Star Wars has experienced its fair share of WTF moments over the course of six films — but which ones truly blew our minds at the time?
What moment in Star Wars history is truly the most shocking or memorable?
That’s a question that we’ve all asked ourselves, but we’ve finally sat down and hammered out a definitive list of moments in Star Wars history that have stuck out the most in our minds — both in the moment and long after that.
Picking out WTF moments in Star Wars isn’t something that you’d think would be possible, as we tend to associate these types of moments with massive deaths on television shows or huge plot twists in movies. But we’ve become so familiar with Star Wars over the years that we tend to forget just how many moments the six films to date have.
In our totally scientific study, it turns out that The Empire Strikes Back is the most shocking Star Wars movie of all time with the film having total of 24 percent of the top moments. Even more surprising is the fact that Attack of the Clones clocks in as the third most shocking movie with eight moments in all.
When you strip away the context of how good or bad the film is and focus solely on the moment, you end up with a mix of Star Wars memories that everyone can agree continue to stick with us almost 40 years after the first movie was released.
So which moment is No. 1?
Next: 50. Padme Dies Giving Birth
50. Padme Dies Giving Birth to Luke and Leia
Film: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
The Moment: After being taken away from Mustafar by Obi-Wan, Padme gives birth to Luke and Leia Skywalker. In the process though, she loses the will to live and dies. Her final words to Obi-Wan are that she still believes Anakin has good in him and that he’s not the monster he has become as Darth Vader.
Why It’s Memorable: It’s memorable for a couple of reasons — not all of which are positive. The main reason here is that it’s the bridge between the prequel films and the original trilogy as it’s the birth of Luke and Leia. But aside from that, fans are mixed in hindsight about Padme losing the will to live simply because Anakin as turned to the dark side. It’s a cheesy moment, but you’d be hard pressed to have the feels a little bit the first time we saw this in theaters.
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There are a number of ways this could have been done differently, but we have to remember that George Lucas wrote and directed the moment so the fact we got any emotion at all out of it at all is amazing in of itself.
Next: 49. Darth Maul's Big Reveal
49. Darth Maul’s Lightsaber Revealed
Film: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
The Moment: As the small Naboo resistance group pushes its way through the hangar bay and into the palace, they are cut off by Darth Maul. Rather than fight him as a group, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon break off and take him on by themselves. In revealing himself to the group, Maul ignites not one but two sides of his lightsaber handle, showing us a double-bladed weapon we’d never seen before.
Why It’s Memorable: First off, it’s Darth Maul which makes it amazing on the surface. But beyond that we all remember this moment and getting chills when it was on the big screen. Even at home on Blu-ray the moment is still one of the coolest of the prequels, as we get out first truly good look at the demon Darth Maul is.
The reveal of his double-bladed lightsaber though was something that put this moment over the top. It was a flawless sequence of events and it kicked off the best part of the first two movies in the prequel trilogy of films. That entire lightsaber fight is worth watching the other two hours of The Phantom Menace, but this moment will always be one of the best Lucas ever came up with.
Next: 48. Boba Fett Outsmarts Han
48. Boba Fett Follows Han and Leia to Cloud City
Film: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
The Moment: After escaping the Asteroid Field and the literal belly of a beast, the Millennium Falcon still has to find a way to outrun an Imperial Star Cruiser without the ability to jump into hyperspace. Han Solo gets creative in his escape and flies right at the bridge of a Cruiser, attaching the Falcon to the garbage chute of the ship. As the Imperials dump their garbage as part of the process of jumping to hyperspace, Han detaches the Falcon and floats away with the garbage — and bounty hunter Boba Fett who had to same idea has our heroes.
Why It’s Memorable: There are a handful of moments where something as fantastical as Star Wars gets away with a plot device like Imperial garage dumping policies. But that’s part of what makes this moment so special — it’s so simple and not at all complex.
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That’s something that makes Boba Fett figuring out the trick make sense, as it’s so obvious it’s the one thing the Imperials won’t think of. It also ties back to Attack of the Clones and where Boba learned the trick from the way Obi-Wan escaped in similar fashion.
Next: 47. Anakin Wipes Out Separatist Leaders
47. Darth Vader Slaughters Separatist Leaders
Film: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
The Moment: After turning to the dark side and accepting the role as Darth Sidious’ apprentice, Darth Vader heads to Mustafar where the Separatist leaders are hiding out. Once there, he wipes every single one of them out with deadly force and no remorse, effectively winning the war for the Empire.
Why It’s Memorable: This is really the first time that we saw Darth Vader go full Vader in real time. There was the whole killing the younglings at the Jedi Temple, but that was off screen and left largely to our imagination. But this was right in front of our faces and it was undeniably the darkest that Anakin ever was on screen and is the best way to see Vader learn to bark.
We have to remember that this is really the first time that we truly saw Darth Vader introduced. It’s hard to disassociate Hayden Christensen with Anakin Skywalker, but this is Darth Vader on his first mission and it’s a fantastic moment in Star Wars lore. It’s also the final loose end that Anakin is tying up, as killing Nute Gunray in honor of Padme is Anakin truly embracing and indulging in the selfishness of the dark side.
Next: 46. Obi-Wan Speaks To Luke
46. Obi-Wan Speaks To Luke in the Trenches
Film: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
The Moment: After making his way to the trenches of the Death Star, Luke attempts to pilot his X-Wing fighter in order to get in the right position to fire his proton torpedoes and destroy the space station. All others who tried had failed and as Luke zeroed in on his target, Obi-Wan speaks to him from beyond the grave and tells him to use The Force to guide the torpedoes into the exhaust port.
Why It’s Memorable:
There’s a few pretty awesome things about this moment, not the least of which is it’s the first time that we really hear someone utter the phrase ‘Use The Force’, which has gone down as one of the most famous lines in movie history.
It also introduced us to the idea of life beyond the galaxy we had become familiar with. Even in the prequels, there wasn’t an appearance of a force ghost or someone speaking to anyone from beyond the grave. We were still pretty beat up out seeing Obi-Wan killed by Vader at this point, and to hear him speak to Luke was a real pick-me-up, as well as evidence that Luke’s journey was far from being over.
Next: 45. Anakin Leaves His Mom Behind
45. Anakin Has To Leave His Mom Behind
Film: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
The Moment: As part of the prize for beating Sebulba in the big pod race, Qui-Gon has freed Anakin Skywalker, allowing him to leave Tatooine and presume his destiny. Part of that means leaving his mother behind, whom Watto wouldn’t agree to free as well in the wager. This means that in order to leave and follow Qui-Gon’s guidance, Anakin will have to leave his mother behind — something he’s not so excited to do.
