22 / STAR WARS INSIDERTHE SKYWALKER SAGAthe starfi ghter to be too big.
Over the course of this spiritual
awakening, Luke confronts his
own fears in the dark side-infused
tree cave. He takes along his
lightsaber, despite Yoda’s warning
that he won’t need it, and comes
face-to-face with the specter of
Darth Vader. Luke strikes down the
Sith Lord, the helmet disintegrates,
and the Force reveals Luke’s own
face behind the mask. While on
fi rst impression the scene implies
that the greatest peril Luke faces
is becoming a tool of the dark
side, as the movie heads toward its
shocking conclusion, its meaning
gains a whole new weight and
the epic, operatic tragedy of the
Skywalker saga is revealed.
Luke has a vision of his friends
Leia and Han suffering in a city
in the clouds, and his immediate
urge is to rescue them, much
like Anakin feels compelled to
rush to save his mother Shmi in
Attack of the Clones. Yoda cautions
his apprentice: “If you end your
training now—if you choose the
quick and easy path, as VaderSome of the most important
revelations here include Yoda’s
initial reservation on whether
Luke has the commitment and
willpower to become a full Jedi.
“All his life has he looked away.
To the future, to the horizon,”
he says, adding, “Adventure,
excitement. A Jedi craves not these
things.” He also warns Luke about
the dark side, noting how alluring
it can be, and that, “Once you start
down the dark path, forever will
it dominate your destiny.” When
Luke queries whether the dark side
is stronger, Yoda is quick to dismiss
it, saying it’s only quicker, easier,
and more seductive. He also points
out that a Jedi uses the Force for
knowledge and defense; only a
Sith would use it to attack.
Perhaps his biggest lesson
for Luke—and one that surely
empowers younger members of
the audience—is that size does not
matter. “Judge me by my size, do
you?” asks Yoda, before effortlessly
lifting Luke’s X-wing from the
swamp after Luke had given up his
attempt to do the same, believingdid—you will become an agent of
evil,” but to no avail. Ultimately,
Luke’s path is not one that Yoda
or Obi-Wan can follow. There are
lessons that he must learn on his
own; he must discover who he
is. Yet as Luke blasts away in his
X-wing, it is obvious that the Jedi
Masters are worried for the future
of the boy.Unexpected Twists
The duel between Luke and Darth
Vader on Bespin is drenched
in beautiful hues of blue and
orange that speak to the mythic
aspirations of the movie’s third
act. Luke showcases the many
things he has learned during his04
The Sith Lord doesn’t just shake Luke’s
view to the core, he crushes it with the
revelation, “I am your father.”