10 Movie Characters Who Had To Kill Themselves To Win

5. Luke Skywalker - The Empire Strikes Back

Much like Superman III's junkyard fight, the Dark Side Cave sequence in The Empire Strikes Back represents the hero's existential battle against the self, as Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is forced to (unknowingly) cut down an evil version of himself.

In the cave, Luke is quickly assailed by Darth Vader, though he is ultimately able to take a fierce swing with his lightsaber at Vader's head, slicing his noggin clean off.

However, after Vader's helmet tumbles to the floor, Luke gets a glance inside the helmet and sees his own head staring blankly back at him.

This not only serves as a terrific metaphor for the dangerous potential of Luke dabbling with the Dark Side, but also foreshadows the iconic "I am your father" reveal.

Though the battle itself is ultimately allegorical, it's nevertheless a vital piece of character development which sets up both Luke's failure at the end of Empire and his eventual triumph in Return of the Jedi.