Characters You Can Take the Farmboy Off The Farm... (Luke Skywalker Characterization)

So, for those who have written Luke a 'nice' non-EU compliant 'girlfriend', what is/was she like? What brought them together, and what (if anything) pulled them apart? What did Luke see in her? Etc ect....

 

Well, I don't have a reply for this, since I've only written him with Mara (who can be as 'nice' as the next person). Though I support everyone's right to match him up as they like. When it comes down to it, this is a fictional character we're talking about. He won't care.

But just wanted to throw out my agreement with Gabri and Zardi. Mara and Lando would clash terribly; she could barely stand it when Karrde had them go on an undercover mission. Luke and Mara compliment each other's strengths and weaknesses, besides having lots in common (and not just the Force). They both love flying, they're both athletic, they are both intelligent and quick-thinking. She'd never coddle him or bully him, and he wouldn't do either to her. I don't think any couple can be truly 'perfect' together, but I can't see anything wrong with the Luke/Mara match-up. Hopefully my 35 years of married life gives me some insight into what makes a good marriage.

 

Don't get me wrong, I think Luke and Mara make a fine couple. I've even got an L/M epic I'm working on! But when I first started reading the EU years ago (out of order, too; I think I read Children of the Jedi before TTT, which may explain why I kind of liked his pairing with Callista), I pictured him with someone different.

I suppose the reason why I like Lando/Mara is because (sorry if I'm getting off topic!) I strongly disagree with Lando's characterization in the EU; I think the reason he was so fake and giving the over-the-top player vibe in ESB was because he was nervous about his deal with Vader and was overdoing it. It seemed to me that he liked managing Cloud City and wanted to put his scoundrelling days behind him. I figured he and Mara would connect really well because they both have a dodgy past that they want to lay to rest. I also can't help but imagine Mara as having way more lasting issues with her past than what I've read in the EU.

Ultimately, though, I like to pair characters not based on how similar and different they are to each other, but based on whether or not they have something in each other that they need. Han needed a woman strong and proud enough to challenge him, and Leia needed an adventurous guy who wasn't just another boring diplomat or prissy prince. I figured that Luke (especially in his early years starting the Jedi academy) didn't need someone to bring out the adventurous, firey side in him; I think that was a part of him he needed to keep in check. Rather, I pictured him with someone calm, empathetic, and centred, who would provide peace and assurance from all the stress of his responsibilities.

Ironically, one Luke/OC story I'm writing but haven't posted has one of the main sources of conflict between the couple being the fact that Luke can't stop comparing her to Mara.

 

Well, I guess I'll start after all then!

To be honest, (like love) I had no intention of going 'Beyond' the saga itself back then, but like all good OC's, the characters just wouldn't let things be!

I especially had no intentions of hooking Luke up, especially as I had only rudimentary exposure to the Post Jedi Universe and had absolutely zero interest in going there.

The came 'First meeting', a one post where the OC (Aube Canaille) where Luke is sent to break up a rather 'boisterous' Corellian/pilot celebration party. (No, she didn't kiss him, but to say what happened would give away the ending). Then came "And Vega Lights My Way" - which started off as a single response to the original "I dare you" challenge (which I blame for the entire mess of works that followed). Sure, Aube was the child of two Former Jedi who knew Anakin (from an story that was posted two years previously, and prior to ROTS) and was a Force Sensative (but never trained). They weren't meant to do anything but have a simple conversation, and maybe Aube would remain in his life as one of the many students that Luke would take on.

Then it happened.

He kissed her.

I didn't want it to happen! I didn't want to write in the era that followed! I was happy in the Saga!! I didn't want to venture into the era after...

That's when I found out how damn strong willed a Jedi could be! Luke 'told' me quite succinctly that he was actually quite happy with who had become his girl. A fellow pilot with the coarseness of his best freind Han, a slight resemblance to his first love Leia, the gentle pragmaticness of his late Aunt Beru, and the potential to be a partner as well as a student (his descriptions, not mine - and any real author will tell you that a true character will speak to you,) and the once very silent Luke just kept pushing on until I relented.

Of all 'my' characters, Aube is often the hardest to write (Golden_Jedi actually has her 'voice' down much better than I do!) but like love, it just.. happened....

