by Chris Snelgrove
| Published
The Empire strikes back It's definitely the best Star Wars movie, but it still raises questions for fans. For example, it's never clear why Darth Vader was obsessed enough to risk the lives of thousands of Imperials to chase down the Millennium Falcon. However, one fan theory offers an elegant answer: He would have sensed the presence of a powerful Force user aboard the ship, and not knowing that it was actually Luke Skywalker's twin sister Leia, he would have assumed that the man who destroyed the Death Star was on the ship.
Darth Vader wants the Millennium Falcon
In case you need a quick recap, Darth Vader personally assisted in the invasion of Hoth, and after the Millennium Falcon's escape, led the hunt from his Star Destroyer. The escape of the rebels was successful thanks to cunning and leadership ingenuity Han SoloWe see that the pursuit costs the Imperials dearly in terms of loss of life. Two Star Destroyer's collide and another appears to be destroyed by an asteroid, and fans have spent decades wondering why Vader was willing to lose nearly 47,000 lives (the Star Destroyer's total complement) to go after two people, two droids, and one. Alien.
There are clearly several practical reasons for this Darth Vader He may be obsessed with capturing the Millennium Falcon, including that it would be the only way to interrogate any rebels after the failed invasion of Hoth. In addition, he was under additional pressure from the Emperor, who sent via hologram to warn him of “their new enemy, Luke SkywalkerAccording to this fan theory, Vader's obsessive quest for the Falcon boils down to the fact that he was so convinced Luke Skywalker was on board, he was willing to sacrifice countless Imperial lives to capture the Empire's greatest enemy.
Darth Vader sensed Leia in the Millennium Falcon
It's a very good theory because its climax Return of the Jedi He confirmed that Vader had no idea Leia existed. In fact, Luke Skywalker doesn't give in to his rage until his Dark Side father threatens to find Leia and turn her to his cause. So, Darth Vader The empire strikes again He could have sensed the powerful Force user aboard the Millennium Falcon and simply assumed it was Luke. From a distance, her presence likely looked a lot like Luke's presence during the Death Star attack (“The Force is strong with this one,” he said at the time).
Some Star Wars fans may feel that Darth Vader's obsession with the Millennium Falcon didn't need a compelling reason, and it's laughable to think that the Dark Lord of the Sith simply doesn't care about the body count of his obsession (roughly 47,000 people are gone, and that's just the Star Destroyer we know !). However, we like the idea that Vader always has a secret purpose. In a novel New hopeObi-Wan Kenobi speculated that his former student was “marking time in preparation for some incomprehensible abomination.” Take it from an ancient Jedi master, this droid villain doesn't do anything without a reason.
If nothing else, this fan theory will change the way we look at the events The Empire strikes back. Next time Darth Vader is chasing the Millennium Falcon, remember that he probably thinks he's chasing Luke Skywalker. Little did he know that the young man was relaxing on Dagobah, taking a one-week intensive course that would eventually help him become the greatest Jedi Master in the galaxy.
