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Continuity & Analysis

Star Wars - Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
It is a dark time for the Rebellion. Although the Death Star has been destroyed, Imperial troops have
driven the Rebel forces from their hidden base and pursued them across the galaxy. Evading the dreaded
Imperial Starfleet, a group of freedom fighters led by Luke Skywalker has established a new secret
base on the remote ice world of Hoth. The evil lord Darth Vader, obsessed with finding young Skywalker,
has dispatched thousands of remote probes into the far reaches of space....




CONTINUITY
Episode V takes place three years after Episode IV, and one year before Episode VI. The planets
Hoth, Dagobah, and Bespin are seen for the first time. This film takes place on three worlds:

The film takes place over the course of about a month. Day 1 - Imperial probes --> Sleeping in Tauntaun corpse.
Day 2 - Morning search and rescue --> Luke in bacta tank. Day 3 - Visiting Luke in bed --> Landing in the asteroid field.
Day 4 - Luke arrives on Dagobah --> Escaping the space slug. Events cover a few weeks until Han and Leia meet Vader
on Bespin. Next Day - Luke leaves Dagobah --> Escape from Cloud City. Last Day - Lando and Chewie leave to find Han.

- Over three years have gone by since the Battle of Yavin and the other events of Episode IV. It is clear from the conversations that much has
occurred in that time in the Civil War and the relationships between the main characters. It is also clear from Vader being "obsessed with
finding young Skywalker", that Vader is targeting this group of Rebels specifically, and that much is going on elsewhere in the galaxy.

- Entire regions of space can be swept with thousands of remote probes to look for a large enough group hiding on otherwise uninhabited planets.
Despite the relative simplicity of scanning technology in the galaxy, any significant group requires technology to sustain their numbers, and that
technology is difficult to conceal, particularly things like power and shield generators. The pods are hyperdrive-equipped, single-use vessels
designed to deliver payloads to planets safely, which are not suitable for organic passengers.
Main Article: Scanners, Sensors, and Cloaking Devices

- The Imperial destroyer launching hyperdrive pods with probe droids inside is shown in the Ione System, within the Anoat Sector in the Greater Javin
region of the Western Reaches of the Outer Rim. This is a remote area of known space, and full of unpopulated or rarely visited worlds.

- The Hoth System is located in the Anoat Sector, in the Greater Javin region of the Western Reaches of the Outer Rim. It is a desolate and remote
system with six rocky planets. The sixth planet, usually referred to as Hoth, is a frozen and wet planet with oxygen in its atmosphere and
a native ecosystem. Based on the variety and complexity of life on the planet, and the presence of microbial life and oxygen, it is very likely
that Hoth was much less frozen for much of its developmental history. While it is historically visited at times due to its location near to known
local hyperspace routes, it is unpopulated and unremarkable in terms of natural resources. Hoth has three moons.


- Echo Base was a significant Rebel Alliance installation established during the Civil War on the uninhabited planet Hoth. Built to act as a hidden
fortress from which to launch offensive actions, the facility became operational in 3 ABY. It was built into the side of a mountain range. Inside
the facility were a complex of facilities for living, engineering, medicine, power, and base command, as well as large hangers. The main hanger
was large enough to house small starships. The base had a fighter wing, an army garrison, and a large technical and support staff.

- General Carlist Rieekan is the commander of Echo Base. Princess Leia is the senior political official of the Alliance at Echo Base, likely having taken
her deceased father's position as a Minister in the Alliance Cabinet. Luke was made an officer after his victory at Yavin, and has since been
promoted to Commander in the Rebel Fleet. Han Solo and Chewbacca have been fighting alongside the Rebels, and Han is Captain by virtue
of having his own ship, and seems to carry the authority of that rank based on his dealings with other officers. Rebel field uniforms use two
types of rank insignia. The first are 'domino'-style plaques seen in Episode IV, which indicate rank by arrangement of pips, and military
branch by color. The second are 'tic-tac-toe'-style shoulder patches, which indicate rank by arrangement of colored ovals, and distinguish
between combat and technical personnel by color. Some jackets worn by military personnel and by Leia have an arrangement of four colored
squares on the unidentified devices often seen to be a part of jackets or armor in the SW universe. The true nature of these interesting devices
has never been revealed, and it is clear they are neither communicators nor personal locators. While they are not used widely enough to
indicate rank, it is possible there is some meaning to the arrangements of colors, perhaps as a security clearance for the base or some other
explanation. The devices themselves may be low-level deflectors designed to reduce the accuracy of blaster fire, as they are often seen on
military jackets. Armor in SW often seems to include larger examples of this technology, usually behind the plating. Many of these devices
do not have the colored squares, yet those that do may indicate department or something similar like security clearance, if anything.
Main Article: Ranks and Rank Insignia

- Meteorite activity makes it difficult to detect approaching ships. Scanners in SW are not particularly insightful, nor are they able to make
a detailed analysis of something unless the scan is slow, intensive, and usually conducted up close. This is a significant disadvantage for
tracking systems, but it is also an important for smaller opponents, as it is possible to hide from superior forces in the SW universe.
Main Article: Scanners, Sensors, and Cloaking Devices

- Han mentions that paying off Jabba has become more of a pressing concern since they ran into a bounty hunter on Ord Mantell.
It is possible that Han became so involved in the rebellion that he hadn't gotten around to paying Jabba at first, but it is hard to
believe that in three years there was no 24 hours available to make a detour to Tatooine in the Falcon. Since Han was paid more
than enough to pay off Jabba in Episode IV, he really has no one to blame but himself for the pursuit by bounty hunters, which
leads to him being captured after evading the Imperial Fleet for three years. Perhaps there was some concern that the Falcon
would be identified as a Rebel ship if he made the trip. According to the 1981 comic strip The Bounty Hunter of Ord Mantell,
Leia and Luke were scouting for Rebel base locations, not long before the establishment of the base on Hoth, when their ship was
destroyed. Han rescues them, but the Falcon is damaged. They set down on the populous world of Ord Mantell to make repairs.



Several scenes which form an additional wampa storyline were removed from the final version of the film, but did occur
despite not being shown. The evidence of these events can be seen when Han walks through a corridor next to a dead
or injured tauntaun which is being attended to by the medical droid overseen by some Rebel officers, just before Han
leaves to search for Luke. In subsequent scenes, wampas were shown to have infiltrated Echo Base. There is some
discussion of this between Leia and General Rieekan, and R2 is chased down a corridor by a wampa while Rebels fire at
it, in a scene which was meant as a mirror of the events early in Episode IV. The Rebels don't seem to know what they
are specifically, calling them "creatures". It is subsequently learned that R2's noises attract the wampas, and the Rebels
use him to lure the wampas into a single room, which is sealed off and a warning sign placed on the door. R2-D2 and
C-3PO were to pass by this 'wampa pen' and discuss it on their way to see Luke in the medical center. The wampa pen
and its door with the warning sign can be seen in the finished film when Han and Leia are escaping to the Falcon.
In the conluding scene to this deleted arc, Imperial troopers approach the door and open it, and are attacked and
seized by wampas. Vader sees this but is apparently not interested in this distraction, and moves on as the door shuts.


- Luke slices off the wampa's arm in self-defense, in a move which is very much in keeping with typical Jedi procedure but which does not
meet the admirably high ethical standards of Mark Hamill. The Jedi position regarding animals is very confusing. They value the Force,
which comes from life and is intricately connected to it. As a result, they usually treat life as close to sacred, and go out of their way to
preserve life whenever possible. However, at other times the creators of SW show Jedi to completely disregard this aspect of their
philosophy and dispatch violent or dangerous creatures, however always in defense of themselves or others. Whenever the creators
have bothered to remember that the Jedi care about life, they will show the Jedi make a reasonable effort not to hurt animals if possible.
From the point of view of the creators, it probably seemed like the audience would side with their well-liked main character against
the vicious alien snow monster, and after all, Luke only horribly maimed the creature, and only because it was almost upon him with
murderous intent. While this is perfectly reasonable for even a Jedi, as it was done in defense with no malice, it is also true that this does
not live up to the best of the Jedi's values. It is encouraging that so many people have observed this scene from the perspective of
the hungry creature on its home planet doing what it needs to do to survive. Mark Hamill was not pleased about Luke hurting animals,
and "was assured my lightsaber swipe toward camera would simply singe fur to scare him off." This was in versions of the script, and
in the novel released at the time, but was changed instead to a dismemberment, which "horrified" Mark Hamill, who respectably called
it "unnecessary cruelty", and stated that he feels "Luke would never do this." Unfortunately, the Special Edition did nothing to rectify their
breach of assurances to Mark Hamill on set, as the scene is even more graphic and emphasizes how painful this was for the wampa.