 

Ok warning: jumpy post ahead:

I agree, Luke and Ben's later good and close relationship show they must have had a good relationship before! I think DN was fine from this POV; there's both some pretty nice M&B and L&B interaction. I wouldn't say L&M are portrayed as traditionally "good" parents, chaos is always too close, but there's no doubt they have a loving an close relationship with their son.

Oh I so agree. And especially because Luke gets out of character in that writing. I could accept the back-to-business approach they had in THT because L&M still weren't a couple, but once in a relationship I think Luke would be very good to sneak a bit of romance in the most strange places. Hmm, I really wonder wherefrom I have this idea; I think it's something about in his emotive approach in ANH and ESB.

Agree again. I think the feeling out outsidership would be a permanent feeling to him, which is why he would feel at home only with those closest to him. Luckily he meets Leia, Han, Chewie and Lando who accept him as he are. I actually remember a very sweet scene in HTTE where Luke reflects on the latter, how these people have become his family. Then later comes Mara and the next generation off course. I also think he'd feel at home with some of the Rogues.

I liked Callista too but my main argument against her was actually that she was too likable. That's the old discussion off course, about what's the best match; similarities or opposites (I go for a bit of both) but my problem was more that I couldn't find any faults in her. (Except that she was a disembodied spirit - but that wasn't exactly her fault, so to say... ) I think Luke needed more spairing, Callista was too much of an ideal. Actually I see his love for her very much as a part of his whish to blend in as younger, to be perfect himself too. Not before he was comfortable with himself and his role and faults would he be mature enough to pair with someone as colourful as Mara.

Oh, and I have to mention I speak Hambly's Callista here, not KJA's terrible version.
Kevin J Anderson BTW doesn't only write Callsita horribly; he generally couldn't write characters and certainly not Luke either!!! The earlier quoted diaper scene is a perfect example of this.

I think Lando's terribly misunderstood in EU. I also think he and Luke show signs of an interesting friendship that hasn't been explored at all.

 

Okay, I'll go second.

I always wanted to do something post-ROTJ, so I started working on some things back about twenty years ago (yikes!). This, of course, was just a few short years before the EU ball really got rolling with the Thrawn Trilogy, so I literally had to create everything from scratch. One of the first angles I decided upon was "Should I give Luke a girlfriend/possible wife"? Immediate answer: "Yes".

I didn't fully develop that universe, so I put it the notes away for many years and stopped writing fanfic. Time passed, empires rose and fell, cows mooed, tumbleweeds drifted by...you get the idea . I went off into other areas not related to Star Wars, and only picked up the fanfic bug again a few years ago. When it came to developing my stable of OC's, I found that the one I never gave much attention to at all was Luke's prototypical love interest. Why? Mostly because I'm pretty terrible at writing romance. So I've literally developed this young woman (Nalieza Fejier) over the past few years through certain stories and other outlets. I dug up some old notes that I still found entertaining, so those have been applied to Nalieza's character background. Biggest things: she's a former child actress who left the profession but eventually goes back to it, she's the daughter of a history professor and actress/dream interpreter (which is where she gets the Force Sensitivity from, obviously), and (in the early stages, which is what I'm writing now) she's a university student.

For the present, I'm writing the beginning stages of her relationship with Luke. She's *very* hesitant to undergo Jedi training (because of the commitment and the great personal sacrifice it requires, but also from a great deal of self-doubt). She's got the potential to do some great things (as shown in her past: she was able to help keep Han's mind together during his time in carbonite), but the fear of what might or might not happen puts up a block on her personal growth in the Jedi department. When it comes to getting involved with Luke...well, she's afraid of that, too.

What does Luke see in Nalieza? Simple: she gives him the chance to still be a relatively normal person. She's not intimidated by his status or his position, and always gets him to remember that he's still a human being even when others view him as a demigod type.

 

Great minds think alike!

Pulling a quote from Luke and Aube's 'first date' (which is far different from the time they first met!)

As the meal wound down and the bottle of wine emptied, Luke and Aubé became more at ease with each other?s company and conversation. Deeper matters of the Force gave way to lighter topics, including inevitably, who had paired off with whom.

