Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back celebrates its 40th anniversary this week. Here are the best moments from arguably the best film in the entire saga.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is widely considered to be the best film in the entire saga. It’s a dark chapter where the bad guys ultimately come out on top, and it’s chock full of emotion and dazzling special effects.
The cream of the Star Wars crop also celebrates a big anniversary this week as it turns 40 years old. The movie holds up exceptionally well over that span and has aged like a fine merlot.
In celebration of the film’s 40th anniversary, we figured it would be a good idea to look back and name its best moments. In a film that is basically perfect, narrowing this list down proved to be a tough task. That being said, here are the 11 best moments from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
The Empire Strikes Back best moments: Luke Vs. The Wampa
The Empire Strikes Back wastes little time getting into the action. It starts out with a probe droid landing on the ice planet of Hoth and soon we are reunited with Luke as he goes and investigates what he believes to be a meteor.
As he’s checking out the supposed meteor, he’s attacked by a giant snow beast known as the Wampa and is drug back to its cave.
This scene is amazing as it shows us one of the first real cases where Luke uses the Force. He’s hung upside down in the beast’s lair, as it has frozen his feet to the cave’s ceiling. Luke attempts to free himself from his dire situation but is unable to. In his rustling about, he’s gotten the attention of the Wampa who puts down his meal to see what all the ruckus is. As Luke is hanging there he notices his lightsaber nearby and reaches out with the Force to get it.
Just in the nick of time, the lightsaber comes flying out of the snow and into Luke’s outstretched hand. He quickly ignites the blade and cuts himself free. He then cuts the beast’s arm off and escapes into the snowy wasteland of Hoth.
This scene is amazing as it is full of tension and it inspired millions to attempt to retrieve a nearby object by reaching out their hands and using the Force.
The Empire Strikes Back best moments: Han Uses Luke’s Lightsaber
It’s not often we see anyone use a lightsaber in a Star Wars film who isn’t a Jedi. In the prequels General Grievous did, and in The Force Awakens, Finn picked up a lightsaber and battled not only a Stromtrooper but Kylo Ren as well.
The first time we ever saw such an instance was in The Empire Strikes Back. When Luke doesn’t come back from his search of the “meteor” Han goes out to look for him. He’s able to come across Luke, with arguably the help of Ben Kenobi, who is passed out in the snow mumbling some crap about the Dagobah system.
Just then, Han’s Tauntuan freezes and dies and he realizes he needs to keep Luke warm while he sets up their shelter or Luke will die too. He grabs Luke’s lightsaber, turns it on, and clumsily wields it to slice the belly open of the fallen beast. Han then delivers that classic line, “And I thought they smelled bad, on the outside!”
This is a great moment where we see Han Solo use a lightsaber, and it is even more ironic after hearing him talk about having a good blaster by his side in A New Hope.
The Empire Strikes Back best moments: Battle of Hoth
The Empire Strikes Back featured the first-ever ground battle in Star Wars. After finding out the location of the Rebels’ secret base, the Empire comes out in droves to destroy the Alliance for good.
The coolest thing about this battle has to be the AT-AT Walkers. These are giant lumbering tanks that can get over even the toughest of terrain. They are extremely difficult to destroy and give the Empire a huge advantage in the battle.
As cool as those lumbering mechanical beasts are, the Rebels’ response to taking them down is just as good. They match the strength of the AT-ATs against the speed of their snow speeders. They fly around the blaster fire and use their tow cables to latch onto the giant war tanks’ legs. They then make laps around the AT-AT’s legs until its tight enough to trip and take down the massive weapon.
The highlight of the battle is when Luke narrowly escapes his downed speeder as the foot of an AT-AT comes crashing down on it. He then runs under the mammoth tank and shoots a cable that latches to the underside of the mechanical beast. He propels up the cable and then uses his lightsaber to cut a hole where he proceeds to throw a grenade into. When it goes off, it takes down the entire walker adding another level of badassery to the myth of Luke Skywalker.
The battle of Hoth is a very well-done scene that shows that Star Wars battles don’t just happen in space.
The Empire Strikes Back best moments: Yoda’s Introduction
When Luke is basically dying in the snow on Hoth after escaping the Wampa’s cave, he has a vision of Obi-Wan who tells him to go to the Dagobah system to seek out Jedi Master Yoda. After the Battle of Hoth, this is exactly what he does.
