Always more interesting than one that always wins.

[@notmiscares3918]

it is a shame that The Last Jedi rips off Luke's most essential qualities turning his character to absolutely nothing

[@xpgx1]

*chouuuuu* .... *pühhh* _Impressive.... most impressive._ Thank you. It should be obvious, but it's somehow not in this day and age. Appreciate you highlighting this crucial quality. ❤

[@joshualegallais513]

So good and so true

[@Slowgroovin]

In other words, Luke was only human like everyone else, and not some superman on screen. That fact only adds to the realism and people can relate to him.

[@LewisCypherMorningstar]

Imagine if Luke Skywalker and Captain America teamed up.

[@CMVBrielman]

Yes! Thank you! I have been trying to make this point in countless internet arguments for… let’s see… seven years this December. List of characters that beat Luke, requiring someone else to save him: the Tusken Raiders, Dr Evazan, the Dianoga, the Wampa, Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine. He never defeats any named characters in combat until he falls to the Dark Side. Every major villain is killed by someone else. Vader and Palpatine kill each other, Leia kills Jabba, Han ‘kills’ Fett, the closest Luke can claim is killing Tarkin by blowing up the Death Star.