Star Wars : Episode V The Empire Strikes Back Star Wars " : Episode V " The Empire Strikes Back , marketed as simply The Empire Strikes Back , is a 1980 film directed by Irvin Kershner and written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan from a story by George Lucas . It is the second film in the " Star Wars " original trilogy . The film has proved to be one of the most popular films of the series among many fans and critics . It was re - released with changes in 1997 and ( on DVD ) in 2004 . The film was re - released on Blu - ray format in September of 2011 . A radio adaptation was broadcast on National Public Radio in the U . S . in 1983 . The film was selected in 2010 to be preserved by the as part of its . The film concerns the continuing struggles of the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire . During the film , Han Solo , Chewbacca , and Prince ss Leia Organa are being pursued across space by Darth Vader and his elite forces . Meanwhile , Luke Skywalker begins his major Jedi training with Yoda , after an instruction from Obi - Wan Kenobi ' s spirit . In an emotional and near - fatal confrontation with Vader , Luke is presented with a horrific revelation and must face his destiny . Synopsis . The search for Skywalker . It is now three years after the events of " " . The Rebel Alliance has been forced to flee its base on Yavin 4 and establish a new one on the ice planet of Hoth . An Imperial Star Destroyer , dispatched by the Sith Lord Darth Vader , continuing his quest for Luke Skywalker , launches thousands of probe droids across the galaxy , one of which lands on Hoth and begins its survey of the planet . Luke Skywalker , on patrol astride his tauntaun , discovers the probe , which he mistakes for a meteorite . After reporting to comrade Han Solo that he ' ll investigate the site , Luke is knocked unconscious by a deadly wampa . When Luke fails to report in at Echo Base , Han Solo goes out on his tauntaun to search for him in an encroaching storm . Upon waking up , Luke finds himself hanging upside down in a cave ; his eyes opening to the sight of a wampa eating his tauntaun . Using the power of the Force , Luke is able to pull his lightsaber out of the snow and towards himself . After he ignites it , he cuts himself free and cuts off the attacking wampa ' s arm just in time , running out of the cave and escaping into the cold night of Hoth . Luke tries to make his way to Echo Base on foot , but he finds himself lost in the blizzard and collapses in the snow . Suddenly , he sees the Force spirit of Obi - Wan Kenobi appear before him . Ben tells Luke to go to Dagobah to undergo training under Yoda , a Jedi Grand Master . After the spirit disappears , Han arrives to find an almost unconscious Luke , who is mumbling indistinctly about Ben , Yoda and Dagobah . At this point , the tauntaun that Han was riding on collapses in the extreme cold . To keep Luke from freezing to death during the blizzard , Han uses Luke ' s lightsaber to cut open the dead tauntaun and places Luke in it . Han then sets about erecting a shelter that he and Luke will stay in during the night . They are forced to stay out during the night as the aircraft ( snowspeeders ) that the Rebels use for atmospheric flight had not yet been adapted for the extremely low temperatures of the Hoth night and are therefore unable to mount a rescue operation to retrieve Han and Luke . The next morning , Rebel Pilots flying the snowspeeders set out from Echo Base to search for the missing men . Zev Senesca , one of the pilots in Rogue Group , makes contact with Han over comlink and the pair are rescued . When they are taken back to base , Luke is put in a bacta tank for healing under the care of medical droid , 2 - 1B . Prince ss Leia Organa tries to urge Han to stay with the rebels , and when Han assumes it is because she has feelings for him , Leia loses her temper and calls him a " stuck - up , half - witted , scruffy - looking nerf herder . " Meanwhile , the probe droid has spotted signs that indicate Hoth is occupied and sends a signal to the Imperial fleet , shortly before being destroyed by Han Solo and Chewbacca . Aboard the " Executor " , Admiral Kendal Ozzel dismisses the information as evidence of smugglers , nothing more . However , Darth Vader knows better and orders the fleet to Hoth . General Rieekan , realizing the Empire is probably aware of their location , orders the