All 24 Force Powers Luke Skywalker Possesses (In Canon & Legends)

Star Wars has many powerful Jedi, but few can match Luke Skywalker – and here are all the Force powers Luke has demonstrated in Legends and canon. The son of the Chosen One, Luke Skywalker inherited all Anakin Skywalker’s potential. He’s arguably the original trilogy’s main hero and certainly that of many spinoff material in both Legends and canon.

Of course, there’s much more to the Force than just power; a Jedi uses the Force for seeking knowlege and wisdom, pursuing inner harmony and balance. But Luke’s many Force powers flow from the fact he is one of the most Force-sensitive beings in Star Wars – whether in canon or Legends. Here are all the powers he has demonstrated.

24
Telekinesis

Using The Force To Manipulate Matter

One of the most famous and rudimentary applications of the Force is telekinesis. From their time as initiates and padawans to Knighthood and Mastership, Jedi employ telekinetic uses of the Force to summon out-of-reach items, push assailants away, and even levitate themselves during meditation. Some argue Luke used a form of telekinesis to guide a pair of proton torpedoes into the Death Star’s main reactor in the first Star Wars movie (later retitled A New Hope). But Luke certainly used it to summon his lightsaber in The Empire Strikes Back, escaping an attacking wampa.

During his Jedi training on Dagobah, Luke Skywalker employs telekinesis many times, lifting various items, including his own in an attempt to pull it out of a swamp. In Return of the Jedi, Luke levitates C-3PO to make him appear to be an angry deity. Telekinesis would remain one of Luke’s most frequently-used Force powers in various canon and Legends exclusive materials.

23
Force Vision

A Jedi’s Foresight

Another rudimentary Force ability is that of seeing the future (or possible futures). Jedi have always been wary of overusing this power, with Yoda in particular fearing that seeing the future can too easily turn into trying to control it. The visions he encouraged Luke to experience on Dagobah almost turned into a trap for the young Jedi.

There’s a reason Yoda encouraged future awareness, though; this power is fundamental to many other Jedi abilities, such as their blocking blaster bolts. According to Timothy Zahn’s novel Thrawn: Alliances, Jedi experience a sort of double-vision that allows them to see an incoming blaster bolt and block it. This is why Jedi learn to block blaster bolts early in their training, cultivating Force sensitivity.

22
Force Sense

Enhanced Perception

There’s more to blocking blaster bolts than precognition, though; it is also tied to basic perception of the Force. This is why Jedi younglings are taught blaster reflection with training remotes and their vision obscured, necessitating that they rely on the Force instead of their eyes. Naturally, this ability would be the very first Force power Luke Skywalker ever used, with a six-year-old Luke finding a lost screwdriver with an accidental use of the Force, as revealed in Barbara Hambly’s novel Children of the Jedi.

In the original trilogy, Luke was trained similarly to Jedi younglings, wearing a helmet with a vision-obstructing blast shield while defending himself against a training remote. Luke’s “first step into a larger world” would come when he nearly “sees” the remote and deflects its training blasts with Jedi-like precision. In the climax of A New Hope, Luke uses Force sense and arguably telekinesis during the Battle of Yavin to destroy the first Death Star.

21
Force Jump

Force-Augmented Leaps

Force-sensitives are renowned for their use of the Force (or its dark side) to augment their athletic abilities. Jedi (and Sith) training is physically and mentally rigorous, but the Force allows beings to bypass the limitations of their respective species. Case in point, the ability of Force jump allows beings to leap much higher and farther than normal, and this power would be used quite frequently by Luke Skywalker.

After prematurely postponing his Jedi training on Dagobah in The Empire Strikes Back, Luke travels to Cloud City to save his friends, only to end up confronting Darth Vader. Luke impresses the Sith Lord by jumping out of an active carbon freezing chamber, avoiding capture. In Return of the Jedi, Luke uses Force-assisted jumps as he slices through Jabba the Hutt’s enforcers, and again aboard the Second Death Star to dodge a lightsaber strike by Darth Vader and reach an overhead catwalk.

20
Jedi Mind Trick

Influencing The Weak-Minded

While a morally questionable ability, Jedi are known for using the Force as a hypnotic power. While dark side users like the Sith influence and manipulate minds callously, the Jedi urge caution and restraint with such an ability. The first and most famous use of a Jedi Mind Trick is seen in A New Hope, in which Obi-Wan Kenobi convinces a group of Imperial stormtroopers to let him and Luke go during a confrontation in Mos Eisley.

