From watching the prequel movies, we know the backstory of Anakin Skywalker and how that name was passed on to Luke.
Yet, keeping that name doesn’t make sense, given that Luke was hiding from Darth Vader.
Why is Luke’s last name Skywalker and not Lars after his uncle? We have real-world and in-universe explanations.
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Luke’s Secret Identity
After Padme Amidala gave birth to twins, Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Bail Organa decided to keep their identities secret.
Leia was adopted by Bail and took the last name Organa, but the same was not done for Luke after he was adopted by Owen and Beru Lars. Puzzling…
It was important to keep Luke’s identity secret and secure since he was presumed to be the last hope for saving the galaxy.
After Order 66, when the Jedi were decimated, the survivors went into hiding. Obi-Wan Kenobi went to remote Tatooine to protect himself, but more importantly to keep an eye on Luke.
As a recent article indicates, Obi-Wan may have taken the “Barash Vow” to atone for Anakin’s downfall and “re-center” himself with the Force.
Yet, Obi-Wan purposefully stayed close to Luke to keep the latter’s identity concealed.
As depicted in the Obi-Wan series, we see Obi-Wan checking up on Luke and telling Owen Lars that he was the main protector.
But, it seems clear that Obi-Wan was going to keep a close watch too.
Hence, it would have made more sense for Luke to have the last name of Lars to help protect him. Why didn’t he have that name?
Why Is Luke’s Last Name Skywalker and Not Lars
One fan here provides a two-fold explanation. First, in real life, the other movies were not planned in 1977 and did not account for this discrepancy.
Second, the “in-universe” reason has to do with how Luke lived “on Tatooine which was Hutt space” and not a major concern of the Empire.
That is, the Hutts were not keeping track of people’s names and, even if they did, would not be concerned with the name Skywalker.
Let’s consider both ideas. The real-life one grabs traction because much of Star Wars was not worked out at the time of A New Hope.
Much of the story was pieced together over the next two films, so there was no reason not to use the name. Lucas did not seem to have planned for the jaw-dropping revelation that Luke and Vader were son and father.
In addition, as another fan posted above, Skywalker is a “kickass name” for the main character, so Lucas would want to keep it.
We also remember that Luke was originally named Starkiller in the initial script drafts, but that name was dropped for its negative connotations.
The replacement had a more uplifting tone that would help propel the film and franchise forward.
The in-universe explanation is likewise compelling. For one, most people, even Obi-Wan, assumed that Anakin died after the Battle of Mustafar, so he did not have a reason to change his name.
Second, Vader was unaware of his offspring and was not in pursuit of them. Three, Luke was tucked away on a remote planet in the Outer Rim Territories.
As an isolated desert planet, Tatooine had a limited imperial presence and did not give reason to be concerned about Luke’s discovery.
The Hutts largely controlled the planet, and they were concerned with running their criminal empire, not dredging up potential Jedi or Rebels. The name would have been lost on them.
Moreover, the Star Wars comics offer another layer to this explanation. Owen and Beru Lars wished to retain the Skywalker name as a tribute to Luke’s grandmother/Anakin’s mother Shmi.
As fans perhaps know, Shmi was also stepmother to Owen because of her marriage to his father Cliegg Lars. So, the name was fitting to carry on the family heritage.
Luke Skywalker, not Lars
We thus have multiple layers to explain why Luke kept his Skywalker name. In terms of filming, the story had not been planned enough to determine that Luke should change his name.
In the Star Wars universe, keeping the name did not appear to pose a true risk, and it helped keep the family lineage in place.
Then again, it probably wouldn’t have come off so well to have Luke Lars as the starring hero.
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.