Lord Of The Rings Trilogy: 16 Easter Eggs, In-Jokes & References You Need To See

4. The Theoden/Eowyn & Darth Vader/Luke Skywalker Death Scene Parallel - The Return Of The King

The truth of the matter is that everybody loves Star Wars, and apparently Peter Jackson is no exception to that fine rule. So much so, in fact, that he chose to allude to the famous Darth Vader death scene in Episode VI: Return of the Jedi during the moment where Eowyn meets King Theoden of Rohan at this death on the Pelennor Fields in Return of the King (also notice that both of these movies have the word "Return" in their title, hm?). In Return of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker leans over his dying father and utters the line: "I'll not leave you here. I've got to save you." To which Vader replies: "You already have, Luke." In Return of the King, Eowyn leans over her dying father-figure and utters the line: "No. No. I'm going to save you." To which Theoden replies: "You already did, Eowyn." It's plain to see that absolutely everything here - from the dialogue cues, the staging and the framing of the shots - suggests a bonafide homage on Jackson's part.