The EXACT Moment Star Wars Lost Its Way

Return Of The Jedi Changed Everything

One of the most memorable parts of the entire Star Wars saga is Luke's redemption of Darth Vader.

Go back, watch it now and it almost doesn't make sense. Luke starts "sensing" that there's good in Vader despite his last interaction being the one where he lost a limb, and before you know it, young Skywalker is determined to save his father no matter what.

Why? Because "There's good in him, I know it!"

As has been established over the years, this was not the plan from the beginning. It's evident in everything from Mark Hamill filming Empire's reveal scene under the knowledge that "Obi-Wan killed your father", and in hilariously terrible dialogue from Alec Guinness. Obi-Wan had to pretend that "Darth Vader killing [Luke's] father" was a turn of phrase, because he became Darth over time.

Regardless, whether we knew it or not, this was the fundamental touchstone of "grey" between the light and the dark; the exploration of redemption and forgiveness that elevated the entire Star Wars brand above otherwise simplistic ideals of "good" and "bad".

Vader's final turn towards the light - however clumsily handled overall, despite our collective love for it - is a very human moment, and again, something that only enhanced the story being told.

Cont.