After first emerging as a young Jedi in the original Star Wars trilogy, fans got the chance to witness an aged Luke Skywalker in the sequel series. Played by Mark Hamill for over four decades, Luke was introduced as the first central protagonist of the franchise created by George Lucas. He made his debut in 1977’s Star Wars, and went on to appear in five more sequels before the epic Skywalker Saga came to an end in 2019.

The events of the nine-film saga were set across 67 total years in the Star Wars universe. Though Luke was heavily involved in two trilogies, the character didn’t yet exist for most of the prequel series. That said, the various time jumps saw Luke age from a young adult to a hardened man who endured a lot in life. The Star Wars movies don’t tend to directly mention characters’ ages, but based on canonical details, it’s possible to figure out how old Luke is in both the original trilogy and the sequel trilogy.

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Luke and his twin sister, Leia Organa, were born in 19 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin), during Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Their mother, Padmé Amidala, died as a result of the labor. Based on Luke’s birth years, here’s how old he was in his Star Wars appearances.

How Old Luke Skywalker Is In Star Wars’ Original Trilogy

19 years passed between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, bringing the year to 0 BBY. When the franchise launched in 1977, Luke was just 19 years old. Considering he was a young man just entering adulthood, he was forced to grow up fast after he left Tatooine and became a vital member of the Rebel Alliance. The Empire Strikes Back, the first sequel, was set in 3 ABY (After the Battle of Yavin), making Luke 22 when he completed his Jedi training with Yoda and learned that Darth Vader was his father. Return of the Jedi then took place a year after its predecessor so Luke was 23 years old when the Rebels put an end to the Empire following the Battle of Endor.

How Old Luke Skywalker Is In Star Wars’ Sequel Trilogy

Three decades passed between Return of the Jedi and the launch of the sequel trilogy with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In fact, much of the recent Star Wars saga was set in 34 ABY before the plot came to an end in 35 ABY. When Rey tracked down Luke on Ahch-To in the final moments of The Force Awakens, Luke was 53 years old. He remained that age in Star Wars: The Last Jedi when he trained Rey and sacrificed himself during the Battle of Crait before coming “one with the Force.” Luke would have turned 54 when Emperor Palpatine returned in clone form for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Instead, his Force ghost will forever be stuck at 53 but his wisdom will forever live on.

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Kara Hedash
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Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

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