- As first seen in Episode IV, droids have personalities which are the combination of nature and nurture, just as in organic beings. Droids also
have a personality which exhibits 'emotions' which are the result of their personality, which is a combination of programming with experience,
from which a droid's mind forms conclusions which information form their likes and dislikes, preferences and priorities. This leads them to have
simulated emotional responses, which even manifest as a kind of nervous droid energy when others they care about are in jeopardy, including
themselves. This was seen in the original film, but is further explored in the context of sharing those feelings with others they consider friends.
Droid anxiety is artificial, but is as real to them as to organic beings, and arises in both kinds of beings from the same mental processes.
Despite lacking the chemical component of feelings, droids have loved ones the same way they have preferences, likes, and dislikes.
Main Article: Droid Intelligence

- Luke has been a Jedi Padawan for three years, largely without a teacher. This has given him enough experience with using the Force, as well as
practice with the most fundamental Jedi abilities, that he is caught up with what a Jedi Initiate, also called a youngling, would have learned as
a child before becoming a Padawan learner. It is unclear if Obi-Wan could have come to him earlier, but regardless Luke needed time to grow
in his connection to the Force, and in maturity, as a few years of war and flight from the Empire would have taught him many valuable things.
Only now is he ready for Yoda to train him in the advanced arts he will need to master before confronting the Sith.


Is Obi-Wan growing in his abilities as a disembodied Force presence over time, like Qui-Gon? Unlike Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon
ordinarily could not manifest himself as a Force spirit. In The Clone Wars 'Voices' (S6E11), Qui-Gon is finally able to
communicate directly to Yoda, a decade after his death and incomplete preservation in the Force. Obi-Wan completely
transformed into the Force, and was able to speak to Luke immediately. Qui-Gon was also much more of a presence than
a distant voice when Yoda arrived on Dagobah, which is full of life, and thus with the Force, and Qui-Gon calls it "one of
the purest places in the galaxy." Obi-Wan also seems like a ghostly vision on desolate Hoth, but is able to manifest himself
much clearer on Dagobah. It may be that there are limits to their ability to appear, or these might be coincidental or even
intentional choices by the Force spirit. It is also possible that Obi-Wan had to grow in his power in the Force before being
able to manifest so entirely, however this is not supported by the Force spirits quick appearances in Episode VI. It is not
necessary to use this to explain the delay of over three years in appearing to Luke for what is obviously the first time,
and leading Luke to Yoda, as Luke needed years of experience with the Force before more training.


- Obi-Wan calls Yoda "the Jedi Master who instructed me" in Episode V, but was later seen to be Qui-Gon's apprentice in Episode I.
Episode II and The Clone Wars built upon the idea that Yoda had instructed every initiate 'youngling' at some point in their training.
Obi-Wan at one point states that "all of us have apprenticed to Master Yoda" when speaking to fellow members of the High Council.
This does not mean that all these Jedi were apprentices to Yoda the same way as Dooku was, as the implication is that Yoda was
Dooku's master during his Padawan field training, just as Qui-Gon was Obi-Wan's master. It could be that nearly all Jedi have trained
with Yoda at some point, and it is also likely that promising students, many whom would end up on the Council, spent a shorter period
apprenticed to Yoda before they were assigned to a master for field training.


- The Rebels on Hoth have a squadron of airspeeders, in this case T-47 airspeeders, which are a product of Incom Corporation. Incom also
manufactures the T-65B X-Wing starfighters used by the Alliance, as well as the T-16 airspeeder, which Luke mentioned he owned on
Tatooine in Episode IV, and was also seen to have had a model of one which he played with while C-3PO was taking an oil bath.
The T-47 had to be adapted for the extreme cold conditions on Hoth, and were too large to fit on the transports and had to be
abandoned during the evacuation due to their size, and due to being used in combat to slow the advance at the time.

- Luke is treated in the medical bay using a bacta tank. Bacta is a semi-organic medical substance which causes organic beings to regrow
tissue and bone at significantly accelerated rates. Its ability to treat nearly all non-fatal injuries, and to properly regrow tissue which
would not have healed properly or entirely through nature, makes it a panacea that has entirely replaced most other medical
treatments in the galaxy. Made from specific bacteria and a chemical known as ambori, bacta has been the dominant treatment
method in the galaxy for thousands of years, replacing the less-effective but highly-useful healing substance known as kelto.

- General Rieekan doesn't want any ships to leave the starsystem until the Rebels have activated their energy shield, likely as they do not
wish to risk detection before their defensive system is online. This suggests that Echo Base was only nearly operational when
the Empire discovered it, and that turning on their shield prematurely might give away their location before they are ready.
Main Article: Shields, Deflectors, and Ray Shields

- The Imperial probe droid is on Hoth for some time before the Rebel's scanners detect it. When they finally do, their sensors only tell
them that the object is metal. They are only able to identify more about it by intercepting its transmission code and deducing it
is an Imperial probe. This is should be looked to as a benchmark for the limits of scanning ability in the SW universe, and indeed
all other Lucas material, and most other material, has maintained that scanners are slow and not particularly insightful.
Main Article: Scanners, Sensors, and Cloaking Devices

- Vader's command ship is an Executor-class dreadnought, commonly and colloquially referred to as a super star destroyer. These titanic,
19-kilometer-long warships are a product of Kuat Drive Yards, who also manufactures the Imperial-class star destroyers used by
the Empire, and the earlier Venator-class star destroyers used by the Empire and the Republic. Construction of these ships began
as a secret military project a few years before the Civil War began, and at this time more than a dozen are in operation in the Imperial
fleet. Each of these dreadnoughts have a crew of around 250,000 personnel, thousands of cannons, and massive power generators.
They would usually have a complement of hundreds or thousands of starfighters, and massive amounts of deployable equipment
including 40,000 Army soldiers, landing ships, assault vehicles, and prefabricated bases. These ships are mobile cities which contain
living space, food, and provisions for its massive crew compliment to live for many years without returning to a base, if ever necessary.
They are almost certainly the largest warships to have been manufactured in over 25,000 years of interstellar history in this galaxy.


- Vader's flagship is the Executor, the first ship constructed of the class which bears its name. At the beginning of the film, the ship is commanded
by Fleet Admiral Kendal Ozzel, and his executive officer is Fleet Captain Firmus Piett. The large army force on board is the 501st Legion under
the command of Major General Maximilian Veers. Vader's armada, referred to in supplementary material as Death Squadron, is built around
the Executor, with six Imperial-class destroyers as escort ships, namely the Avenger, the Conquest, the Devastator, the Stalker, the Tyrant,
and the Ultimatum. The Devastator is Vader's personal star destroyer, first seen in Episode IV.

- Vader's reaction of certainty about the Rebel presence on Hoth after seeing the transmission from the planet is almost certainly intended
to indicate that he knows it through the Force. This could be due to the feeling he got at that very moment, or the result of some vision
or sense he had previously received through the Force which lined up with this new information.


Why is Admiral Ozzel so upset about going to Hoth? His mission at this time is to receive reports about where to look
for the Rebels, which they can do just as well from orbit of Hoth as they can in this staging area they are holding in.
It seems like he is being intentionally obstructionist, but more likely the implication is that, as usual, high-ranking
Imperial officers are arrogant, self-important, and really don't like taking orders from the Emperor's creepy sorcerer.
The fact that they are going on a short voyage due to Vader's mystical sense is clearly annoying to him, however he
seems mad at Captain Piett for doing his job and mentioning a possible lead. Admiral Ozzel seems very intent on
remaining in this holding area and not doing anything, seemingly simply out of dislike that Vader is his commander.


- The Rebels were alerted to the Imperial arrival because the fleet came out of hyperspace too close to the system. This means that ordinarily it is
possible to sneak up on a planetary facility by coming out of hyperspace at distance, perhaps approaching from the area where the star can
help to mask the approach, or determining the blind side of the planet for the base, based on the planet's rotation, or several other possible
reasons why the large ships would have been undetectable if they approached more strategically. As discussed above and elsewhere,
scanners in SW are slow, not particularly insightful, and can often be fooled. Nevertheless, a larger facility than Echo Base with better
technology could probably scan space better, as could the facilities of a built up planet. Starships in orbit are also able to detect approaching
ships much more clearly than anything scanning from a planet's surface, and are often even able to detect objects in hyperspace shortly
before their arrival. It is therefore likely that this stealthy approach was only possible because the Rebels are hiding on the ground.
Main Articles: Hyperspace Travel & Scanners, Sensors, and Cloaking Devices

- The Rebel's energy shield protecting their base and the area immediately around it is described as strong enough to deflect any bombardment.
This is typical of shields for surface installations and cities which will later be seen in material from the Clone Wars era. While it is possible to
wear down any shield by firing energy weapons and explosives against them, their absorption capacity and resilience are a combination of
the power output of their emitters and the size and capacity of their power source. On a starship, that resource is finite, even for large ships
with huge generators. Energy is required for all the ship's operations, and to keep those on board alive, and it cannot be totally devoted to
shields. Even for a large ship with large reactors, fuel kept on board is limited and shields need to stop absorbing energy to recharge.
On the ground, a shield can be powered by a local reactor dedicated entirely to providing it with energy. The size of the reactor isn't limited
by size or shape, and the same goes for its emitters and power transfer hardware, making a localized shield many times stronger and more
resilient than any in space. Taking it down with firepower would take a long time and require a large force constantly expending ordinance.
Instead of waiting potentially months to get in, the only sensible option is to advance forces through the shield and shut down the generator.
Main Article: Shields, Deflectors, and Ray Shields

- The surface-to-orbit ion cannon used by the Rebels is the v-150 'Planet Defender', a massive artillery piece manufactured by Kuat Drive Yards.
These were a relatively popular system for planetary defense, and the Rebels apparently acquired at least one. Lucas' The Clone Wars
series later revealed that ion weapons were a relatively new concept on a large scale, and were in the development phase only twenty years
prior to this film. It is likely that most large scale implementation in this time period still requires the kind of power generation only a massive
starship or planet-based generator could provide. While the v-150 is produced by an Imperial affiliated company and used in the Empire,
the Rebels are meant to have some edge in the field of ion technology which they inherited from the Separatist Alliance. The Rebel Alliance
will be seen in later material to employ ion torpedoes which when used in concert can be as effective as a large ion cannon.

