Summary

• In Star Wars: Infinities, iconic moments are turned on their head - from Luke's failure to destroy the Death Star to Leia becoming a Sith apprentice.
• Changes in canon are dramatic - Luke dies on Hoth, Yoda takes on the Empire, and Vader faces unexpected enemies like Han Solo.
• In this alternate universe, Ewoks are enemies, Darth Vader finds redemption and a new look, and iconic moments are reinterpreted in surprising ways.

One would be hard-pressed to find someone who is unfamiliar with the story of Star Wars, especially as it’s told in the original trilogy alone, as even people who don’t even like Star Wars at least know about it. However, there are a great deal fewer people who are familiar with three particular separate retellings of that iconic original trilogy, but those who are familiar certainly know how absolutely wild these alternate versions of the iconic story really are - and those stories are told in Star Wars: Infinities.

Star Wars: Infinities is essentially a ‘What If?' for the Star Wars universe. There is an ‘Infinities’ edition of A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi, and they’re all separate from one another. In each of them, one aspect of the original story is altered by an unexpected twist of fate, which yields dramatically different outcomes. From tragic deaths that didn’t happen in the originals, to moments of corruption and redemption that allow the story to expand beyond the confines of the original trilogy, here are 10 wild changes to canon from Star Wars: Infinities!

10 Luke Skywalker Failed to Blow Up the Death Star in A New Hope

Star Wars: Infinities - A New Hope by Chris Warner and Drew Johnson

Luke Skywalker blowing up the Death Star in A New Hope was literally the victory that earned this Star Wars film its namesake, while also cementing Luke himself as the living embodiment of the Rebellion’s ‘new hope’. But, what if Luke didn’t blow up the Death Star? That’s what this first story in Star Wars: Infinities explores. After Luke perfectly hit his target (just as he did in the original film), one of his torpedoes detonated prematurely, and didn’t reach the core of the Death Star. Therefore, the Death Star didn’t explode, and in response to this attack, Grand Moff Tarkin ordered the immediate destruction of Yavin 4.

The end of the Rebellion wasn’t the only alteration to A New Hope that took place following Luke’s inability to blow up the Death Star.

This cruel twist of fate resulted in the obliteration of the entire Rebel Alliance, and the ultimate victory of the Empire. However, the end of the Rebellion wasn’t the only alteration to A New Hope that took place following Luke’s inability to blow up the Death Star, as that became the catalyst for a whole slew of changes to Star Wars canon.

9 Leia Organa Becomes the Sith Apprentice of Darth Vader

Star Wars: Infinities - A New Hope by Chris Warner and Drew Johnson

After the Rebellion is defeated following Luke’s failure to destroy the Death Star, Leia Organa is once again captured by the Empire. She is brought before Emperor Palpatine on Coruscant, but rather than being put to death for her treason - or, at the very least imprisoned - Leia is treated like royalty in the Emperor’s Palace. Before long, she’s approached by Darth Vader, who can sense Leia's strength in the Force, and decides to take her on as his apprentice. It’s even revealed that Darth Vader saved the lightsaber of Obi-Wan Kenobi after killing him on the Death Star, a lightsaber that he gifted to Leia Organa to begin her training.

While Leia resisted at first, after five years of living on Coruscant, she eventually succumbed to the seduction of the dark side. When Luke and Han finally attempt to rescue Leia, she has all but mastered her new dark power in the Force, and fights against her brother by the order of her master, Darth Vader.

8 Darth Vader is Robbed of His Most Iconic Moment, as Yoda Tells Luke that Vader is His Father

Star Wars: Infinities - A New Hope by Chris Warner and Drew Johnson

Obi-Wan Kenobi (as a Force Ghost) tells him to go to Dagobah to complete his Jedi training with Master Yoda.

Following Luke’s failure to destroy the Death Star, Obi-Wan Kenobi (as a Force Ghost) tells him to go to Dagobah to complete his Jedi training with Master Yoda. When Luke found Yoda, he stayed on Dagobah and trained with the Master Jedi for five years before leaving to go rescue Leia. When Luke finally completes his training, Yoda tells him the truth about his family: Darth Vader is his father, and Leia is his sister.

