50 Greatest Star Wars Moments
40. Luke Realises Yoda Is Yoda
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
And so do we…
In search of a reported Jedi Master, Luke Skywalker comes across a small, unthreatening and seemingly senile old creature. Green and wrinkly in appearance, the creature offers Luke shelter, makes him broth, and generally hops around his small dwellings muttering to himself. His seemingly unhelpful behaviour frustrates Luke, who tells the creature who he’s looking for. As Yoda reveals himself to Luke, he reveals himself to us, and a legend is born.
Yoda is the archetype of the wise old monk, the one with all the knowledge and perspective, the teacher and leader. The juxtaposition between his tiny frame and his massive power, his seemingly light-hearted approach and the seriousness of his beliefs, enhance his presence. As Luke underestimates him, so do we, and in doing so we are gifted the joy of discovering just exactly who he is. Designed to resemble Albert Einstein by The Empire Strikes Back’s makeup artist Stuart Freeborn, and brought to life by The Muppets‘ Frank Oz, Yoda is also unique amongst the creatures of Star Wars for being a puppet, rather than CGI, people in costumes, or stop motion.
Yoda may not be around for long in the Original Trilogy, but the ripple effect he has on the overall story of Star Wars is ginormous. This, coupled with a presentation so unique it hasn’t been altered in the many digital “upgrades” that the original footage has been through over the decades, illustrates the artistry behind every element of his inclusion on the screen. Discovering Yoda is Yoda may be obvious in retrospect, but the experience remains joyful time and time again. (JW)
39. “It Is Too Late for Me, Son.”
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
As the rebel alliance’s Jedi hero Luke Skywalker is captured and escorted to the Emperor by Darth Vader, he pleads with his father for another way. He tells Darth Vader, who mutilated him in the previous film The Empire Strikes Back, that he senses the good in him and won’t give up on seeing his father return to the light. He asks Vader, to “let go of your hate”. Vader responds, “It is too late for me, son.”
Darth Vader’s insistence upon Luke Skywalker joining him on the dark side hints at the villain’s potential to care more for his son than his mission, but it is in this moment that the light side is most evident. The dialogue exchange is as important as any in setting up the choice Vader must make in the film’s final moments – to save Luke Skywalker or to watch him die, to be good or bad – but it’s the line “it is too late for me, son”, that indicates that decision may have already been made, if even only subconsciously. This is the moment in which the galaxy’s darkest figure is brought into the light, actor James Earl Jones’ pause between “me” and “son” emphasising the importance of the last word, thus emphasising the importance of him accepting his role as a father. “It is too late for me” is important in itself, of course admitting to Luke’s journey into the light being the better way, but “son” is where the crux of the emotion lies, and it’s a thrilling experience to witness it being said.
Star Wars certainly has bigger and more obvious moments of moral dilemma, or the struggle between good and evil, light and dark, but this often underestimated line remains one of the franchise’s best and most important. Darth Vader was the key all along, and his relationship to Luke is what allows our hero to open the door to a brighter future for the galaxy. (JW)
38. “I Am One With the Force. The Force Is With Me.”
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Rogue One is set just before A New Hope when the Force is considered by many, including Luke Skywalker, to be a myth. In the far reaches of the universe, there are some believers that have yet to be stamped out by the Empire, and one such a person is Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen), an archetype of the Force-believing monk. As the Stormtroopers apprehend the rebel alliance’s Cassian Andor and Jyn Erso, the blind monk walks into battle recounting the words, “I am one with the Force. The Force is with me.” He takes down no fewer than 8 stormtroopers with nothing more than a stick and a sixth sense: the Force.
