Star Wars: How Old Is Luke In A New Hope And When He Dies In Last Jedi?
There are numerous remarkable and inspiring stories in the "Star Wars" canon, though few are on the level of that of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). Raised as a humble farmboy on the desolate planet of Tatooine, he's swept up in the adventure of a lifetime by Ben Kenobi (Sir Alec Guinness). He learns of his family's connection to the Force, becomes a staunch ally of the Rebel Alliance, and becomes a legendary Jedi Knight. In his later years, his Jedi academy fails, and he sends himself into a self-imposed exile. However, in the end, he redeems himself by inspiring the Resistance in its fight against the First Order.
When Luke first meets up with Ben and departs Tatooine to rescue Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) in "Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope," he's just 19 years old. Within this film, the Battle of Yavin takes place, which is an important time marker in the "Star Wars" canon. Thus, if Luke is only 19 in 0 BBY (before the Battle of Yavin), then during the events of "Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi" in 34 ABY (after the Battle of Yavin), when he makes his sacrifice and becomes one with the Force, he must be 53.
Coincidentally, the start of Luke's journey takes place at the same time in his life as another "Star Wars" protagonist.
Rey's journey very much mirrors Luke's
When "Star Wars" returned to theaters in 2015, "Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens" introduced fans to a new group of characters. Foremost among them is Rey (Daisy Ridley): the scrappy scavenger from Jakku who goes on to learn that there's more to her life than trading in junk for food rations. Throughout the sequel trilogy, she learns of her Force abilities and becomes a fully-fledged Jedi in her own right, rejecting her Sith lineage as a Palpatine. Just like her mentor, Luke Skywalker, her journey begins when she's just 19 as well.
In addition to her age, living on a desert planet, becoming a Jedi, and wondering about her heritage for most of her life, Rey also shares defeating Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) and helping end a galaxy-wide conflict with Luke. As if all of that wasn't enough, it seems her story will continue to mirror his. Lucasfilm has announced that a Rey-centric film is on the way set after the events of "Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker." It will reportedly revolve around her reestablishment of the Jedi Order, which Luke tried and failed to do on his own decades before.
For Rey's sake, hopefully, her crack at bringing back the Jedi won't go exactly as Luke's did, and the parallels between their two stories will come to an end.