Why It’s Memorable: It’s the first really sad thing that’s ever happened to Anakin, that meaning he issuing tested for the first time emotionally and it doesn’t end well. Not only does he end up turning into Darth Vader basically because he has attachment issues, but he fails his first test in being a Jedi.
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All Anakin needs to do is leave his mother and not look back — and he can’t do that. Instead of just leaving, he has to look back and then run back to his mother’s arms. You can’t blame a little kid for this, but it has far deeper meaning than just a kid missing his mother. This is the foundation of the pain that creates Darth Vader and shatters the little kid we see trying to cope with leaving his mom.
Next: 44. Droidekas Are Not Fun
44. First Appearance Of Droidekas
Film: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
The Moment: Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are attempting to breach the bridge of a Droid Command Ship when they are attacked by droidekas — mobile killing machines that not only use speed to catch you but are protected by a force shield that deflects almost anything that is fired their way.
Why It’s Memorable: This was the first time that we saw something other than the stormtroopers of the original trilogy act as henchmen trying to kill our main characters. Not only that, but these droids were otherworldly in ways that we were hoping the rest of the prequels would be.
The world was entering The Phantom Menace with virgin eyes and high hopes, and rolling out these droidekas — literally — was something that was immediately awesome. It was all downhill from there on out as far as the prequels were concerned, but the first appearances of the Droidekas in Episode I still sticks with us. Up to this point, a lightsaber had solved every problem we encountered — including in that moment melting through a massive door — but the droidekas were too much. It’s a moment that was watered down with what followed, but just try to go back and feel the excitement you did the first time they rolled out on our two heroes.
Next: 43. Anakin Takes A Leap Of Faith
43. Anakin Jumps Out Of The Speeder
Film: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
The Moment: Obi-Wan and Anakin are in hot pursuit of a bounty hunter who had just attempted to kill Padme in her apartment. After they seemingly loose track of her in the vast highways curled around the buildings of Coruscant, Anakin cuts off his master’s rambling lesson about safety by leaping out of their speeder and into the mass of traffic below to land on the bounty hunter’s ship.
Why It’s Memorable: We were still getting used to Anakin as an adult in Episode II, and we had high hopes when it came to watching him a he was before becoming Darth Vader. This was one of the more fun moments we had with the character, and it also highlighted both his wisdom and his carelessness.
Sure, he had located Zam’s ship and was actively solving a problem on the fly — but he didn’t have to do it so literally. This was ultimately the downfall of Anakin, as he didn’t learn to curb that carelessness with more wisdom and instead let it continue to influence his decisions. In a way, this was rambunctious foreshadowing for a character who would let leaps of faith be his downfall in the end.
Next: 42. Droids Can't Be Stopped
42. The Asteroid Is Actually A Space Monster
Film: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
The Moment: In an attempt to shake an Imperial tail, Han Solo pilots the Millennium Falcon into an asteroid field too dangerous for Imperial Cruisers to enter. With one tail shook, Han takes the Falcon into an asteroid cave in an effort to lose the TIE Fighters that were on scouting missions to find the band of heroes. Everything went to plan, expect for the fact that the cave they were inside was actually the belly of a space monster.
Why It’s Memorable: This is one of the most iconic moments of the original trilogy, and one of the best WTF moments we ever had when it comes to the Millennium Falcon. It was a perfectly executed bit and one that totally went sideways on everyone in ways we didn’t even imagine.
The best part about this was the slow burn to realization that we all had — including the characters. We were told a couple of different times that random danger had entreated the equation and that culminated in the revelation that we were inside of something. The shot of the Falcon flying through the teeth of the beast and away from it’s lurching jaws is one that still sticks with us.
Next: 41. The Great Jedi Purge
41. The Great Jedi Purge
Film: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
The Moment: Chancellor Palpatine has revealed himself as a Sith Lord to Anakin Skywalker, who has assisted in killing members of the Jedi Council and assumed the role as Palpatine’s apprentice: Darth Vader. Palpatine issues Order 66, which ushers in the cleansing of the remaining Jedi throughout the galaxy at the hands of the clone troopers they’ve been assigned to lead.
Why It’s Memorable: We all knew this moment was going to come at some point in the prequel films but we just didn’t know when or how it would all go down. It was actually a really depressing moment, as it’s about as dark as Star Wars ever really got. There were darker moments ahead — unbeknownst to the audience at the time — but this was the most horrific thing George Lucas had ever shot without it being offensive to fans.
It wasn’t a total cheese-fest like it could have been, as just about every Jedi we had ever seen even for a fleeting moment on screen was given a death scene. It really hammered home the gravity of the situation and just how heavy this was. It was a rare spot-on landing by Lucas in his prequel trilogy.
Next: 40. The Executioner Meets Its End
40. Starship Crashes into The Executioner’s Bridge
Film: Star Wars Episode IV: Return of the Jedi
The Moment: As the rebellion and empire battle around the Death Star II, the tide begins to turn against the Imperials and the Rebels begin to gain an upper hand. The clincher in the battle, which alters the tide for good, happens when the super star destroyer known as The Executor — Darth Vader’s cruiser — is taken down after a rebel ship crashes into the bridge and sends the massive cruiser towards the Death Star’s surface.
Why It’s Memorable: It’s one of those moments that you don’t think of right off the top of your head but you instantly remember it when someone brings it up — kind of like right now. It was a tide shifting moment in the Battle of Endor, as it gave the rebels the upper hand they needed and served as a symbol of the shift in momentum.
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It also tied up a loose end that was dangling which we didn’t consider much. We knew the Empire would be defeated some way and there would be resolution with Vader and the Emperor, but we didn’t give much thought to things like the ships these characters had. There’s no final resolution like exploding into the surface of the Death Star in an iconic shot.
Next: 39. Padme Tells Anakin The Truth
39. Padme Tells Anakin She Loves Him
Film: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
The Moment: After being captured on Geonosis and sentenced to death, Padme tells Anakin that she indeed has feelings for him and that she loves him. As they are being wheeled out for their execution, she kisses him and gives her heart to the man she will not long after, marry.
Why It’s Memorable: This could go hand in hand with the moment where Padme tells Anakin she is pregnant, but that was more of a quickie moment than a slow love making moment like this. It’s about as close to a sex scene as we could ask for in a Star Wars movie as it was honest and pure emotion that wasn’t too cheesy — surprisingly from the pen of George Lucas.
From a story standpoint, we didn’t know when Padme would pledge her love for Anakin after he freaked out about her torturing his soul back on Naboo. But this was the true start of their romance, as it was the first time that both Anakin and Padme were all in on their love for one another. It was kind of a low blow at the time since they thought they were going to die, but it was no doubt a critical moment in the arc of the story.