- The Imperial assault on Echo Base utilizes the All Terrain Armored Transport, or AT-AT. These walkers are heavy assault craft as well as
armored personnel carriers, and are the mainstay of the Imperial Army in terms of mobile artillery. While heavier and slower than
smaller assault craft, its huge stride and four-legged gate makes the AT-AT extremely fast for something so heavily armed and
armored. Manufactured by Kuat Drive Yards, AT-ATs are powered by fusion drives, armed with heavy laser cannons and repeating
blasters, and can carry an entire platoon or staffel as well as several speeder bikes and a number of heavy weapons. Each AT-AT was
22.5 meters tall, and plated with high-grade durasteel armor which could only be pierced by heavy artillery, or a lightsaber.
The flexible armored tunnel connecting the troop section to the command section was the most vulnerable part of the walker,
but allowed the 'head' of the walker to swivel for optimum firing angle.


- Rogue Squadron is a Rebel fighter group built around Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles, the only members of Red Squadron to survive
the Battle of Yavin. Commander Skywalker is Rogue Leader, and his executive officer and Rogue Two is Captain Zev Senesca, the pilot
who located Han and Luke when they were missing. Other members included Derek 'Hobbie' Klivian, Dak Ralter, Wes Janson, and
Dorovio Bold. Rogue Squadron principally flew X-Wings in space, but flew T-47 airspeeders during the Battle of Hoth.


Why is it so much easier to blow up an AT-AT when it has crashed? The most common excuse is that the flexible armored
tunnel connecting the troop section to the command section is understandably more vulnerable since its armor must be
less rigid and heavy to allow some flexibility, as the 'head' of the walker can swivel to fire on targets at different angles.
If that is the case, then the Rebels could have defeated the assault if they knew where to shoot in the first place, and
after this battle should have much less trouble defeating them, if they noticed why their airspeeder was easily able to
trigger a massive explosion. Others have noted that there is an energy effect when the airspeeders shoot the walkers
from above, almost as if the walkers are ray-shielded. It would make far more sense if the walker were able to be
destroyed because the crash damaged its power systems or shield emitters, leaving it far less protected from directed
energy weapons. If one wishes to accept the common suggestion that the AT-AT can be defeated by hitting its Achillies
neck, one can easily write off the energy effect earlier in the scene as the blaster fire dissipating rather than damaging
the armor, so neither suggestion is definitive. Regardless of explanation, it seems very unlikely the entire craft would be
so invulnerable to the blasters on the airspeeders, but then a single direct hit on the neck would cause an overload so
serious the entire craft would explode. This makes the energy shield explanation at least the more likely of the two.


- Episode V was constructed by George Lucas and his associates around inversions of elements of Episode IV, which established what would
become a defining characteristic of the two SW trilogies. Each subsequent film was in turn based around inversions and reversals of
events in the prior films, and the entire prequel trilogy is itself a reversal and inversion of the original trilogy. These 'other sides to
the same story' include everything from large plot themes to specific shots and lines of dialogue. The initial setting of Episode V is
said by Lucas to have been the originator which formed the rule, as near the beginning of this film there is a ground battle against
a white background where the Rebels fight from left to right and the Empire wins, inverting Episode IV where near the end of
the film there is a space battle against a black background where the Rebels fight from right to left and the Empire loses. This thematic
choice became the driving force behind the many inversions, reversals, surprises, and unseen dangers which form the narrative of this film.
These inversions often combine elements, such as Han taking Leia off of Hoth with Vader and his troops approaching. This is a reversal
of the same thing happening in the first film on the Death Star, but the context is now flipped, as the Death Star was Vader's base they
were fleeing, and now it is their own. Their escape here combines scene elements and similar context to Han and the Falcon escaping
Tatooine in Episode IV, creating a new scene framed and shot in the same way as the scenes it echoes, with the context flipped.



How long has the Falcon been fleeing the Imperial fleet when the ship is first shown dodging star destroyers? It would
seem to be sometime later, since they soon come upon a large and particularly dense asteroid field. This question is
closely related to the issue of how the Falcon gets to Bespin without a working hyperdrive, discussed below. When
reviewing starcharts Han definitively states that this asteroid field is in the Anoat System, however they left the sixth
planet in the Hoth System without a working hyperdrive. Recent Lucasfilm material has attempted to settle some of
the issues raised by this, and as part of this effort have established that the Hoth asteroid field lies near and along
the gravitational boundary of these two adjacent starsystems. Accepting this premise as essential to any attempt to
explain this, we must also assume that this dense asteroid field is in part due to the above average proximity of
these two stars, and that both starsystems are significantly smaller than the Solar System. The Hoth System is at least
large enough to have formed at least six planets, which requires a decent size, and places the planet we refer to as
Hoth fairly near to the gravitational edge of the system. The Falcon either arrived there minutes later, or in many
hours, or any time in between. Assuming based on the conversation that they basically just left the planet, and that
it isn't already days later, this leaves two possibilities: either ships in SW can travel at least half of the speed of light
in regular space, or they can travel faster than light in regular space. Either explanation requires some device that
prevents relativistic effects of traveling at either speed, such as months of time passing in the rest of the galaxy
during a journey that takes only hours for the passengers. Lucasfilm has recently decided that it is the later, and ships
in SW can travel faster than light in regular space, which is the easiest explanation. However, this means there is
some device on these ships that if damaged would turn a ship into a one-way ticket to years or decades in the future.
Main Article: Hyperspace Travel


- The Anoat System is located in the Anoat Sector, in the Greater Javin region of the Western Reaches of the Outer Rim. It is a remote system
immediately adjacent to the Hoth System. Its star lies unusually close to that of the Hoth's systems star, but not close enough to form
a binary starsystem. There is large asteroid field caught between the gravity of each starsystem, probably formed due to the breakup or
collision of bodies caught in the tug-of-war. According to legendary material, the Anoat System has three habitable planets, including
the planet Anoat, which is described as inhospitable to begin with, but also heavily polluted due to mining activity.

- The giant vermicular creature which almost eats the Falcon is known as an exogorth, or informally as a space slug. They obviously do
not breathe oxygen, and are said to be silicon-based creatures. They therefore consume most minerals for sustenance, and
are usually found on asteroids or similar rocky bodies without an atmosphere. They are apparently often infested with mynocks,
a large winged creature which is parasitic in nature and also silicon-based. Mynocks originate on the surface of their homeworld,
but were transferred to other planets and around the galaxy by attaching themselves to starships. They are able to survive in space,
and primarily consume minerals and raw energy, making them well-suited to parasitic attachment to exogorths.

- Another important benchmark for the limits of scanning ability in the SW universe is established by Luke's orbital survey of Dagobah.
His scanners are ordinarily able to detect the signs of cities or technology as in large concentrations of power readings, signals
emitted by devices, or gaseous by-products in the atmosphere. In this case he finds no indications of any detectable technology
or settlements, and he detects that the planet is full of life, but the lifeform readings are indistinct. Scanners in SW are not
particularly insightful about such things, and the presence of a jungle ecosystem should make isolating specific lifeforms impossible.
Main Article: Scanners, Sensors, and Cloaking Devices

- Dagobah is an unspoiled planet located in the Sluis Sector, within the Trailing Sectors region of the Outer Rim, very near to the Rimma
Trade Route and the boundary of the Western Reaches. Dagobah is wet, verdant, and teeming with animal life. Its native
ecosystem is extremely diverse, and much of the planet is covered with forests, swamps, and littoral regions. Due to its warmth
and high humidity, the atmosphere features dense cloud cover above and fog and mist near the surface. It is revealed in later
material that Dagobah is exceptionally strong with the Force, and not only because it is densely covered with living things.


- In The Clone Wars 'Voices' (S6E11), R2 journeys to Dagobah with Yoda, during events which first bring Yoda to the planet.
Although this was 22 years prior to the events of this film, R2 is not known to have lost any memory from that time period,
and yet R2 seems wary and adversarial when he meets Yoda in this film. It isn't really a continuity concern that Yoda doesn't
seem to remember R2, but not the other way around. R2 has an unfailing memory, and should have been excited to see Yoda
instead of fighting with him over a flashlight. George Lucas seems to think this isn't an issue, and it is probably true that it
wouldn't have helped anyway, as Luke couldn't always understand R2 without his ship's computer translating. Nevertheless,
it is an odd creative choice considering how important it is to this story that both Luke and R2 are dismissive and wary of Yoda.

