Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise, where he is portrayed by Mark Hamill. He is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which he is forced to leave home, and finds himself apprenticed to the Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi. He soon becomes an important figure in the Rebel Alliance, leading the struggle against the Galactic Empire. As the son of former Queen of Naboo and Republic Senator Padmé Amidala and her husband, Anakin Skywalker—a fallen Jedi also known as the Sith Lord Darth Vader—Luke is heir to a family deeply powerful in the Force. He is also the fraternal twin brother of Princess Leia Organa of the planet Alderaan, foster daughter of Senator Bail Organa and a leader of the Rebellion who recruited her brother into the cause. The Expanded Universe depicts him as a powerful Jedi Master and eventually the Grand Master of the New Jedi Order, as well as the father of Ben Skywalker, maternal uncle of Jacen Solo and ancestor of Cade Skywalker.

Mark Richard Hamill (born September 25, 1951) is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy and voicing the Joker in various Batman media, including the DC Animated Universe. Hamill has also lent his voice to villains and anti-heroes.

Hamill was born in Oakland, California and raised in Virginia, the son of Virginia Suzanne (née Johnson) and William Thomas Hamill, who was a captain in the U.S. Navy. He was one of seven children: two brothers, Will and Patrick, and four sisters, Terry, Jan, Jeanie, and Kim. When Mark was a child, his father's career meant numerous relocations, and he attended different schools throughout his childhood. In his elementary years, he went to Poe Middle School. At age 11, he moved to the 5900 block of Castleton Drive in San Diego where he attended Hale Junior High School and then, during his freshman year at James Madison Senior High School, his family moved to Virginia. By junior year, his father was stationed in Japan where Mark attended Nile C. Kinnick H.S.(Yokosuka High) and was a member of the drama club. After that he attended Annandale High School in Annandale, Virginia. He majored in drama at Los Angeles City College.