Luke Skywalker used a Jedi Mind Trick on an Imperial Officer in the Imperial Krake Data Vault shortly after the events of The Empire Strikes Back, convincing her to deactivate the vault’s shields. Luke would famously use a Jedi Mind trick again on Bib Fortuna in Jedi, persuading him to allow Luke into Jabba the Hutt’s main audience chamber. Luke’s attempts to use a Mind Trick on Jabba the Hutt would fail, however, due to Jabba’s strong will and his species’ natural resistance to the ability.

19
Force Speed

Force-Powered Sprinting

Among the many ways that Force-users can augment their physical abilities is through Force speed. Force speed is a rather simple and straightforward ability, allowing practitioners to move far faster than possible for their species. There are numerous potential applications of Force speed, with Force-users employing it in combat to overwhelm their opponents, escape dangerous situations, or simply traverse a great distance in relatively little time.

Luke Skywalker is not shown using Force speed in the films, but various Legends-era materials have him employing this ability. As revealed in Ryder Windham’s sourcebook Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force, Luke initially struggled to control the power. Luke would master the power of Force speed by the events of James Luceno’s The New Jedi Order: The Unifying Force, however, using the power to augment his lightsaber skills in a duel with the Yuuzhan Vong ruler Shimrra Jamaane.

18
Force Heal

Calling Upon The Force To Heal

In Star Wars Legends, Force Heal – which allows a being to call on the Force to heal wounds quickly or easily – is an advanced and difficult power that even Anakin Skywalker couldn’t use, as shown in one comic set during the Clone Wars. Jedi direct the natural energies of the Force to heal others (or themselves), while dark side users like the Sith siphon the life force of others. Luke became quite adept at using Force-healing in Legends.

The first time Luke Skywalker used Force healing was in Dave Wolverton’s novel The Courtship of Princess Leia. Luke instinctively used Force healing on himself to recover from what would have been fatal injuries he sustained while fighting the Nightsisters of Dathomir. Luke would use Force healing on himself again – and deliberately this time – in Troy Denning’s Fate of the Jedi: Abyss.

17
Purify Kyber Crystals

Purging The Dark Side From Crystals

In the modern Star Wars canon continuity, Sith and other dark side users corrupt Kyber crystals with the dark side, turning them red through a process known as “bleeding.” In rare cases, a Jedi (or other Force-user) can “purify” a corrupted Kyber crystal by healing the damage done to it by the dark side, often resulting in a white Kyber crystal. Ahsoka Tano purified a pair of Imperial Inquisitor Kyber crystals, which would then power her two white-bladed lightsabers.

Luke Skywalker also attempted to use the power to purify corrupted Kyber crystals between the events of Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, as shown in Marvel’s recent Star Wars comics. While Luke’s first attempt was unsuccessful, he would use the power yet again in Adam Christopher’s Shadow of the Sith. Having become a more skilled Jedi by this point, Luke helps a former member of a cult called the Acolytes of the Beyond, purifying her red Kyber crystal and turning it white.

16
Force Projection

Force-Powered Illusions

According to the modern Star Wars canon reference book Star Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy, Force projection is an extremely difficult power to master. A practitioner must tap into both the Living Force and the Cosmic Force, creating a life-like copy of themselves. The extreme concentration and effort could result in the Force user dying, however. Fascinatingly, Force projection was originally created by the modern canon’s version of the Fallanassi.

Luke Skywalker, in one of his final acts, employs Force projection to distract Kylo Ren and his First Order forces on Crait, allowing the surviving Resistance members to escape. Luke successfully keeps them occupied, though, by this point, the Resistance was reduced to only a handful of troops. Moreover, Luke’s projection kills him, preventing him from providing further assistance to the Resistance.

15
Force Doppelgänger

A Deceptive Copy Of Oneself

The Legends version of Force projection is subtly different. Known as Force doppelgänger, this ability functions similarly to its modern canon counterpart, but it is not potentially fatal. Moreover, Force doppelgänger is regarded as a dark side power, despite its passive and harmless nature. The power debuted in Dark Empire, by Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy, in which Luke briefly became the apprentice of the reborn Emperor Palpatine.