When he gets to Dagobah the planet is so foggy, he crashes his X-Wing right into a deep bog. It slowly sinks as he and Artoo jump out and Luke swims to shore to set up camp. As he’s having his dinner, he senses he is being watched and meets a strange little green creature.
Luke doesn’t sense who this little creature is right away, and is immediately questioned by this apparent native of Dagobah. Yoda hilariously busts Luke’s chops about his food, throws items out of his pack, and also gets into a little skirmish with R2-D2. Yoda appears fascinated by a light from Luke’s toolbox and only agrees to help Luke out when he is told he can have it. Luke eventually figures out this creature is Yoda when he is back in his hut, eating the delicious soup Yoda made for him.
Yoda’s introduction was one of the more light-hearted moments of this otherwise dark chapter of the Star Wars saga. He’s clearly testing Luke’s patience through his actions and seeing this fun and easy-going side of an otherwise very wise and serious character was extremely enjoyable.
The Empire Strikes Back best moments: Han and Leia’s Kiss
Han and Leia have a contested relationship from the start of The Empire Strikes Back. They start the film by arguing and early on Han accuses Leia of having feelings for him. She brushes that assertion off and says she’d rather kiss a Wookie.
When the Empire attacks the Rebel base, Leia’s only chance of escape is with Han on The Millennium Falcon. The Falcon is having engine issues and when they can’t jump to hyperspace they take refuge inside an asteroid.
During this time of respite of being chased by the Imperials, Han and Leia end up alone together working on The Falcon. Leia is having issues getting a lever to go upwards and Han comes up behind her to help. She gives him an elbow smash to get him off of her and hurts her finger as the lever finally goes up.
Han grabs her hand and begins rubbing it. Leia then asks him to stop calling her “Your Worship” and he agrees. They talk about how Han can be a nice guy sometimes and not always a scoundrel, and as Han moves in he tells her “I’m nice men” and they kiss briefly before being interrupted by Threepio.
This was a fun scene for many reasons. After A New Hope was released, it was unclear who Leia would end up with. This scene cements the fact she’ll be with Han. It’s also a perfect blend of humor and romance and we see the earlier contention between the two was actually mutual attraction.
The Empire Strikes Back best moments: Yoda Raises Luke’s X-Wing From the Swamp
The Empire Strikes Back is one of the few films in the Skywalker Saga that shows actual Jedi training. We see Luke running through the jungles of Dagobah with Yoda on his back, standing on his head and floating rocks, and confronting his fears in a cave.
After one intense day of training, Luke watches his X-Wing sink further into the bog. Yoda encourages him to use the Force to lift it out the way he has with rocks. Luke gives it a shot but ultimately fails, and the X-Wing sinks further into the dirty muck. As Luke sulks off, he tells Yoda he wants the impossible.
Yoda lets out a disgruntled sigh and then walks towards the sinking ship. He closes his eyes, raises out his green little hand, and suddenly the ship begins to move. Once Artoo starts chirping Luke stops his pouting and looks up in awe as he sees his X-Wing rising to the surface and out of the pond altogether.
Yoda places the ship nicely on the shore and then open’s his eyes. Luke goes over and touches the craft and then tells Yoda he doesn’t believe it. Yoda then gives that legendary reply, “That is why you fail.”
This is such a great moment for many reasons. It gives us our first glimpse of how powerful a Jedi that Yoda truly is. It also is the moment where Luke begins to understand just how powerful the Force is, and it truly doesn’t matter how big you are when the Force is your ally.
The Empire Strikes Back best moments: Bounty Hunter Introduction
The Empire Strikes Back introduces us to many new aspects of the Star Wars universe. We see an old Jedi Master, we see what a battle on the ground looks like, and we also get introduced to bounty hunters.
Yes, apparently bounty hunting is a viable profession in the world of Star Wars and Darth Vader uses that service when his Imperial underlings are unable to capture the Millennium Falcon. The bounty hunters themselves are a strange group of mixed characters. We have alien creatures like the dinosaur looking Bossk, a human with a mummy-like head covering in Dengar, and even a couple of droids like IG-88 and 4-LOM.
Of course, there was one bounty hunter who was cooler looking than the rest and was even pointed out specifically by Darth Vader and that was Boba Fett. From his battle-scarred armor and helmet with a cool looking t-shaped visor to his jet pack, Fett clearly stood out amongst the crowd. When Vader told him “No disintegrations” that definitely piqued the viewers’ interest and we knew this was a character who wasn’t to be reckoned with.
