As Star Wars fans know, Luke Skywalker lost his hand in The Empire Strikes Back in his lightsaber duel with Darth Vader. We discover that his lightsaber was recovered in The Force Awakens but assumed his hand was gone forever.
Yet, in the comic series Darth Vader, we learn that Luke’s hand was recovered. Read more here to find out the location of his hand and for what purposes it could be used.
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Where Is Luke’s Hand?
In the Darth Vader #11 comic from 2021, Vader has traveled to the planet Exegol to learn about “the Emperor’s secrets,” including the whereabouts of Luke’s hand.
Exegol is the dark, mysterious planet where Darth Sidious and the Sith Eternal attempt to control the galaxy again, as we saw in The Rise of Skywalker. Vader comes to Exegol in his quest to overtake the Emperor.
Vader finds out that the Emperor is in the midst of a large-scale cloning operation. As one article explains, Vader discovers a hand floating in a tank that must be Luke’s because it had been previously recovered by order of the Emperor.
According to Legends, or the Expanded Universe, Vader recovered Luke’s hand after their lightsaber fight and took it to the Emperor on the planet Wayland.
The story continues with the “insane clone Jedi Master Joruuss C’baoth” arranging for a special clone to be created called Luuke Skywalker.
This clone ends up battling the real Luke in a lightsaber fight before eventually being defeated.
One explanation then is that Luke’s hand went from Wayland to Exegol to help with cloning or the Emperor’s clone body.
However, since this narrative is pieced together from Canon to Legends, other possibilities exist.
Where Else Could Have Happened with Luke’s Hand?
A short comic from 2001, The Secret Tales of Luke’s Hand, relays a story seven years after the Battle of Endor that explores that very question.
Readers discover that Luke’s hand survived by “walking on its fingers,” stowing away on a ship, flying to Hoth, and finally to Tatooine.
On Luke’s home planet, Luke’s hand confronts other hands, including Vader’s, and gets frozen in carbonite. While this story is comedic, others have weighed in with more serious possibilities.
Some discussion threads speculate over whether Luke’s hand and lightsaber could have fallen into the same chute that he fell into.
We may even be able to see both following in a shot from the movie.
Both could have preceded him and then Luke recovers them. Yet, we do not see him with them in The Empire Strike Back when he is rescued. So, this plotline may not hold up well.
Then again, the comics may take it up at some point.
As this video explains, the explanation with the hand making its way to the Emperor makes the most sense but adds more to it.
Beyond Vader’s discovery of Luke’s hand on Exegol, and the Emperor’s intention to use it for cloning, the hand could have been used to make Snoke.
The hand’s DNA could have also been put to use in the Sith Eternal’s genetic programming.
The comic and reviews of it support these directions and provide an underlying theme of cloning, including Snoke and most likely the Emperor.
Fans have also weighed in and tend to agree that Luke’s hand was put to cloning purposes, that the Emperor was potentially using it for a “new cloned body,” and that it was partially used for Snoke.
Likewise, this DNA could have helped with the cloning of the Dark Troopers in The Mandalorian.
Luke’s Lightsaber
According to The Force Awakens, Luke’s blue lightsaber found its way to Maz Kanata who kept it hidden until Rey was drawn to it and eventually accepted it.
Audiences do not know how it turned up there. Yet, in the Marvel Star Wars #4 comic from 2020, we find out that an Ugnaught recovered it after Luke’s fateful duel with Vader.
Fans and writers pieced together that Maz must have collected the lightsaber as she traveled the galaxy looking for “antiques and treasures.”
Although not a complete story, the comics helped fill the void to find out what happened to Luke’s lightsaber.
The same has occurred with Luke’s hand, only this time the comics flush out more of the story, but not completely.
Luke’s Hand
Luke’s hand makes its way to the Emperor on Exegol. The purposes of Luke’s hand, now that it is found, are numerous. The primary use appears to be for cloning, but that purpose opens up many dark directions. It appears likely that the DNA of Luke’s hand could turn up for better or worse in Star Wars shows and movies to come.
Todd Wahlstrom is a creative and analytical freelance writer and life-long Star Wars fan. He has covered such topics as Darth Vader, the Jedi, Boba Fett, and AT-AT Walkers. Todd has published a non-fiction book, holds a Ph.D. in history, and enjoys hiking, running, and reading about science.