The Empire Strikes Back’sDarth Vader plot twist was key to Luke Skywalker ’s character bow in the originalStar Warstrilogy , but what if he ’d kill Vader before learning the truth?Yoda and Obi - Wan Kenobi , despite having the best purpose in mind , chose to keep Luke and Leia in the dark regarding their Fatherhood ’s true identity element , hop that they ’d kill the Sith Lord and help topple the Empire . While the Empire would likely still fall in this alternateStar Warstrilogy , it would not be Luke Skywalker ( Mark Hamill ) who defeats Palpatine ( Ian McDiarmid ) .

Luke Skywalker ’s characterization inReturn of the Jediis brilliant both from an in - universe linear perspective and as a refreshingly different sorting of path for a science phantasy protagonist . With the trueness about his father disclose , Luke no longer sees Darth Vaderas a monster who must be kill but rather as a come hero who can be redeem . Luke is instructed by his mentors to pour down Vader , an military action that he not only could n’t bring himself to confide but also one that would wreak into Emperor Palpatine ’s schemes perfectly . By defeating the dark side by invoke to Vader ’s inner good instead of Force might and lightsaber fight , Luke rose above the failings of the prequel - geological era Jedi Order while becoming a more sentimental sort of action hero .

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Sidious, Tyranus, Maul, and Vader.

This mean that Yoda ( Frank Oz ) and Obi - Wan ( Alec Guinness ) , alas , add up up with a flawed plan to defeat the Sith . Although their intentions were selfless , they continued the virtuously doubtful traffic pattern of their outdated Jedi Order , setting Luke up to but kill and replaceDarth Vader as Emperor Palpatine’sSith apprentice . Had Luke unknowingly killed his father , it would n’t end up being him who defeats the sorry side inReturn of the Jedi , but rather his sis , Princess Leia ( Carrie Fisher ) , who Yoda draw as another hope for the galaxy if Luke were to fall . Whether it ’s Luke or Leia who defeats the Sith inReturn of the Jedi , it ’d be by turn down the dark side and the old Jedi ways , allowing for an improved Jedi Order to exchange Yoda and Obi - Wan ’s generation . Here ’s what would have happened if Luke became a Jedi and kill Vader beforeThe Empire Strikes Back ’s begetter twist .

Luke Completes His Jedi Training (Leaving His Friends In Imperial Captivity)

Luke Skywalker ’s cultism to his protagonist and loved I is both his dandy strength and his greatest helplessness . Experiencing visions through the Force of his Friend in painfulness , it was in Luke ’s character to rush off to Bespin and save them , even if it intend abandoning his finish of becoming a Jedi . Perhaps , ifYoda also encounter Luke’svisions and anticipated his actions , he ’d prevent the Jedi - in - training from go away by temporarily dampening his connexion to the Force at the moment , prevent Luke from seeing his friends in pain . While yet another morally confutative action , Yoda would believe himself to be doing the proper thing , and thus Luke would stay on Dagobah and fill in his Jedi breeding . Meanwhile , despite Lando Calrissian ’s ( Billy Dee Williams ) best cause , he and the rest of the Rebels would persist captives of the Empire while Han Solo ( Harrison Ford ) is delivered to Jabba the Hutt .

Luke Eventually Rescues Han & Leia - And Then Kills Darth Vader

It would only be after Yoda view as Luke a Jedi Knight that he ’d let the Force visions of Luke ’s imperiled friends to reach him . WithLuke now a fully trained Jedi , he ’d set off to deliver his friends first from the clutch of the Empire . Along with rescue Leia , Lando , Chewie , and C-3PO , Luke would also confront Darth Vader , where he ’d best the Sith Lord , thanks to his fill in training . It ’s here that the go bad Vader would unveil that he ’s Luke ’s male parent , leaving Luke with a deeply bad trauma than what ’s canonically shown inEmpire . Luke would carry this annoyance with him as he plot and executes the deliverance of Han Solo within the next few month , only unlike the swashbuckling heroics shown inReturn of the Jedi , Luke would be slip towards the sorry side as he combat Jabba the Hutt ’s forces .

Luke’s Faith In The Jedi Is Gone & He Falls To The Dark Side

link up : Empire Strikes Back : Yoda & Obi - Wan ’s Advice To Luke Was Terrible

The Emperor Replaces Darth Vader With Luke Skywalker

As both the newfangled second - in - statement of the Galactic Empire anda Sith Lord , Lukewould relearn everything he knows about the Force just as Anakin did after becoming Darth Vader . Having been a key penis of the Rebel Alliance , Luke would be invaluable to the Empire ’s war effort , likely lead them to decisive triumph and helping them capture Rebellion leader like Mon Mothma . Luke might avoid go after his closest friends in the Rebellion , however , so not only would Lando Calrissian and Wedge Antilles belike survive the Empire ’s gradual victory , but Leia would have the chance to defeat the Empire and succeed where Luke go bad .

Princess Leia Becomes A Jedi Instead Of Luke

Although the Rebellion would be in shambles thanks to Luke ’s majestic leadership , Leia and the others he ’d rescued from Vader would keep the Alliance alive . Leia would eventually begin Jedi trainingas well , find out the truth about her transmitted relationship to Luke from the start - while Leia ’s teachers would be the Force ghosts of Obi - Wan Kenobi and Yoda , something that theStar Warsfranchise has done before via Kyle Katarn , a Jedi Knight whose first wise man was the ghost of the Clone Wars - earned run average Jedi Master Qu Rahn . Leia would finally become a Jedi and confront her brother , though not with the intention of killing him .

Princess Leia Redeems Luke Skywalker

like to the canonic interlingual rendition ofReturn of the Jedi , Leia , now a Jedi Knight , would battle her Sith Lord brother as Palpatine tries to corrupt her , thus make a win - win scenario for him . After shoot down but resist to kill Luke , Leia would be unprepared forPalpatine ’s dark side powers , but Luke would save her life , kill The Emperor but become flat in the process . In this case , the Rebel Alliance would be in no position to twist into the New Republic nearly as quickly as it did in canyon and Legends .

Moreover , the fractured Empire would be at war with the heroes for far longer , making Palpatine ’s eventual resurrection far more perilous for the galaxy . Leia would also have to rebuild the Jedi Order as a new and good foundation , just as Luke did in Legends and Rey likely will in canyon . The Sith and the Galactic Empire would in all probability still be get the better of in this alternateStar Warssaga , but havingLuke become a Jediearly and kill Darth Vader beforeThe Empire Strikes Back’sfamous plot of ground twirl would make his story far bleaker .

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