This change to Star Wars canon completely robbed Darth Vader of his most iconic moment in the franchise, as he never got to say those infamous words, “I am your father”. Not only that, but Yoda also stole Obi-Wan’s thunder by telling Luke that Leia is his sister, as Kenobi was the one who told Luke that piece of information in the original trilogy.

7 Yoda Actually s the Fight, Single-Handedly Destroying the Death Star & Killing Emperor Palpatine

Star Wars: Infinities - A New Hope by Chris Warner and Drew Johnson

In the original trilogy, Yoda is content with remaining on Dagobah while Luke Skywalker and the others fight the Empire, but Star Wars: Infinities sees Yoda actually ing them in their final battle against the Empire. As Luke and Han storm Palpatine’s throne room to save Leia, Yoda sneaks aboard the Death Star (which is in orbit above Coruscant) and crashes the giant planet-killer right into the Emperor’s Palace just as Luke, Leia, and Han make it out with their lives.

In one fell swoop, Yoda destroys the Death Star, kills Emperor Palpatine (and Darth Vader, though tragically, after he found redemption), and ushers in the era of the New Republic, in which Leia Organa serves as the new Supreme Chancellor. While this victory did cost Yoda his life, he gladly paid that price for the sake of lasting peace in the galaxy.

6 Luke Skywalker Died on Hoth, as Han Solo was Too Late to Save Him from Freezing

Star Wars: Infinities - The Empire Strikes Back by Dave Land and Davidé Fabbri

Star Wars: Infinities - The Empire Strikes Back begins the same way as the original Episode V, with all the events of the original Episode IV remaining unchanged. Where the ‘What If?’ factor of this story begins is after Luke escapes the wampa cave, and ventures out into the snowy tundra of Hoth without any way back to the Rebel base. While Han Solo eventually does find Luke, he’s too late to save him, and Luke freezes to death in Han’s arms after telling him to go to the Dagobah system and find Master Yoda - relaying the last words Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Force Ghost says to him right before he dies.

Leia went to Dagobah and trained with Master Yoda, becoming a Jedi in her brother’s place.

While Luke still got to play the part of the Rebel Alliance’s ‘new hope’ with the destruction of the Death Star, his life being cut short meant he barely even scratched the surface of his destiny, which opened the door for another to take his place as the galaxy’s last hope of defeating the Empire: Leia Organa. With Luke gone, Leia went to Dagobah and trained with Master Yoda, becoming a Jedi in her brother’s place.

5 2 Iconic Star Wars Heroes Suffer Grisly Fates in the Infinities Timeline: Lando Calrissian & Boba Fett

Star Wars: Infinities - The Empire Strikes Back by Dave Land and Davidé Fabbri

After Luke dies, Han and Chewie take Leia to Dagobah, but first, they need to repair the Millennium Falcon - and the only safe place they can do so following the Battle of Hoth is in Cloud City. However, Boba Fett followed the Falcon’s trail, and was waiting for Solo in Cloud City. But despite seemingly having the upper hand, Boba Fett was quickly taken down by Han, Chewie, Leia, and Lando, and he was subsequently frozen in carbonite.

Little did Lando know when he helped Han take down Boba Fett, the bounty hunter was working for the Empire - and Darth Vader personally. When Vader discovers that Lando helped the crew of the Millennium Falcon (after also surmising that Lando effectively killed Boba Fett), Vader orders the immediate destruction of Cloud City. This sealed the fate of Boba Fett (who would have gone on to be a hero in The Book of Boba Fett) while also killing Lando Calrissian right as he was on the precipice of true heroism himself.

4 Darth Vader Kills Yoda During Their Epic Final Battle on Dagobah

Star Wars: Infinities - The Empire Strikes Back by Dave Land and Davidé Fabbri

In the original trilogy, Darth Vader may have had his final battle against Obi-Wan Kenobi, but he never faced Yoda. However, that was remedied in the most epic fashion in Star Wars: Infinities, as Darth Vader travels to Dagobah to finally find his son, Luke, only to discover that Luke was dead, and that his daughter, Leia, had been training with Yoda to become a Jedi instead. But before Vader could get to Leia, he first had to face Yoda, who was more than equipped to handle his former student - or so he thought.