Next: 38. The Ewoks Save The Galaxy
38. The Ewoks Beat The Empire on Endor
Film: Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
The Moment: Pinned back up against a wall, the Rebel forces on Endor are all but cooked when their attempt to blow up the child generator is foiled. Han Solo and the crew are captured by Imperial forces, but the tides shifts violently when the Ewoks show up to bail everyone out and take down the mighty Empire in an epic battle.
Why It’s Memorable: I mean — I’m not happy about this moment but it happened and it’s part of the lore of Star Wars. Unless Lawrence Kasdan ret-cons this in the new films, we will forever live in a galaxy that was saved by Ewoks. Stripping away our narcissism, this is one of the more memorable moments from our childhoods as the Empire was basically beaten by teddy bears and that’s a big deal.
Additionally, the battle scenes on Endor weren’t all cuddly and fuzzy. Lest we forget that tragic moment when an Ewok tries to wake his buddy up and he can’t. We questioned the meaning of life at that point, as there’s nothing more depressing than an Ewok snuff film, even if we pretend to hate the fact they were so critical in the story arc of Star Wars.
Next: 37. Han Saves Lando's Life
37. Han Saves Lando From Sarlacc Pit
Film: Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
The Moment: Lando is knocked off one of the barge ships during the battle outside of Jabba’s palace yacht and begins slipping towards the mouth of the sarlacc pit. As he claws his way back up shore, he is grabbed by a tentacle of the garlic and begins to be pulled into its mouth. Han thinks quick and while mostly blinded from the carbon unfreezing, manages to shoot the tentacle and save his friend.
Why It’s Memorable: This wasn’t just Han saving Lando — it was Han forgiving Lando and saving him. The last real encounter they had was Lando selling Han and the group out in Cloud City, which wasn’t the best last impression to give someone who can save you from being digested over the course of the next 1,000 years.
But Han’s character shone through in a big way, and he let bygones be bygones in a pretty significant way. We also need to remember that upon first viewing of Return of the Jedi, we didn’t know who was going to live and who wasn’t going to make it out of the film alive. Lando was at the to of the for chain when it came to characters that were possibly expendable, and this was his first brush with death we weren’t certain he’d survive.
Next: 36. Count Dooku Cuts Off Anakin's Arm
36. Count Dooku Cuts Off Anakin’s Arm
Film: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
The Moment: Obi-Wan and Anakin follow Count Dooku to his secret hangar bay on Geonosis and engage him in an effort to prevent him from leaving the planet. Obi-Wan fails to subdue Dooku in a lightsaber fight, but Anakin steps ini to try and help his master out. Instead, he gets overzealous and ends up getting his arm cut off by Dooku.
Why It’s Memorable: Say what you will about the wooden way that George Lucas tells a story, but there is some serious symbolism and foreshadowing going on here in this moment. We all knew there would be a moment when Anakin started becoming more machine than man, and this was the beginning of that.
Just like his son, Luke, Anakin was maimed in the second film of his trilogy and forced to replace his missing limb with a mechanical limb. It was also another moment where Anakin reacted rather than thinking about a situation first — and it resulted in him getting his arm cut off. It’s not as though this is a moment that began a downfall towards the dark side, but it was the first time that a piece of the person he was died and was no longer there.
Next: 35. Lando Barely Escapes The Death Star II
35. Lando Barely Escapes The Second Death Star
Film: Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
The Moment: After the shield generator on Endor was destroyed, Lando led a small team of rebels inside of the Death Star II in an effort to destroy it. After taking out the reactor core, the team moves to escape the bowels of the Death Star as it begins to combust and explode. Lando, piloting the Millennium Falcon, barely escapes the space station as it spits fire in one final breath of life.
Why It’s Memorable: This is probably the most memorable moment that Lando was involved in as it’s his character his most triumphant. There’s fewer highs that can be had than barely escaping the Death Star before it explodes. It was the ultimate moment of catharsis and it’s still a widely discussed moment in Star Wars lore.
There has been debate over the years as to whether or not Lando was originally meant to die at the end of the film. All of the scripts in existence seem to suggest that no such plot line was ever something that was supposed to happen, but it’s an added layer of substance to an already memorable moment for both Star Wars and Lando. We all breathed a sigh of relief when the Falcon me it out of the Death Star, and it will always be like that.
Next: 34. Jar Jar Destroys The Galaxy
34. Jar Jar Plunges Galaxy Into Darkness
Film: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
The Moment: With Padme in hiding for her own protection, Naboo appoints Jar Jar Binks as the representative in the senate. The only problem with that is a massive vote about the creation of a clone army is brought forth and the decision to give emergency powers to the chancellor is placed at the feet of Jar Jar. After the briefest moment of manipulation ever, Jar Jar votes for emergency powers to be given to Palpatine.
Why It’s Memorable: This is it — it’s the single worst thing that ever happened to the galaxy. It’s zero hour for the fall of the republic, as this is the moment that the clone army was authorized for use by the republic and was basically the birth of stormtroopers and the empire.
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There were other moments that needed to happen before we were given the galaxy we saw in the original trilogy, but it was all made possible by the dimwittedness of Jar Jar. Everything bad that happened from Episode II onward was put into motion by Jar Jar which by default makes him the absolute worst character in the franchise for more reasons than his outward stupidity. That’s probably not an accident either.
Next: 33. Leia Kills Jabba The Hutt
33. Leia Kills Jabba The Hutt
Film: Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
The Moment: After being taken prisoner by Jabba the Hutt and made into his slave, Leia uses the distraction near the sarlacc pit to turn the tide and escape. Not only does she escape Jabba’s clutches, but she manages to kill the most powerful Hutt gangster on Tatooine in the process.
Why It’s Memorable: Well, first and foremost people remember this entire sequence for one thing — that slave bikini. It’s as sexy as Star Wars every tried to get, and it surprisingly doesn’t feel forced. George Lucas knew what he was doing when her came up with that concept, as it’s something that has lived on in cosplay for decades and will for so many more to come.
But as far as the moment itself, this is an example of another badass Star Wars character going out like a flickering flame. Boba Fett, Darth Maul and Jabba the Hutt were all given minimal screen time and made the absolute most with it and become memorable characters we wanted to see more of. All three characters were killed off rather quickly and Jabba is one of the final examples of that. Thankfully with the anthology films, we might get to see his character fleshed out more.
Next: 32. Luke Meets Yoda
32. Luke Meets Yoda For The First Time
Film: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
The Moment: Luke hears a message from Obi-Wan, who speaks to him from beyond the grave, that he must go to the Dagobah system and find the great Jedi master Yoda to learn the ways of The Force. Upon arriving to the swampy planet, Luke encounters a small green character who bafoonishly stumbles around his camp before revealing himself to be the Yoda he seeks, and that the drunken act was a test.
