Should Luke Skywalker Have His Own Series?

Luke Skywalker is the long-time hero of the Star Wars franchise who surprised audiences when he appeared in The Mandalorian. In Season 2 Episode 8, Skywalker delighted fans when he arrived to take out Moff Gideon’s Dark Troopers.

Skywalker also returned in The Book of Boba Fett Episode 6 to train Grogu as a Jedi. Although Grogu doesn’t remain with Luke, this presents an interesting story.

Should Luke Skywalker have his own series? Between these two Disney+ shows, we may find ample reason to say yes. Yet, a Skywalker series could tarnish his legacy.

Luke Skywalker and Star Wars

Luke Skywalker is the famed Jedi who made his entrance in the original Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope. At first, he was a farm boy from the planet Tatooine who Obi-Wan Kenobi takes in for training.

Luke’s rise to a Jedi begins with him drawing on the Force powers he gained from his father, Anakin Skywalker. With Obi-Wan’s help, Luke rises to lead the Rebellion against the Empire and takes center stage in the next two movies, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

Skywalker also plays the role of attempting to build a New Jedi Order after the fall of the Empire in the sequel movies The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker. He likewise helps the Resistance defeat the First Order.

Skywalker is a character that became possibly the most powerful Jedi, even more powerful than his father Anakin/Darth Vader. He also lives on in the Star Wars movies and shows. His Jedi status and longevity in the movies could be grounds for his own series.

The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and a New Skywalker Series

Skywalker’s presence as a Jedi and in the Star Wars films are a good basis for his own television series, but his appearances in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett provide a stronger case.

Luke Skywalker made his return in the Season 2 finale of The Mandalorian. This episode shows Luke as a top Jedi following the events of Return of the Jedi.

Mando manages to defeat Moff Gideon and save Grogu, but a large swarm of Dark Troopers traps him. Luke surprises and amazes audiences when he arrives to save the day.

As we can see in this scene, a mysterious figure arrives to wipe out all of the Dark Troopers with Grogu reaching out on the screen that we see Luke on. He then unveils himself to Din Djarin and Grogu.

Without Luke, the Dark Troopers would have presumably defeated Mando, Cara Dune, Bo-Katan, and Grogu. This rescue revived Skywalker’s presence in the Star Wars saga and provided more complexity to this character.

It seems like a natural departure to run with Skywalker’s character and develop a new show around this time frame. The action, drama, and depth of the character merit its own show.

Skywalker’s role in The Book of Boba Fett amplifies this reasoning. In this show, we see Skywalker start training Grogu. This could be an interesting angle to pursue as an alternate plotline. What if Grogu stayed with Luke and continued his training?

Even without this what-if scenario, The Book of Boba Fett provided more insights into the time Luke spent trying to establish a New Jedi Order. A new series could run with several premises.

Audiences could find out more about how Luke drew on Jedi history and works with Ahsoka, or explore more of the training and relationship with Grogu that resurrected Dagobah-like workouts, mediation, and guidance.

As this compilation shows, a Skywalker-Grogu focus could make for a compelling new show. It could also explore the tensions that led to Grogu’s departure and why the New Jedi Order failed to materialize with Ben Solo.

Both Disney+ shows provide intriguing angles to set up a new Skywalker series.

Should Luke Skywalker Have his own Series?

Given these points about the two Disney+ shows, we may conclude that a new series is a good idea. Yet, audiences may also think it dilutes the character and feeds into an oversaturation of Star Wars shows and movies.

We may think that drawing out Boba Fett more fully did not do the character justice and may have tarnished his standing. As some articles commented, making Fett more human may have undone his cool bounty hunter legacy.

Similarly, more tribute to Luke Skywalker could play too hard to fan favorites and push his character into a caricature.

As others pointed out, there may not be much more that can be done with this character and audiences already know the denouement of Luke’s story from the movies.

Or, fans have said that it is better to move beyond the Skywalkers at this point. It’s one thing to have Luke appear in The Mandalorian, it’s another to keep focusing on him. It would be better, from this point of view, to focus on new characters, as The Mandalorian and Andor have done.

In other words, Star Wars is improved by fresh characters and stories, not rehashing the past glory of a long, long time ago.

Further, Luke may become a sideshow to the new wave of Star Wars movies that are planned. Too much Star Wars coming out and Luke fades into irrelevance.

However, in these three planned films, we also see reasons to focus on Luke again. The first movie will take us back to the origins of the Jedi, while the second explores the New Republic. A Skywalker show would complement this lineup well with potential intersections to the Jedi past and Luke’s role with helping the post-Empire galaxy.

The new Star Wars movies also include a “sequel” to The Rise of Skywalker where Rey is training the next round of Jedis. Luke’s legacy plays into this plotline effectively.

Beyond the premises of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, the new Star Wars films promise to enhance Skywalker’s standing, not undermine it.

Luke Skywalker’s New Series

While there are valid concerns about going too far with or downgrading Luke Skywalker’s character, the reasons for a new Luke Skywalker series seem to outweigh these objections.

Luke Skywalker has been the premier character from the beginning of the Star Wars saga. He was revitalized in the sequel movies, and became appealing to audiences yet again with the Disney+ shows.

The new wave of Star Wars films should bolster Luke’s status and link well with a Skywalker series.

Todd Wahlstrom

Todd Wahlstrom is a creative and analytical freelance writer and life-long Star Wars fan who has expanded into writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He has written about recent shows such as The Mandalorian and Andor and classic topics like Darth Vader, the Jedi, and Boba Fett. His recent articles include the MCU’s Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. Todd is the author of a non-fiction book, holds a Ph.D. in history, and enjoys hiking, running, and reading about science.