The first Star Wars movie (later titled A New Hope) introduced Darth Vader, one of Star Wars' most powerful Sith, as one of the two main antagonists in Star Wars, but the incredible reveal that Darth Vader was actually Luke Skywalker's father was a turning point for cinema itself. Even beyond that plot, though, The Empire Strikes Back built upon A New Hope in a profound way, expanding the galaxy without falling into the pitfalls that so many sequels do. In fact, The Empire Strikes Back truly shaped what sequels should look like with its major impact on the movie industry.

Related

How Much Time es In Each Star Wars Trilogy

We take a look at when each Star Wars movie takes place in the timeline to determine how much time es in each Skywalker saga trilogy.

Posts

10 The Empire Strikes Back Ended With A Clearer Sequel Hook Than Ever Before

The Empire Strikes Back ending was shocking and meant that it simply had to be followed up with a sequel. While plenty of movies had prepped audiences for an impending sequel with cliffhangers, The Empire Strikes Back truly reflected an incomplete story and one that would have left audiences confused and likely devastated had the tale not continued. At the end of The Empire Strikes Back, the Star Wars heroes of A New Hope were not at their highest point; in fact, they were arguably at their lowest.

After being betrayed by Lando Calrissian, whom he saw as a friend, Han Solo was trapped inside carbonite, with no clear sense of whether he would ever escape that horrible prison. Leia had also seen this happen and was crushed by the event, particularly because she had just revealed that she loved Han. Luke Skywalker was also faring poorly, having just learned Darth Vader was his father and losing his hand to him. Had the story ended there, it would have been unfinished in the worst way.

9 The Empire Strikes Back Proved The Power Of Film Franchises

A New Hope was a major hit, which was impressive in and of itself given how much George Lucas introduced all at once. However, The Empire Strikes Back managed to do something that countless films struggle with to this day. Despite being a sequel to what was already a beloved movie, The Empire Strikes Back was just as impressive - and is often considered better than the first. Successful first movies are a tough act to follow, but The Empire Strikes Back proved that Star Wars was not a one-hit wonder.

8 The Empire Strikes Back Revealed How The Second Part In A Trilogy Should Be Played

As a successful sequel, The Empire Strikes Back laid the foundation for other movies to tackle not only a tricky second film but also the even more difficult middle story within a trilogy, although, again, that's proven very trying for most. Even so, the movie showed exactly what a sequel needs to do to succeed. According to Fandom, director Irvin Kershner explained just that:

“The second part of a trilogy is a quieter film,” related director Irvin Kershner, “like the second part of a symphony, or the second act of a play. It’s more characterization and less action.”

While Kershner's point is well taken, this certainly didn't mean that the movie was going to be boring. Instead, while the film was 'quieter,' as Kershner indicated, in the sense that it focused on characters, it was also full of incredible plot twists and story arcs.

7 The Empire Strikes Back's Plot Twist Became A Cultural Phenomenon

Perhaps the best-known moment in The Empire Strikes Back, if not in all of Star Wars, is the reveal that Darth Vader is actually Luke Skywalker's father. It's clear from Mark Hamill's brilliant acting that this was an Earth-shattering moment for Luke, who began screaming in denial. This was also a shocking twist for audiences, one nobody really saw coming. This moment truly did change cinema history, not only by showing how successfully plot twists can be pulled off, but also by becoming a cultural touchstone, alluded to in countless forms of media since.

6 The Empire Strikes Back Showed That Space Can Be Serious

While, yes, A New Hope had its fair share of darker moments, not the least of which were the brutal explosion of Alderaan and the violent deaths of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, The Empire Strikes Back showed how serious a Star Wars story can be. There was a clear tonal shift between A New Hope, which concluded on an incredible high, and The Empire Strikes Back. Not only did Han Solo end up in carbonite, but Luke also had a terrible near-death experience at the beginning of the movie, and the graver, more somber tone persisted to the movie's end.

