Return of the Jedi

Special Edition Laserdisc Chapter 29

<Luke has found Vader’s location and surrendered to Vader’s troops. They bring him to Vader and hand Luke’s lightsaber to Vader.>

V: Good work Commander. Leave us. Conduct your search, and bring his companions to me. <To Luke> The Emperor has been expecting you.

L: I know, Father.

V: So, you have accepted the truth.

L: I’ve accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker, my father.

V: That name no longer has any meaning for me.

L: It is the name of your true self -- you’ve only forgotten. I know there is good in you. The Emperor hasn’t driven it from you fully. That was why you couldn’t destroy me. That’s why you won’t bring me to your Emperor now.

V: <Looks for a moment at Luke’s lightsaber, and turns it on. Then he speaks conversationally.> I see you have constructed a new lightsaber. <Turns it in his hands and examines it carefully. Is he acting like a proud father?> Your skills are complete. <He turns off the lightsaber.> Indeed, you are powerful, as the Emperor has forseen.

L: Come with me.

V: Obi-Wan once thought as you do. You don’t know the power of the Dark Side. I must obey my master.

L: I will not turn. And you’ll be forced to kill me.

V: If that is your destiny. <There’s a note of uncertainty in Vader’s voice.>

L: Search your feelings, father. You can’t do this. I feel the conflict within you; let go of your hate!

V: <Regretfully> It is too late for me, son. <He motions to some guards.> The Emperor will show you the true nature of the Force. He is your master now.

L: <Looking at Vader and nodding> Then my father is truly dead.

<Luke leaves with the guards. Vader walks forward and then stops, seemingly lost in thought.>

1) This is a scene I’d totally forgotten. It clearly contains the answer to my question about what Vader was saying Luke was right about. Apparently, Luke was right when he said there was still good in Vader, and that he was conflicted, etc. etc. Very simple.

2) This scene tells us all we ever learn in this film about Vader’s motivations for tossing the Emperor down the MOAH (tm). Basically, there was still good in Vader, there was conflict within him, and all he needed to do was "let go of [his] hate." That’s all there is to it -- don’t hate. The Force doesn’t come and go within you...it’s always there, and there’s a good side and a dark side. You’re in trouble if you cling to the dark side, but if you just let go, all will be well. There’s no particular action needed, no quest to fulfill, no good deed to do, no communion to take, no baptism, no appeal to God or a Judge, no...anything. Just an absence of something...the absence of hate.

Yoda doesn’t explain it quite this way, though. He says, "Anger. Fear. Agression. The Dark Side of the Force are they." So is hate the sum of anger, fear and agression? I suppose one might make a case for that.

3) It is the power of the Dark Side that forces Vader to obey the Emperor. Apparently the Emperor has Vader in his thrall, and Vader believes he is powerless to escape.

4) Vader discusses "destiny" just like Yoda and Ben. Apparently predestination plays a large role in the Jedi religion. I think Lucas is saying at the end of ROTJ that a person’s destiny CAN be changed by force of will. And that is the source of Anakin’s eventual triumph -- he changed his own destiny.