Belief, or the lack thereof, in the Force was discussed even in the original Star Wars movie, but the reality of that hadn’t really been explored, each of us encouraged to simply believe in it too. That was until this moment. Chirrut Îmwe delivers a series of brutal blows despite being blind, his belief in the Force affording him the ability to feel things his eyes cannot see. It is a moment shot like the best of martial arts films, the edit avoiding too many cuts so we can see the logistics of Donnie Yen’s very real martial arts mastery. As he takes down enemies with superior arms, Îmwe’s faith is repaid, and as such so is ours (important for a film with a lack of Force-using characters).
The character of Chirrut Îmwe is perhaps the coolest version of us as audience members – us being believers in the force, but not users (obviously). And he is without a doubt the coolest of all the new characters introduced in the Disney era of Star Wars. This scene acts as his true introduction, and helps to foreshadow his untimely demise, proving itself as successful both within its own narrative and further into our cultural understanding of this powerhouse franchise. (JW)
Recommended for you: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Review
37. Kylo Ren Sees Han Solo
Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker
As our hero Rey rebuffs the violent and murderous Kylo Ren, and ultimately escapes his clutches in pursuit of her truth and victory for the light side, Kylo is left soaking wet aboard a mostly submerged spaceship. As he contemplates his next steps, he turns to find his father, Han Solo, whom he killed two films prior in The Force Awakens. Kylo Ren proclaims Han’s son is dead and that Han is just a memory, to which Han retorts “your memory”. Kylo’s mask slips, his direction cemented. He utters “Dad…” as if preparing an apology, but Han cuts him off… “I know.”
This was one of the biggest surprises of the final Skywalker Saga entry, but it wasn’t just a cameo to ensure crowd engagement, it was a deeply meaningful moment for one of the Sequel Trilogy’s key characters, Kylo Ren. This is happening in his head; Han Solo is a figment of his imagination. This isn’t a force ghost, it’s a physical manifestation of the struggle within Ren, and how his light is seeping into his consciousness. The music strips back here, allowing for the maximum impact of Han Solo’s surprise appearance, then rises as the dialogue comes to a close, cementing Kylo’s evolution into Ben Solo. The performances, and the stillness in a movie that is always moving, always rapidly pushing forward, are masterful, and Ben Solo’s choice to throw away his lightsaber is the moment to believe that good is coming for all of the galaxy, that our resolution is but moments away.
There are some intelligent call backs to Ren’s own words from The Force Awakens, but also to Darth Vader’s claim in Return of the Jedi when he tells Luke “it is too late for me”. Each work to escalate Ren’s transition in our meta understanding of his universe, but it is this scene’s value to Han Solo that is perhaps most important overall. In The Force Awakens, Han Solo was met with the kind of grizzly end you might expect for his character, but here he’s allowed one more moment as the hero he became over the course of the original trilogy, ending his story within Star Wars with the iconic words he is best known for, “I know”. It is fitting, moving, important, and highly emotive. Only Star Wars can deliver moments like this. (JW)
36. “It’s a Trap!”
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
Rarely has the ‘Yu-Gi-Oh!’ community found a quote in Star Wars so appropriate and useful for their own fandom as this famous line spoken by Admiral Ackbar in Return of the Jedi. Upon arriving at the second Death Star, a squadron of the rebellion suddenly realise that their presence is expected. Attacks must be swiftly called off as the Admiral suddenly realises the obvious; ‘It’s a trap!’
Perhaps this particular moment isn’t as memorable for the filmmaking side of it than it is for the meme angle. It is such a simple line that one wonders how much of an impact Admiral Ackbar would have had without it. Or, how much the line itself would be remembered if it hadn’t been Ackbar saying it. On the other hand, it does allow us, should we have somehow missed what was going on, to have everything spelled out for us, with a little comedy value thrown in, so it isn’t a completely throwaway line that has been adopted by the populous after the fact.
The effects by Industrial Light and Magic for the rest of the scene are obviously wonderful for the early time period, and still manage to enchant with a little movie magic. Still, the line’s endurance on the internet and beyond is the main reason this is on the list, if only by fan popularity and not through any writing genius. (KJ)