Why It’s Memorable: It’s our first introduction to Yoda — so how can’t this one be memorable. But beyond that, it’s a serious WTF moment for a variety of reasons. Initially, we have no idea who this character is and become frustrated only to find out it’s Yoda. If we’re coming in with the prequels under our belts, the WTF factor still works in that we have never seen this version of Yoda in the past, as he’s always been composed and oozing wisdom.
It’s hard to have a WTF moment work on multiple levels from multiple angles like that but this is how that moment manages to be so memorable. Yoda is a memorable character in his own right but this takes things to a whole different level of awesome.
Next: 31. 'That's No Moon...'
31. It’s Not A Moon, It’s A Death Star
Film: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
The Moment: Han, Luke, Chewie and Obi-Wan all escape Tatooine, only to encounter a TIE Fighter in deep space near where Alderaan should be. They quickly realize that the ship might be lost since it’s so far away from a fleet and plan to destroy it until they see it fling towards a distant moon. Obi-Wan is the first to realize that it’s not a moon, but the Death Star that the ship is flying towards.
Why It’s Memorable: It’s one of the most memorable and well-known lines in all of movie history. Everyone who has seen A New Hope knows this line and it’s one that will stick with us forever.
Aside from that, it’s also a classic moment in general for the film. It’s a slow burn to the revelation of the Death Star, as we had no idea our heroes were barreling that directly towards the instrument of doom. We already knew the Death Star was bad news and that at some point our heroes were going to have to deal with it, but this acted as a nice little twist that they encountered in this fashion — and the way the drama unfolded was pure brilliance. Alec Guinness has a slew of great scenes to his credit, but this is easily Top 5.
Next: 30. Padme's Decoy Is Killed
30. Padme’s Decoy Is Killed
Film: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
The Moment: Upon arriving to Coruscant, Padme’s starship is bombed with the explosion killing some guards and presumably the senator herself. Instead, it’s revealed that this was merely a decoy, with Padme being one of the pilots accompanying the ship to the docking bay. Either way, it was a clear attempt on Padme’s life and the first indication that not all is well in the galaxy.
Why It’s Memorable: This was the very first scene of Episode II, and it’s the most jarring way that a Star Wars film has ever started. The openings to the Star Wars movies are usually slow burns to something significant, but this was pretty much the first thing that we saw and it claimed the life of a character — which was ironically uncharacteristic of the franchise.
Sadly, it was all downhill from here, as the murder-mystery storyline was abandoned about 45-minutes later and Attack of the Clones went off the rails. But this was one of the most interesting ways to start a Star Wars film as it instantly grabbed out attention and invested us. We were let down afterwards, but it was still one of the few jump-scare moments in Star Wars history.
Next: 29. Anakin Beheads Count Dooku
29. Anakin Kills Count Dooku
Film: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
The Moment: Obi-Wan and Anakin arrive at the bridge of a droid starship to try and rescue the kidnapped Chancellor Palpatine. Before they can spring him loose, Count Dooku appears and challenges the duo to a lightsaber fight to the death. With Obi-Wan knocked out of the battle, Anakin overpowers Dooku but wants to take him prisoner. Palpatine insists he be killed, and Anakin gives in, decapitating Dooku and killing Darth Sidious’ apprentice.
Why It’s Memorable: It’s the first major death of the darkest Star Wars film in the franchise, and it’s also one of the jumping off points for Anakin’s turn to the dark side. We had already seen him go dark in Attack of the Clones, but this is yet another occasion where he gives into Palpatine’s wishes.
It’s also significant in that Anakin cleared a place at the dark side table for him to take Dooku’s place. It was the last thing that needed to happen for Palpatine to make surer Anakin was his next Sith apprentice. Oh yeah, there’s also the whole another character got his head cut off thing, but after Jango Fett in Episode II, this wasn’t as shocking as it otherwise would have been.
Next: 28. Lando Rescues Leia and Chewie
28. Lando Rescues Leia and Chewbacca
Film: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
The Moment: As Imperial officers escort Leia, Chewie and Threepio away on Cloud City, Lando steps in and rescues them. In rescuing the trio of rebels, Lando must issue the evacuation of his planet in an effort to save more lives and create the diversion needed to escape the empire’s clutches.
Why It’s Memorable: It’s the first time that we sort of trust Lando after meeting him. It wasn’t long after his introduction that he sold Han out to Darth Vader to seemingly save his own skin. It really appears in this moment of rescuing Leia and Chewie that Lando is making things up as he goes.
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It wasn’t his plan from the start to go back on his word with the empire and Darth Vader, but it showed a lot about his character that he did. This is really the first time that we come around to liking Lando, and it’s one heck of an introduction to a main character. This wasn’t the highlight of Lando’s time in Star Wars but it was Lando’s true leap of faith with our main characters and his official initiation into the group.
Next: 27. Yoda Dies
27. Yoda Dies
Film: Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
The Moment: Luke returns to Dagobah to continue his Jedi training, only to find that Yoda is no longer in good enough health to aide him. As Luke pleads for answers about Vader and his purpose in the galaxy, Yoda calmly comforts Luke before snuggling up in his little bed and dying. As he dies, Yoda’s body passes from the world Luke is in to the Force World.
Why It’s Memorable: We all got a lump in our throats when Yoda died — and it’s hard to not get all bent out of shape emotionally even when we see it for the millionth time. This isn’t just some lovable character dying here, it’s Yoda. upon the first viewing, especially if you only have The Empire Strikes Back for character reference with Yoda, it might not be as emotionally crippling.
But with the prequel films in our minds and the importance of Yoda made very clear — as well as all the memories we have with him — this is a tough moment. It’s also a significant moment in that Luke is officially the last of the Jedi, which is an incredibly heavy cross to bear.
Next: 26. Luke Takes Darth Vader's Mask Off
26. Luke Takes Darth Vader’s Mask Off
Film: Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
The Moment: With the Death star under siege and Emperor Palpatine dead, Luke attempts to rescue a mortally wounded Darth Vader in the last moments of his life. Rather than physically rescue him, Vader tells his son to take his mask off so he can look at him for once with his own eyes. Luke takes the mask off, shares a moment with his father and proceeds to die.
Why It’s Memorable: This was another tough moment in the saga, as it’s final resolution with the biggest and baddest villain that we’ve ever seen. Vader sharing a moment with his son is the meat of this moment and why it’s so special. It’s truly the first time that a kid is meeting his father, and it’s in the final moments in one of their lives.