Luke planned to destroy Palpatine’s nearly unbeatable Dark Empire forces from within, but he needed to work hard to keep his friends at arm’s length. In one moment, Luke Skywalker uses Force doppelgänger to appear to be aboard the Millennium Falcon. Since Luke had not truly fallen to the dark side, his use of the power proves that it is not exclusive to the dark side.

14
Force Protection

Force-Powered Shielding

Force protection, also known as Force barrier, is an advanced Force ability used predominantly by Jedi, though many Sith practice it as well. Practitioners use Force protection to create a protective barrier of Force energy. While present in both Star Wars continuities, only the Legends iteration of Luke Skywalker has been shown using Force protection.

It is not known when Luke Skywalker learned Force protection, but the power was once typically used by only the most powerful Jedi. When Luke Skywalker revived the Jedi and established the New Jedi Order, he made Force protection a rudimentary power taught to all initiates. As shown in Vonda N. McIntyre’s novel The Crystal Star, Luke Skywalker trained Jacen and Jaina Solo to use Force protection with the two Jedi initiates becoming skilled in the power as young children.

13
Battle Meditation

A Jedi Augments Their Allies

A fascinating and powerful ability, Battle Meditation allows Jedi and Sith to affect their forces in combat. Calling on the Force (or its dark side) a practitioner of Battle Meditation augments the morale and skill of their forces in a battle, arguably imbuing non-Force-sensitives with the Force’s power to ensure victory. In the dark side’s case, Battle Meditation can also have adverse effects on their opponents. The power is rather rare in the modern Star Wars canon but it appears many times throughout the Legends continuity.

According to the audio drama of Dark Empire II, Luke Skywalker had become aware of Battle Meditation and began practicing it sometime after the Battle of Endor but before Operation Shadow Hand. Despite his knowledge of the power, Luke Skywalker rarely used Battle Meditation, thinking of it as a dark side ability due to its use by Joruus C’baoth during the Thrawn Campaign. As shown in Aaron Allston’s novel The New Jedi Order: Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream, Luke Skywalker became more comfortable with the power during the Yuuzhan Vong War.

12
Resist Ysalamiri

Counteracting A Deadly Vulnerability

The lizard-like ysalamiri of Myrkr have the uncanny ability to dampen one’s connection to the Force within a certain proximity. This fascinating ability protects ysalamiri from their predators, the canine vornskrs, who hunt using the Force. Due to this ability, criminals like Talon Karrde and Tyber Zann as well as the Imperial warlord and Grand Admiral Thrawn use ysalamiri to protect themselves from Force-based attacks.

Even for powerful Jedi like Luke Skywalker, ysalamiri present a major threat to Force-sensitives. In one of his most impressive displays of Force strength and growth, Luke Skywalker managed to resist the effects of ysalamiri. As revealed in James Luceno’s The New Jedi Order: Agents of Chaos I: Hero’s Trial, Luke gained the ability to use the Force even in close proximity to ysalamiri, thanks to his continued training as a Jedi Grandmaster.

11
Electric Judgment

Uncorrupted Force Lightning

One of the dark side’s deadliest and most notorious powers is Force lightning, yet the Legends continuity gave it an uncorrupted variant used by Jedi. Electric Judgment is the Jedi equivalent to Force lightning, producing natural lightning from a Jedi’s fingers. Sith like Darth Plagueis think of it as a poor replacement for the corrupted energy of Force lightning, while the power is highly controversial among Jedi, making its use exceptionally rare.

Luke Skywalker did indeed use Electric Judgment on a hanful of occasions. The first time Luke used Electric Judgment was in James Luceno’s novel The New Jedi Order: The Unifying Force. Before dueling the Yuuzhan Vong Supreme Overlord Shimrra Jamaane, Luke faced one of his elite slayers, killing the warrior instantly with a bolt of green Electric Judgment, saving the life of his nephew, Jacen Solo.

10
Force Concealment

Force Enhanced Stealth

A common Force ability used by Jedi and Sith alike is Force concealment, also known as Force stealth. The power was used for decades by Palpatine to hide his dark side presence from Jedi, even when they were in the same room as him. Obi-Wan Kenobi used Force stealth while sneaking through the Death Star in A New Hope, allowing him to deactivate the station’s tractor beam unnoticed.