- Luke remarks that "it's like something out of a dream" when discussing what lead him to Dagobah. This is meant to illustrate how
conflicted Luke is over his Jedi path, trusting in the Force enough to come to this world, but then lamenting that he doesn't
fully believe the visions and impressions from the Force are true to begin with. This is also meant to highlight that Episode V
is itself a dream-like fantasy, in which the main character Luke, along with the viewer, is treated to a continually shifting series
of highly-symbolic sub-plots, all of which are murky, confusing, and deceptive, but which nonetheless form a unified narrative.
George Lucas' desire was for this film to take the aspects of Episode IV and turn them over to show their other side, while at
the same time not making another of the same kind of movie. As a result, this film is a dream-like fantasy rather than another
serial adventure, and Luke's confusion, doubt, and failures replace his confidence, certainty, and successes in Episode IV.
This film is also a tragedy, which along with serial adventures like Episode IV and morality plays like Episode VI are ancient
literary forms common to many human cultures. The other three SW sequals are also totally different kinds of stories,
as Episode I is an Arthurian origin story, Episode II is a detective mystery/spy movie, and Episode III is an apocalypse.

- Due to the circumstances of his defeat and near death in Episode III, Vader requires machine assistance to live. Most of those
machines are cybernetic implants and artificial body parts, however his physical body is somewhat vulnerable and his
breathing requires assistance. As a result, his suit is pressurized, and while he can indeed survive without his helmet on,
for health reasons this is usually done only in pressurized enviroments, such as in a fluid filled tank or in the pressurized
meditation chambers like the one he uses in this film. For Vader to take his helmet off isn't immediately life threatening.

- Even small craft like Luke's X-Wing are equipped with necessary survival and emergency gear, as makes sense coming from a spacefaring
civilization. This includes at least mobile power units, a communications array, tool kits, and significant food rations.

- Luke remarks that there is something familiar about Dagobah to him, clearly and insight or feeling through the Force. This may be
from dreams barely recalled in which the Force showed Luke this place, or that the feeling of the Force in that place is what is
familiar to him. This is meant also to illustrate Luke's lack of mastery over perception through the Force, while Yoda, on
the other hand, clearly has great vision through the Force from this world. He tells Obi-Wan and Luke that "a long time
have I watched" Luke from this world. Yoda's power of sight through the Force is due to his very high-level mastery of
the Jedi arts aided by both the power this planet has with the Force and the growth of the power of the light side of
the Force. The Emperor notes to Vader the great disturbance that has been generated in the Force by the rise of
Luke and the ascendance of Obi-Wan. During Palpatine's rise, the growing power of the dark side increasingly clouded
the vision of the Jedi. The incredible imbalance in the Force towards the dark side is now undergoing its natural correction.

- Hyperspace transmissions can be disrupted or blocked by objects in between, such as asteroids. This certainly means that ships
and planets must have a clear line of sight to the place the are communicating to, or to some local or distant relay.
Main Article: Hyperspace Communication


While the scene was never deleted, Vader's long-distance phone call from the Emperor was edited by George Lucas in
2004, and the holographic image of the Emperor and his dialogue were re-shot using Ian McDiarmid, who plays
Palpatine/Sidious in the other four SW films. The original voice actor was Clive Revill, and the original portrayal was
by Marjorie Eaton. The appearance of the Emperor seemed to suggest he was a non-Human of some kind or at least
a very creepy looking Human. This was achieved by Eaton wearing a mask, with a close-up of a chimpanzee's eyes
superimposed over her own. The result was very mysterious, and could have been left in even if it was redubbed.



- The Emperor refers to Luke as "the offspring of Anakin Skywalker" when speaking to Vader, as if Anakin and Vader are not the same person.
This was done for storytelling purposes, so as not to give away the surprise reveal at the end of the film, but also because both
characters treat Anakin as though he were dead. Sidious does not want Anakin to believe that he can be anyone other than Darth
Vader ever again, and treats conversion to the Sith very much as the Jedi do, seeing it as essentially the murder of the good person
within, which the Sith see as limited and weak. In order to embrace the dark side and maximize his strength Vader must also tell
himself that the Jedi Anakin is dead, and tries to disassociate himself from feelings and emotions he once had as Anakin.

- Vader tells Sidious he is not concerned about Luke because "Obi-Wan can no longer help him." As seen in Episode IV, despite the fact
that Obi-Wan's body inexplicably disappeared in front of him, Vader later seems pleased in his certainty that "this day has seen
the end of Kenobi." As a materialist philosophy, the Sith don't believe in Force spirits or life after death, and are clearly after
three years still totally unaware of Obi-Wan's transformation. This means that Qui-Gon has successfully become a 'phantom
menace' to the Sith, and the source of a secret plan to unseat the Sith from power, an inversion of Sidious' own against the Jedi.
Qui-Gon taught Obi-Wan and Yoda the means of manifesting a consciousness after death and to commune with the living, and
by this Obi-Wan and later Yoda can continue to teach and aid Jedi, becoming essentially undefeatable. This is important not only
because it is a subtle plan that Sidious will not expect, but also as it is orchestrated beyond of the scope of his vision in the Force.

- Yoda tells Luke that "for 800 years have I trained Jedi." A year later, in Episode VI, Yoda will tell Luke he is 900 years old. This means that
Yoda was born around the year 7081 (896 BBY), and has been training Jedi since about 7180 (797 BBY). Yoda's mysterious species
certainly lives longer and has a different life-cycle than Humans, and this also tells us that Yoda was promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight
by at least the age of 100. This also suggests that 100-year-old Yoda was comparably as mature as a Human in their twenties.


- Yoda calls Luke "too old to begin the training", in what is clearly intended as an excuse meant to demonstrate his reluctance. Nevertheless,
in later material concern about training adults to use this Force is shown to be common amongst the Jedi. As seen in Episode IV,
Luke becomes a Padawan at age 19, despite Anakin later being repeatedly called too old to train at age 9. This Jedi dogma proves to
be prudent in most cases, but examples like Luke show that it is possible to teach an adult to be a good Jedi. At this stage in Luke's
development his emotional attachments to his friends and war-buddies led Luke to abandon his Master and his training to fall into
a known Sith trap, a situation which could easily have led to his fall, illustrating the primary reason the Jedi have this rule to begin with.

- The day after the escape from Hoth, Yoda agrees to train Luke and the Falcon escapes the exogorth. After those scenes, events cover
an unspecified period of time best said to cover a few weeks, until Han and Leia meet Vader on Bespin, two days before the narrative
of the film ends. Many fans have spent a great deal of time trying to figure out, estimate, and debate this question, and while most
give figures in the same range of a few weeks, some estimates are quite high. It can safely be said that many days were needed to reach
the Bespin System without a hyperdrive, regardless of Bespin's relative proximity to Hoth and the Anoat System. It is also clear that Han
and Leia's relationship has evolved slightly since they escaped the Imperial fleet, which also suggests days have passed. It also clear that
repairs on the Falcon were extensive enough that despite Lando's people stalling, Han still finds it plausible that it isn't finished yet.
It seems therefore unreasonable that this time is greater than a few weeks, given the relative simplicity of ship repair for a place like
Cloud City, and the substance of the conversations which the characters have about the repairs. Those favoring longer estimates
are usually eager to give Luke more training time with Yoda, as becoming a Jedi capable of facing a Sith Lord a year later isn't
something that can be learned at summer camp. A few weeks of advanced training with Yoda, combined with three years prior
practicing his most basic and fundamental connections to the Force, is more than enough to set Luke towards mastery of the Jedi arts.
What truly makes a Jedi capable of standing up to the Sith is wisdom and a strong connection to the Force, things that are already
part of Luke's nature, and which can only increase with experience, and cannot be imparted by time with a teacher alone. As shown
in Episode VI, set many months later, there was ample time for Luke to return and train extensively with Yoda.

- Anger, fear, aggression are aspects of the dark side of the Force. Yoda describes these emotions as easily flowing, and "quick to join you
in a fight." These emotions are like the dark side itself "quicker, easier, more seductive", and a fast route to immediate power,
however like the dark side itself, the power it brings can only be maintained by continuing to harness these emotions. Because
this source of easy power is so addictive, the Jedi believe that "if once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate
your destiny, consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wan's apprentice." This is true, as the dark side dominates the destiny of all who
embrace it, however persons of a strong enough character are occasionally shown to be able to move past years of addiction.
The dark side is not stronger than the light side, as both are the Force and of equal strength. The dark side is simply the unnatural
and intentional misuse of the power of the Force, but because the power gained through it must be actively maintained by
repressing the light, it is in reality much weaker than the light. In nature, the light side of the Force will eventually balance out
the dark, and this subtle power of the light requires only to surrender and allow nature and the Force to enact its will. As Yoda tells
Luke, this is also how one can know the good side from the bad, as one can tell when they are calm, at peace, and passive.
Consequently, "a Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack."

- Yoda gives Luke a Jedi test by sending him into the place on Dagobah that is strong with the dark side, calling it a "domain of evil." In this
often misunderstood scene, Luke was told he would not need his weapons, but brings them anyways. The vision he is shown by
the dark side of the Force is a manifestation of his own fears, but is also, as all Force visions, a symbolic and informative teaching
moment for those with eyes to see. Luke's response to confront evil with greater power leads Yoda to conclude he failed this test.
This vision also had two primary takeaways, the first of which Luke seems to have understood before leaving for Bespin,
the second of which would only make sense after learning that Vader is his father. The first lesson of this vision is that meeting
Vader, or any Sith, with aggression can lead one to join the dark side. The ambition to defeat Vader has the unintended consequence
of becoming Vader, something Anakin experienced after his desire to overpower and defeat Count Dooku lead to his taking Dooku's
place as Sidious' apprentice. The second lesson of this vision is a reference to this very point, that Luke and Anakin are more or less
the same person with the same potential for good or for evil. Anakin's ambitions led him to the dark side, and Luke's highly
ambitious personal goals could easily lead him to the same end.


