Novels
The novel The Truce at Bakura (1997) takes place one day after the Battle of Endor. Luke and his friend Wedge Antilles recover a message droid from the planet Bakura, which is being invaded by the Ssi-Ruuk. Luke turns back the army and meets Dev Sibwarra, a Force-sensitive human who had been captured by the Ssi-Ruuk. Sibwarra is eventually killed after turning against his captors. The Courtship of Princess Leia (1995) is set four years after the Battle of Endor. Luke travels to the planet Dathomir, where he encounters the Force-sensitive Witches of Dathomir. He discovers a prophecy stating that a Jedi will change the way of life on Dathomir, and he eventually realizes what the Force truly is. Luke destroys most of the Nightsisters—a group of dark-side witches—and their leader Gethzirion. He also terminates Zsinj, the galaxy's most powerful warlord. Luke recovers Jedi records left by Yoda roughly 400 years prior, then decides to start a new Jedi Academy.
In the Thrawn trilogy, Luke meets Mara Jade, the former Emperor's Hand who is bound by Palpatine's disembodied voice that repeatedly commands "You will kill Luke Skywalker". Although she was ready to terminate Luke to stop the voice, she keeps him alive so he can help her escape from danger. Despite her threats, Luke learns about the spell Mara is under and vows to free her from it. Later, Luke and Mara fight against Luke's clone, Luuke Skywalker, a creation of Joruus C'baoth. Mara destroys the clone and eliminates C'baoth with help from Leia. Mara's curse is then silenced.
Luke resigns his commission in the New Republic starfighter corps in the Jedi Academy trilogy. He turns his attention to his Jedi studies and begins to rebuild the Jedi Order in the Massassi Temple on Yavin 4, a decision some anti-Jedi politicians use against him. He is forced to contend with the spirit of the ancient Sith Lord Exar Kun, who lures one of his most powerful students, Kyp Durron, to the dark side. In the Hand of Thrawn Duology, Luke is a Jedi Master. He works again with Mara, who has gained knowledge of the Force since her training at Luke's Jedi Academy. Luke falls in love with her and they eventually marry. In Edge of Victory: Rebirth, they have a son whom they name Ben, after Obi-Wan's alias.
Luke creates a New Jedi Council in the New Jedi Order series. He envisions a conclave composed of Jedi, politicians and military officers. In Force Heretic: Remnant, he spearheads a mission to the Unknown Regions during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion to find the mysterious planet Zonama Sekot, which creates living starships. After the invaders are defeated, Luke leads the New Jedi Order on Denon, the temporary capital of the Galactic Alliance.
In The Swarm War, the Order moves to Ossus, the site of Jedi temples and libraries that were mostly destroyed 4,000 years prior. Upon the Killik's invasion of Chiss space and the transformation of most of the Myrkr mission survivors into Killik Joiners, Luke deduces that the Killik's collective mind is being unconsciously controlled by a hive called the Dark Nest. The hive, in turn, is controlled by a former Nightsister named Lomi Plo, who became the Unseen Queen through her ability to become invisible by exploiting the doubts of inferiors. One of the Myrkr survivors, Alema Rar, suggests to Luke that Mara may be responsible for the death of his mother. Luke almost believes the lie due to Mara's previous role as the Emperor's Hand. His doubts are assuaged when he discovers several hologram recordings hidden in R2-D2's memory. He sees his father Force-choking his mother on Mustafar, as well as his own birth and his mother's death. Luke defeats Lomi Plo in the final battle of the Swarm War, cutting her into four pieces.
In the Legacy of the Force series, a schism develops between Luke and his nephew, Jacen Solo. Already a powerful Jedi, Jacen has begun adopting radical interpretations of the Force, which causes a dramatic change in his personality and makes Luke afraid that he will fall to the dark side. During this time, Luke begins having visions of a dark figure destroying the galaxy and the Jedi. The situation worsens in Bloodlines, when Luke's son Ben becomes Jacen's apprentice. In Tempest, Luke determines that the figure from his visions is Lumiya, a former Emperor's Hand now known as the "Dark Lady of the Sith".
When Mara is murdered in Sacrifice, Lumiya convinces Luke that she killed her. They battle, and Luke saves Lumiya from falling to her death so that he can kill her himself. However, he later realizes that Lumiya could not have killed Mara. He breaks down over the death of his wife, knowing that her murderer is still at large. He does not realize that the killer is Jacen, who has taken the Sith name Darth Caedus. In Revelation, Ben proves that Jacen killed Mara, but Luke is reluctant to destroy Jacen, fearing that he or Ben may fall to the dark side in the process. The decision is taken out of his hands in Invincible, when Jaina kills Jacen in a lightsaber duel.
The Fate of the Jedi novels are set about forty years after the original Star Wars film. Now in his sixties, Luke is deposed from his position as Grand Master and exiled from Coruscant. He will be allowed to return if he can discover why Jacen fell to the dark side. Luke and Ben embark on a journey together, exploring dangerous and little-known parts of the galaxy. They learn about each other, about the Force, and about the great dangers threatening the Jedi. The love between them grows greater as they repeatedly save each other's lives.
The Matthew Stover novel Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor (2008) takes place shortly after Return of the Jedi and the novel Prophets of the Dark Side. Luke and the Rebel Alliance are attempting to stop Lord Shadowspawn and his "shadow stormtroopers", a struggle which culminates in the Battle of Mindor. Stover said Shadows of Mindor was meant to evoke Brian Daley's Han Solo novels, which are Stover's favorite Star Wars books.
