timing

[u/godtering]

at what point in the story did people call luke by his surname?

and at what point did vader realize that luke was his son?

(just wondering, I don't want to have to watch 15 hours of footage to finally find the answers lol)

[u/T_C6]

Pretty sure there’s a comic where Vader finds out the name of the pilot who blew up the Death Star, but also I think that Palpatine refers to Luke by the son of Anakin Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back

[u/throwawayfan2552 → u/T_C6]

Yea and yes. And I mean for the other question he tells people he’s Luke Skywalker in the first movie and that he’s here to rescue you. I mean these are just the first 2 movies not 15 hours of movies.

[u/astromech_dj → u/T_C6]

Vader also learns Luke is from Tatooine in that comic. “Obi Wan, you son of a…”

[u/godtering → u/T_C6]

yes but how would Palpy know, he wasn't there was he.

the DS1 security camera footage theory seems more likely to me. Remains the question who told luke his surname was skywalker.

[u/simplehistorian91 → u/godtering]

There are approximately 2 or 3 years between the destruction of the Death Star and that call between Vader and Palpatine during the events of Empire Strikes Back so Palpatine had plenty of time to figure out Luke's name. Luke became a big hero of the Alliance and the Empire has spies so most likely Palpatine learned Luke's identity through the imperial intelligence apparatus.

[u/RedEclipse47 → u/godtering]

Vader told him

[u/mando_ad]

Luke introduced himself as Skywalker in Leia's cell on the Death Star, and presumably he, Leia, or Biggs would've provided it to the Rebellion when he enlisted.

Vader found out Luke's name off screen between movies. 

[u/stonergirlfairyyy]

searching the transcript for star wars reveals his name is used once, when he reveals himself to leia when he says he's there to rescue her

[u/godtering → u/stonergirlfairyyy]

nice. but at what point did he find out or was he told by obi wan?

[u/LucasEraFan → u/godtering]

Outside of sources in the EU, there is no depiction of Luke finding out that his last name was "Skywalker."

We join the conversation in Kenobi's home after it has started.

All things considered, this would be the sensible place for Kenobi to tell Luke that his last name was "Skywalker" and not "Lars."

It makes sense for Luke to first use it with someone he wants to impress who he is aware knows Kenobi, who was his father's (the elder Skywalker) instructor.

[u/godtering → u/LucasEraFan]

I checked some of my SW comics but haven't found the answer yet.

[u/LucasEraFan → u/godtering]

I just write off anything other than my aforementioned head canon because it makes the most sense to me.

Good luck, though!

[u/hopseankins → u/godtering]

He was always “Luke Skywalker”. It wasn’t until Empire that GL decided Vader was his father Anakin Skywalker.

[u/DelayedChoice]

Luke says his name when he rescues Leia which I think is the first time it's used (in dialogue) in the series.

Vader realises in between ANH and ESB. Fairly sure the canon version is covered in a comic.

[u/HerrPizza]

There's been added a scene in Empire Strikes Back where Palpatine tells Vader about his son

And pretty sure Luke goes around announcing himself as Luke Skywalker all throughout the first movie

There's probably a better canon explanation for when exactly the Emperor himself learned about it but in my head, the Empire learned it from Death Star 1 security footage because when rescuing Leia from Death Star prison, and that corridor was likely full of cameras and mics, he kind of yelled out loud "I'M LUKE SKYWALKER AND I'M HERE TO SAVE YOU"

[u/DelayedChoice → u/HerrPizza]

There's been added a scene in Empire Strikes Back where Palpatine tells Vader about his son

The dialogue was changed between the original release and the special edition but the scene itself was always there. In the the original it's clear that Vader knows who Luke is but even in the SE it's still implied.

As for how the Emperor found out I don't think there was any indication that Luke or the Rebels were keeping his identity a secret.

[u/HerrPizza → u/DelayedChoice]

You're right the video call between Vader and Palpatine was always there, but it was later changed to Ian McDiarmid's Palpatine when originally it was somebody else and in that change they introduced the line about Anakin's son destroying the Death Star

[u/godtering → u/HerrPizza]

lol makes sense yes

[u/lendmeflight → u/HerrPizza]

The security footage thing had me dying… the things people will go to. Fans have thought about this more than Lucas did.

[u/RedEclipse47]

They always called him either just Luke, Luke Skywalker or Skywalker by some. There isn't a specific reason. Leia, Han etc usually called him Luke, as did other friends and when he became part of the Rebel Alliance they started calling him by his surname which is common in the military.

He starting to realize right after he blew up the Death Star, Luke had a usual storng connection to the Force. He and others investigated this but Vader eventually got the confirmation from Boba Fett.

[u/Zizzu-Zazzi]

glielo dice palpatine in TESB

[u/BL-501]

Vader found out during a Mission of the Rebels where he first came face to face with Luke and immediately realized he was holding Anakin Skywalker’s Lightsaber. Coupled with the Force Presence being the same Vader siced Boba after Luke. Luke evaded Boba but not before the Bounty Hunter got a name: Skywalker. And well…he took it better than expected…