The Jedi are forbidden from forming attachments, but that hasn’t stopped some of them from falling in love. What was Luke Skywalker’s situation?
Star Wars is a four-decade long multimedia franchise. With dozens of films, TV series, and video games, Star Wars is the most successful and profitable sci-fi franchise on the planet. Thanks to the phenomenal work of George Lucas, fans everywhere can band together and enjoy the plethora of new content with no topic left untouched. Of course, one topic that often goes forgotten in the sci-fi genre is that of romance. Thankfully Star Wars is not afraid to show a bit of romance between characters.
Considering that most of the main Star Wars characters have had a love interest at some point and time, many fans have wondered if Luke Skywalker ever had one, especially considering the Jedi Order’s rules against forming emotional attachments. While some hardcore fans may already know the answer to this, this knowledge has been somewhat buried thanks to Disney. In this article, we will discuss Luke Skywalker and whether he ever had any love interests.
In the Star Wars Films
From what we’ve seen of Luke in the Star Wars cinematic universe, aside from a very confusing kiss with his twin sister, he does not appear to have a love interest. With his focus being on honing his skill as a Jedi, it would seem that Luke has committed himself entirely to the traditionally Jedi way, which forbids emotional attachment of any kind — see: Anakin’s fall to the dark side. Considering that Luke spends the entirety of Empire Strikes Back training with Master Yoda to improve his skills and become the Jedi his father once was, there isn’t much room for extracurricular activities, much less romance. Adding in a love interest to distract Luke would have made for some interesting conflict, but wouldn’t have served him in the end.
Star Wars Legends
In the Star Wars series of non-canonical content labeled “Legends,” Luke’s life is quite different. In the legends, Luke had several love interests cross his path. Undoubtedly, his greatest love was with a character named Mara Jade. Mara is a strong character as a part of the expanded universe of the Star Wars Legends series of novels. Their love is so strong that Luke winds up marrying her, and she bears a son that they name Ben (not Ben Solo). While little is known about Mara, it was refreshing for women Star Wars fans to receive another strong role model, something that was lacking in the universe. However, the fact that this is a legend is a bit of a downer considering that canonical content is king.
Star Wars Canon
Since Disney bought Lucasfilm, a great deal of originally canonical content was archived as a legend. As a result, Luke’s love affair that led to marriage with Mara is not canon. Much to the disappointment of long-time fans of the Star Wars novel series, this change broke the hearts of many who just wanted to see Luke share his life with someone compatible. That being said, the decision to make Mara a non-canon character allows Luke’s character to appear more like a monk in the films, with his sole focus remaining on the Force and the revival of the Jedi Order (as we see in the sequel trilogy). Honestly, the decision to keep Luke away from romance entirely does make sense as he’s committed his life to the Force and can’t place his focus on anything else.
Looking back on all the content within the Star Wars universe, some fans would be surprised to know what could have been before Disney changed everything. According to the Legends, not only was Luke meant to have a wife and child, but Ben Solo AKA Kylo Ren was meant to have a twin sister named Jayla. However, since Disney changed all the written works to be non-canonical, we can only daydream. So, while it may have been nice to see Luke be all lovey-dovey with Mara or one of his other girlfriends, sadly that content can only be read in the expanded non-canonical universe.