- Vader assembles some expert bounty hunters to find the elusive Falcon, including Boba Fett and some of his past associates. Those
present on the bridge of the Executor include Fett who is a Human from Kamino, Bossk who is a Trandoshan, Dengar who is
a Human from Corellia, 4-LOM who is an independent, LOM-series protocol droid who became a bounty hunter, Zuckuss who is
a Gand, and IG-88 who is an independent, IG-series assassin droid who was part of a small group of ultra-intelligent prototypes which
escaped from Holowan Laboratories after killing their developers, and now works as a bounty hunter. Vader's comment to the group
which was pointedly directed at Boba Fett suggests that he is known for disintegrating bounties rather than taking them alive.

- The Falcon, and indeed most ships in SW, have front and rear deflectors as their primary energy shields. These shields are weakened
by absorbing blaster fire, and must be turned off and recharged in safety or they will eventually become depleted by continual fire.
Either deflector can be diminished while the other is still fully-powered. The power that is available for the shields can however be
transferred entirely to either deflector, thus doubling its strength at full power, or reinforcing it when at depleted status.
Main Article: Shields, Deflectors, and Ray Shields

- After being told that the Falcon "no longer appears on our scopes", Captain Needa remarks that "they can't have disappeared. No ship
that small has a cloaking device." This tells us that cloaking devices can render a ship undetectable to a ship's "scopes", and that
the idea that a ship as small as a freighter could have one is absurd or basically impossible. The implication of this must be that
cloaking devices are large or require large power sources to operate, or both, and that only large ships might have the ability
to blind tracking systems. This raises the question of why the huge Imperial ships don't have these, especially since Admiral Ozzel
was recently killed by Vader for coming out of hyperspace too close to Hoth which allowed the Rebels to detect them. If they
had used cloaking devices it wouldn't have mattered, so the question is, if the top-of-the-line Imperial ships don't have them,
who in the galaxy does? Cloaking devices almost never come up again in any Lucas canon, with two notable exceptions in
The Clone Wars series, both of which are continuity errors which completely ignore everything we learn from Captain
Needa's statement, as discussed in full in the main article covering cloaking devices.
Main Article: Scanners, Sensors, and Cloaking Devices

- Yoda tries to convey to Luke why the Jedi revere and respect the Force, by explaining the basics of what the Jedi have learned about the Force.
The scope of its power is beyond anything else in the galaxy. The Force is created by life, which also causes the already existing network
to grow. Its energy surrounds living beings, and also binds them to their bodies and to all other living things. If we could see ourselves
in the Force, we would see that we are "luminous beings", which are much more than "crude matter" our bodies seem to be. While
organic in nature and origin, the Force connects to everything, including dirt and stones, and even artificial devices like Luke's ship.

- Luke tells Yoda that lifting a ship with the Force is impossible, which is of course primarily meant to illustrate that what is holding Luke back
is his belief in his own limitations, which is really a lack of faith in the power of the Force. This is also meant to illustrate the primary
issue of Luke's ambition to become a Jedi after the death of his aunt and uncle. Much like Anakin, while he thinks he wants to be
a Jedi, what he wants is to become an adventuring warrior hero, not to become a monk devoted to spirituality and patient wisdom.
Anakin and Luke each go through the same stages of becoming a Jedi 'later' in life, but choose the opposite paths at the moments
of crisis. In Episode I and Episode IV, Skywalker is influenced by a Jedi who hopes to harness their great potential, and makes
a commitment to becoming a Jedi without fully understanding what that will mean for them down the line. Luke promises also
to become like his father, and Anakin to return and free his mother. In Episode II and Episode V, Skywalker discovers that becoming
a Jedi and becoming who they want to be might not be compatible goals, and at the least is turning out to be nothing like they
expected. Luke also learns that he cannot be a Jedi and become like his father, just as Anakin learns that he cannot be a Jedi and
save his mother, or indeed make things the way he wants them to be. In Episode III and Episode VI, Skywalker has grown in both
of his possible destinies, and each chooses which of their ambitions they value most, or feel is right.


- Admiral Piett tells Vader that "our ships have completed their scan of the area and found nothing. If the Millennium Falcon went into
light-speed, it'll be on the other side of the galaxy by now." This indicates once again that detailed scanning in SW is a slow and
intensive process that can take hours, or in this case even longer if sweeping a large area of space. The scan takes so long that
the Falcon could be much of the way across the galaxy, suggesting several hours of travel at minimum, probably more.
Main Articles: Hyperspace Travel & Scanners, Sensors, and Cloaking Devices


How does the Falcon get to Bespin without a working hyperdrive? This question is closely related to the issue of how
the Falcon got to the Anoat System from Hoth without a working hyperdrive, discussed above. In order to reach even
the outskirts of any other starsystem, the Falcon must be able to travel at much of the speed of light, or faster than
light, in regular space without experiencing the effects of relativity, specifically time passing at a slower rate on the ship
than in the rest of the galaxy. Since their position is near the boundary of the Anoat System and the Hoth System, even if
Bespin were the next starsystem over, travel at slower than lightspeed would take years to reach Cloud City. It therefore
must be that ships in SW can travel many times faster than light in regular space, which is not an effective way to travel
the galaxy, but does allow for local interstellar travel without a hyperdrive. Han says regarding Bespin that "it's pretty far,
but I think we can make it." According to supplementary material released in the pre-disney era, Bespin is about 1150
light-years from Hoth and Anoat. This means it is 'pretty far' in terms of their top speed, despite being extremely close in
galactic terms, and in hyperspace travel. This oft-debated question has lead to a wide variety of fan theories, the most
popular of which are that all three planets are in the same starsystem, or that all ships in SW have backup hyperdrives
for emergencies which are slower and don't work for long like a spare tire. Recent Lucasfilm has retconned the Falcon as
having a backup hyperdrive that is slower to fit this theory, but also has attempted to solve all of these issues by making
faster than light in normal space part of canon. According to the speed chart developed for Episode VI, the top speed
of the Falcon with its regular engines is 75 megalights. This was intended to show the relative speed in flight for
the ships fighting in the Battle of Endor, none of which were flying anywhere near the speed of light. Nevertheless, recent
disney-era Lucasfilm has decided that megalights are a speed factor of 0.0755 light-years per hour. This should not be
taken as definitive, however it does seem to have been engineered to provide an appropriate answer to all the issues of
this film. A voyage of 1150 light-years at top speed would have taken them eight and a half days to reach Bespin, which
makes sense considering that a trip this long would likely require expending a great deal of their fuel reserves. Eight days,
or probably a bit longer, to reach Bespin makes a great deal of sense given the context of the other events, however it
could be as short as a couple of days given that nothing definitive in canon has said otherwise.
Main Article: Hyperspace Travel


- Boba Fett makes his first appearance in this film, as his brief on screen appearance in Episode IV was in a deleted scene. His earliest
appearance is at age 10 in Episode II, set in 7953 (24 BBY), 27 years before this film, making him 37. He is an unaltered clone of
Jango Fett, who was his only parent. After his father's death during those events, he is subsequently seen having fallen in with
many of Jango's former associates in bounty hunting and organized crime. Boba's ship is Slave One, a Firespray-31-class
interceptor, later seen to have been his father's ship. This ship was used by Boba and his associates before being shot down by
Republic forces in 7956 (21 BBY), seen in The Clone Wars 'Lethal Trackdown' (S2E22). Slave One was recovered and restored
by Jango's friend Hondo Ohnaka and his crew, and was being operated by at least 7957 (20 BBY) as part of his private fleet,
seen in 'A Necessary Bond' (S5E9). Boba obviously regained propriety over the ship at some point in the 23 years since.

- Connection to the Force provides an individual with the ability to experience, and potentially even direct, informative visions. Some of these
insights might show other places or people in the galaxy at the present time, or glimpses of events or possible events from the past or
the future. Often a person's visions involve people, places, and events that are connected strongly to them, including "old friends long
gone." Yoda says that the future is difficult to see as it is "always in motion."

- Bespin is a gas giant planet located in the Anoat Sector, in the Greater Javin region of the Western Reaches of the Outer Rim.
It is a less-common variety of gas planet which is habitable in its 'life zone', a layer of the upper atmosphere with survivable
temperatures and an oxygen-rich gas mixture. Some planets of this variety, like Bespin, have lower levels which contain
significant concentrations of tibanna gas, a volatile but potent energy source which is highly profitable when sold as fuel.
There is at least one hovering city in the life zone, Cloud City, which is a tibanna gas mine as well as an urban center with
a large population. Built by the Incom Corporation around 7580 (397 BBY), the Cloud City was designed to house the staff
of the mine, who are principally Ugnaughts as well as Humans, but also to provide amenities to inhabitants and tourists,
as the conditions in this layer of Bespin's atmosphere are considered to be most desirable and beautiful.


