Could Luke Skywalker be bisexual? According to actor Mark Hamill, the character’s queerness is in the eye of the beholder. On Twitter, Hamill responded to a fan’s inquiry about Skywalker’s sexuality. “His sexuality is never addressed in the films,” the 64-year-old actor wrote. “Luke is whatever the audience wants him to be, so you can decide for yourself.”
This is far from the first time that someone has suggested the protagonist of the original “Star Wars” trilogy might not be straight. As Slate’s David Plotz wrote back in 2000, Luke Skywalker’s sexuality has been a staple of fan-fiction for decades, which even imagines a romance between the young Jedi and Han Solo. These interpretations show that, to a certain extent, Hamill has a point—characters like Luke Skywalker belong to the fans, who can shape them into their own fantasies for the character. This is especially true when Skywalker himself is presented as something of an Everyman, a character who offers a mirror in which viewers can see themselves reflected.