While there’s a lot of fervent debate among the Star Wars fan base, The Empire Strikes Back is generally accepted to be the best movie in the saga. From the spectacular opening on Hoth to a second act that flits between Jedi training and asteroid field pursuits to Luke Skywalker’s chilling final confrontation with Darth Vader, this movie is as close to perfect as one can get.
As with any Star Wars movie, The Empire Strikes Back has both scenes that are hilarious, like C-3PO interrupting Han and Leia’s first kiss, and scenes that are heartbreaking, like Vader telling Luke he’s his father.
10 Funniest: Leia Calls Han A Nerf Herder
Han and Leia’s tensions are increased when the arrival of the Empire traps them in the Rebels’ base on Hoth. Leia angrily tells Han, “Why, you stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder!”
Han, offended by one particular word in Leia’s lengthy insult, says, “Who’s scruffy-lookin’?” Chewie thinks it’s hilarious and Han quips, “Laugh it up, fuzzball!”
9 Saddest: Han Finds A Delirious Luke Freezing In The Snow
In the opening of The Empire Strikes Back, Luke is attacked by a wampa on his patrol of the snowy plains of Hoth and gets dragged back to the monster’s cave. Han is concerned when Luke doesn’t return to the base, so he goes out into the cold to find him.
Han finally comes across a delirious Luke freezing in the snow and has to cut open his dead tauntaun to give Luke a warm place to spend the night.
8 Funniest: C-3PO Interrupts Han And Leia’s First Kiss
Throughout the first act of The Empire Strikes Back, Han and Leia refuse to confront their romantic tension. Then, in the second act, they get stuck on the Falcon together and finally face their feelings.
When Han kisses Leia, the sweeping, emotionally charged moment is cut short by an oblivious C-3PO, who interrupts them to tell Han about a development with the ship.
7 Saddest: Chewie Fights The Ugnaughts For C-3PO’s Parts
C-3PO doesn’t last very long when he arrives on Bespin with Han, Leia, and Chewie. He wanders into the carbonite freezing chamber and gets stripped for parts by the Ugnaughts working in there.
When Chewie finally manages to find Threepio, all the Ugnaughts are tossing his parts around the room and Chewie has to fight them to gather together all the pieces that make up everyone’s favorite gold-plated protocol droid.
6 Funniest: Yoda Steals Luke’s Dinner And Fights R2-D2
When Luke and R2-D2 first arrive on Dagobah and encounter Yoda, he pretends to just be a passer-by who knows the legendary Jedi they seek and not the legendary Jedi himself.
He goes rooting through Luke’s stuff and helps himself to his dinner. When Artoo tries to fight back, Yoda starts hitting the little astro droid with his cane.
5 Saddest: Han Is Frozen In Carbonite
While Leia and Chewie are released by the Empire, Han is frozen in carbonite to be hung on the wall of Jabba the Hutt’s palace. As he prepares to go into the chamber, Leia finally tells him, “I love you,” and he quips back, “I know.”
Leia is heartbroken, but Chewie is the one most affected by Han’s grim fate. He cries out in anguish as his Corellian pal is lowered into the carbonite freezing chamber.
4 Funniest: “Not Entirely Stable? Well, I’m Glad You’re Here To Tell Us These Things.”
There’s another hilarious moment of tension between Han and Threepio when they land in what they think is a cave, but turns out to be the mouth of a giant space slug. The whole Falcon shakes, knocking everyone aboard off-kilter, and Threepio says, “Sir, it’s quite possible this asteroid is not entirely stable.”
Han sarcastically quips, “Not entirely stable? Well, I’m glad you’re here to tell us these things. Chewie, take the professor in back and plug him into the hyperdrive!”
3 Saddest: “I Am Your Father.”
As Yoda predicted, Luke is hopelessly defeated by Vader in lightsaber combat. The Sith Lord backs the budding young Jedi Knight out onto a ledge and lops off his saber-wielding hand.
Vader informs Luke that he is his biological father, and offers him his hand to help him rule the galaxy. Luke has to choose between joining his evil father and jumping to an uncertain fate, and he goes with the latter.
2 Funniest: Lando Pretends To Hit Han
When Han suggests going to Bespin to lay low with Lando, he says that while Lando is an old friend, they don’t have a perfect track record and he may not be willing to forgive him.
Upon arrival, Lando comes out to greet Han and tells him it took a lot of guts to come to Cloud City. Then, Lando cocks his fist, ready to hit Han. Han flinches, then Lando laughs and gives him a hug. “How’re you doing, you old pirate?”
1 Saddest: The Iconic Downer Ending
After ending the first Star Wars movie on a triumphant victory for the Rebellion, George Lucas famously ended The Empire Strikes Back on a downer note: Han is frozen in carbonite, Luke is hopelessly outmatched by Vader, and the Empire is stronger than ever. And yet, as Luke and Leia stare out into space, there’s a faint glimmer of hope.
The ending of Avengers: Infinity War, in which Thanos’ evil plan succeeds and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are left to live with the consequences of their failure, was compared to The Empire Strikes Back.
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April 27, 2021 at 05:30AM
