He decides to make a jump that could have killed him. For example.
And how did that develop/change the character? It is just another act of recklessness…
I’ll add to Mala’s point and say I don’t think he saw it as a fall that could have killed him. I think from the look of resignation on his face, he saw it as a fall he knew would kill him. I think it’s significant character development. He sees only two ways out: death or give in to Vader. It’s subtle in its execution (to the audience) but it’s far from the reckless kid we met in Star Wars. He’s willing (and attempts) to make the ultimate sacrifice to beat Vader and he makes peace with that decision. Nowhere near reckless.
Like I said, no matter how we call it, it is the same trait we have seen many times before. Attack on the death star was an “ultimate sacrifice” and he was basically choosing a very likely death too. When it comes to ESB, he basically made the decision to sacrifice himself already on Dagobah by going to face Vader in the first place. I do not see any significant change in character at all, especially after he decides to go for another one at the very end of ESB.
Now I am not saying that this any of this makes his character bad. I actually like it. It is just that his character does not develop a lot pre-ROTJ.
- edit - What Alderaan said.
Luke deciding to go with Vader instead of jumping would actually be a change of character.
There’s a big difference between participating in a high risk operation and choosing certain death. In one case you accept the high risk associated with the mission, which you believe can be achieved, and you hope your skills and your friends will be able to get you home alive and well. In the second case you die, end of story. It was a seminal moment in the saga, where Luke after many reckless choices refused to join his father, and resigned to his fate, and Vader failed despite winning their fight with relative ease.
Well both attack on death star and going to face Vader on Bespin were similarly suicide missions. Both had very similar outcomes as well. In the first case, Luke ended up alone in the trench, facing the choice of retreat or certain death (i.e. continue the mission). He chose the second and he would certainly die if Han did not miraculously save him. In the second case, Luke ended up without hand, facing a choice of joining Vader or certain death (i.e. jumping). He chose the second and he would die if antenna did not miraculously save him.
His choices/actions are practically the same in very similar situations. In this particular respect his character did not change.
I don’t really see it to be honest. We as the audience know Luke would have died if Han didn’t come to the rescue, but it doesn’t seem to me Luke is aware of the imminent danger to the point he’s believes, he’s going to die. He’s too focussed on his mission, and Obi-Wan’s instructions. The way I view it, he still believes he has a chance to destroy the Death Star and get away before it blows.
In TESB, as far as Luke is concerned, there is no positive outcome. He will die.
Then there is the fact, that in Star Wars Luke becomes the unlikely hero. His mission is successful, and he has learned to trust his feelings. Conversly, in TESB everything he believed in has been shattered. His line “Ben, why didn’t you tell me?”, and the desperate look in his face says enough about his state of mind.
You seem very focussed on the idea, that a character is only defined by explicit dialogue telling us how a character feels. Yet, a character is also defined by his or her belief system. By the end of TESB it is very clear Luke’s belief system has been turned up side down. As such his character cannot be the same.