Is Luke Skywalker Stronger in Legends Canon?
Like his father before him, Luke Skywalker was a mighty Jedi in the Star Wars universe. Most fans of Star Wars will know Luke Skywalker as the main hero of the original film trilogy, but the character has since become a figure of even greater importance. Appearing in the Star Wars sequel trilogy and even having a few surprise appearances in the Disney+ Star Wars shows, much of Luke Skywalker’s life has been shown or talked about in canon.
The slight wrinkle in all of this is that there are actually two versions of Luke Skywalker. There is, of course, the somewhat divisive iteration that continued on into and died over the course of the sequel trilogy. There is also the now non-canon iteration of the character featured heavily in extended media found under the Legends Canon designation. Despite being the same character in essence, these two versions of Luke Skywalker couldn’t be more different if they tried.
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How Strong Is Luke Skywalker In Canon?
Luke Skywalker |
|
---|---|
Born |
19 BBY |
Died |
34 ABY |
Homeworld |
Tatooine |
Cybernetics |
Right hand is cybernetic. |
Family |
|
Masters |
Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda |
Notable Students |
Ben Solo, Rey, Grogu |
While there are significant differences between the two versions of Luke Skywalker, it is important to note that the canon version isn’t some push-over. By the standards set within the current Star Wars canon, Luke Skywalker is one of the most powerful beings to ever exist in the galaxy far, far away. Even better, Luke was a relatively well-rounded Jedi as well. He is incredibly skilled as a pilot, in hand-to-hand combat, with a blaster, and more.
Of course, Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber skills and connection to the Force are the things that most fans wonder about. When it comes to a lightsaber, Luke Skywalker goes from being a nobody from Tatooine to one of the most skilled duelists out there. His biggest accomplishment in the films with a lightsaber is his ability to contend with and eventually defeat Darth Vader, who at the time was the greatest living duelist in the galaxy.
While a skilled warrior, it is actually Luke Skywalker’s connection to the Force that is most impressive. It is so massive that Darth Sidious feared him. Luke was so strong in the ways of the Force that he could sever his connection to it, despite that being incredibly difficult. He could then reestablish that connection, become one with the Force, and project his being across the galaxy to such a powerful extent that it could fool Kylo Ren in The Last Jedi.
Why Was Luke Skywalker So Powerful In Legends Canon?
Those who have been fans of Luke Skywalker long before Disney got their hands on Star Wars will know that he was arguably a much more powerful character before the canon reset. On the surface, the primary reason for the massive shift in power is the extended media, which continued Luke’s adventures in the Star Wars universe. To keep things interesting, writers kept throwing new, more powerful, and seemingly unstoppable threats at Luke Skywalker. Facing these challenges, Luke would be forced to grow his power to succeed. Ultimately, it was his compassion and pure heart that led him to become unstoppable.
Luke has been seen using a variety of lightsaber forms with varying levels of competency, showing his flexibility in combat. He comes across waves of foes like the Yuuzhan Vong, Darth Caedus, and a whole cadre of Sith and manages to take them out with shocking ease. Much like his canon version, it is his connection to the Force that takes Luke Skywalker to a new level. Luke Skywalker was capable of healing his wounds, imbuing his body or those around him with the Force to the extent that even the force of a black hole couldn’t do anything. He could decimate entire armies, launch Electric Judgment (a light side version of Force Lightning), and so much more. Legends Luke Skywalker even replicated feats similar to canon Luke’s final feat against Kylo Ren, without losing his life.
What Are Luke Skywalker’s Feats In Legends Canon?
Some Of Luke Skywalker’s Biggest Accomplishments
- Established a new Jedi Order
- Capable of using the Force across the galaxy
- Create Force projections
- Defeated the Yuuzhan Vong
- Defeated Abeloth
- Capable of interacting with the world after death
Luke Skywalker already has some impressive feats in canon, as it’s not every day that someone goes out and saves the entire galaxy. But in Legends, Luke would go on to save the galaxy again and again, against foes that were even more terrifying than Emperor Palpatine or Darth Vader. Occasionally, the danger was so great that even Luke wasn’t sure if he could come out on top. Luke makes this obvious when he discusses the approaching threat of the Yuuzhan Vong in a voice-over during a commercial spot for the novel The New Jedi Order: Vector Prime:
I had fought the worst of all wars, and witnessed the redemption of evil. I’ve seen balance restored to the Force. But order can turn to chaos… as it did when I was born. Now, with my loved ones and my loyal allies, I face a new challenge unlike any before. And I’m not sure if this time we can win.
One of Luke’s most impressive feats was his part in the defeat of Abeloth, an evil Force being that was a threat to all living creatures. Another was moving fast enough to deflect blaster fire from hundreds of Stormtroopers. He could remotely pilot the Millennium Falcon, and use a variety of rare Force techniques. He could speak to every Jedi in the galaxy at once, defeat countless Sith whose power rivaled Vader and Sidious, and defeat entire armies of warriors with ease. One of his most exciting conflicts was the Yuuzhan Vong War, in which he helped the conflict come to a conclusion with his defeat of Shimrra Jamaane.
Unfortunately, there just isn’t enough time in an article to cover the decades of conflict and feats of Luke Skywalker’s Legends Canon iteration. His long list of heroic feats is proof of the massive strength that this iteration of the character possesses.
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