By the end of Return of the Jedi, Luke had become the last (known) Jedi in the galaxy. With the deaths of Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi, he inherited the entire legacy of the Jedi Order.
But here’s the thing—there was no one left to officially grant him the rank of Jedi Master.
Unlike the Jedi Council of the Old Republic, Luke had to forge his own path without formal guidance or recognition.
What solidifies his claim to the title is that he was the one actively rebuilding the Jedi Order. When you’re the only Jedi left, you’re effectively the Master by default.
Yet, that’s not exactly how it happened. Here’s what we know about the moment Luke became a Jedi Master.
Without further ado…
The Exact Moment When Luke Becomes Jedi Master
Luke Skywalker’s journey to becoming a Jedi Master is as unique as his place in Star Wars lore. In Legends, Luke officially attained the title in 11 ABY, during the events surrounding the creation of the New Jedi Order.
But the story of how he got there is a blend of personal growth, necessity, and acknowledgment from those around him.
Luke’s journey as a Jedi Master took a significant turn in Jedi Search, a novel from the Star Wars: Jedi Academy Trilogy.
Leia Organa, his sister and a political leader in the New Republic, suggested that Luke embrace the title while discussing his plans to establish a new Jedi Praxeum.
Initially hesitant, Luke reflected on his experiences and realized that the mantle of “Jedi Master” was a necessary step in his role as a teacher and leader of the Jedi Order.
Here’s the moment where Luke accepts the title in his own words:
“Inside, his heart seemed a diamond-hard lump. He wasn’t merely another Jedi Knight — he was the only remaining Jedi Master. He had survived tests and rigors more potent than routine Jedi training prepared him for. Luke understood more about the Force now than he had ever dreamed possible. Sometimes it terrified him.”
Luke’s decision to accept the title was tied directly to his responsibilities as a teacher.
As the leader of the New Jedi Praxeum on Yavin IV, he took on the role of mentor to a new generation of Jedi, passing down the lessons he had learned from Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and his own hard-won experiences.
It was only fitting that his students referred to him as “Master,” though even that took some getting used to for Luke. As shown in Dark Apprentice:
“Show me your new Jedi exercises, Master. Teach me other things.” Skywalker seemed to flinch at being called ‘Master,’ and Gantoris wondered what he had done wrong—was not Luke Skywalker a Jedi Master? How else should he be called?”
The Self-Proclaimed Master
In the Disney-era canon, Luke’s journey to becoming a Jedi Master is less about formalities and more about necessity.
We see a glimpse of this in Return of the Jedi, where Luke confidently declares to Jabba the Hutt, “I am a Jedi, like my father before me.”
This statement marked a pivotal moment in Luke embracing the mantle of a Jedi, even without official recognition.
By the time we meet him in The Last Jedi, Luke has clearly evolved beyond just being a Jedi Knight.
His secluded life on Ahch-To as a hermit may show his disillusionment with the Jedi Order, but it doesn’t erase the years he spent training students like Ben Solo and establishing himself as the galaxy’s leading Jedi authority.
The flashbacks to his time with Ben Solo confirm that he had already stepped into the role of a Master, passing on what he learned to the next generation.
It’s also worth noting that in the post-Order 66 era, Jedi “ranks” became more symbolic.
With no Council to regulate or bestow titles, Luke essentially claimed the rank of Jedi Master through his actions, responsibilities, and commitment to the Jedi legacy.
His decision to train Leia, as seen in The Rise of Skywalker, is another clear example of Luke embracing the role of a teacher—a core responsibility of a Jedi Master.