Which perspectives will we see in Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back?
2020 marks the 40th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back. In 2017, the 40th anniversary of the original Star Wars film was celebrated with the release of From a Certain Point of View, an anthology book featuring 40 short stories that took place during the film.
These stories gave a voice to characters like Aunt Beru and the droid R5-D4. They showed what major characters like Lando Calrissian and Yoda were up to during the film, and provided new insight into background characters like the cantina bartender Wuher, or to characters who hadn’t previously existed like Jot the Jawa.
The tradition continues with a new From A Certain Point of View book being released on November 10th for the 40th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back. The prospect of seeing the beloved film through the lens of 40 new characters is exciting. Here are 13 perspectives we’d like to see in the latest installment of the anthology series.
1. Admiral Ozzel
Admiral Ozzel is best remembered for being Force-choked by Darth Vader after coming out of lightspeed too close to Hoth. It would be fascinating to get an insight into Ozzel’s mind in his final moments as he realizes he’s being Force-choked by Darth Vader from afar. There’s also a fan theory that Ozzel was a Rebel spy and a short story from his perspective would help confirm or deny the theory.
2. General Veers
General Veers led the Empire’s ground forces during the Battle of Hoth. As one of the few Imperials who manages to successfully defeat the Rebels, it would be worthwhile to see the Battle of Hoth from his perspective. This story would also make Veers Watch extraordinarily happy.
3. Hera Syndulla
The fan-favorite Star Wars Rebels character is confirmed to have helped Leia and Han on Hoth during the Galactic Civil War. It would be intriguing to get insight into Hera’s mind during this time period after most of the events in Star Wars Rebels already transpired. Hera probably contributed to the Rebellion’s efforts on Hoth in more ways than we know.
4. Emperor Palpatine
Palpatine received a story in the first From a Certain Point of View, and it seems only fair that he receive one in this installment as well. Palpatine only appeared in one scene during The Empire Strikes Back. Fans deserve to know what Palpatine is up to during the rest of the film.
5. Willrow Hood
Willrow Hood is barely onscreen in The Empire Strikes Back, but that hasn’t stopped him from receiving a cult following. He is the perfect example of an initially insignificant background character who has taken on a life of his own.
There will almost definitely be a story from his perspective that will reveal what he was carrying inside his camtono, which is the name of the container he’s carrying that looks like an ice-cream maker. The camtono is fresh in fans’ minds after the Client used it to hold beskar during season 1 of The Mandalorian.
6. L3-37
The official Star Wars Twitter confirmed that when C-3PO talked to the Millennium Falcon in The Empire Strikes Back, he was talking to L3-37. She became part of the ship in Solo: A Star Wars Story and has the “peculiar dialect” that C-3PO references. It would be fun and meaningful to see this conversation from L3’s perspective and to better understand what her life is like as part of the ship.
7. Lobot
Fans know what’s going through Lando’s head during The Empire Strikes Back, but Lobot’s mind is more of a mystery. It would be neat to see how Lobot feels about Lando first working with the Empire and then betraying them to help Leia and her friends. The loyal Lobot helps Lando in all stages of the story, but we want to learn more about how he feels about these events.
8. Qui-Gon Jinn
Qui-Gon Jinn’s Force ghost told a story through his perspective in the first From a Certain Point of View. Seeing more of the original trilogy from his perspective would be rewarding.
The opportune moment for his story would be after Luke leaves Dagobah. Obi-Wan says, “That boy was our last hope” and Yoda says, “No. There is another.” It would be fascinating to see Qui-Gon appear and jump into their conversation, especially given his history concerning the Chosen One prophecy.
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9. Admiral Piett
Piett is promoted after Darth Vader Force-chokes Admiral Ozzel. It would be perfect to watch this happen from Piett’s perspective as he’s horrified by what’s happening to Ozzel, and yet it presents an opportunity for advancement.
It could also be worthwhile to see a story from Piett’s perspective when the Millennium Falcon escapes. Piett’s men deactivated the hyperdrive on the Millennium Falcon, but R2-D2 manages to fix it and the ship escapes once again. Fans could experience Piett’s anxiety as he’s unsure how Vader will react to this failure.
10. General Pryde
Allegiant General Pryde became a crucial character in The Rise of Skywalker. He was revealed to have served Palpatine during the Galactic Civil War. A story in this book could lend more insight into his loyalty toward Palpatine and his feelings about the First Order if fans can see him when he served the Empire. He could be stationed in any number of relevant locations during The Empire Strikes Back.
11. Mon Mothma
Mon Mothma is the leader of the Rebellion, and yet she wasn’t introduced until Return of the Jedi. The first From a Certain Point of View provided a story from her perspective that explained where she was during the events of the first Star Wars.
A similar approach could be taken this time, with a story that would also explain more of what the Rebellion is up to after the Battle of Hoth and before Luke, Leia, and the others rejoin the Rebel fleet at the end of the film.
12. Bossk, IG-88, Dengar, 4-LOM, or Zuckuss
The Empire Strikes Back introduced many iconic bounty hunter characters. While the movie shows more of Boba Fett’s journey and how he successfully tracks down the Millennium Falcon, fans don’t get to see what happens to Bossk and the other bounty hunters after they meet with Darth Vader. A story from any of the bounty hunter perspectives other than Boba Fett could work, but choosing more than 1 of their perspectives could end up feeling repetitive.
13. The Whills
One of the best stories in the first From a Certain Point of View was where the Whills argued over what should be included in the opening crawl for the first Star Wars movie. Their conversation is hilarious and teeming with jokes and references that resonate with the fandom. It would be delightful to see this banter continue, only this time it’s over the opening crawl of The Empire Strikes Back.
What perspectives do you want to see in From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back? Let us know in the comments!