?How about you Aubé?? Luke asked with a twinkle in his eye. Earlier over the meal, they had playfully touched hands, and alternately fed each other small pieces of sweet cake. Now with her fingers gently and fully entwined in his, Luke pressed the question again. ?How many hearts have you broken??

Aubé lowered her eyes, blushing. ?Not as many as you might think,? she giggled. ?If the Mynocks had fooled around as much as we fought, we could have lost the whole war! Turn about is fair play! How many hearts have you broken, Luke??

?None,? Luke replied softly. ?Every woman who?s ever designed to look at me only sees ?Luke Skywalker, Hero?. In fact, other than my sister, you?re the first woman in a long time who just sees me? as a man??

A heavy silence fell between them, and the only sound Luke could hear was the pounding of his heart, thrumming in his chest. Had he gone too far? The wine had loosened his tongue too much perhaps, and in that terrible instant, he thought he had lost the last link to the Jedi forever, and perhaps so much more.

Then it came, soft as a prayer. Her reply.

Yes, you?re right? I do?

They still maintained this type of relationship throughout their lives together...

 

Ah, but Callista was only perfect because Luke hadn't had time to get to know her yet! There could be all sorts of interesting flaws in a person who had spent the past twenty years as a disembodied spirit...

*grabs crazy!Callista/Luke plot bunny by the scruff of its neck, escorts it to the proper thread*

I can just as easily see Luke as a hermit as with a partner, though. He could easily decide that his responsibility to the Galaxy is too great to make time for a family. I think it would take a lot of convincing to talk him out of that notion.

 

I also think he and Luke show signs of an interesting friendship that hasn't been explored at all.

It hasn't been explored enough, although Zahn kind of touched on it when Luke was visiting Nklon in TTT. I also found that Stover did a good job hinting at the Lando/Luke friendship in Mindor even though they didn't really interact at all. It's even more interesting when you add Han to the mix. Han and Lando would be like twins arguing on how to best take care of their little brother.

I figured that Luke (especially in his early years starting the Jedi academy) didn't need someone to bring out the adventurous, firey side in him; I think that was a part of him he needed to keep in check.

People who just see Luke as a demigod would never even think he has a fiery side. While he does have to keep it in check when duty calls, I think it's healthy for him to get in touch with his adventurous side once in a while.

 

You make good points, and I very much agree that what makes a couple work is what they each offer that the other needs. But it seems to me that even as early as TTT (even as early as RotJ, really), Luke had become far more serious than in ANH or ESB. Not that he'll ever lose that adventurous side (I think it was NJO: Ruin where Luke thought wistfully of being in a fighter again with Artoo behind him, rolling through a dogfight, and had to consciously redirect his attention to where it needed to be), and that serves him in good stead with Mara. But Mara has more to offer than pushing him into adventure. In VotF, the qualities that Luke considers attractive in her are that she was "smart and resourceful, with a mental and emotional toughness he could rely on, plus a sharp humor and irreverence that made for a refreshing contrast with the automatic and unthinking awe too many people held him in these days," as well as being a proven and trusted ally and able to share his thoughts and emotions through the Force. They all sound like good reasons to me. Not to mention what Mara herself said in VotF: After the life she'd lived, she was closed off and stunted emotionally, and realized that she needed to change. Open, empathetic, accepting Luke would be an excellent and patient teacher in such matters. So yeah, I think they suit each other very well on a number of levels.

Not that I'm trying to shut down other options than Mara, seriously. I respect that not everyone's going to love her or think she's Luke's perfect match. Just explaining my POV.

I've heard this a number of times, and it always puzzles me. I thought SQ was dead on as to how they'd both handle marriage, as well as showing clearly how much they loved each other. Neither of them strike me as sentimental in the least. Loving and romantic, absolutely. Sentimental? Rarely. And personally, I thought the book showed that very nicely. Just one of the instances that I felt well demonstrated their love would be Luke telling Mara to remember that he's there for her however she needs him to be and Mara's deep contentment at never truly being alone with such a partner. That sort of genuine, unselfish love and devotion is worth more than the usual romantic gestures in my book any day. Anyway, the main plot of the story wasn't the L/M relationship, so that was naturally going to take second place in the narrative. JMO.

