Exemplary Manhood in Film: Luke Skywalker

If I had to choose one film example of a man who exemplifies what it means to be a strong and honorable gentleman, I would most likely choose Luke Skywalker.

Just in case you aren't familiar with Star Wars, Luke Skywalker is a restless farm boy who gets caught up in an intergalactic civil war; and while training to become a Jedi (a peaceful warrior and practitioner of a forbidden religion), Luke learns from his mysterious master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, that he is not just a farm boy, but the son of the evil Empire's most powerful warrior, Darth Vader - and he is also the one who is destined to break the Empire's power and rescue the galaxy. The original Star Wars trilogy follows Luke's journey as he teams up with the reckless smuggler Han Solo and the courageous Princess Leia to confront his identity, choose his destiny and fight to save and protect the people he loves.

I believe that Luke Skywalker is one of the best men and best examples of honor, loyalty, virtue, and chivalry that I have found in the modern movie era.

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Luke's character is built on his complete, sacrificial devotion to doing what is right. He is constantly under attack by the dark side, facing trials ranging from the murder of his adoptive parents, to being forced to stand prisoner and watch his friends attacked, to being handed a lightsaber and told to kill his own father to save his sister. Yet even when everything around him is crashing down (literally) and there seems to be no hope, Luke casts away the lightsaber and offers himself to die rather than break one rule of his conscience. He is a man of honor.

He is also a man of chivalry. There are many differences between Luke and his daredevil friend/partner, the space smuggler Han Solo; but one of the most marked is the difference in their treatment of the beautiful, intelligent and headstrong Princess Leia. In the beginning, both men are attracted to Leia, but where Han goads Leia with arguments, makes crude comments and tries to dominate her, Luke protects her and treats her with respect and kindness. Leia is a much stronger person than Luke is, and he isn't afraid to let her step up and use her strengths, even to protect him; but he always puts her needs first - whenever there's a chasm to be crossed, Luke holds the rope while Leia holds on for the ride; whenever there's a fight, even if Leia finishes it, Luke always pushes her to safety and does his best to fight it first.

At the beginning of Return of the Jedi, the final Star Wars movie (for now), Leia is trying to rescue Han from the repulsive Jabba the Hutt when she is caught and enslaved. At no point does Luke's chivalry shine clearer than here. Despite Leia's famously scanty attire, not once does Luke think of humiliating her further or doing anything other than rescuing her and continuing to treat her with dignity. He is a true gentleman.

In the end, it turns out that Leia is Luke's twin sister who was separated from him at birth, to keep them both safe from their father, the evil Darth Vader. But because he has protected and respected her all along, the only thing he changes after finding out is to make sure to give her affectionate hugs more often.  :-)

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I will never endorse the people who claim that you can preach the Gospel from Star Wars, because that is completely untrue and in fact very blasphemous. However, that being said, Luke does have some character qualities that have inspired me in my Christian walk.

For one thing, as a man who was chosen before birth to fulfill a noble purpose, Luke is constantly being targeted for destruction by the forces of evil. Does that sound familiar to you? As Christians, we have been chosen by God to serve Him, rescue others and fulfill His purposes here on earth; and we, too, are constantly being targeted by Satan and the world. Luke is tempted both blatantly and subtly to turn to the dark side, yet he never gives in. I am a daughter and a warrior of God, equipped with His power and protection to stay squarely on His side - with so many more resources at my disposal than Luke has, do I fight as hard as he does to steer clear of sin?

For another thing, Luke is true to his character and dreams even when others tell him how he should live his life. From the moment that Luke begins training as a Jedi, he is surrounded by people telling him what to do; yet while he does help his friends pursue their goals, he doesn't sacrifice his convictions - he goes to rescue his friends when Obi-Wan and Yoda urge him to complete his training first; he puts himself in danger to save his father when his friends tell him to stay away; and when everyone around him declares that it is his destiny to kill Vader, either to save the galaxy or to rule it, Luke declares that he will not. Nor does he give up his personality - even when he's busy keeping up with the fast-paced, no-nonsense Han and Leia, Luke doesn't hide his more thoughtful and idealistic personality. I would love to learn to use my God-given personality to minister to others, instead of trying so hard to talk, act and be like my friends.

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In this series on exemplary manhood in film, Luke Skywalker stands out, and not just because he's the only sci-fi/fantasy character I will be honoring. Luke stands out because, despite being younger and weaker than most of the people around him, when it comes to his heart, he is the purest and most courageous of them all. When my sons are old enough to handle and ignore the Eastern-religion influences of the Star Wars films, I will definitely be introducing them to Luke Skywalker and encouraging them to grow up as good, kind, and strong as he is!