The end of the Skywalker saga left a lot of mixed results, including some open-ended finale to Rey and the gang. Rey, as we know, was the star of the third and final half of the saga, bringing hope for the Jedi and the rebellion against the First Order.

Luke although was a minor presence in the new saga is arguably the most powerful Jedi ever with his experience and lineage. When it comes to instilling hope and standing up for what’s right both these heroes do it in their own right and do it effectively. But who did it better? We’re going to look at who in the nine movies helped instill more hope, Luke or Rey Skywalker.

REY: Her Raw Power

When we first meet Rey in The Force Awakens, we know she’s special. When she was able to interact with Anakin’s forgotten lightsaber and then able to take on and defeat Kylo Ren. We knew she was destined for greatness even though she didn’t.

It became a common theme for Rey, showing her great abilities and wowing everyone with just a few weeks of Jedi training. Rey, like Luke and Anakin, got a late start to her training but was still able to learn and become a full-fledged Jedi in seemingly half the time it took Luke.

LUKE: His Optimism

When we first meet Luke in A New Hope, we don’t see the same potential as in Rey but we do however see a young man with a can-do attitude and a willingness to learn and become great.

Luke’s optimism is what made him a good Jedi as he persevered to become one even after everyone seemed to have lost hope in him. He’s also able to see the good in Darth Vader and able to talk him back to the light when Vader was all but gone.

REY: Her Natural Abilities

Besides the force coming naturally to her Rey was also able to help a lot in the rebellion by her pilot and her excavation skills she taught herself back in Jakku. Like the Skywalker/Solos, Rey is naturally gifted at being a pilot and it comes through for her as she takes command of the Millennium Falcon and saves the rebels.

Even when she doesn’t have a lightsaber in her hand, she is a proven combatant, showcasing her fighting skills several times.

LUKE: His Lineage

Luke became one of the most powerful force sensitives ever the day he was born, he was meant for greatness. As a Skywalker Luke had become the beacon of hope when it all seemed lost in the galaxy and although it didn’t seem like he wanted to at first, he owned the role and was able to do what he was meant to.

Although Rey also came from powerful lineage, Skywalkers are the strongest in the galaxy not even Palpatine’s can compete with.

REY:  Her Persistence

Rey became a beacon of hope because she was persistent. She wasn’t afraid of any challenge and was able to follow through her quest from start to finish.

Her quest involved getting a droid to the resistance, begging Luke to train her, and facing off against her grandfather. And she did it all without whining or hoping there was a mistake. Her patience and uncanny ability to keep going make her an icon in Star Wars lore.

LUKE: Taking On The Sith

Luke was born at the beginning of the Empire’s reign and had to face the two most powerful sith to ever exist and was somehow successful. Despite only being a Jedi for a couple of years prior to Return of the Jedi he was still able to go toe to toe with Vader and was able to defeat Palpatine.

Rey faced off against two followers of Vader and Palpatine and they weren’t as powerful or as dangerous. We knew Kylo was conflicted from his first appearance and Snoke’s reign was too short to compare to Palpatine’s.

REY: Pilot Skills

Rey flies a ship for the very first time while trying to escape the First Order and does so beautifully, taking the First Order pilots on a whirlwind of obstacles. As we see more and more of Rey, we see her pilot skills are significantly better than Luke’s and almost compare to Anakin’s or Poe Dameron’s.

She even managed to impress the stoic Han Solo with her skills and knowledge of flying. Although we never saw Luke fly much, we know he was a good pilot but we haven’t seen enough in the movies to compare with Rey.

LUKE: Role in the Rebellion

Luke was a general in the rebellion, which he took on shortly after destroying the Death Star and barely escaping his demise. Throughout the original trilogy and even in the new movies, Luke is well respected among the rebels and is even a legend to some.

Although Rey played a big role in taking down the first order, she was always sort of an outsider and is seen as a hero but not much more than that.

REY: Willingness To Learn

It took Luke some convincing to want to become a Jedi and with good reason, being a Jedi is really tough. But Rey wanted to jump right into it and was literally on Luke’s doorstep begging him for a chance. It may have been that she didn’t have much to show for herself and wanted to make a name, but her determination trumps a younger Luke’s.

Both Luke and Rey became great and powerful Jedi, but Rey learned quicker and has every bit of potential to be greater than Luke.

LUKE:  His Saber Skills/Experience

Although Luke started late and was reluctant, his saber skills became legendary in a short amount of time. He was able to defeat Vader as a young Jedi and as an older Jedi was able to easily take an angered Rey and was able to easily defeat Kylo Ren.

Luke has decades of experience over Rey and that will always trump her progress and fast learning.