That’s a tough deal right there, and it’s something that will more than likely carry over into the new trilogy of films starting with The Force Awakens. This was a truly emotional moment for Star Wars and it provided closure for the previous five films we had seen and acted as the end of the arc for Anakin Skywalker.
Next: 25. Vader Almost Chokes Out An Officer
25. Vader Almost Chokes Out An Officer
Film: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
The Moment: In an imperial meeting room, an officer questions Darth Vader’s purpose and place in the chain of command under Grand Moff Tarkin. Rather than argue back, Vader uses the power of The Force to choke the air out of the officer’s lungs, only releasing him when Tarkin demands it following Vader proving his point.
Why It’s Memorable: We take The Force for granted, but upon first viewing this is really the first time that we got to see the true power of what it was — just as Vader explains to the officer he’s choking. It has to be one of the most reenacted moments in the Star Wars saga, as The Force choke has crossed over into mainstream thanks in very large part to this scene.
But as far as it’s importance to the story, this is our introduction to not only The Force but the ruthlessness of Vader. We had previously seen him choke a character out inside the Blockade Runner, but that was with his hand. This gave us a whole different reason to fear Vader as he didn’t need to physically be choking you to inflict pain and damage using the dark side of the force.
Next: 24. Yoda Says There's Another Skywalker
24. Yoda Says There’s Another Skywalker
Film: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
The Moment: As Luke goes against the wishes of Yoda and Obi-Wan to fly to Cloud City and attempt to rescue Han, Leia and Chewie, it seems that all hope in saving the Jedi has been lost. But as Luke flies away, Yoda mentions to a ghost figure of Obi-Wan that there is another who they can invest their hopes in and Luke isn’t the last of the Jedi, so to speak.
Why It’s Memorable: It’s an unexpected WTF moment as it’s all in the dialogue. There’s no jump scare or huge physical action that takes place to usher in this moment — in fact, there isn’t even a ton of lighting on the scene. In the dark ,with symbolic blue and red lights intermittently lighting Yoda, he says the Luke isn’t the last of the Jedi and heavily implies that there’s another Skywalker.
The whole moment is foreshadowing on the big twist that will come later, but it raises questions beyond that as it’s not revealed that Leia is Luke’s sister — even if it’s heavily implied from everything we have seen and felt at that point in time. It was a big moment for the saga, and a moment of slow realization for all of us.
Next: 23. It's A Trap!
23. It’s A Trap
Film: Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
The Moment: Lando and Admiral Akbar lead the rebel forces to the mouth of the Death Star II above Endor, thinking that the shields have been taken out by Han on the planet below. Unbeknownst to them, the imperial forces have thwarted Han’s team and the shields are still up. After realizing this, they rebels take evasive action but it’s already too late as they’ve fallen into the empire’s trap.
Why It’s Memorable: It’s one of the most memorable lines in the Star Wars saga, as Admiral Ackbar exclaiming ‘it’s a trap’ has crossed over into our everyday conversation. Not only has it crossed over but so has the way he says it, as it’s something that we utter at least once a day in some way.
But as far s the moment itself is concerned, the trap closes on the rebels in a chilling way. It’s hard not to have the hairs on your arms raise when you hear this line uttered. It’s also a pretty intense moment of realization that this isn’t a plan that is going to go off accordingly, as the empire had the upper hand on the rebels one final time before its downfall.
Next: 22. Luke Makes A Grisly Discovery
22. Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru Get Roasted
Film: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
The Moment: After finding Obi-Wan and conversing with him about how he can’t leave Tatooine to help him save the galaxy, Luke returns to his home to find Uncle Ben and Aunt Beru murdered. Not only were they murdered but they were burned alive, with only their charred skeleton corpses left behind for Luke to discover.
Why It’s Memorable: Luke needed a reason to leave Tatooine, and this was it. Not only was it the reason for him to leave the planet and start his journey towards his destiny, but it was one of the most violent moments in the Star Wars saga. There was no holding back on this one, as Lucas punches us in the emotional gut by showing us the charred bodies of Uncle Ben and Aunt Beru.
Once Lucas realized how much money his merchandise was worth in this franchise, he toned things way the hell down — so much so that teddy bears beat the empire and Jar Jar happened. But this was a moment where Lucas embraced the raw reality of filmmaking and story telling in the golden era of the 70s and wasn’t afraid to paint a brutal picture even in a galaxy far, far away.
Next: 21. Anakin massacres Tusken Raider Camp
21. Anakin Massacres Tusken Raider Camp
Film: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
The Moment: Anakin returns to Tatooine after having a terrible vision about his mother suffering at the hands of someone. When he arrives, he discovers that she has been kidnapped by Tusken Raiders and is presumed dead. He finds her captive in a Raider camp but she dies in his arms, something that prompts him to go full rage, embrace the dark side and slaughter every single Raider man, woman and child he sees.
Why It’s Memorable: Attack of the Clones is an affront to cinema, but it isn’t without it’s interesting moments where it tries really hard to be a good film. Just like how Lucas went for the gut in A New Hope with the death of Owen and Beru, he goes way dark on this one as Anakin slaughters women and children.
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An easter egg here is that Qui-Gon tries to speak to Anakin through The Force but isn’t able to reach him. It’s in the scene right after Anakin begins his slaughter and it cuts back to Yoda and Mace meditating. Of course, this moment is ruined in a way by Hayden Christensen’s wooden acting where he rants to Padme about what he did, but it’s the first truly dark moment we see Anakin indulge in and not really feel remorse.
Next: 20. Jango Fett Loses His Head
20. Jango Fett Gets Decapitated
Film: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
The Moment: With the Jedi attempting to turn the tide at the battle in the Geonosis execution theater, Jango Fett zeros in on Mace Windu. With all of his attempts thwarted, Jango attempts to gun Mace down, who casually deflects his laser blasts with his lightsaber before finishing the bounty hunter off by cutting his head off — with his son Boba watching in horror from above.
Why It’s Memorable: This is bittersweet in many ways. For starters, it’s the only time we see a Fett in the prequel trilogy, as Boba doesn’t make an appearance in Revenge of the Sith and the closest thing we get to seeing Jango is the clones who take their helmets off.
It’s another example of a badass character going out like a punk — which might actually help their long term appeal. We already loved Boba Fett from the original trilogy, so by association and familiarity we gravitated towards Jango. But like Darth Maul in the movie prior, there might have been more to this story but it was tied up way too soon. Even worse than Maul, the Fett storyline was completely abandon in the next film even though there was more the flesh out there than with the Sith Lord in Episode I.
