5. "I am your father." - The Empire Strikes Back
You knew this was going to be on here. When I wrote about how
secrets can help or hurt films, I said that a great plot twist adds substance to a film, gives the characters more depth, and forces the audience to reevaluate what they have just seen. In my opinion, no plot twist better represents that definition than the shocking revelation Lucas dropped at the end of
The Empire Strikes Back. Let's examine why.
Adding substance to the film: The twist that Darth Vader is Luke's father gives the entire series a new layer that wasn't there previously. It enhances the relationship between Luke and Vader. Originally, Vader was thought to be the one who betrayed Luke's father. Luke hated Vader for that reason and because he killed Obi-Wan. Now, he learns the shocking truth and it becomes almost like a Shakespearean tragedy.
Giving characters more depth: Vader is elevated from the pure embodiment of evil to a much more interesting character. It was Lucas's first effort to make the villain seem like a real person (more on this later). He became a guy who had ulterior motives, plotting against the Emperor to rule side-by-side with his son. This was also one of the first signs of Vader's good side. Previously choking people and chopping his former master in half, Vader frequently pleads with Luke, "don't make me destroy you," showing the beginnings of the internal conflict that will define him during the next movie. He very easily could have killed Luke, but felt something - maybe love and/or compassion - because Luke is his offspring. Speaking of Luke, his character gets more depth as well. Once hellbent on killing Vader (his failure in the Dagobah cave proves this), he now has an important decision to make. Does he try to kill his own father if it means victory in the war? It helps makes his character more dynamic as he struggles to deal with this development.
Reevaluating what we have just seen: Obi-Wan lied about Luke's father. Now we know why. He didn't want Luke to face this dilemma. Earlier in
Empire, we see a scene between Vader and the Emperor discussing Luke's future and Vader has the line, "He will join us or die, Master." Before the twist, this could mean that Vader will be the one killing Luke. But as we would later see in
Return of the Jedi, Vader probably is talking about what the Emperor would do to Luke if his son refused to turn. Vader also seems somewhat protective of Luke during this scene, stating "he's just a boy," potentially as a way to get the Emperor to back off a bit. Before that could seem like Vader dismissing the idea of Luke as a serious threat, but with this added element, paternal instincts pop up. It was such a great twist for so many reasons. Undeniably, it's one of the most famous moments in cinema...