'The Mandalorian's' Luke Skywalker Scene Was An "Unexpected Gift" For Mark Hamill

Every Star Wars fan who is not currently living under a rock is still talking about (and perhaps even rewatching) the most recent surprising moment in the franchise. That moment in this instance being the classic iconic character Luke Skywalker's appearance in the season 2 finale of the hit Disney+ series titled The Mandalorian. Even Mark Hamill is a fan of his character's debut in the show. How could he not be? In the tweet (which can be seen below), Hamill expresses a sentiment that many fans can relate to. "Sometimes the greatest gifts are the most unexpected," the tweet says in part. While few were expecting the appearance of Luke Skywalker, many were moved to tears by his arrival. Not only due to his most impressive display of Force mastery and lightsaber technique, but because of what his presence meant for Mando and Baby Yoda. The emotional and action-packed conclusion to The Mandalorian's second season is regarded by many as the best episode to date, in no small part because of the appearance of Luke.

As the second season of The Mandalorian neared its much anticipated finale, a multitude of questions were raised about Grogu's fate. Would he be separated from his adoptive Dadalorian Din Djarin? Was he successful in reaching out through the Force as Ahsoka Tano had instructed? If so, what or who would hear his call? Would it be a Jedi? These questions merely multiplied when "Chapter 15: The Believer" began and ended with no sign of the child. After a poetically threatening holographic message to Moff Gideon from Din Djarin, we all knew we were heading for an explosive final episode.

After Grogu's trip to Tython, there was little doubt that a Jedi had been contacted by him through the Force. Ezra Bridger (formally of the Ghost crew from the animated series Star Wars Rebels) and Cal Kestis (who went toe-to-toe with Vader in the video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order) were the popular picks. Mace Windu was a longshot and seems like an idea out of a bad fan fiction. For many, the only answer was the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order himself, Luke Skywalker. Most viewers of the show, myself included, regarded this as a pipe dream. With Dave Filoni behind the scenes, it only made sense for him to bring one of his original characters back, especially after we saw the likes of Bo-Katan and Ahsoka Tano make the jump to live-action. It seemed pretty certain that it was probably going to be Ezra Bridger. As the finale neared its conclusion, and a platoon of Dark Troopers closed in on our cornered heroes, the Jedi arrived. A lone X-Wing. Surely a red herring, some of us thought, there's no way it is HIM. As the black cloak, the gloved hand, and the green saber all came into view, it became obvious that it was indeed Luke Skywalker, in the flesh. An unexpected gift indeed, Mr. Hamill.

Mark Hamill ends the tweet with the tag #ThankYouJonAndDave, another sentiment that pretty much all Star Wars fans can agree with. While Dave Filoni has already brought us excellent Star Wars content in the form of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels and is regarded as the heir apparent to George Lucas, Jon Favreau has made his filmmaking talents felt within The Mandalorian and shown great knowledge of the Star Wars universe. Together, Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau have crafted a TV show that has heart, humanity, and just the right amount of fan service.

Written By Weston Erickson

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