Agreed, and it's one of the reasons I'm extra happy that he did get to marry Mara in canon and have Ben. With all due respect to Uncle George, I don't think that existence is what's best for Luke's personality. I really think that he's the sort who'd be happiest with a wife and children, and while I do think he'd have managed just fine as a Jedi hermit if that's the way it h

 

I know what you mean, Gabri. Wedge is a closer friend than Lando, for Force's sake! In fact, in ROTJ there's a scene at the end after the DS2 was destroyed, where Luke gives Wedge a friendly hug (I think its in the SE; the PRE-Hayden replaces Sebastian Shaw as Anakin SE DVD).

I make sure, when I write stories w/ Luke, to have Wedge in the story a lot more than Lando.


And uh, no one remembers Lando's scheme in the Correlian Trilogy (the one where he meets Tendra) when he's looking for a WIFE? And he drags poor Luke with him?

 

It would be really interesting to see Luke interact more with Wedge because it would show how Luke has changed as a person by becoming a Jedi. Would they still be able to relate to each other as well? Being a pilot was the life that Luke dreamed of as a child, as far as I can tell from ANH, and so I wonder how he would feel about having the opportunity to be a great pilot but eventually shelving that to bear his responsibility as the first of the new Jedi. Would he feel like it was a fantasy he grew out of, or would he sometimes grieve the fact that his responsibilities lie elsewhere?

It seems to me like Luke's character has an interesting dichotomy. You've got pilot!Luke who loves adventure and excitement, and we've got Jedi!Luke who is supposed to be serene and wise and not seek adventure. I think his friendship with Wedge would be a neat way of exploring his personality and how he reconciles those sides to it.

 

Was that the one where they went to the blob races? *shakes head* (I never bought Lando looking for a wife. Does every person in the GFFA need to be married?! Really, Lando settling down and then having a kid at, like, seventy years old...no frakking way).

That's a good point. Luke has to give so much to everyone else, to everything else, and how much would that leave for himself at the end? Not very much, if anything. There's no such thing as balance when you've been unwillingly crowned "Savior of the Galaxy".

In regards to Luke's friendships in the EU, they were definitely nonexistent, or else occasional mirages in his emotional desert (wow, look, bad metaphor!! ). Of course there is going to be a huge gulf between him and those people from his "old life", but couldn't they allow him to retain *some* contact with those friends? God, at least something more than sending a greeting holo on Life Day or something that distant (wait, a fanfic idea?).

 

Luke and Wedge have plenty in common, but I don't think their relationship would show up unless you see them on a few missions together. That could be a possible AU EU plot. Luke and Wedge on a mission.

In the few AU EU fics that I've written I imagine that Lando could be a very good 'fixer' for the new Jedi Order. They could use a little help. Also, I really think that Lando would prefer to stay in more civilized parts of the galaxy like Coruscant. He was already comfortable administering Bespin. I just don't see him going back to being a general after the Rebellion is over.

One thing that does bother me about the EU is that Luke and the Jedi are always treated like heroes. I could see that for Luke, since he helped bring down the Empire, but for Jedi? After 20 years of Palpatine everyone is worshiping Jedi? Palpatine would have been dumping on Jedi all that time and some of the nasty things he said about them would have stuck. Jedi as baby stealers, abusive training, making annoying holes in things with their lightsabers. I just don't think that Jedi would have been universally held in such awe.

In the PT you can see that not everyone liked to have Jedi around and I like that. There should be more of that post-ROTJ.

And while I don't dislike Mara -- I just find her uninteresting -- I suppose I could subconsciously want Luke for myself and if I can't have him then nobody can have him.

 

I never really pictured Luke ever getting married, I always thought he would becoming like Obi-Wan.

 

A question from someone who doesn't have a whole lot of EU books: has asked Luke what he what daydreamed about as a kid? I would hope someone in his life besides Biggs would be interested in that.

 

I don't know if the EU books ever fill in many details about Luke's life on Tatooine, but I haven't read many EU books.

Yet another thing I don't care for about the EU -- Luke's life seems to have begun when he left Tatooine, with no pre-Rebellion back story.