Next: 19. Luke Turns Heel
19. Luke Turns Heel on Darth Vader
Film: Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
The Moment: After fighting Vader and for the most part losing, Luke tries to center his emotions as Vader stalks the corridor of the Emperor, hunting for his son. Through that power of the Force, Vader senses that Luke has discovered that he has a sister — Leia. He uses this to stoke the emotional coals, which prompts Luke to go ham and nearly kill his father in a fit of rage.
Why It’s Memorable: What’s most interesting about this moment is that it appears that it wasn’t wrapped up neatly in Return of the Jedi like we were shown. Luke cuts off Vader’s hand, see it’s mechanical wires smoldering and looks at his own mechanical hand putting two and two metaphorically together.
But while Luke doesn’t bow to the Emperor, everything we know about The Force Awakens seems to suggest that Luke is losing his mind dealing with the emotional fallout from this memorable moment. It also shows that timid Luke was capable of turning heel at the flip of a coin, which was a dangerous element of his psyche but wasn’t dug into the way it probably should have been.
Next: 18. Leia Tells Han She Loves Him
18. Leia Tells Han She Loves Him
Film: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
The Moment: As a way of testing the carbon freezing chamber, Darth Vader decides to freeze Han Solo. As he’s being led to what could be his death, Leia breaks character and tells Han that she loves him, something she had been dancing around but was too stubborn to come out and say. Han responds in kind, letting her know that he loves her too in the only way that Han can emit emotion — by saying ‘I know’.
Why It’s Memorable: It’s one of the most romantic moments in a Star wars film and also one of the most emotional. Leia telling Han she loves him, and Han replying that he knows is the most Han Solo thing that ever happened in any of the films. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you that this moment is the definitive thing that defines the character.
What also works about this is that it punches you in the motional gut. The tension between Han and Leia was building the whole film, and it came to a head in a moment where they weren’t going to be together. There was no guarantee that Han was going to live either, so this might have very well been the last exchange they ever had — which is way heavy.
Next: 17. Anakin Chokes Out Padme
17. Anakin Chokes Out Padme
Film: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
The Moment: After tracking him down on Mustafar, Padme attempts to bring Anakin back with her so that he can start to rehab his sanity. But unbeknownst to her, Obi-Wan snuck on her ship to confront Anakin himself — which Anakin thinks was the plan and is the worst betrayal. In a fit of rage he begins to choke Padme through the force, knocking her out.
Why It’s Memorable: Revenge of the Sith is without a doubt the darkest of the Star Wars films, as it’s the only one to get a PG-13 rating. That’s in large part to scenes like this one, where we see Anakin completely abandon every shred of the person he was prior to becoming Darth Vader.
Credit Lucas here with not messing this moment up. It’s truly Shakespearian, as Anakin as turned to the Dark Side, slaughtered children and done other unspeakable things all in the name of saving Padme. But here he is, choking her out in rage — becoming the so far gone as a character the his heel turn is final and complete. There’s no coming back from this, and it could be argued that Anakin choking Padme — not her losing the will to live — is the thing that kills her.
Next: 16. Luke Gets Knocked Out
16. Luke Gets Knocked Out By the Wampa
Film: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
The Moment: While investigating a crashed meteorite on Hoth, Luke is attacked by a snow monster known as a Wampa. This creature knocks him out and drags him back to the cave it calls home to put him on ice for a meal later.
Why It’s Memorable: It’s one of the jump scare moments in Star Wars that works great. There aren’t a ton of these moments, but it comes out of absolutely nowhere to both scare us and throw us off our game. We have absolutely no clue that the hell just happened, other than Luke is in grave danger and it’s not clear how long he’s going to be out of the picture.
This is an example of the universe of Star wars playing a role in the overall story. Yeah, there’s character arc and all that, but we are dealing with a galaxy far, far away and there are other things than rebels and imperials in that landscape. This highlights that, as while we have our normal story, there’s variables we weren’t accounting for playing a role in making things difficult.
Next: 15. Darth Maul Gets Cut In Half
15. Darth Maul Gets Cut In Half
Film: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
The Moment: After killing Qui-Gon Jinn, Darth Maul squares off with Obi-Wan and manages to overpower him and kick him down a shaft. Clinging on for dear life, Obi-Wan plays on Darth Maul’s hubris, and uses the force to leap up from the pit and over his foe. While in the air, he uses the force to grab Qui-Gon’s lightsaber and slices a stunned Darth Maul in half. Shocked by this turn of events, Maul stumbles backwards into the pit.
Why It’s Memorable: It’s the single biggest WTF moment in the first film of the saga and is one of the most solid memories we have from the prequels. When you think of Darth Maul, you think of two things: his lightsaber reveal and him getting cut in half. It almost ruins the lightsaber fight he has with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan leading up to his death as we all know it’s coming despite his insane skills.
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Maul went out like a punk, which is also why this is so memorable. Here we thought Lucas had created a Vader for the prequels but he sliced him in half before the first movie was even over. Maul eventually came back in the Clone Wars TV series, but he wasn’t given the justice he deserved in the films.
Next: 14. Alderaan Gets Blown Up
14. Alderaan Gets Blown Up
Film: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
The Moment: As a way of demonstrating the awesome power of the Death Star, Grand Moff Tarkin orders that Princess Leia tell him where the rebels are hiding out so he can blow that planet up. He threatens to blow up Leia’s home planet of Alderaan unless she tell him. She lies and Tarkin they’re on Dantooine, which Tarkin mildly buys but still doesn’t set a course to. Instead, he fires the lasers at Alderaan, which explodes right before Leia’s eyes.
Why It’s Memorable: This is the first time that we see just exactly what the Death Star is capable of — and it’s terrifying. It’s also another moment where Lucas didn’t hold back with the gut punches as he went from killing Luke’s aunt and uncle in brutal fashion to wiping out an entire planet in the blink of an eye.
Let’s also pause to recognize the special effects here, as this was pretty stunning back in 1977 and it’s still stunning today. In the world of CGI we live in, this was a moment that wasn’t just emotional back breaking for us but it was a technical feat at the same time.
Next: 13. Anakin Kills Mace Windu
13. Anakin Kills Mace Windu
Film: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
The Moment: After realizing that he needs Palpatine alive, Anakin goes to the Chancellor’s chambers to rescue him from Mace Windu and the team of Jedi who are there to arrest him. He arrives with only Mace still alive, Anakin pleads with the Jedi Master to spare Palpatine’s life. When Mace refuses and moves to kill the Chancellor, Anakin cuts his arm off. This allows Palpatine to finish Mace by throwing him out the window using force lightning.
Why It’s Memorable: There are stages to Anakin slipping into the dark side’s clutches, and this is the moment of no return. It’s not the worst thing that he does, but this is the definitive moment where Darth Vader is born and Anakin Skywalker begins to die. There’s no turning back from killing Mace Windu — Anakin knows this and gives in to the dark side in a moment of rebirth that is brutal to endure.