- Lando Calrissian makes his first appearance in this film. He was last seen chronologically 7 years earlier in 7973 (4 BBY), in a hologram
transmission in Rebels 'The Siege of Lothal' (S2E1). His earliest chronological appearance was in Solo, which is set 13 years
before this film, in 7967 (10 BBY), and is when Lando was first introduced to Han.

- Lando was the previous owner of the Millennium Falcon, which he lost to Han playing cards. This wager is shown in Solo, and apparently
occurred during the same few days that nearly every other known thing about Han's history took place, about 13 years before this film.

- Lando has suggested that despite the profitability of tibanna gas mining, his returns have not been as high as he might have hoped.
Major factors he mentions include the size of this remote outpost, and the supply problems inherent in that at this stage in
the Imperial economy. He has apparently also had difficulties with his most Ugnaught labor force.

- A 3PO unit replies "E chu ta!" to C-3PO's friendly greeting, which C-3PO states is a rude thing to say. In supplementary material this is said
to be a Huttese insult, and that it is inappropriate to translate it.

- Luke insists on helping those he loves, rather than committing to his duty as a Jedi, the same decision Anakin makes in Episode II and
Episode III, and indeed at many points in the Clone Wars. Obi-Wan tells him he doesn't want "to lose you to the Emperor
the way I lost Vader", a reference to Sidious' ability to use loved ones to manipulate those with good intentions.

- It is clear that Yoda believes the Rebellion is far less important to freeing the galaxy from the Sith than Luke becoming a Jedi, saying that
"all depends" on Luke. He also reveals that a fully trained Jedi Knight with the Force as his ally is capable of conquering Vader and his
Emperor. Despite years of legendary material and fan discussion to the contrary, Vader and Sidious aren't unstoppable, or too
powerful for a Jedi to deal with. As a Jedi Padawan, Obi-Wan defeated Darth Maul. In canon material outside of the films, Maul
is shown to have (partly) survived that battle, and at one point remarks that he cannot defeat even Sidious alone. Vader's natural
ability with the Force make him potentially far more powerful than Sidious, so by that metric, it seems no one could defeat Vader.
Even though Luke is of above average strength in the Force, his mother was not particularly strong in the Force, while Vader has
the highest midi-chlorian count ever recorded, meaning whatever Luke has must be less, and he handily defeats Vader in Episode VI.
The thing about real world contests is, the best competitor or team doesn't always win, what matters is only performance and
the will of the Force. Only a fully-trained Jedi will have the discipline to be the conduit through which the Force beats the Sith.
Yoda clearly feels that without a Jedi powerful enough to defeat Vader and Sidious, there can be no success by fighting the Empire.
He suggests to Obi-Wan that there is another hope to defeat the Sith if Luke is lost, which is of course a reference to Leia.

- If Luke "choose the quick and easy path, as Vader did," Yoda says he "will become an agent of evil." Obi-Wan tells him "don't give in
to hate - that leads to the dark side." As seen in Episode II and Episode III, Anakin's impatience and lack of emotional
maturity left him vulnerable to the dark side, and his desire for victory hastened his fall. Whether a person is a Force wielder
or not, using the dark side can bring power and success faster, and thus it is easier and more alluring. The downside is that
in doing a person serves evil, and becomes forever consumed by that evil. Hate, which stems from fear, is the path to the dark
side, and like the dark side it is an emotion which comes easily, and is seductive in its power, but ultimately empty of good.

- Lando's conversation with Leia and Han indicates that at this point in time nearly all mining operations of any size are either nationalized
entities owned by the Imperial state, or are members of the Mining Guild. Cloud City's tibanna gas company is small and remote
enough not to be on the official radar at this time, but Lando's comments suggest that otherwise they would of course be under
the Mining Guild's jurisdiction. The Mining Guild was one of the Commerce Guilds in the days of the Republic, and is an ancient
organization which was one of the few galaxy-level institutions to survive the Clone Wars without significantly losing its status or
independent authority. The Guild of course operates in full compliance with the Empire for its own interest. As with everything in
the Empire, over time the Guild has become increasingly integrated into the state, and likely would have eventually been absorbed.

- Vader blocks blaster fire with hand, in an impressive display of Force barrier, sometimes called Force shield, which is where a Force
wielder will project sufficient energy to deflect something incoming. This can be used on a wider scope to stop gas or dust,
or as in this case, concentrated in a small area against a much more energetic projectile. While Vader's power and ease with
this is most impressive, there are examples of Jedi using Force barrier against weapons fire, and even a lightsaber blow.


Chewie is locked in a cell, and is being seemingly torturing with loud noises, presumably by the Empire. The scene cuts
to this, and shortly after the sound stops and Chewie is no longer in agony. Why did the Empire stop torturing him?
Perhaps Vader decided that Luke must have gotten the message and thus their work was done. The Empire isn't all
sadism all the time, but they aren't known for being merciful to their captives, or concerned about torture. It doesn't
seem like the room where Chewie left C-3PO's parts either. Did the Empire bring them to him to fix? If so, why?


- Based on Vader's assessment, the Carbon freeze facility on Cloud City is "crude", probably because it is an industrial model not
typically used for freezing people. Even this crude facility has the technology to successfully put an item, even a living one
in a kind of frozen stasis. While uncertain if this will kill Han or not, A lifeform can apparently live on for months after
Carbon-freezing, although exactly how this is possible is inexplicable and must have some advanced technology explanation.

- Lando's chief aide is Lobot, which is hopefully not his original name, who is a Human who has been implanted with an AJ^6 cyborg
construct, referred to as Lobot-Tech headgear. These devices were wired directly into the brain, and were designed to increase
productivity, memory, and computing power, as well as to allow direct communication with systems. They usually had the effect
of severely diminishing or erasing an implantee's personality, and would sometimes cause unpredictable behavior.

- Vader senses that the Force is with Luke, but also mentions that Luke is not a Jedi yet. Although Vader does not yet know how far
Luke has progressed, he doesn't believe Luke completed his training or has passed any Jedi trials, such as 'facing the mirror',
which is more or less a test of conquering your fears and knowing your weaknesses. It is the test in which one decides their
destiny, and discovers if they are truly ready to be a Jedi Knight or not. Yoda will tell Luke in Episode VI that his final trial
is to confront Vader, and thus to settle his internal conflict once and for all. It is Sidious who later recognizes that Luke has
passed this test when Luke refuse to fight him, and confirms as Yoda would have that he has indeed become a Jedi.

- Luke has his first duel with Vader, about three years after their first meeting in starfighters at the Battle of Yavin, and about a year before
their final confrontation in Episode VI. Vader is 44, and is as powerful and knowledgeable about the Force as ever. Luke is 22,
and although still a Padawan, is an experienced Force wielder with an unusual natural aptitude who has just had weeks of advanced
training with the Grand Master of the Jedi. Nevertheless, Vader strongly outclasses Luke at this point, and intends simply to capture
him. Vader discovers that Luke has learned far more than he had thought, enough to be a potential danger to both himself and
Sidious should he continue to progress. Vader is able to conclusively end the duel when Luke starts to get the better of him.


- Vader seems to think Obi-Wan has taught Luke everything, not knowing that Yoda is even still alive, and notes that Luke has learned to
control his fear, like a Jedi. The ability to center and connect strongly to the Force is what makes a Jedi so powerful, and thus Vader
suggests, like any Sith would, that he should "release your anger", as fueling this concentration with passion, rage, and hate will
magnify this power. It will, of course, also start to corrupt the Jedi in question. Vader also tells him that "only your hatred can
destroy me." The rage, and even hatred, required to defeat the Sith is why confronting them is a trap. Sith Lords replace each
other by defeating a more powerful one in combat. While it is possible to defeat a Sith without taking their place, it requires
mastery of one's own emotions, and usually is done in defence against a Sith attack. Luke's rage against Vader and the Empire,
as well as the threat against his friends, could easily cause an undisciplined mind to fall into the easy trap of trying to rage unto
victory. Instead, like a Jedi, Luke stays calm and focused, and with the aid of the Force gets the better of Vader briefly. As Luke will
discover this day and reflect on over the next year, the true trap of the Sith is that confronting them empowers the dark side.
The only way to truly defeat the Sith is not to fight them, nor to surrender to them, but to deny them the conflict which they are
seeking to fuel. Practically, that usually still requires some kind of combat with them, as it does here and will again in Episode VI.

- Vader also tells Luke not to "let yourself be destroyed as Obi-Wan did", another reference to the Sith materialistic beliefs, as well as
again confirming that Vader and Sidious are competely unaware of Obi-Wan's transformation, or that it is even possible.

