8. Luke Skywalker - Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi
This might seem like an odd choice for this list; after all, the beginning of Return of the Jedi is hardly the audience's first encounter with Luke Skywalker. But at the same time, this is a very different character than the one that we see in A New Hope or Empire Strikes Back, and attention must be paid to how ridiculously awesome he is in this scene. First of all, now he's a fully trained Jedi Knight, and is breaking into Jabba's Palace to rescue his twin sister and her boyfriend. After their plans to get Han out of Carbonite go wrong, it's time to send in the big guns. Enter Luke Skywalker. The gate slowly lurches open, with white light flooding in while a dark figure appears. Calm, confident, and fearless, his portrayal here serves as a re-introduction to the iconic character that is miles away from "But I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters!" territory.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