Let’s also not skate over the fact that this is the death of Mace Windu. We were wondering when and how Mace would have his story arc wrapped up in the prequels, and he went out in a blaze of insanity. If you were going in with virgin eyes, this took you entirely by surprise.
Next: 12. Han Thought They Only Smelled Bad On The Outside
12. Han Slices Open His Tauntaun
Film: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
The Moment: After finding Luke’s nearly frozen body in the wastelands of the Hoth snow desert, Han Solo attempts to find a way to keep his friend warm through the night as they have no way of getting back to the rebel base. Thinking on his feet, Han uses Luke’s lightsaber to slice open the belly of a tauntaun and slides his friend inside of the creature to use the body heat to save him.
Why It’s Memorable: There’s a few things to love about this moment, not the least of which is that it’s the only time in the entire saga that a character other than a Jedi uses a lightsaber. We came close in Episode II when Jango tried to get Obi-Wan’s, but this is the only time that a character other than a Jedi or Sith handles a lightsaber in the films.
And of course it’s Han Solo. As if he wasn’t already the coolest character in the galaxy, he gets this distinct honor. It also shows how smart and quick on his feet Han is — something we knew but saw applied in real time here. Had it not been for this quick thinking by Han, Luke might not have made it. If you want to find out what happened in that scenario, check out the Infinities comic line, as it’s explored interestingly there and also highlighting what a pivotal moment this was.
Next: 11. Anakin Kills A Bunch Of Kids
11. Anakin Kills A Bunch Of Kids
Film: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
The Moment: After turning to the dark side and killing Mace Windu, Anakin pledges himself to the teachings of Darth Sidious. Part of this means wiping out all of the Jedi that remain on Coruscant — which means killing the unprotected younglings left behind in the Jedi Temple. With the Temple under siege, Anakin entered the Council chambers to find the children cowering in fear which is alleviated when he enters. They believe they are about to be saved, which is when Anakin ignites his lightsaber and begins the slaughter.
Why It’s Memorable: Anakin kills children — you really need more than that? This is dark, dark stuff we’re dealing with here as George Lucas actually crafts a brilliantly disturbing series of events that shows off his vintage filmmaking skills. Lucas doesn’t actually show Anakin killing the younglings, rather he gives us the before and after.
That’s a classic trick to use, as it leaves the massacre up to our imagination which is far worse than anything Lucas could have shown us. It also shows restraint, as a man who loves to control every frame of his saga left one of the most critical moments in the prequel trilogy up to our imagination — too bad it’s that darkest moment we’d ever seen.
Next: 10. Darth Vader Redeems Himself
10. Darth Vader Tosses Emperor Palpatine Down A Shaft
Film: Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
The Moment: Emperor Palpatine has Luke pinned with force lightning, and is killing him without remorse. Vader, watching his son be electrocuted while crying out for his father, contemplates everything he represents and decides that he no longer wants to be a slave to the dark side. He picks the Emperor up over his head and throws him down a shaft to his death.
Why It’s Memorable: This is the cathartic moment that five previous films had been building to. Anakin Skywalker comes roaring back to life to reclaim his soul after selling it to the dark side so many years before. It’s something that we knew might happen but it was still shocking to see it all go down.
With the prequels now in existence, we have so much more context to consider in this moment for Vader. Even without thinking of Padme, Qui-Gon, Anakin’s mother and everything in the prequels, we still have so much context to chew on from the two films before Return of the Jedi. It’s the end of Vader’s character arc and it’s the return of Anakin in glorious fashion. His redemption is as Shakespearian as his fall from grace and it’s beautiful to watch.
Next: 9. Luke Gets His Hand Chopped Off
9. Luke Gets His Hand Cut Off
Film: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
The Moment: In way over his head while battling Darth Vader on Bespin, Luke tries to overpower Vader and turn the tide of the fight. That doesn’t happen though, as Vader slices off Luke’s hand and send it along with his lightsaber plummeting to the garbage chute below.
Why It’s Memorable: This is the lead up to the biggest reveal in movie history but it’s shocking in it’s own right. We are pummeled with shocking moments that continue to one up one another until the big reveal that Vader is Luke’s father. But even without that, we have our hero at his lowest point in any of the films he was in as he’s literally losing pieces of himself in this fight against Vader.
It’s also a wildly symbolic moment that is revisited at the end of the film. We knew Anakin got overzealous in his skills and started losing limbs that shifted him towards being more machine than man — and now Luke was starting down that same path. You didn’t need the prequels to understand that symbolism but you get it a lot sooner if you have that context behind the moment.
Next: 8. Anakin Gets Cooked
8. Anakin Burns Up On Mustafar Shore
Film: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
The Moment: Anakin and Obi-Wan have taken their fight on Mustafar into the river of lava, balancing on floating pieces of metal for balance. Obi-Wan leaps onto the shore of the river, pleading with Anakin not to try and follow him — but that’s what happens. While in the air over Obi-Wan, Anakin has his good arm cut off as well as both of his legs by Obi-Wan. He tumbles down the shore towards the lava where he slowly bursts into flames as the heat of the lava roasts Anakin alive.
Why It’s Memorable: There is nothing more brutal in a Star Wars movie than this moment. This is why Revenge of the Sith was PG-13, as it’s disgusting in all the cinematic ways George Lucas was always afraid to approach out of fear that it wouldn’t be kid friendly. But we needed to see how Darth Vader became the scarred mess he was when we saw him without his mask in the original trilogy, and boy did we see that.
It’s a soul crushing moment, as you have on the one hand Anakin burning to a crisp, pleading for Obi-Wan to save him while his former master tearfully shames him one last time for betraying him and the goodness in both of their hearts. It’s heartbreaking and is the definitive death of the Anakin we watched grow in the prequel films. Darth Vader truly was born out of fire and hate.
Next: 7. Boba Fett Goes Out Like A Punk
7. Boba Fett Goes Out Like A Punk
Film: Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
The Moment: With Luke wreaking havoc in the battle above the sarlacc pit, Boba Fett moves to try and change the momentum and at the very least get out of the fight alive. As he attempts to capture Luke so he can bring him back to the empire for a bounty, Han Solo inadvertently smacks Fett’s jet pack which send him flying into the side of Jabba’s yacht, knocking him to the ground and into the mouth of the sarlacc pit.
Why It’s Memorable: This is one of the most controversial moment in Star Wars history. Boba Fett is up there in terms of being the most popular character in the galaxy, and he managed to be a bad ass character the survived more than one movie. The same can’t be said about Darth Maul, or Boba’s father Jango Fett, but his streak of staying alive came to an end here.
