Luke Danes eventually became Rory Gilmore's stepfather in the Gilmore Girls reboot, A Year in the Life, but he was a father figure long before he and Lorelai tied the knot. Over seven seasons, Luke has supported, cheered on, and taken care of Rory. Her biological father, Christopher, was always in and out of her life, which made Luke all the more a stable male presence.

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On the night of Richard and Emily's vow renewal, Christopher and Luke went head to head over their dedication to Rory. The question then had to be asked: who was more of a father to the youngest Gilmore: Luke or Christopher? With Luke living in Stars Hollow, he was more a part of Rory's life than Christopher was and it's easy to see why.

He Was There For Her Chilton Graduation

chilton graduation - gilmore girls

It was a big day for the Gilmore clan when Rory finally graduated from Chilton. She started her time at the private school on a rocky path but soon became the top student and was presumed to do great things in life. Considering Lorelai was a single mother, it was also a testament to her, too. Sookie, Jackson, the Gilmores, Lorelai, and Luke were all in attendance at Rory's graduation. Oddly enough, Christopher wasn't there to see his own daughter walk across the stage.

He Helped Move Her Into Yale

luke helps lorelai with rorys mattress - gilmore girls

Rory's first day at Yale was even bigger than her high school graduation. Lorelai was there every step of the way, making sure Rory had everything she needed to feel comfortable in her new home away from home.

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Luke lent Lorelai and Rory his truck so that they could bring her stuff with her to Yale in one easy swoop. He even drove Lorelai back to Yale to get a few things and switch out the mattress. That is something a dad would typically do for his daughter, which proves how dedicated Luke is to Rory's happiness.

He Was Protective Of Her In Relationships

Luke has Dean in a headlock on Gilmore Girls

The ultimate dad move is being protective of their daughter when she starts dating. In Rory's case, she had an eye for "bad boys" and tried to bring out the goodness in them. Dean was considered a bad egg for a long time until Lorelai and Luke got to know him. But even then, Luke still gave Dean a hard time when he heard he wasn't treating her right. And he definitely gave his nephew Jess a stern talking-to when he and Rory started seeing each other.

Even when Rory was an adult and in college, Luke's protection continued when she started seeing Logan. In Luke's eyes, no one was good enough for Rory.

He Tried Getting Her To Eat Healthier

Lorelai and Rory sitting at Luke's Diner counter with coffee, served by a grumpy Luke

Even though Luke owned a dinner and didn't always serve the healthiest foods, he ate relatively clean and wished the Gilmore girls would too. He always reminded Lorelai that Rory was a growing girl and shouldn't be drinking so much coffee at such a young age.

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He also tried swapping some of their junky meal options for healthier options, but the girls always noticed. A dad usually cares about the kinds of foods his daughter eats because he cares about her health and well-being.

He Was There When Richard Was Hospitalized

Luke visits the gilmores at the hospital

On the two occasions that Richard was hospitalized, Luke was there by Lorelai and Rory's side. The first time around, Luke was offered support to Lorelai in her time of need. But when Richard was hospitalized a second time, the diner owner stopped by to drop off food and to make sure everything was okay.

At this point in the series, Luke and Lorelai had been through so much, and yet he still showed up for the family. He was at the hospital for longer than Christopher was. Luke even gave Rory a ride home!

He Was A Part Of Her Daily Life

Lorelai with Luke who hugs Rory at Luke's diner on Gilmore Girls

Luke was that stable male figure Rory was otherwise missing in her life. Considering how close Rory and Lorelai were, she never "needed" a dad or another parent to go to. But if she ever wanted a guy's point of view, she could have always gone to Luke because she saw him every day. He owned the diner she and her mom frequented, he served the best coffee and burgers in town, and he adored her mother. Whether Rory realized it or not, Luke was there.

He Celebrated Her Achievements

Rory and Lane sitting at Luke's diner with balloons on Gilmore Girls

Luke wasn't Rory's biological father but he sure did celebrate her like she was his. He placed balloons on a table at the diner for her birthday, he knew all of her favorite foods, and whenever she wrote a successful article he gloated about it. He even placed one of her articles from The New York Times on the back of his menus! All Luke wanted was to see Rory do well. And while she had her ups and downs, as all teenagers do, she came out successful.

He Took Care Of Her When She Was Sick

luke arguing with christopher - gilmore girls

Fans knew that Luke was involved with Lorelai and Rory's lives but they never knew the extent of his devotedness until the night of Richard and Emily's vow renewal.

When he and Christopher stumbled upon Rory making out with Logan, the two men got into a pissing contest about who the real father figure was. Luke's words were like a dagger in Christopher's heart when he told him that he wasn't there for so many moments in Rory's life — moments that he was. Luke was there when Rory was sick, had chickenpox, at graduation... but where was Christopher?

Mr. Fix-It

luke fixing lorelais house - gilmore girls

Lorelai and Rory loved their house. Whenever an opportunity came up for Lorelai to sell her home, she backtracked and panicked. It was the house she raised Rory in and the home that made her independent. She wasn't ever going to be ready to part ways with it.

To save Lorelai and Rory the trouble of shelling out a lot of money or moving out, Luke always did the maintenance on their home for them. Fixing things around the house is a classic "parent move," and one that Luke mastered well.

He Cared More About Rory Than Himself

gilmore girls lorelai luke

In "Teach Me Tonight," Luke has a sweet moment with Rory when he asks her to tutor Jess but that moment goes downhill when Jess and Rory get into a car accident later that night. Lorelai and Luke got into a heated argument where she blamed Luke and Jess for her daughter's fractured wrist. While she was yelling, Luke cut her off and said "Hey! I'm sorry about Rory. You know I care about her more than I do myself." The two continued to bicker but even Luke knew that he was a father figure to Rory in that moment.

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