5 The Empire Strikes Back Pulled Off Introducing New Characters Flawlessly

The Empire Strikes Back introduced some of Star Wars' most iconic characters, the most obvious being Master Yoda. Although Yoda first appeared as an odd, slightly neurotic creature, he was ultimately revealed to be a great Jedi Master, which the prequel trilogy only builds upon. Lando Calrissian, another fan-favorite now, has also proven to be a classic Star Wars character, even appearing as recently as Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Successfully introducing these characters was an impressive feat for Star Wars, especially given how beloved the original Star Wars cast were, but it pulled it off masterfully.

4 The Empire Strikes Back Set The Bar For Movies Keeping Secrets

The Darth Vader plot twist was incredible, but the most impressive thing was that Star Wars kept the secret not only from audiences but from the actors themselves. Lucas gave a fake script to the cast, with a how Empire Strikes Back's twist was kept secret, Mark Hamill explained:

What was in the script was already a fantastic twist. Vader says [in Darth Vader voice], 'You don’t know the truth. Obi-Wan killed your father.' And I played it just as you see it. 'No!' and all that. But [prior to shooting] they pulled me aside and [Irvin] Kershner, the director, said, 'Look, I’m going to tell you something. George knows, I know, and when I tell you, you’ll be the third person that knows. So if it leaks, we’ll know it’s you.'”

Since then, Star Wars has become known for its well-kept secrets, with actors remaining extremely tight-lipped about the content of projects and their roles in them. In fact, Ewan McGregor kept it quiet that he was returning as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Obi-Wan Kenobi show, at times even directly denying that he was returning to Star Wars. Other major franchises such as Marvel's MCU have followed suit, looking to keep their major twists and cameos secret, but The Empire Strikes Back truly set the standard for that cinema practice.

3 The Empire Strikes Back Did Away With Happily Ever After

As mentioned, The Empire Strikes Back left audiences with a massive cliffhanger, but also notable is the fact that the hook was a particularly tragic one. In fact, the movie's conclusion really couldn't be further from a happy ending. Leia and Han Solo, despite their clear feelings for one another, had just been separated in a way arguably worse than death, with Han left in a very disturbing state of limbo.

Luke, too, had just discovered his family line was not one of great Jedi but instead included one of the greatest evils in the galaxy. This was a tragic turn for him, one that left his sense of self entirely in question with no resolution by the movie's end. While it was acting as the bridge between two movies, this nevertheless showed that happily ever after isn't the only way things end.

2 The Empire Strikes Back's Visual Effects Were A Major Success

The multi-layered approaches to visual effects throughout the original Star Wars trilogy are simply amazing, spanning stop motion, miniatures, and full-scale models. While some could argue that the technology today automatically makes the effects of the more recent Star Wars projects more impressive, there's something more raw and real about the way that The Empire Strikes Back used the resources available to them to create the brilliant effects of the movie. It remains a visual spectacle to this day.

These techniques were also particularly remarkable at the time, no doubt shaping the way that other movies and franchises approached their own fantastical elements. It's also noteworthy that, while even now effects are a common complaint about movies, the effects of The Empire Strikes Back have held up over time. This goes to show not only The Empire Strikes Back's significant impact, but also that sometimes the classics just can't be beat.

1 The Empire Strikes Back's Dialogue (Largely) Stood The Test Of Time

While Harrison Ford has famously (and quite humorously) been critical of the dialogue in Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back nevertheless introduced some incredible lines that are still used today. Even outside the unbeatable "No, I am your father," The Empire Strikes Back is an extremely quotable line. In fact, Harrison Ford introduced one of the most famous quotes himself. When Leia tells Han she loves him, he replies, "I know." Of course, that wouldn't technically fall under Ford's criticism, as the actor himself came up with the line.

Beyond those that have become most quoted, though, some lines from The Empire Strikes Back are shockingly profound. One such line of dialogue comes from Master Yoda, who says, "Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter." Of course, the movie also includes some of the best laugh lines, such as Leia coining "scruffy looking Nerf herder" and Han telling Chewie "Laugh it up, fuzzball." Truly, these key aspects of The Empire Strikes Back make it not only one of the greatest Star Wars installments but also a movie with an incredible impact on cinema history.