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Running head: LUKE SKYWALKER'S HERO JOURNEY

Luke Skywalker's hero journey

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LUKE SKYWALKER'S HERO JOURNEY

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Luke Skywalker's hero journey
A review of Luke Skywalker’s story in The Empire Strikes Back clearly depicts the life of
a hero as mapped to “The Hero’s Adventure” as put forward by Joseph Campbell (Campbell &
Moyers, 1988). Luke is the main protagonist in the film and his encounters emulates the hero’s
adventure until he joins the rebel fleet and his severed hand is replaced by a prosthesis (Hirsch,
1980). From the start of the film, it is clear that Luke has all the traits of a hero including being
impulsive, brave, intelligent, loyal, overconfident, selfless, courageous, and has a sense of
justice. The unusual birth of Luke accompanied by unusual upbringing helped to toughen him up
for the heroic tasks he was to encounter. This essay outlines Luke’s heroic stages as outlined in
the film The Empire Strikes Back.
The first phase of separation in the heroic adventure is seen when Luke is separated from
his mother, who died, and his father at his birth (Campbell & Moyers, 1988). Luke is also
separated from his sister Leia who is adopted by Alderaan Senator Bail Organa. The first step in
the heroic journey is seen when Luke is living with his uncle Owen Lars. Luke lives under
normal conditions being raised by Lars together with his future girlfriend Beru (Hirsch, 1980).
Luke enters his second step in his heroic journey when he meets the two droids, with one
carrying a message to Obi-Wan Kenobi. Kenobi gives Luke his father’s light saber and gives him
a brief history of his father, which draws his interest in following his adventure. Kenobi offers to
train Luke in the ways of the Force, but Luke refuses, entering his third step in the heroic journey
– refusal to the call. As part of the fourth step in his heroic journey, Luke accepts to be trained by
Kenobi, who trains him in the ways of the Force and how to use the light saber (Hirsch, 1980).
Luke accepts to be trained after learning that his uncle and aunt have been killed by im...