8 best lines from Luke Skywalker in Star Wars

It’s Mark Hamill’s birthday! What better way to celebrate than remembering some of Luke Skywalker’s iconic Star Wars lines?

Happy birthday, Mark Hamill! To celebrate, we put together a list of Luke Skywalker’s best lines from the Star Wars saga over the past four decades.

“I can’t kill my own father!” Speaking to Obi-Wan’s Force ghost, Luke struggles with the reality that defeating the Empire means destroying who he believes to be the only family he has left. As evil as Vader was, Luke still recognized that killing him somehow wasn’t the answer. In the end, he was right. Vader had to make his own sacrifice to fulfill a long-forgotten prophesy.

“I’ll never join you.” Though he had yet to complete his Jedi training, Luke knew who he was loyal to — or, at the very least, who he couldn’t vow loyalty toward. Directly in the face of temptation, he refuses to join Vader and give in to the dark side — even if it means he has to die.

“I’m Luke Skywalker. I’m here to rescue you.” This is a memorable Skywalker line for a few reasons — the main one being this is the first time Luke and his sister meet for the first time since they were born (though they don’t know they’re related yet).

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“If I don’t make it back, you’re the only hope for the Alliance.” Contrast the above line with this one, when Luke and Leia’s heart-to-heart on Endor reveals not only that they are twins, but who their true father is. When he first saw her face, Luke witnessed Leia begging Obi-Wan to save the Rebellion — their “only hope.” Here, Luke realizes she has become — and will continue to be — the entire galaxy’s hope after all.

“I won’t fail you. I’m not afraid.” Here we see an ever-so-slightly over-confident Jedi-in-training assure his master he has everything under control … when he really doesn’t. Yoda knows Luke isn’t ready to face the trials before him. But like any good master, he has no choice but to let him make his own mistakes. Years later, Yoda would remind him that failure is a pretty good teacher.

“I failed you, Ben. I’m sorry.” A true leader and teacher does so much more than admit his mistakes. He also takes responsibility for his actions in every way he knows how. Facing his nephew again, he’s accepted the fact that mistakes were made and failure caused catastrophe. Though Luke knew he could no longer fix what was broken, he at least had the wisdom to say he was sorry — and mean it.

“I will not be the last Jedi.” Despite all his doubts about training Rey, Luke knows by the time he’s facing Kylo Ren for the last time that she is going to do for the galaxy what he no longer can. His death will no longer be the end of the Jedi as he had so long believed.

“See you around, kid.” Messing around with his former student’s mind ended up being Luke Skywalker’s last act as part of the living Force — aside from, you know, saving the galaxy (again). Does this mean Luke’s Force ghost will appear in Episode IX? We hope so.

Did your favorite Luke Skywalker quote make the list? Make sure you share your favorite Mark Hamill Star Wars moments with us!