Yoda used his mastery of the Force to metaphysically enter Darth Vader’s mind, where Yoda willed all the sins and regrets of Vader’s past to attack the Sith Lord, with each blow being more detrimental than the last. However, after taking some heavy damage, Darth Vader finally broke free of Yoda’s Force-induced trance and killed him in the physical world - making Yoda the second Jedi Master directly tied to his past that Darth Vader killed during the original trilogy era.

3 Darth Vader is Killed by the Last Star Wars Hero Fans Would Expect: Han Solo

Star Wars: Infinities - The Empire Strikes Back by Dave Land and Davidé Fabbri

Just as Darth Vader relished his victory over Master Yoda, he comes across the person he was actually looking for: Leia Organa. At first, Vader comes to Dagobah in search of Luke, but after Yoda tells him that Luke died on Hoth, Vader quickly sets his sights on Leia to become his new apprentice. However, Leia isn’t the only one who approaches Vader on Dagobah immediately following Yoda’s defeat, as Han Solo and Chewbacca run toward the Dark Lord, blasters blazing, resulting in Han Solo fatally shooting the distracted Darth Vader.

Star Wars: Infinities confirms that there’s at least one alt-reality where Darth Vader was killed by this unsuspecting scoundrel.

The idea that Han Solo - of all people - would be the one to kill Darth Vader is something that could seemingly only happen in fan fiction. However, Star Wars: Infinities confirms that there’s at least one alt-reality where Darth Vader was killed by this unsuspecting scoundrel, which only made Han Solo’s initially reluctant time as a Star Wars hero all the more significant.

2 The Ewoks Didn’t Assist the Rebellion Against the Empire in Return of the Jedi

Star Wars: Infinities - Return of the Jedi by Adam Gallardo and Ryan Benjamin

The Ewoks teaming up with the Rebel soldiers on the forest moon of Endor in Return of the Jedi is perhaps the main thing casual fans about the movie, but in Star Wars: Infinities, that didn’t happen. In fact, the Ewoks actively attacked the Rebels just as they would ambush Imperial Stormtroopers. To the Ewoks, there was no difference between the two, as both predominantly human armies were nothing more than invaders on their world, and the Ewoks fought them indiscriminately.

The reason the Ewoks didn’t team up with the Rebels is that, in Infinities, Leia never came to Endor. At the start of this comic, the team fails to save Han Solo from Jabba’s palace, so Leia had been on an ongoing mission to get him back. Then, after she did, Leia immediately jetted off to the Second Death Star to save Luke, as he had been kidnapped by Darth Vader. The fallout of Leia, Lando, Luke, and Chewie’s failure on Tatooine was a missed opportunity to create new allies for the Rebellion, as the Ewoks did not fight alongside the Rebels during the Battle of Endor.

1 Darth Vader Finds Redemption, & Actually Lives (While Also Sporting a Bold New Look)

Star Wars: Infinities - Return of the Jedi by Adam Gallardo and Ryan Benjamin

In Star Wars: Infinities, Darth Vader doesn’t die after redeeming himself on the Second Death Star.

While Darth Vader did find redemption in the original telling of Return of the Jedi, he died immediately afterward. Granted, his spirit was able to live on through the Force as a Force Ghost, but that restricts Anakin Skywalker to being a guiding presence as opposed to a powerful ally of the light in the physical plane. However, in Star Wars: Infinities, Darth Vader doesn’t die after redeeming himself on the Second Death Star, and he decides to return to the light side of the Force and fight alongside his son and daughter as a Jedi once more.

Not only did Darth Vader become the Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker once again, but he also updated his wardrobe. Gone was the insidious black armor, as it was replaced by a fully white suit to signify his return to the light side of the Force. The image of Darth Vader fighting alongside Luke and Leia would easily be one of the coolest things to see in Star Wars, though it would be undeniably strange to witness, which is why this change to the franchise canon in Star Wars: Infinities is one of the 10 wildest!