- While working on Episode VI, George Lucas explained the symbolic and conceptual meaning of Vader slicing off Luke's hand:
"The idea running throughout the whole trilogy is: First he's given his father's sword, because his father lost it in the fight with
Ben Kenobi. Ben cut his hand off and Vader fell into the volcano, so Ben then pried the laser sword out of the hand and kept it
for the son. So then what the father did was cut his son's hand and laser sword off - and that was a way of severing the relationship
between father and son. Not only did Luke lose his weapon and was 'castrated', but at the same time his father split that relationship.
Luke was carrying his sword for his father." That lightsaber was Luke's link to his father's noble Jedi past, which gave him a destiny
and a purpose that would allow him to connect with his father. Vader cuts Luke off from the idea that his father remained noble
to the end, and that he can become "like his father" and also be a Jedi. Luke stood up to Vader as a man, but was emasculated
by his father, who now speaks to him as a boy and offers him a relationship with his real father, a murderous cyborg sociopath.
Exactly like his father Anakin, Luke was a young but advanced Padawan who is confident in his abilities when he is soundly
defeated by a more experienced Jedi who has become a Sith Lord, and as a result loses his hand. Luke is repeating the same
stages of development and the hero's journey as Anakin, but is ultimately making all the right choices rather than the wrong ones.

- The Emperor has had a vision, or visions, through the Force which indicate that Luke could destroy the Emperor. Yoda points out
to Luke that the future is always in motion, however great visionaries like Sidious and Yoda can ordinarily see glimpses into
the future with enough relevance to the present to suggest what might lead events down one path rather than another.
Sidious' visions about Anakin's conversion were obviously how manipulated events to lead to a situation which Anakin
completed his fall, a situation in which Sidious himself could have been killed if things had gone awry. His actions in
Episode III must be viewed as showing great faith and confidence in what the Force has revealed to him.

- Vader tells an officer to alert his "star destroyer" that he is coming on board before boarding a shuttle. He returns to his command ship
the Executor, an Executor-class dreadnought, colloquially referred to as a super star destroyer. Ship classifications are based
on naval tradition, and exact definitions often vary in different time periods or in different places in Earth history, from which
ship classifications in SW are derived. Generally speaking, any ship large enough to transport people that is larger than
a shuttle could be referred to as a cruiser, in this case a star cruiser. Definitions of civilian vessels and unarmed transports
are based entirely on abilities, size, and the number of people it can transport. Warships are classified by ratings similar to
ship-of-the-line era wind-powered warships, with some more modern ratings from the Victorian and World War eras. Vessels are
rated by size, crew compliment, and armament. A physically smaller ship with more gun batteries may be at times rated higher.
Armed transports and small escort ships are classed as corvettes and frigates. Warships larger than a frigate with more dedicated
weapons batteries are classed as cruisers, which can range from small light cruisers to gigantic heavy cruisers, usually referred
to as battleships or battle cruisers. The heaviest class of warships in SW are classed as destroyers, which range from similar
sizes to medium or large cruisers all the way up to 'super' sized destroyers referred to as dreadnoughts. As such, there is
a fair amount of overlap and many different terms can be equally applicable to the same ship, as long as those terms
are both appropriate. The Venator-class star destroyers seen in the Clone Wars are often referred to as "Jedi cruisers."

- Vader tells Luke using Force telepathy that it is his destiny to come with him and join the dark side, just as Sidious told Anakin it
was his unavoidable destiny to become Darth Vader. Indeed, that is one of Luke's possible destinies, however it is the choices
a person makes which leads them to a possible destiny, therefore no one destiny is necessarily inevitable. Luke must now
decide if connecting with his father, something he has wanted all along, is more important to him than doing what is right.


Where is this Rebel fleet located? Legendary material has usually located the fleet on the southern outskirts of
the galaxy, reasonably close to the planets which featured in this narrative, but also in a remote and untraveled location.
The issue of the strange luminous cloud seen by Luke and Leia as they watch the Falcon depart has led to some
debate about whether or not this fleet is still within the galaxy or not, as this nebulous object with a bright center does
look like it could be intended to be their galaxy. It is not their galaxy, as they are still within the same galaxy. In shots
which show the fleet and out the window, the starfield can clearly be seen in all directions, which means they are at
least hundreds of light years within the galaxy. The galaxy-like object may be one of the seven dwarf galaxies which are
satellite galaxies to the much larger galaxy that we know. If so, this one lies relatively close to the edge of the galactic
disk on this side of the galaxy. It could also be a stellar formation such as an unusual kind of globular star cluster
surrounded by a gas nebula, or a stellar nursery with a dense center. It was identified by supplementary material at
the time of the film as a protostar, which is as good an explanation as any.



- Lando remarks to Leia "when we find Han", suggesting that they don't know where Han has been taken. Many have pointed out
that everyone who knew Han well at all would know that Jabba the Hutt is the one offering the huge bounty on his head.
Many have also pointed out that while the galaxy has trillions of people in it, based on Lando's past he should know where
to find Jabba the Hutt, let alone the fact that Jabba is the crime boss who lords over the planet Luke grew up on. Nevertheless,
they have no definitive reason to believe this bounty hunter none of them know anything about works for Jabba, or is even
aware of Jabba, only that Han is "worth a lot" to Fett to turn over somewhere. They may assume this is Jabba, but it is still
reasonable to try and pick up the bounty hunter's trail and discover where Han actually is before making a plan to save him.

ANALYSIS
The destruction of Alderaan and the Rebel victory at the Battle of Yavin turned a disparate Rebel movement into a galactic-scale rebellion.
In the three years since that battle, the Civil War has come to every corner of the galaxy, and this has significantly stretched imperial fleet
and troop resources. Nevertheless, the Rebel Alliance does not control territory in interstellar space, or openly control significant planets.
According to non-canon material the Alliance did have a period of limited success in the first year of open warfare, before Imperial
retaliation largely returned the organization to fighting a limited war from clandestine bases. While the number of worlds with active
rebellions has skyrocketed, and the majority of these groups are at least coordinating and sharing intelligence with the Alliance,
the Alliance is still far too weak defend a planet even if the local rebellion overthrows the Empire there. The Alliance has, however, grown
significantly and now includes operatives, cells, or factions on many thousands of worlds. The armed forces of the Alliance fleet and
army are also a fair degree larger than they were at the outset of the war, however troops are widely dispersed, and the fleet is still
comprised mainly of military transports as opposed to heavy battle-capable warships. This is why the opening crawl describes this period
as "a dark time for the Rebellion", as the Empire is once again in control of the situation in the galaxy, and is pressing its advantage.
Rebel armies, cells, and fleets have emerged from the shadows to engage the Empire, and after the initial disorder of the first year of
the war, the Empire easily dealt vicious reprisals to any serious Rebel successes. Since that first year, the Alliance's organized military
has taken to the metaphorical hills, fighting a guerrilla war and offering what support they can to Rebel movements throughout
the galaxy, operating from mobile fleets in interstellar space and from hidden bases on remote, unpopulated planets.

The narration also states that "a group of freedom fighters led by Luke Skywalker has established a new secret base on the remote
ice world of Hoth." Obviously, they are led in spirit by Luke, as this detachment is led by Princess Leia and commanded by General
Rieekan. Echo base is clearly not the new headquarters for the entire Alliance, as most of its political and military leadership
are not present. This is obviously only "a group" of the Alliance's forces, as described in the opening crawl. Nevertheless, had this
base become fully operational without being discovered, it may have been expanded to eventually serve as the headquarters for
the Alliance. Base establishment is a large task even with advanced construction machines and droids, but it is also a tactical
maneuver which brings advantages and disadvantages in an open war. The greatest disadvantage is shown quite clearly in this film,
as it leaves their forces and valuable equipment immobile on the surface in the event that a superior Imperial force arrives without
sufficient warning. The only strategic choice is to abandon the base in that instance, squandering the work done to create the base.

The Battle of Hoth was similar in scale to many engagements in the first three years of the war, and like the majority of those battles
was won convincingly by the Empire. As is typically the case in this time period, the Rebel forces are modestly sized but decently
well-equipped, and are facing a larger Imperial force with a marked advantage in firepower and combined arms capability. The Rebels
have mitigated the problem of Imperial dominance of the sky by installing a decent energy shield, essential to any hope of defending
a ground installation against the Imperial fleet and fighter corps. Described as "strong enough to deflect any bombardment",
sufficiently-powerful, ground-based shields wired directly to a power generator can effectively hold off concentrated weapons fire for
weeks or even months, as seen in the Clone Wars era. Rebel defenses are therefore designed around the premise of defending
the power generator for as long as possible. The Imperial assault cannot be outflanked by this relatively small Rebel force, and thus
the Empire attacks with General Veers' 501st Legion conducting a direct armored assault towards the power generator. The Rebel
air defense proves to be more of a nuisance than a threat, but combined with the efforts of the infantry to present a minor
inconvenience, the Rebel tactics were sound and about as successful as could have been hoped for. The Rebels' strategy centers
around their planetary defenses, in this case their ion cannon, which presents an opportunity to nullify the Imperial advantage in
orbit and successfully withdraw from the battle. The result was a predictably easy victory for the Empire, however the Battle of
Hoth should also be viewed as a strategic success for the Alliance, considering that the execution of their defense and escape
strategy succeeded in evacuating the majority of their personnel and much valuable equipment, despite an Imperial surprise attack.

