This is the question I think we’ve all been asked at some point: are you more like your father, or your mother? For Luke Skywalker, that question carries incredible weight. On one side is Anakin Skywalker — a Jedi Knight who fell to the dark side and became Darth Vader. On the other is Padmé Amidala — queen, senator, and a symbol of compassion and courage.
As fans, we’ve often wondered which side of his heritage Luke reflects more. But we don’t have to wonder anymore, because in the canon Darth Vader (2020) comic series, issue #48, the story makes it clear.
Luke Has Always Been More Like Padmé Than Anakin
In Darth Vader (2020) #48, the meeting between Luke and Sabe doesn’t start out as a calm conversation. Instead, it begins with blaster fire. Sabe attacks Luke outright, testing him, trying to push him into revealing whether he has the same darkness as his father. Luke, confused and defensive, ignites his yellow lightsaber to block the shots, but he doesn’t strike back. He can’t understand why this woman, who looks so much like Padmé, is treating him like an enemy.
But Sabe isn’t fighting without reason. In her mind, Luke Skywalker might already be lost to the dark side. Vader had revealed to her the nature of the Sith — how their anger and hate define them — and she feared that Anakin’s son would be no different. To find out, she escalated the test: kidnapping Luke’s ally Warba and using her as bait.
When the three finally stand face-to-face after Sabe’s fighter crashes, the tension is sharp. Warba has no idea why she’s suddenly in danger, Luke is trying to calm the situation, and Sabe presses harder. Luke insists, “I’m a Jedi,” but Sabe doesn’t believe him. Instead, she raises her blaster at Warba.
That’s when she crosses the line. Sabe fires — one of her shots hitting Warba in the shoulder. Luke blocks what he can with his saber, but watching his friend fall wounded breaks through his restraint. Rage flashes across his face. He charges forward, slashing Sabe’s blaster apart and unleashing a furious shout that echoes through the battlefield:
“ENOUGH!”
In that instant, Sabe is convinced she’s seen the truth — that Luke has Vader’s temper, that he is on the same path to becoming a Sith. But what happens next will prove her wrong.
After that, Sabe sank down to the ground, her blaster destroyed, while Luke demanded answers. “Vader sent you, didn’t he?” he asked. But Sabe shook her head. “No. I just know he’s looking for you. And so is the Emperor. And if they find you… and sense your hate… you will become one of them. And we are all lost.”
Luke’s reply came with a hint of exasperation. “Just like that, huh? We’ve gotta be perfect or we’re doomed? I mean, we have to have a little wiggle room here… don’t we?”
Sabe explained that her attack had been a test, a desperate way to prove whether he would turn out like his father. To that, Luke gave the words that finally cut through her doubt: “I’m not perfect, Sabe. But I am not my father.”
And for the first time, Sabe’s tone softened. She looked at him and admitted: “No. Maybe… you’re more like your mother.”
The line caught Luke off guard. He had no memory of Padmé, no real connection to her at all — only secondhand glimpses from others. But Sabe had known Padmé better than anyone. As her loyal handmaiden and decoy, she understood the strength, compassion, and quiet determination that defined Luke’s mother. In that moment, Sabe wasn’t just testing him — she was giving him something he’d been missing his entire life: the reassurance that he was Padmé’s son, not Vader’s heir.
The comic cuts off shortly after, leaving us to wonder whether Sabe shared more about Padmé in those moments. But her words alone are enough. For fans, they confirm what the saga has always hinted at: Luke Skywalker is more like his mother than his father.