Going out like a punk was pretty much invented to define this moment, as one of the baddest characters in the galaxy died by accidentally getting his jet pack whacked and then rolling helplessly into the belly of a Dune Sea monster. That’s not fair, but it also might not end up being the last we see of Fett.
Next: 6. Yoda Fights Count Dooku
6. Yoda Fights Count Dooku
Film: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
The Moment: Count Dooku has incapacitated Obi-Wan and Anakin after they engaged him in an attempt to prevent him from leaving Geonosis. When it looks like Dooku is going to get away, Yoda hobbles into the room to confront his old colleague, first by catching force lightning and shooting it back at his foe and then by taking out his lightsaber to school Dooku in the art of war.
Why It’s Memorable: Up until this point in the history of Star Wars, we hadn’t seen Yoda do much of anything except limp around like an elder-statesman of the Jedi. That’s why we didn’t expect much when Yoda hobbled into the hangar bay to defend Anakin and Obi-Wan, but we got more than our money’s worth with what followed.
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Watching Yoda leap and fly around with his lightsaber was something that instantly made us forget how garbage the prequel films had been as we were totally invested in watching Yoda fight like we have never seen before. It’s not the best lightsaber fight in the saga, but it lived up to what we saw with Darth Maul and is pretty much the definition of a WTF moment since that’s exactly what we all said when Yoda proved definitively that he is the best Jedi ever.
Next: 5. Darth Vader Kills Obi-Wan
5. Darth Vader Kills Obi-Wan
Film: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
The Moment: Darth Vader senses that his old master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, is aboard the Death Star and hunts him down. They engage in a lightsaber battle that creates a diversion which allows Han, Luke and Leia to make a mad dash for the Millennium Falcon. Obi-Wan sees Luke watching and in an unintended lesson, gives himself up and allows Vader to kill him, transferring Obi-Wan’s soul to the force netherworld.
Why It’s Memorable: This was the first death of a major character in the original trilogy and was the physical death of a character we had grown close to — with or without the prequels for context. Obi-Wan was a fan favorite from the first frame he was in, and his death was a shock to us all when it happened.
Beyond the shock factor, it served great purpose to the story, as it allowed Obi-wan to help Luke more than he ever would have been able to had he lived on in the physical world. Obi-Wan returned a handful of times the remainder of the original trilogy and aided Luke in ways that only a true Jedi master who sacrificed himself could. That’s how wise Obi-Wan was, and that was displayed in this moment.
Next: 4. Lando Sells Out His Friends
4. Lando Sells Out Han, Leia and Chewie
Film: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
The Moment: Lando leads Han, Leia and Chewie on a tour of his mining colony on Bespin, taking great pride in the fact that he’s been able to stay out of the crosshairs of the empire. Lando reveals that he has actually just made a deal that will keep the empire out of Cloud City forever — the deal being selling out Han and his friends to Darth Vader.
Why It’s Memorable: There’s so much to love about The Empire Strikes Back, as it’s just body blow after body blow of unfortunate events for our heroes. After they could do no wrong in A New Hope, things just couldn’t stop going wrong in this film, all culminating in the capture of Han b the empire.
It was also the first in a series of WTF moments peppered throughout the conclusion of Empire. But above all, this confirmed that the world of smugglers was anything but admirable, as Lando sold out his old friend at the drop of a hat. There was something shady about Lando when we met him, but despite our inclinations we decided to trust him — which was a mistake. Lando redeems himself but this was a sign that no one in the galaxy can be eighty trusted.
Next: 3. Intergalactic Incest
3. Luke and Leia Kiss
Film: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
The Moment: After Luke is rushed by Han, who gloats about how badly Leia doesn’t want him to leave Hoth, we are given one of the most retroactively uncomfortable moments in the entire saga. To prove a point to Han that she doesn’t have a crush on him, she plants a giant, sloppy kiss on Luke’s lips, much to his enjoyment and the distaste of Han.
Why It’s Memorable: Intergalactic incest at it’s finest here. There are a number of theories about whether George Lucas actually intended for Luke and Leia to be brother and sister or not, but this has gone down as one of the most awkward moments in the entire franchise’s history. At the time, without the context of knowing they were brother and sister, this was still a pretty shocking moment.
But knowing in hindsight that Luke and Leia are twins, it takes this moment to a whole new level and sticks with Star Wars fans like dirty, filthy glue that we can’t wash off. It’s not that it has much to do with the progression of the story, but it’s just a moment that we can’t help but think of and cringe a little.
Next: 2. Han Shoots Down Darth Vader
2. Han Saves Luke From Darth Vader
Film: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
The Moment: Luke Skywalker is the last hope for the rebel’s assault on the Death Star, but has Darth Vader and two TIE Fighters hot on his tail as he navigates the trenches. Just when Vader locks onto Luke’s X-Wing and prepares to blow him away, Han Solo and the Millennium Falcon come to the rescue, destroying the two TIE Fighters and sending Vader’s craft spinning into the vast abyss of space.
Why It’s Memorable: Depending on who you ask and how much of a hipster you are, this might actually be the biggest WTF moment in Star Wars history. It comes out of absolutely nowhere and is unexpected payoff to the tension that had been mounting during the Death Star assault.
Above all though, this is the moment that confirmed that Han Solo was indeed our favorite character in the original trilogy and that he was an iconic legend of Star Wars. The build up to this moment is subtle and we even forget about it as Luke barrels down the trench of the Death Star. Even the moment itself is a slow build as the TIE Fighters around Vader get his first and we don’t know what the hell is happening — until Han infamously yeehaw’d his way into our hearts forever.
Next: 1. You Know What This One Is...
1. Darth Vader Reveals He Is Luke’s Father
Film: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
The Moment: After losing his hand and crawling onto a ledge above a garbage chute, Darth Vader asks Luke to join him in the empire and together they can rule the galaxy. Luke refuses, telling Vader that Obi-Wan informed him about how his father was killed by the Sith Lord. Vader replies that Obi-Wan didn’t tell him the whole truth, and the he is Luke’s father.
Why It’s Memorable: This is one of the biggest and most shocking plot twists in cinema history. Even people who haven’t seen Star Wars know that Vader is Luke’s father as it’s been used so many times in pop culture that it’s not even a twist anymore. But at the time, this was something that was so shocking that George Lucas didn’t even dub the real line in until post-production.
It’s not entirely known how planned this twist was, but it’s the genesis for the foundation that the saga’s story was laid upon. This is where Star Wars stopped being about Luke saving the galaxy and started being about the downfall of Anakin Skywalker and his quest for redemption. It’s a moment that added layers upon layers of story and context to Star Wars — which beyond the shock value of it makes this the most important moment in Star Wars history.