The legacy of the Skywalker saga and the Star Wars franchise as a pop culture phenomenon will rest on the shoulders of many things, one of the most important of which is characters. The central protagonist of the original trilogy, one of the most iconic, and perhaps the biggest hero in Star Wars is, of course, Luke Skywalker.
Despite being such a hero, though, Luke is not always the best person and often does things in the films to infuriate fans as he learns and grows. A well as that, he does not have the most carefree life and inspires sympathy numerous times.
Felt Bad – Losing Ben, His Temple, & His Friends![Star Wars: 5 Times We Felt Bad For Luke Skywalker (& 5 Times We Hated Him)](https://static0.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Star-Wars-the-Last-Jedi-Luke-and-R2-Watch-the-Jedi-Temple-Burn.jpg)
After years of exploring the Galaxy after the fall of the Empire, Luke finally began training the new era of Jedi.
Unfortunately, the Knights of Ren burned down the temple, Ben Solo fell to the Dark Side, and Luke was broken, losing everything. He even lost Han, and never knew about his death.
Hated – Not Telling Rey She Was A Palpatine
![Star Wars Rise of Skywalker Mark Hamill Luke Force Ghost](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Star-Wars-Rise-of-Skywalker-Mark-Hamill-Luke-Force-Ghost.jpg)
Hate may be a strong term for Luke keeping the secret from Rey, but the fact of the matter is it was not only lousy writing but a really bad guy thing to do.
If one thing was evident to everyone to Rey met in the trilogy, it was that she was looking for her place, trying to find out her heritage, her parents. Luke apparently knew who her parents and grandfather were.
Felt Bad – His Moment Of Weakness
![](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Star-Wars-The-Last-Jedi-Luke-And-Ben-Clash-Lightsabers-.jpg)
Some people may have hated Luke for what he momentarily considered doing to Ben, but that is misplaced, Luke had a moment of weakness, a human flaw.
His realization of what he had done, how he had failed was evident across his face. That slight moment of weakness, of dark thought, cost him and the Galaxy so much.
Hated – His Attitude With Yoda
![Yoda trains Luke on Dagobah in The Empire Strikes Back](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Grandmaster-Yoda-Teaching-Luke-Empire-Strikes-Back.jpg)
Luke was extremely immature at the beginning of the original trilogy. Incredibly so. Totally unready to be a Jedi Knight, with so much to learn, it made his journey all the much better.
However, it also led him to be extremely impatient and judgemental of Yoda upon his arrival to Dagobah. Throughout their excellent scenes together, Luke frequently had a bad attitude and made it understandable why Yoda preferred the idea of training Leia.
Felt Bad – His Loss In A New Hope
![Luke finds his aunt and uncle dead in Star Wars](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Luke-Skywalker-Star-Wars-A-New-Hope-Aunt-Beru-Uncle-Owen-Dead.jpg)
The heroes journey Luke goes through in A New Hope is well documented and referenced, and the loss he suffers is a vital part of what he goes through in the film.
We first see him lose his Aunt and Uncle at the hands of stormtroopers, prompting him to go with Obi-Wan. Then, Obi-Wan dies, Luke’s only mentor, or at least who audiences thought was his only mentor at that point. Finally, he loses an old friend from Tatooine, Biggs Darklighter, each time we feel a lot of sympathy for Luke, who suffers a lot of loss.
Hated – Kiss With Leia
![](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Leia-Kisses-Luke.jpg)
At the beginning of the trilogy, a love triangle seems to be forming with Luke, Han, and Leia, but it quickly becomes clear Luke has a schoolboy crush, and Han and Leia have electric chemistry.
Luke’s kiss with Leia is much worse in hindsight, not only with the knowledge that they are siblings but also because of the fact Luke knows that Han has feelings for Leia, making his cocky look afterward quite insufferable.
Felt Bad – His Sacrifice
![Luke dies in The Last Jedi](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Luke-Death.jpg)
One of the most beautiful and poetic scenes in the entire sequel trilogy came in The Last Jedi when Luke makes the ultimate sacrifice as Obi-Wan did for him all those years earlier.
At that moment, we feel bad for Luke as he is leaving the physical world, making up for his mistakes, unable to be with his friends and family again, it is incredible and emotional.
Hated – Going Into Isolation
![LLuke Skywalker in the final scene of The Force Awakens](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Final-Scene-of-Force-Awakens.jpg)
It is understandable why Luke went into isolation and severed his connection from the Force, but that does not mean a lot of people are wrong for hating him doing it.
Luke does not look for help for himself after that moment but instead runs away. It is completely flawed and human, and so totally terrific from a storyline point of view, but in terms of Luke as a person, not so much.
Felt Bad – “No, I Am Your Father.”
![Luke Skywalker holding on to a tube in Empire Strikes Back](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Vader-Reveals-He-Is-Lukes-Father.jpg)
The Empire Strikes Back contains perhaps the biggest, best, and most influential twist in movie history, when Vader reveals himself to be the father of Luke.
Luke’s reaction says it all really, not only does he not want to accept his father is somebody so evil, but also that his father was once a Jedi, a great warrior, and a good person, and fell so far.
Hated – Whining
![Uncle Owen and Luke barter for R2-D2 and Threepio](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/C-3PO-Luke-and-Uncle-Owen-in-Star-Wars.jpg)
It is perhaps unfair to say that Luke’s whining is so insufferable that it makes audiences hate him, but on many occasions, it is just the simple truth.
It is all part of Luke’s fantastic arc as a hero, and we still love him, but whether it be about Tosche Station, princesses, or leaving Tatooine, Luke’s whiny nature is prominent and unbearable.