Luke Skywalker was also a skilled user of this ability. Luke’s first use of Force concealment was in Return of the Jedi, in which he hid from Darth Vader in the Emperor’s throne room, only revealing his presence when enraged. Luke would use the ability in other Legends-era works, such as Troy Denning’s Star By Star and Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen, and Legacy of the Force: Inferno.

9
Fallanassi Illusions

Illusions From Non-Jedi

The Fallanassi are another Force cult, known for their skill at crafting illusions using the Force, or the “White Current.” Although Force-based illusions were employed by both Jedi and Sith, Luke Skywalker notably used a Fallanassi illusion technique in Michael P. Kube-McDowell’s novel, Tyrant’s Test. Astoundingly, Luke used this Fallanassi Force ability to conceal an entire planet in the Outer Rim, Brath Qells.

Modern Star Wars canon lore has revealed that not only do the Fallanassi exist in the newer continuity, but they also share their original iteration’s penchant for Force-based illusions. Luke Skywalker was known to have traveled the galaxy to learn about numerous non-Jedi Force-using traditions after Return of the Jedi, and the Fallanassi were once such group. Luke learned Fallanassi illusionary techniques, allowing him to project an image of himself from Ahch-To to Crait.

8
Reflection Manipulation

A Jedi Trick Of The Light

In rare cases, a specific artifact or location can augment a Force-sensitive’s abilities, granting them powers they might not normally possess. This is first seen in Alan Dean Foster’s Splinter of the Mind’s Eye, in which Darth Vader, empowered by the Kaiburr crystal, unleashes Kinetite – a lightning-like attack – on Luke Skywalker. In the modern Star Wars canon, Luke himself would gain a fascinating new power between the events of Empire and Jedi.

Luke Skywalker and Doctor Aphra confront a dreaded Starweird (a lethal creature originally from the Legends continuity) in an ancient Jedi Temple. The Temple augmented Luke’s connection to the Force and granted him the ability of reflection manipulation, allowing him to cast images of himself throughout the Temple. Luke’s short-lived ability managed to keep the monstrosity at bay, saving his and Aphra’s lives.

7
Enhance Strength

Force-Imbued Super Strength

Another application of the Force to enhance one’s physical abilities is enhanced strength. A rather simple yet highly effective Force ability, practitioners of enhanced strength use the Force to deliver strikes far stronger than normal for their species and lift objects that might normally be too heavy for them. Mace Windu famously used enhanced strength in 2003’ Star Wars: Clone Wars, punching through the armored bodies of Super Battle Droids.

Luke Skywalker also used the Force to augment his strength on multiple occasions. During the Yuuzhan Vong War, Luke used Force-enhanced strength to overwhelm members of the Yuuzhan Vong species, who are normally far stronger than humans. Luke has also easily destroyed extremely durable materials using Force-enhanced strength, from spinglass to even a lightsaber crystal, with the former being used to create replicas of starships.

6
Fold Space

Jedi Teleportation

The Force power of fold space is a variant of teleportation that allows practitioners to teleport objects rather than beings. A similar ability appears in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, in which Rey and Kylo Ren exchange something as harmless as raindrops or as powerful as a lightsaber. This ability was a byproduct of their Force Dyad, while the power’s original Legends-era incarnation could be used by a single Force-wielder.

Despite being the New Jedi Order’s Grandmaster, Luke never stopped learning about the Force, including from Force-using traditions other than Jedi. Luke learned the ability from an Aing-Tii monk, as shown in Christie Golden’s novel, Fate of the Jedi: Omen. Luke would use the ability again in Troy Denning’s Crucible, one of the final Legends-era materials to be released before the Star Wars franchise’s partial reboot.

5
Ayna-Seff

A Baran Do Protection Technique

The Force cult known as the Baran Do sages had a category of Force abilities called hassat-durr techniques, which spread electromagnetic radiation throughout their practitioners’ bodies. These powers had a variety of uses, but one ability within the hassat-durr family was particularly useful for concealment. Ayna-seff, which translates to “dead brain” in the Kel Dor language, makes its practitioner’s brain activity undetectable, making them invisible to scanners.

During his time as Jedi Grandmaster, Luke Skywalker learned the ayna-seff technique from Tila Mong, a Baran Do sage and Mistress of the Order. As shown in Aaron Allston’s Fate of the Jedi: Outcast, Luke found another use for the ability. While traveling through treacherous nebulae in the Kathol Rift, Luke used the power to protect the Jade Shadow, a starship that once belonged to the late Mara Jade.