The Star Wars franchise hit the ground running with A New Hope in 1977, but the best was yet to come. The Skywalker saga was already established via Luke Skywalker's quest to become a Jedi like his father, and after the Death Star's destruction, Luke really dived deeper into his training. But this put him on a collision course with Darth Vader.
The Empire Strikes Back is often hailed as the best Star Wars live-action movie in terms of plot, tone, developments, memorable scenes and sheer creativity, and this movie boasted more than a few scenes that had far-reaching consequences both in the short term and the long term. These five plot twists from The Empire Strikes Back allowed the galactic saga to continue in style.
Luke Skywalker single-handedly saved the Rebels' Yavin base from the Death Star's wrath, but the base was still exposed to the Empire, so the Rebels fled to the frozen world Hoth and remained hidden for some time. Early in The Empire Strikes Back, a probe droid spotted the Rebels and their shield generator, and Darth Vader launched an all-out assault on the base. The Rebels had the benefit of a thick energy barrier to block Star Destroyer orbital fire, but it wasn't enough to win the day. The Rebels had to flee, and this proved that the Death Star battle was practically a fluke. In most circumstances, the Rebels are badly outgunned and may lose to the Empire, and only a true Jedi like Luke can save them. This is a war the Rebels can't win alone, as the Hoth battle demonstrated.
In A New Hope, Han Solo was already impressed with Princess Leia's strength of character and beauty, and in The Empire Strikes Back, Leia started to return those feelings, even if she didn't readily admit it. The Rebellion was suffering, but while on the run from Vader's fleet, Han and Leia found themselves in each other's arms, proving that opposites attract and that there was good in Han Solo after all. Earlier, Leia had dismissed him as a selfish, weaselly mercenary, but now, Han was in it for the long haul, and Leia needed him as much as he needed her. Eventually, they married, and their son Ben Solo fell to the Dark Side to become Kylo Ren. These are no ordinary star-crossed lovers; their union will change the face of the entire galaxy.
It took all of Han's ingenuity to escape Darth Vader's fleet and jump into hyperspace, but Boba Fett was on his tail aboard the Slave I, operating on Vader's behalf. Han then arrived at Cloud City to meet up with his old friend, Lando Calrissian, and give himself some breathing room to plan his next move in secret. Lando gave Han a warm welcome, but the meeting turned ice-cold when Lando turned over Han, Leia and the others to Darth Vader, who was waiting for them in the dining room. Han ended up tortured, and was then frozen in carbonite to test whether a person could survive that process. The answer was yes, and Vader got ready to freeze Luke the same way to hand him over to the Emperor more easily. Lando had been coerced into helping Vader, but he deeply regretted it, and this prompted him to help everyone flee Cloud City before Luke arrived. This also led to Han being delivered to Jabba the Hutt, and put on display on his palace wall. So, Luke had to launch a rescue mission later on.
Luke's Jedi training on Dagobah was hit and miss, since Luke's impatience and frustration clashed with the patience and peace of mind required for the Light Side. Still, he was making progress, and he soon had a Force vision of Leia and her friends on Cloud City, cornered by evil. Rashly, Luke quit his training on the spot and climbed into his X-Wing to go help, in spite of Yoda's protests. After Luke took off, and Obi-Wan's Force ghost commented that Luke was their last hope. Yoda then said, "No. There is another," referring to Leia herself. This line was cryptic back in 1980, but now, it neatly and obviously led to Leia's rise as a Jedi and a Force user later in the saga. This line also helped fuel similar plot developments in Return of the Jedi.
This is it, the most impactful, shocking and memorable twist in the entire original Star Wars saga. As Darth Vader hoped, Luke brashly arrived at Cloud City to help his friends, and Vader was ready for him, lightsaber in hand. Once Vader had Luke cornered, he unveiled the truth: that he is Luke's father, the man once known as Anakin Skywalker. Luke denied this in shock and horror, but he did accept this revelation before long. This reveal explains how Luke is so powerful in the Force, having Vader for a parent, and it also sets the stage for Vader's redemption in Return of the Jedi. Vader isn't in the mood for a lecture about good vs evil, but he will listen if his own son speaks up about it. In the end, Vader cares deeply for his son and daughter, and if he wasn't related to Luke, then Vader's redemption might have been impossible after all.
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