Mark Hamill addresses his return as Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian

The Mandalorian
(Image credit: Disney Plus)

The Mandalorian season 2 episode 8 had plenty going on – from the Dark Troopers finally going up against the eponymous gunslinger, to the Darksaber falling into Mando’s hands (technically making him the ruler of Mandalore). 

One of the biggest things to happen in the episode, however, was the return of Luke Skywalker – with Mark Hamill reprising the role he is perhaps most famous for. Naturally, the internet exploded – and Hamill has addressed both how he feels about his return and the fan reaction.

On Twitter, Hamill shared: “Sometimes the greatest gifts are the most unexpected and something you never realized you wanted until it was given. #ThankYouJonAndDave”

The actor then tweeted about the reaction to Luke’s surprise appearance: “‪No words – Seeing fan's reactions to Luke's return is something I will cherish forever. Their anticipation seeing the X-Wing/Episode 6 Robes/a lightsaber/a GREEN lightsaber/a gloved hand/an ungloved hand/a Force choke/R2-was OVERWHELMING & very moving to me… 

"I'm a fan myself, so I knew true fans would love it, but to see them thrilled beyond belief with the exuberance of children, whooping it up, screaming in ecstasy, the tears of sheer joy...it's a rollercoaster of emotions I'll never forget.”

Hamill had already talked a bit about his return on Twitter, asking: “Seen anything good on TV lately?” and commenting “The fact that we were able to keep my involvement a secret for over a year with no leaks is nothing less than a miracle. A real triumph for spoiler-haters everywhere!”

We’ll have to wait a while longer to find out what’s going to happen to Grogu and Mando now, or if we'll see Luke training Baby Yoda in the ways of the Force – the next Star Wars Disney Plus instalment is The Book of Boba Fett, arriving December 2021. The good news is we can expect The Mandalorian season 3 sometime afterwards, though. Until then, check out our roundup of all the new Star Wars movies and TV shows on the way – and there are a lot to get excited about.

Molly Edwards
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English. 

Latest in Star Wars Movies
The Rise of Skywalker
Despite those retirement reports, Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy is "very involved" in the Rey Star Wars movie, according to Daisy Ridley
Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
After 26 years, a secret Star Wars reference to George Lucas has been uncovered: "We got a new Phantom Menace Easter Egg before GTA 6"
Liam Neeson in The Phantom Menace
"Wise mentor" or "awful Jedi"? Star Wars fans are debating if Qui-Gon Jinn is to blame for Anakin's turn to the dark side
Darth Vader in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Longlegs director pitches horrifying Star Wars movie with Darth Vader, and we want it to happen
Werner Herzog in The Mandalorian
Star Wars fans are sharing their favorite unbelievable canon cameos – and some of them are seriously deep-cut
Kathleen Kennedy standing with a bunch of Stormtroopers
Star Wars' Kathleen Kennedy debunks retirement reports, as she shares plans for the future of Lucasfilm: "I will die making movies"
Latest in News
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Dark Souls 2 fans remind Death Stranding 2 director Hideo Kojima that he won’t be taking the DS2 acronym that easily
Minecraft Diamond Armor
Minecraft Pocket Edition got its name because one of its devs was a big "Nintendo nerd" who wanted to pay homage to the Game Boy Pocket
Death Stranding 2
Hideo Kojima says Death Stranding's themes of connection came about because "I thought I lost everything when I became alone nine years ago"
Monster Hunter Wilds trailer screenshot showing a young woman with long blonde hair tied back into a ponytail smiling slightly, pumping her left fist in the air
Monster Hunter Wilds' infamously confusing menus spare no player, not even Gemma's voice actor herself: "This is honestly what I’m struggling with the most"
Death Stranding 2 kiss
Hideo Kojima says "it was very difficult to direct" Death Stranding 2's big kiss scene, but Norman Reedus thinks "it was niiice" locking lips with Léa Seydoux
Ms. Marvel alongside the mutants of Age of Apocalypse
30 years after the original Age of Apocalypse, Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan will travel to the alt-reality to save X-Men history