Our favorite Star Wars moments
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
It’s one of the most famous scenes in Star Wars. About to watch the man she’s not sure she can live without face his possible demise, Leia Organa declares in front of everyone with eyes just on him: “I love you.”
Han Solo, true to his character, responds: “I know.”
And then he’s immediately frozen in carbonite and we all pretend for a few seconds that we don’t know he’s going to turn out just fine and return for two more movies only to actually die at the hands of his son’s crimson lightsaber.
But whatever. In the moment, this exchange is iconic and glorious.
The chronically single, bitter Meg of years past thought this moment was alright, but not great. Not consciously, anyway. Fast forward about a few dozen viewings, and I look at the “I love you” moment in The Empire Strikes Back a little differently,
My boyfriend and I are both huge Star Wars fans, but we’re pretty good at separating reality and fantasy — he gets annoyed when I quote the movies too much when we’re hanging out, so I try to refrain. Which is why I was mortified — at least for a split second — when the first thing that came out of my mouth the first time he told me he loved me was “I know.”
I didn’t plan it or ever imagine it happening; it just happened, and now it’s the go-to response I offer if the moment calls for it.
The scene in Empire is just a little bit more special to me now. It’s actually about to come on as I’m writing this. And it’s just as magical now as it has been the last five times I’ve seen it. Definitely belongs in my favorite top five Star Wars moments.