The Story of Star Wars as taken from the Journal of the Whills Part VII

By: Bryan Ricardo Marini Quintana

Luke Skywalker’s Arc

The 12 Stages of The Hero’s Journey manifest in the First Chapter of The Original Trilogy, Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope, through the story of Luke Skywalker. A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Far, Far away, the hero finds himself in The Ordinary World, living within the confines of a moisture farm on the desert planet of Tatooine. In this desolate place, Luke dreams of venturing into the galaxy in search of adventure, but Uncle Owen dissuades the hero and instead wants him to stay home as a farmer. However, here Luke receives a Call to Adventure, meeting C3-PO and R2-D2, who’ve landed on Tatooine escaping from Imperial pursuit. Within the memory of R2-D2 is a message from Princess Leia Organa, asking Obi-Wan Kenobi to aid her in this desperate hour, propelling the hero to start his journey. After meeting the wise figure of Obi-Wan, Luke fears the peril ahead in the Refusal To The Call, being reluctant to accompany the old Jedi Master in aiding The Rebel Alliance in its struggle against The Galactic Empire. Consequently, in Meeting The Mentor, Obi-Wan gives the hero his father’s lightsaber, offering to train the farm boy in the ways of the Force to become a Jedi. After finding his home destroyed by the Empire alongside his relatives dead, Luke heeds the words of the old Jedi Master, embracing Destiny. Therefore, the hero accompanies Obi-Wan on a perilous journey to Alderaan, delivering vital information carried by the droids on how to destroy the Death Star, a Battle Station that can wipe out planets, to Leia’s adoptive father, Bail Organa. In Crossing The Threshold, the farm boy ventures into Mos Eisley Spaceport in search of a pilot to sweep him off Tatooine, setting foot in The Extraordinary World.

At Mos Eisley, Luke encounters Test, Allies and Enemies, with Imperial Sand Troopers interrogating him, along with an entire garrison scouting the Spaceport in search of the droids. Inside the Cantina, a place of scum and villainy, the hero and mentor encounter trouble with a few locals, but meet Han Solo and Chewbacca, agreeing to give them passage to Alderaan. Upon arriving at Alderaan, the heroes and misfits discover that it’s been wiped out by the Death Star, getting captured by the Battle Station. This leads to Luke breaking out Princess Leia, as they attempt to escape the Empire with Obi-Wan’s help in The Approach To The Inmost Cave. Afterward, in The Ordeal, the old Jedi Master sacrifices himself to allow the heroes and misfits to survive, as they board the Millennium Falcon. Losing his mentor, now the hero must rely on his newfound friends and what he’s learned from the journey to defeat the Empire. This leads to The Reward, where Luke decides to join The Rebel Alliance in a desperate attempt to destroy the Death Star. However, before boarding his X-wing fighter the hero is confronted by smuggler Han Solo, who persuades Luke to abandon the cause and escape with him. At this stage of The Road Back, the hero refuses Han Solo’s offer and instead strengthens his resolve by getting into the cockpit of the X-wing fighter, choosing to bravely face the Empire. Thereafter, as the battle on the Death Star’s Trench Run ensues, when all hope seems lost, Luke heeds Obi-Wan’s words of wisdom from the afterlife, telling him to let go and trust in the Force. In The Resurrection, the hero lets go of the targeting computer abord his X-wing fighter and fires the torpedoes by trusting the will of the Force, destroying the Death Star. Hence, in The Return With The Elixir, Luke arrives at the rebel base on Yavin IV to be greeted as a hero in a ceremony in which Princess Leia gives him a medal, as the farm boy turned ace pilot completes his journey and takes the first steps towards becoming a Jedi.