George Lucas introduced Star Wars to the world of entertainment in 1977 with Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. The movie forever changed the tide in Hollywood by intensifying interest in fictional universes. Its forces also transformed the career of Mark Hamill, who was a relatively unknown actor when he bagged the role of Luke Skywalker, who’s embroiled in an interplanetary war between different forces.
The first installment sees Skywalker join hands with a Jedi Knight, a pilot, and two droids to rescue Princess Leia. As is the case with most franchises, the main protagonist is often the most powerful character. However, like everything else, Lucas’ epic space opera also proved to be groundbreaking in this aspect and gave this crown (and plenty of powers) to a different Star Wars character.
Which Star Wars Character Is More Powerful Than Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader
First and foremost, it’s paramount we clear that as far as the good guys in Star Wars are concerned, Luke Skywalker is indeed the most powerful Jedi to ever live.
Mark Hamill‘s character is able to deflect blaster power by using the Force. This skill allows him to turn his opponent’s weapon against them. He also possesses skills in piloting fighter ships. What’s most impressive about Luke is his ability to learn quickly and improve his innate abilities. Accordingly, as the Star Wars franchise progressed, he continued to get better and stronger.
Luke is also credited with giving Darth Vader, the chief antagonist of the franchise, the toughest fight of his life. However, there’s one character who has the potential to humiliate even him.
Darth Vitiate, the son of Lord Dramath, trained in the Dark Side of the force from an early age. He had the ability to dominate the minds of other Sith Lords and at one point controlled as many as 8,000 Siths.
What made him even more fierce was his control over the dark side technique, Essence Transfer, which allowed him to jump into new host bodies to escape death. Star Wars fans got a glimpse of his potential in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003).
Mark Hamill Didn’t Know He Was Going to Be the Most Important Character in Star Wars
Let’s get back to the good guys. There’s little doubt about Luke’s strengths and impact in Star Wars, as he inspired a new generation of Force-users and resistance. However, when it comes to star power on the big screen, even Hamill knew he was second to Harrison Ford when the two auditioned for the first installment.
Accordingly, he thought that it was the Indiana Jones star who would take on the most important role in Lucas’ universe. However, after doing the scene with a script that included his name, Hamill was left amazed. He recalled the experience to Omaze:
“When I did this scene, I thought Han Solo was the lead character and I was the sidekick. Harrison was a bona fide leading man, so I thought he was Captain America and I was Bucky. So when I eventually got the script and I opened to the front page, it said: The Star Wars: The Adventures of Luke Starkiller as taken from the Saga of the Whills I realized, oh my gosh! It’s through my eyes.”
Not only was Hamill the face of the first film, but he went on to establish himself as the leading man for multiple Star Wars movies. The popularity of the franchise also ensured his character came to be recognized as one of the most iconic fictional characters in cinema history.
