.jpg?q=50&fit=contain&w=1140&h=&dpr=1.5)
Luke Skywalker killed more people in Star Wars than one might think, and not just during the Battle of Yavin. In Star Wars, there are a lot of conflicts that, for the most part, are simply chalked up to spectacle and heroic valor. However, as the universe grows, the franchise has begun to focus more on the human element of characters, and both smaller non-hero characters and villainous characters become more important. This brings into question the ethics of certain characters in Star Wars and magnifies the cost of life that entertaining spectacles, like battles, have in-universe.
Luke Skywalker's legacy, which remains one of the greatest in the Star Wars franchise, is not immune to this. People are beginning to realize that Luke Skywalker's kill count is actually enormous. By destroying the Death Star, Luke snuffs out over a million lives, not to mention the countless stormtroopers he kills throughout the original trilogy, including at the Battle of Yavin in Return of the Jedi. However, despite Luke's high kill count, his character should not be scorned or lose any of the heroes' acclaim he garners throughout the original Star Wars trilogy. Luke never kills without good reason or for any ignoble reason.
How Many People Died When Luke Destroyed The Death Star
The first Death Star is destroyed in 1977's Star Wars when Luke successfully fires a charge into the station's main reactor, consequently causing the entire thing to explode. While it is difficult to say precisely how many people die on the Death Star, the safest answer is around 1.1 million people. That number alone probably puts Luke ahead of almost every character in the franchise.
The only time a single person is responsible for killing more people at once is probably when Grand Moff Tarkin gives the order to destroy Alderaan. Estimates put the death toll of Alderaan at about 2 billion people. That number alone is enough to give Tarkin the highest count in the Star Wars franchise by far. Tarkin also authorizes the use of the Death Star laser on Jedha and Scarif, placing him even further ahead of Luke Skywalker. That also means that the Death Star itself kills far more people than Luke Skywalker ever does.
Every Time Luke Killed During The Original Trilogy
Luke Skywalker's Star Wars feats are only the beginning of an action-packed journey throughout the original Star Wars trilogy. Numerous times Luke kills in defense of his life or another's. However, in the first movie, also known as A New Hope, Luke does not kill anyone until he encounters stormtroopers on the Death Star. After that, Luke fights in the battle against the first Death Star, killing TIE fighter pilots in his X-Wing. Ultimately, Luke fires the shot that destroys the Death Star, the action which accounts for the vast majority of his kills.
In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke kills several stormtroopers during the Battle of Hoth. Luke Skywalker's lightsaber has seen very little action up to this point. In fact, Luke only uses his lightsaber to kill the wampa on Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. Following Hoth, Luke does not kill at all until he encounters more hopeless stormtroopers on Bespin, whom he shoots rather than using his lightsaber. Compared to the other two movies in the original trilogy, Luke does not kill many people in The Empire Strikes Back.
Luke kills several of Jabba the Hut's minions during his escape in Return of the Jedi. The rest of Luke's kills in the original trilogy come on Yavin, where he kills more stormtroopers. Luke sees more action in this movie than in The Empire Strikes Back, and, apart from destroying the Death Star, more kills than he is responsible for in A New Hope. As the movie with the most kills, not counting the Death Star, it is fitting that Luke Skywalker wears black throughout Return of the Jedi.
Luke's Kills Don't Make Him A Lesser Hero
Luke's high kill count may be shocking when first noticed. However, it should not change fans' opinions about Luke. Luke's kills all come when in danger of losing his own life. Moreover, Luke never revels in death or killing. He is reluctant to kill and, notably, refuses to kill his father when the Emperor urges him to in Return of the Jedi. He has Darth Vader defeated to the point where Vader is no longer a threat to him, so he chooses to stay his hand and give his father a chance at redemption. Luke consistently makes honorable decisions, indicating a moral character.
Should Disney move on from Luke Skywalker, it would be unlikely that any character ever matches his kill count (except Grand Moff Tarkin). However, Luke destroys the Death Star and kills over a million people, placing an enormous amount of blood on his hands. Even so, Luke should remain the best Star Wars hero. Despite his high kill count, Luke remains one of the most heroic characters in the history of cinema. He may kill a lot of people, but he never kills without reason.