Star Wars is one of the most popular science fiction franchises for a reason. Millions of fans fell hard for the original storyline about Luke Skywalker discovering he was an unlikely hero in the fight between the Empire and the Rebels, and the prequel stories helped new fans discover the series.
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As the franchise has grown, myths about Star Wars have taken hold, most famously a misremembering of Darth Vader’s infamous line, telling Luke that he is his father. Several of these myths are common knowledge among Star Wars fans, but are completely wrong.
5) Darth Vader Says, “Luke, I am your father.”
The reveal that Darth Vader was actually Luke Skywalker’s father is one of the most pivotal points in The Empire Strikes Back, and with good reason. Darth Vader is Luke’s worst enemy and the face of everything the Rebel Alliance is fighting against, so the reveal that they are related turns everything upside down for Luke — and for the audience.
The reveal scene is so famous that Rick Moranis’s Dark Helmet lampoons it in Spaceballs, saying, “I am your father’s brother’s nephew’s cousin’s former roommate.” Contrary to popular knowledge, however, Darth Vader does not say, “Luke, I am your father.” The actual line is, “No, I am your father,” and it is in response to Luke accusing him of killing his father.
4) Darth Vader’s Name Was a Clue That He Was Luke’s Father
Many fans have latched onto the fact that “Vader” means “father” in Dutch. This coincidence makes it seem as if the reveal was planned all along and that George Lucas named Darth Vader to give fans a hint of his true identity.
However, this “fact” is nothing but a coincidence. Lucas didn’t plan on Luke being Darth Vader’s son when he started writing the original Star Wars — the idea didn’t come to him until he was writing The Empire Strikes Back. Furthermore, if Lucas had wanted to foreshadow the relationship between Luke and Darth Vader, he would have used a less obscure clue. Most Americans do not speak Dutch, and thus wouldn’t recognize the meaning of the word.
3) George Lucas Knew From the Beginning He Wanted Three Trilogies
The Star Wars movies fit together so well that fans often assume that George Lucas planned it that way from the beginning. However, Lucas never expected to write one trilogy when he began, let alone three.
Lucas has never been completely clear about his original intentions — sometimes he says he always planned for a sequel, while other times he states Star Wars (later renamed A New Hope) was originally intended to be a standalone. In any case, he certainly had not planned for the prequels when he wrote the first movie — at the earliest, he began planning a bigger saga while writing The Empire Strikes Back.
2) Jedi Need to Go to School to Learn How to Use the Force
Since using the Force is complicated, many fans assume that it is impossible to access or control without formal training in an educational environment. This myth has evolved into the further myth that Luke received extensive training in A New Hope.
This couldn’t be further from the truth, however. Luke’s initial training with Obi-Wan focused on learning to trust his instincts; later, he left Dagobah to rescue his friends before he had finished training with Yoda. Furthermore, what training Luke received was one-on-one with a mentor, not a formal classroom situation like in Harry Potter.
1) Empire Strikes Back‘s Opening Battle Was Designed Around Mark Hamill’s Car Accident Injury
It’s true that Hamill got into a serious car accident in 1977 and broke his nose and cheekbone, and it’s also true that Luke gets into a scuffle at the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back and his face gets attacked. Thus, some people think the scene was written to accommodate Hamill’s real life injuries.
George Lucas has denied this, however, claiming that he wrote that scene because he wanted the film to open on a suspenseful note. Furthermore, we see Luke’s non-injured face shortly before the battle. The late Carrie Fisher added to the confusion by claiming that this urban legend is true, but there is no evidence other than her claim that it was.
What are some “facts” you’ve heard about Star Wars that you later found out were not true? Leave a comment and join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum.
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