This was only a brief scene in the film, but it was chock full of interesting characters and it was also noteworthy for just introducing these guns for hire into the world of Star Wars.
The Empire Strikes Back best moments: Meeting Lando
After Han, Leia, and Chewie escape the Empire by blending in with their space junk, they look for a safe haven where they can go and make repairs to the Falcon. Han is looking through his nav computer and utters the word “Lando”. He tells Leia that Lando is a man and while he can’t be completely trusted he’s the best chance they have.
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Lando comes out to greet the band of heroes after they land. He pretends to be mad at Han and even pretends to hit him before laughing heartily and giving his old friend a big hug. Lando is clearly a charmer and a smooth operator who talks in a velvety smooth voice as he grabs Leia’s and gently places a kiss upon it.
Lando is a new type of character for Star Wars. He’s a smooth ladies’ man and apparent gambler. He’s not as rugged as Han Solo but shares much of his roguish charm. While he’s instantly likable there is an air of uncertainty about him and it’s not just the characters in the movie who are weary about him but the viewers as well.
The Empire Strikes Back best moments: I Love You, I Know
In a movie that is filled with great moments, this one takes the cake for me. It just shows so much about Han Solo’s character and proves how much of a badass he truly is.
When things go south in Cloud City and Lando is forced to strike a deal with Darth Vader and the Empire, Han, Leia, and Chewie get captured. Vader promises Solo to Boba Fett and wants to have him carbon frozen as that is his plan on how to deliver Luke to the Emperor.
It’s unclear whether or not Han will survive the carbon freezing process, and Leia, Chewie, and Lando are forced to watch their friend go through this process which could lead to his death. Before Han is put on the freezing chamber he tells Chewie to watch over Leia and gives her a passionate kiss before being forced into position. Before he’s lowered to what could be he is death, Leia tells Han she loves him, and in a legendary retort that only a true scoundrel could deliver, Han says “I know.”
It’s so completely in character for Han Solo to reply this way. He is cocky and sure of himself and this was a much truer line for him than “I love you too” would’ve been. Leia, knowing Han, also realizes this is his way of telling her he loves her too.
Supposedly, this line was improved by Harrison Ford on set, but there have been conflicting stories about that. However this line came to be doesn’t matter, it’s in the movie and it is one of the most iconic moments in all of Star Wars.
The Empire Strikes Back best moments: Luke Learns the Truth
The most famous scene from The Empire Strikes Back is definitely the moment when Luke learns the truth about who Darth Vader is. This scene delivered the biggest bombshell in movie history and has yet to be topped.
Luke and Vader finally cross lightsabers at the end of Empire. They first fight in the carbon freezing chamber and then onto a platform that stretches over a chasm created by the floating structures that make up Cloud City.
Luke is able to hold his own against the Sith Lord for quite a while but then gets his hand chopped off and loses his lightsaber. He retreats to an outcropping and hangs on for dear life. He and Vader then have a brief palaver. Vader tells Luke that Obi-Wan never told him what happened to his father, and Luke replies that he told him Vader killed him.
At that point, Vader drops the bomb that he’s Luke’s father. Luke doesn’t believe it and screams out a no, but soon realizes it’s true. Vader then suggests they join forces and conquer the galaxy as father and son, but Luke instead ops to drop to what could be his death.
This scene was absolutely shocking and no one saw this coming. It completely turned the story on its head and set up an exciting and riveting finale with the next film.
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The Empire Strikes Back best moments: Leia Answers Luke’s Call for Help
After Luke gets his hand chopped off, learns Darth Vader is his father, and then probably loses all the skin off his back and buttocks after sliding down the shaft, he’s hanging on for dear life at the bottom of a floating Cloud City building.
Luke is in a very dire situation and after trying to climb back up the shaft, is basically hanging on upside down by his legs. Instead of panicking, he reaches out with the Force. He tries to call for Ben for help but gets no response. He then does something surprising and reaches out for Leia.
What is more shocking than Luke’s reaching out to Leia through the Force, is that we soon see that Leia hears his message. Not only does she hear it but she knows where exactly Luke is. After getting Chewie’s assistance in persuading Lando to go back, they find Luke clinging on for his life.
This scene is very important as it makes us realize there is something special about Leia and Luke’s connection. At the time of the film’s release, we didn’t know if it was something romantic or if they were potentially siblings. Either way, it showed that Luke wasn’t the only hero in our group who apparently could use the Force.