What's your favorite version of Luke? (Like anh Luke in his moisture farmer outfit, medal ceremony outfit, or esb Luke and rotj Luke, etc.)
So, I feel like this is somewhat obvious for those who have followed me for awhile.. but Luke in his rebel fatigues in Empire will always be my favorite. Especially on the visual front. I feel like it is a very sleek and snug outfit, both utilitarian and stylish, that seems quite complimentary to his appearance in the first film: the flowing white tunic is bulkier and slimmer (toned down a bit, closer to a beige), the waist and legs visible and uncovered. It is more mature and confident, somewhere between lithe and strong. I think that his hair is also at its absolute peak in this movie, slightly less dated than the other two. In general, I think that everyone looks their best in Empire.
But speaking of strength, it also allows us to see Luke at his most vulnerable. The way that this outfit is ripped to shreds is actually magnificent to me, like, yes, it is flapping in the wind and dangling by individual threads but it looks so good and really captures Luke's resilience and the naïveté in his overconfidence. So, there is a fun little contrast in representation here: we see Luke at his most traditionally "masculine" and also at his smallest and most sensitive. It has always been a dream of mine to have this outfit for a cosplay or Halloween.
I just love his character so much in this one, aside from the outfit, because he allows himself to be visibly emotional while also projecting a (probably unearned) confidence about himself. I know some people find him really whiny in this movie especially, but I guess back when I was a little gay boy many years ago, I saw a guy comfortable in what he felt and how he acted. Too bad Vader had to bully the emotions back into him, to the point that he is internalizing throughout most of Return of the Jedi, but wouldn't we all be a little traumatized after a hand slice and finding out you are related to what you've always assumed was the most evil being in existence?
