Every time I see the Star Wars fandom characterise Luke as apolitical or unpolitical, or in some ways unaware of politics, I get so incredibly frustrated.
"Luke joined the Rebel Alliance to fly. He just loves to fly!"
Shut up! Luke Skywalker isn't some idiot, gallivanting around the galaxy for shits and giggles.
ANH shows that even before he found Artoo he had intentions of joining the Rebel Alliance as a pilot, not because he loved to fly, but because he knew that he was a good pilot and that was how he could contribute to the liberation of the people from the Empire. But he also knew that he lacked the training needed to fly in space and that his family could not afford to send him into space, so he intended to join the Imperial Fleet, knowingly taking advantage of the system, to get him both of these things, to abandon the Fleet and joining the Rebellion.
Luke Skywalker grew up under the influence of two oppressive regimes: Hutt Space and the Empire. Slavery was literally happening in his backyard, and he was not unaware of it. Even though he was never a slave, you can't tell me that didn't have an effect on him? Seeing people owned and sold and destroyed like they're nothing; hell, he comes from a family of slaves! ROTJ shows that he has opinions about the Hutt empire too: wearing black in a desert world, refusing to speak Huttese even when he may understand the language? Political rebellion, baby. Maybe he even joined the Rebellion in hopes of using their power after destroying the Empire to one day get rid of the Hutts, which would make sense for him to think considering the Empire has only existed for 20 years and the Hutt empire lived for a lot longer
Also, he denies Vader's offer to rule the galaxy. Yes, it is a moment of trauma and anguish, but also he denies it because he fundamentally disagrees with the system of imperial fascism. He would literally die than willingly join the Empire.
He is political! He is aware of politics and oppression, and he is pro-revolution!
The other Star Wars content makes a point to show this. He frees slaves from the Empire, reads history and philosophy and gets angry at people who trade Jedi artefacts on the black market and at those who willingly work with the Empire.
He might not have the education, power, or language that Leia had, but he has political opinions. And to eradicate that part of his character is an injustice to him.
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Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - Speederbike Pursuit Concept Art by Ralph McQuarrie
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Darth Vader vs Sidious bit but Sidious is screaming “et tu Vader” as he falls down the Death Star II
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Star Wars: Return of the Jedi from a Certain Point of View is out today, with a whopping FORTY stories spotlighting different characters from RotJ. I took on the Sarlacc —— Disney Plus still remembers how I obsessively rewatched the same bits of RotJ and The Book of Boba Fett to get all the details right.
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The Fighter Ace
Wedge Antilles
Star Wars
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My sweet baby boy Wedge who just wants to sit on his front porch with a coffee and yet never gets to because he's always got to go do important junk. I love him
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