Why we need more Luke Skywalkers–in life and in fiction

Several years ago, AFI released their list of the Top 100 Movie Heroes. I was super excited to watch them unveil this list, thinking surelymy favorite hero of all time, Luke Skywalker, would make it in the top 5. Maybe even the top spot!! After all, he was modeled after Joseph Campbell’s famous Hero’s Journey hero–the prototypical “ordinary person” called to action and became a savior who restored a broken world to order again.

No brainer, right?

Well, as I was horrified to learn, Luke didn’t m...