Even the galaxy far, far away isn’t immune to the Mandela effect. From misquoted Jedi wisdom to lines that are constantly attributed to the wrong character, Star Wars fans have been getting certain iconic phrases wrong for decades. Blame what you will – pop culture, bad memory, or the fact that we’ve all been doing Darth Vader impressions since preschool.
Here are six Star Wars quotes you’ve probably been wrong about, and the correct versions of each one.
1. “Luke, I am your father.”
Actual quote: “No, I am your father.”
This is the big one. It’s the king of misquotes that even The Big Bang Theory got wrong. Darth Vader never says “Luke” in that scene. The legendary line from The Empire Strikes Back is much more abrupt and, honestly, way more chilling when you realize he's directly answering Luke's accusation that Vader killed his father.
2. “May the force be with you, always.”
Actual quote: “May the Force be with you.”
While “always” shows up in some scenes (Revenge of the Sith, we see you), the iconic phrase throughout the original trilogy ends cleanly with “you.” No “always,” no extra flair. It’s simple and classic. Full stop.
3. “Stay on target!” – Luke Skywalker
Actual quote: “Stay on target.” – Gold Five
This iconic line from the Death Star trench run in A New Hope is one of the most quoted from Star Wars, but almost no one remembers who said it. It wasn’t Luke. It wasn’t Wedge. It was a pilot named Gold Five, also known as Davish Krail, trying to keep his wingmen calm before, well, you know. RIP to a real one.
4. “It’s a trap!” – Obi-Wan
Actual quote: “It’s a trap!” – Admiral Ackbar
Ackbar said it, not Obi-Wan. This line from Return of the Jedi became a meme juggernaut, but fans often forget who really said it. It was arguably Ackbar’s finest moment. Respect the Mon Calamari.
5. “You want to go home and rethink your life.”
Actual quote: “You want to go home and rethink your life.”
Okay, this one is technically correct, but it's frequently attributed to the wrong film. Most fans think it's an Obi-Wan Kenobi line from the original trilogy. In reality, it’s Obi-Wan in Attack of the Clones during a scene in which he’s using a Jedi mind trick on Elan Sleazebaggano (yes, that’s really his name). It’s one of the few unironically great lines in the prequels and deserves proper attribution.
6. “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for, move along.”
Actual quote: “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for. He can go about his business. Move along. "
Obi-Wan does says “move along,” just not in the same breath as the line "These aren't the droids you're looking for." The scene features a series of short statements Obi-Wan tells the Stormtroopers, and over time, a lot of people have mistakenly mashed the two lines into a single sentence, probably during R2-D2 and C-3PO action figure play sessions.
7. “Strike me down and I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”
Actual quote: “If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”
The legitimate line during Kenobi and Darth Vader's lightsaber duel in the 1977 film is far more formal than the common misquote. It’s more classic Obi-Wan, less action-movie trailer voiceover. But admit it…you’ve definitely dramatically shouted the wrong version at least once.
Even the most die-hard fans get a line or two wrong every now and then. After all, Star Wars has never been about perfection—it’s about passion, great storytelling, and quoting your favorite character badly (but with feeling).
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