 

Scheduled for release on Sept 1st (according to amazon's website) will be "A New Hope: The Life of Luke Skywalker" by Ryder Windham, which is a young reader autobiographical-type book about Luke's life. It's similar to the ones already written on Obi-Wan and Vader. So hopefully this will begin with Luke's memories growing up on Tatooine, and should add alot to what we know of him.

Also, a major plot line in the third book in the Rebel Force young readers' series -- "Renegade" -- was about Luke and Leia going to Tatooine to hide out from an assassin who was looking for Luke. They interact quite a bit with Luke's old friends there. I think it takes place about 6 months after A New Hope.

 

There's also a few comics that show glimpses of Luke's life back then. One where he's lost in a sandstorm (which I haven't read, I think it's in one of the SW Tales collections) and then a couple in in the Empire and Rebellion collections. These latters are really INMO, even if we only get a few glimpses. In "Darklighter" the focus in on Luke's friend Biggs and what happens to him before they meet at the battle of Yavin. In "The wrong side of the war" (Empire) and "My brother, my enemy"(Rebellion) we meet Tank who's become an imperial soldier and what happens when he and Luke meet. The childhood glimpses are even fewer in this, but the interaction between the men tell volumes I think.

I think the comics are bolder sometimes - but off course it's also narratively easier to jump in the timeline with pictures.

 

On a completely different note, I've found Luke's portrayal in the opening third of Outcast quite refreshing. He is action oriented, decisive, and even cracks a joke.

Those who are reading FOTJ, what do you think?

 

I'm a few chapters into 'Abyss,' and so far I'm liking Luke's portrayl in this series okay, especially his interaction with Ben. Offhand, the only instance where I questioned his character was when he was talking to Daala, at the beginning of Outcast. I found myself favoring her point-of-view on how Jedi handled spur-of-the-moment disputes.

 

I know what you mean. At the beginning of that conversation Luke seemed willfully blind to what Daala was saying. I think it was intentional plot device. Luke needed to 'learn' that she was right. I rather enjoyed the whole conversation. For the most part Daala is right. And Luke realized it.

 

I very much agree! It's wonderful to finally be able to relax while you read a profic! But of course it's not over yet...

I really think Ben "does him good". I will forever love Luke and Mara together but I must admit that in the hands of most profic writers they didn't become each other that well. Probabaly the father&son relationship is easier to handle. And Luke seemes to have reached an age now that suits both his character and position; he's too old and experienced to bee weavering but he's still vital.

Also, to send Luke into exile and now depend solely on himself and Ben was a brilliant move that seemes to have dealt beautifully with that superman complex that has been cramping so many books and stories.

Me too! On the other hand I've never blamed the faults on the New Jedi Order on Luke, but solely on the profic writers!

 

Hmmmmm, I never got to the NJO. I had problems with the EU books in the early 90's and I've only sampled a few here and there. Actually, the characterization of Luke had generally been good -- except for 'I, Jedi' in which Luke is really wimpy. I only give that one a pass because it's a first person narrative from Corran Horne -- who thinks Luke is wimpy.

I just finished 'Shadows of Mindor' and I thought the characterization of Luke and the others were fine.........and I just wasn't that interested in the story. Very similar problem that I've had with other EU books.

The EU books never seem to follow up on Luke's great deed. He ended the Sith line. Yeah, Vader/Anakin did the deed, but Luke was the one who got him to do it. Palpatine had a perfect set-up. He was so powerful that no Jedi could take him on, at least not without going over to the Dark Side, in which case the Sith would continue. There was no way to defeat the Sith without becoming a Sith. Pretty neat.

Maybe it was just a one-time thing for Luke. I don't think he had a plan at all. He only had a few things that he was sure of:

- He had to confront Vader.
- He wanted to get it over with.
- He couldn't kill his father.

Luke put his own twist on it by not confronting Vader at all. He confronted Anakin. Besides, he had already confronted Vader on Bespin. And we know how well that went.

I suppose because of who he was, Luke was the only one who could get to Vader, but I never see any follow up or appreciation about how important that was.

 

Of course, we only thought he ended the Sith line. Now they're coming out of the woodwork at every turn, and not just in two's. Whole tribes at a time.

And this whole exile business for Luke is a very contrived way to bring Luke and Ben closer, but I am enjoying their banter.