If ever there was a Star Wars actor as much a fan of the series as longtime viewers, it’s Mark Hamill. One of the original lead actors to appear in Star Wars way back in 1977, Hamill has rightfully become one of the series’ most iconic cast members working today, almost entirely thanks to his role as Tatooine farmer-turned-Jedi Knight, Luke Skywalker.
Having appeared in all three films in the Original Trilogy and reprising his role in the Disney Trilogy, Hamill has become a cornerstone of the Star Wars universe. Narrowly trailing behind C-3PO’s Anthony Daniels in number of appearances in Star Wars, Hamill’s Luke has been featured in dozens of Star Wars-related media over the years, with Hamill portraying the character in several TV shows and movies.
As well-known as Hamill is for playing Luke in the main Star Wars films, it’s interesting to underline Hamill’s other appearances outside of the six canonical movies he appears in. Sometimes, he might appear as Luke in a minor or supporting role; other times, he’ll use his extensive vocal talents for a more subtle cameo.
Here is every one of Mark Hamill’s cameos in Star Wars, ranked from best to worst.
1. Luke Skywalker, The Mandalorian
Whether you prefer to call it a cameo, a supporting role, or a guest appearance, Luke’s appearance in the season 2 finale of The Mandalorian remains a definite high-point for the entire show. A welcome surprise for millions of viewers watching around the globe, it provided a much-needed narrative bridge between Return of the Jedi and the Sequel Trilogy, delivering a more than gratifying cameo that left Star Wars fans in complete awe.
Rescuing Din Djarin and his ragtag team at the last minute, a cloaked Luke uses his skills with a lightsaber to dispatch a squadron of the elite Dark Troopers. Coming face to face with Djarin and his group, Luke humbly asks Djarin’s consent to train Grogu in the Jedi Arts, rebuilding the Jedi Order in the process.
Sure, some of the CGI may be a little wonky, but seeing Luke in his prime cutting down droids is akin to Vader’s infamous Rebel-slaying death march in Rogue One. It’s fan service in the best possible way, with Hamill effortlessly stepping back into his role as the now experienced Jedi Knight.
2. Luke Skywalker, The Book of Boba Fett
As with The Mandalorian, Luke’s presence in The Book of Boba Fett ventures more deeply into guest star territory than it does mere cameo. However you wish to classify it, though, there’s no denying that Luke’s appearance in The Book of Boba Fett is just as satisfying to watch as his cameo in The Mandalorian.
Having accepted Grogu as his pupil, Luke is shown training the Force-sensitive youngling, instructing him in the ancient ways of the Jedi. Though Luke’s appearance in the series is relatively brief, his one-on-one dialogue with Ahsoka was something fans could only dream of in the years prior to the series, finally putting Anakin’s former padawan and his son together in the same scene.
3. EV-9D9, The Mandalorian
The first non-Luke cameo on this list comes courtesy of The Mandalorian – and is among one of the most difficult-to-spot of Hamill’s several appearances in Star Wars. The scene in question comes in season 1’s “The Gunslinger,” when Din Djarin wanders into the cantina bar of Mos Eisley. Looking to pay off repairs for his damaged ship, Din questions the cantina’s bartender regarding potential bounty work in the area.
This bartender – a droid known as EV-9D9 – is voiced by none other than Mark Hamill himself. What makes Hamill’s cameo here so interesting, though, is that EV-9D9 is also the same administrative droid working at Jabba’s Palace in Return of the Jedi. Amusingly, with Jabba now gone and the Bounty Hunters’ Guild no longer active on Tatooine, it seems that EV-9D9 has found employment at the famous cantina, providing a feasible epilogue for this minor Star Wars character.
4. Darth Bane, Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Appearing in the wildly popular Clone Wars series, Hamill had the small but notable duty of voicing the legendary Sith Lord, Darth Bane, a fan-favorite character who was resurrected from Legends in Season 6’s “Sacrifice.”
Long since dead at the off-set of the series, a vision of Bane appears before Yoda when the Jedi Master journeys to Moraband, investigating the secrets of immortality. Initially trying to frighten the Jedi in the hopes of turning him to the Dark Side, the conjured Bane quickly dissipates when Yoda points out that he is merely a vision, and that the true Bane has been dead for over a thousand years.
Hamill’s vocal performance as the menacing Dark Lord of the Sith helped give Bane’s inclusion in the series that much more legitimacy, making him all the more terrifying to behold in the show. Once again, it was a relatively minor role for Hamill, but one that helped translate Bane from the non-canonical Legends to the overall continuity of the Star Wars universe.
5. Dobbu Scay, Star Wars: The Last Jedi
In addition to portraying Luke Skywalker, Mark Hamill also plays another, wholly different character in The Last Jedi in the form of Dobbu Scay. Scay – a pint-sized alien gambler in a snazzy suit and Mr. Monopoly-style monocle – appears as one of the many background characters on the planet, Canto Bight.
His defining moment comes when Scay drunkenly mistakes BB-8 for a slot machine, stuffing coins into the astromech before BB-8 is ejected from the casino. Later, when a herd of fathiers stampede through the building, Scay can be seen happily frollicking through a pile of cantocoins, much to the diminutive creature’s obvious delight.
Far more humorous than most other cameos on this list, Scay provides some a great deal of comedic light-heartedness to The Last Jedi, as seen from his interactions with BB-8 alone.
6. Boolio, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
As with the previous entry in the Disney Sequel Trilogy, Hamill has yet another dual performance in The Rise of Skywalker. Along with portraying Luke Skywalker, Hamill made a cameo as Boolio, a Ovissian miner secretly providing supplies and information to the Resistance. Relaying sensitive information regarding the First Order to the Resistance, Boolio is later killed by the First Order, his severed head laid before the regime’s High Council by Kylo Ren.
Boolio’s small but integral role in The Rise of Skywalker is an interesting one, the Ovissian showing great bravery and putting his life on the line for the sake of defeating the First Order. Though not as humorous as Dobbu Scay or providing as much in-depth fan-service as EV-9D9, it’s an enjoyable enough cameo, and one where you can actually hear Hamill’s voice if you listen carefully enough.
7. Luke Skywalker, Star Wars Forces of Destiny
A relatively minor appearance on Hamill’s part, Hamill – like several other prominent stars from Star Wars’ main films – appears in the anthology web series, Star Wars Forces of Destiny, once again voicing the role of Luke Skywalker. Technically more a guest starring role than strictly a cameo, Luke appears in the episodes “The Path Ahead” and “Traps and Tribulations. In the former episode, Luke continues his training with Yoda on Dagobah; in the latter, he and Leia stop a rampaging monster from harming any Ewoks on Endor.
As stated above, Luke’s appearances in Forces of Destiny are fairly limited. However, it’s always a joy to see Hamill step back into his role as the aspiring Jedi Knight, especially during his youthful training period with Yoda or side-by-side with his sister, Leia.
Richard Chachowski is a freelance writer based in New Jersey. He loves reading, his dog Tootsie, and pretty much every movie to ever exist (especially Star Wars).