You didnt really think this one wouldnt be here, did you? Hanging out over the abyss that is the Bespin mines central shaft, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) has just lost his hand and lightsaber to a well-placed strike by Darth Vader (body by David Prowse, voice of James Earl Jones). Vader invites Luke to join him in embracing the Dark Side of the Force, with the goal of unseating the Emperor and taking power together. Luke refuses, screaming, Ill never join you! Vader shifts tactics.
Vader: Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father, did he? Luke: He told me enough. He told me you killed him. Vader: No. I am your father.
Cue a thud as the collective jaw of the audience drops. This secret has become a punch line in the intervening years since the films release, mocked in several films, books and TV shows. Younger audiences, who didnt see it in its initial release and who have the prequels to distract them from it, dont realize the impact that this had on the Star Wars universe. Back in 1980, we were blown away by this revelation; there were no scoop websites that revealed the surprise, and the reviewers were kind enough to indicate that there was a major plot point to come, but didnt give away the surprise. (Of course, if you had picked up the novelization, released a month prior to the film, you would have already known.) Its said that only five people knew of the secret during filming: producer George Lucas, director Irvin Kershner, writer Lawrence Kasdan, Mark Hamill (told just before the scene was shot) and James Earl Jones (told when he was doing the voice-overs). David Prowse complained bitterly about the change, stating that he would have done some different things if he had known, but then since he really wasnt much more than the physical representation of the bad guy, he really didnt have much room to complain. Can you think of any more moments that genuinely shocked you? Let us know in the comments below.