Luke describes Yoda as "a great warrior", to which Yoda responds by stating that "wars not make one great." Obviously, Yoda's intent was
to point out that of all the admirable things that could be truly said about him, least of all is his ability to defeat others in battle. Certainly,
a great Jedi Knight like Yoda knows the importance of fighting when there is no choice, but Yoda understands that war is not a great thing.
Having been the head of the general staff of the Galactic Republic's military fighting a galaxy-wide super-war only two decades earlier,
Yoda is also indicating what he has learned from the Clone Wars and subsequent reflection. Yoda found the Clone Wars tragic and
distasteful at the time, and now sees the folly of the choices he and the other Jedi leadership made by taking a leading role in a war
which undermined the fundamental values of the Jedi. Yoda's accurate assertion that Luke craves adventure, and is in many ways
excited about the adventure of war and being a Jedi warrior, is what ultimately motivates this statement. Glory and adventure are
not the Jedi way, and Luke still doesn't seem to grasp that, which reminds Yoda very much of Anakin. Seeking adventure is like looking
forward to the next high, the next peak of achievement or success. It is very much based in the selfish passion which leads to the dark
side. A Jedi must seek to desire as little as possible, to find contentment with simplicity and the living will of the Force, and to be pleased
with the joy of life that comes subtly. Yoda compares it to the difference between looking to the future versus living in the moment.
Oneness with the Force comes from being present, centered, calm, passive, in a state of surrender to the living Force. Adventure
and excitement by their very nature make this preferred state harder to maintain, and thus a Jedi does not crave these things. Yoda
is also concerned that Luke is "reckless", which is somewhat true, but not much more than many Padawans his age in the past that
are seen in later material. Luke, like many Padawans and young potential Jedi, is excited about what he can do with his abilities, and
it is up to his Jedi teachers to ensure that he understands that with great power comes great responsibility. That is the entire purpose
of the Jedi religion, and why Jedi students "must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind."

Throughout this film, Vader has a particular urgency about finding Luke, one that proves to be harmful to his colleagues, and harmful to
Luke's friends. If this were simply a matter of finding the Rebel who destroyed the Death Star, it wouldn't have taken three years to become
an urgent matter. At some point in the last three years Imperial Intelligence certainly would have gotten the name Luke Skywalker. Vader
would naturally have become very motivated to find this Skywalker, and must have also sensed as the Emperor does that he is becoming
powerful, which is described as "a great disturbance in the Force." When the Emperor describes him as the offspring of Anakin Skywalker,
Vader is not surprised by the revelation, but seems as though he is surprised that Sidious is now confirming that Luke is indeed his son.
Vader would very much like to get Luke on his side before Sidious gets control over Luke. Sidious seems only mildly concerned that "he can
destroy us", suggesting his vision through the Force has seen that things might go badly if Luke becomes a Jedi. Vader, who very much
needs Luke to help him overcome his master's control, tries his own manipulation and tempts Sidious with the potential advantages
of saving Luke as an ally. While it is impossible to say if some part of Anakin just wanted not to kill his son, essentially this is Vader being
a true Sith Lord, trying to enact a classic Rule of Two coup d'etat maneuver. In order to take Sidious' place, Vader must kill him, and then
will need an apprentice as his executive enforcer. The most successful method of achieving this historically is for the apprentice Sith Lord
to train their own Sith apprentice, and overcome the Dark Lord with their combined strength. Sidious has a great deal of experience
controlling and keeping watch over his apprentices, and probably suspects Vader of this, but is not overly concerned. Just as Sidious
foreseeing possible futures allowed him to manipulate Anakin to fall to the dark side, he once again sees an opportunity to turn
a powerful threat to his plans into a subservient weapon which further magnifies his power.

Yoda tells Luke that he could help his friends if he leaves, but that it would "destroy all for which they have fought and suffered." Yoda is
suggesting that the return of the Jedi is the only hope to save the galaxy, and that if Luke is lost or becomes an agent of the Empire, it
would be a disaster. He is therefore also suggesting that Luke leaving will almost certainly lead to one of those fates. Rushing off to save
others before really mastering the patient wisdom and subtle power of the Jedi out of fear of losing those he cares about is exactly what
lead to Anakin's fall. One of the hardest aspects of being a Jedi is knowing that so often patience and restraint are the wisest and best
course of action, while in the meantime some people that you could have helped may suffer and die. This is much harder to do when
those at risk are those you care for personally, one of the primary reasons why it isn't good for a Jedi to have emotional attachments.
That is of course Jedi theory, while in practice even Jedi taken at a young age and raised in the Temple in the days of the Republic would
inevitably have those who they care about more than others. Treating everyone as equally important is impossible for people, but a good
Jedi knows how to keep their personal and professional feelings separate. That takes discipline, commitment, and the wisdom of time,
all of which are weaker aspects for Luke to some degree. Luke does not see what the value of sacrificing Han and Leia would be, and like
Anakin, doesn't easily see the value in being a Jedi if he can't use his abilities to help the people he cares about. Yoda tells him he must
be prepared to sacrifice his friends "if you honor what they fight for." Leia is part of the rebellion to help others, not so that others will
sacrifice themselves to save her. Han may be here in part to help others, but is mainly here to help his friends, not to get them captured or
killed. Obviously, both would welcome a rescue, but if Luke wishes to honor their desire to see the Rebellion succeed against the Empire,
he must continue his training and return to the Rebels safely. It is what Leia and Han would want if there was no chance of their escape.
Yoda and Obi-Wan need Luke to enact their plan to defeat the Sith, and to help restart their nearly-extinct religion. They obviously have
a vested interest in Luke not being sacrificed, however it is notable that Luke is going to try and save Leia, the very person they mention
is naturally strong enough with the Force to be their primary backup plan should Luke be eliminated as an agent, so they really stand to
lose everything. Yoda and Obi-Wan would shortly be reduced to attempting to teach a less prodigious student from beyond the grave.

Vader is trying to capture Luke for the Emperor, and in order to trap him Vader captures Luke's friends, and they "are made to suffer."
This is meant to call out to Luke in the Force, and works perfectly. Obi-Wan tells Luke that "it is you and your abilities the Emperor
wants." Sidious always looks to add weapons to his arsenal, and increase his power. He would be pleased to have another dark agent
to do his bidding, particularly one that could become powerful enough to defeat and replace Vader as Sidious' new, younger apprentice.
Vader wants to enact his revenge on Sidious as soon as possible, because he believes he will be too late to ever defeat Sidious if Luke is
lost or is brought under Sidious' control. He intends to capture his son. Anakin has always believed the things that Palpatine has told
him, and has really sold himself on the idea that the dark side is his destiny, and now also Luke's, and that he must obey his master,
who is too powerful to be defeated, even by 10,000 Jedi. Having had Luke's origins confirmed to him, Vader believes there is a chance
he can use his connection with his son to convince Luke to help him strike back at Sidious, but that the window of opportunity is very
brief. Vader's duel with Luke is a test of Luke's abilities and progress as a Jedi. As an experienced and extremely powerful Sith Lord,
Luke poses only a minor threat, but Vader quickly learns that Luke has been instructed to a fairly advanced level, and is a legitimate
Jedi Padawan. Vader gives Luke the same offer which Sidious made to him: "You do not yet realize your importance. You have only
begun to discover your power. Join me and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive
conflict and bring order to the galaxy." He also offers Luke the same thing he offered to Padme, telling her that he can overthrow
the Emperor and that they two could rule together over the galaxy. Vader also tempts Luke by revealing the prophecy that Luke can
destroy the Emperor which has been foreseen by Sidious, offering Luke an opportunity to eliminate his enemy by joining with evil.
Vader also offers Luke his depressing Sith philosophy full of fatalism and determinism, telling Luke he is destined to join his father
on the dark side. Vader honestly believes Luke will be destroyed by the Empire, and that the only way to save himself is to go with
Vader, who will then teach him that there is no point in trying to be good because you are just going to turn out bad anyways.
Luke's actions and refusal are those of a Jedi, which considering that Luke represents another version of himself, seems to have made
an impression on Vader. However, Vader is primarily concerned that Luke's obstinacy means his window of opportunity to move
against Sidious will close, and he must resign himself to the fact that Sidious will continue to control his life. In terms of raw power,
Vader is significantly stronger than the Emperor, but Vader seems to believe that Sidious always knows what will happen next.

After escaping Bespin, the Falcon rendezvous with a small Rebel fleet based around a medical frigate and principally comprised
of transports and small escort ships with a starfighter escort. Three years into the war, the Rebels have been able to amass more
fleets of this size overtime, but are still operating these limited forces from staging areas in interstellar space. This requires greater
fuel expenditure, and indicates the tactical situation in the galaxy still heavily favors the Empire. The Rebel fleets operate as mobile
centers for guerrilla operations, and only amass for larger strategic operations. Many of the transports being escorted by this fleet
are clearly the evacuees of Echo Base on Hoth. The ships which make up the fleet are an irregular mix of former civilian ships, armed
transports and frigates available for sale to legal entities within the Empire other than the military, and small ships modified for combat
capability like the Falcon. The quality of Rebel starfighters is the one area where the Alliance equipment almost matches that of
the Empire, however many Rebel fighters are old, and the total number of ships and pilots available to the Alliance are limited.



FURTHER ANALYSIS
How Empire Turns Star Wars On Its Head
Chain of Suffering - How the Emperor Controlled Vader
How Long Did Luke's Training On Dagobah Actually Last?
Rare Behind the Scenes of "The Empire Strikes Back"
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Radio Drama