evacuation of Echo Base to begin . The Battle of Hoth . Darth Vader and the Imperial forces set course for the Hoth system to set up the attack . The rebels load whatever equipment they can onto transports and plan a rear - guard action to secure their escape . Luke , now fully recovered from the Wampa attack and subsequent exposure , says farewell to Chewbacca and Solo , who have decided to leave the Alliance to resolve their debt to Jabba the Hutt . As the Imperial forces enter the Hoth system , General Rieekan orders full power to the energy shield that is protecting the base from orbital bombardment . Aboard the " Executor " , General Maximillian Veers notifies Vader that Admiral Ozzel has emerged from lightspeed too close to Hoth . Ozzel intended to catch the Rebels unaware before they could set up their defenses . However , Vader realizes that the Rebels have been alerted to the fleet ' s arrival . Via video communication , Vader Force choke s Ozzel to death for his incompetence , then appoints Captain Firmus Piett the new Admiral on the spot . As Vader previously ordered , the Imperial ground forces , commanded by General Veers , land outside the Rebels ' shield and march overland to destroy the power generator . Princess Leia gives the Rebel fighters instructions on the evacuation to leave Hoth two to three ships at a time past the energy shield to a rendezvous point , which is beyond the outer rim . Rieekan lowers the shields to fire the Ion cannon at one of the Imperial Star Destroyers allowing the first transports to escape . The Rebel pilots assigned to hold off the Imperial ground assault depart the Hoth base for the oncoming battle against heavily equipped Imperial forces , who are armed with agile AT - STs ( All Terrain Scout Transports ) and monstrous AT - AT ( All Terrain Armored Transport ) walkers , led by General Veers . The Rogue Squadron snowspeeder group led by Luke commences the attack . Luke quickly realizes the AT - AT ' s armor is far too strong for blasters and decides to use attached harpoons and tow cables to tangle the walker ' s legs . Luke ' s gunner Dak Ralter is hit and killed during the first approach . This leaves Wedge Antilles and his gunner Wes Janson to make the first pass . They manage to topple one of the AT - ATs , which is destroyed as Rebel troops storm it . The main AT - AT , commanded by General Veers , prepares to take their aim at the Rebel base ' s main power generator . Suddenly , Luke ' s speeder is shot down by the Imperials , and crash - lands in the snow . Luke escapes before an AT - AT can step on and crush his ship . The Rebel base is now under direct attack and Imperial snowtroopers have entered the base , forcing Han , Leia , Chewbacca , and C - 3PO to escape . Leia gives the evacuation command for the base as they leave . Luke , meanwhile , manages to destroy another AT - AT by using his hoist cable and lightsaber to get into the belly of the transport , tossing in a thermal detonator , and then detaching himself from the cable as a series of explosions neutralize the AT - AT . The Rebels suffer major casualties as the result of the battle . The main AT - AT , being driven by General Veers , gets within firing range of the power generator , then successfully blasts and destroys it . Han , Leia , and company , now realizing they are being followed by Vader ( who has arrived personally on Hoth ) , make their way to the " Millennium Falcon " in time to escape . As the " Falcon " flies off , Luke reaches R2 - D2 and his X - wing starfighter and finally departs Hoth . Changing course from the rendezvous point , he sets his coordinates for Dagobah . Han and company are pursued by Imperial TIE fighters . Flipping the switch to take them to lightspeed , Han realizes ( with reluctant help from 3PO ) that the hyperdrive has been damaged . While trying to fix the hyperdrive system , Han enters an asteroid field to hamper pursuit . He manages to land his ship inside a cavern on one of the larger asteroids to rest and find a way to fix the ship . The destiny of a Jedi . Luke lands on the marshy planet Dagobah , swamping his X - wing in the process . There , he discovers a diminutive and eccentric figure who fiddles around with Luke ' s gear . After Luke tells him that he is looking for a Jedi Master , the being offers to take Luke to Yoda . Back on the " Falcon " , while Leia tries to make repairs , Han makes his move on the Princess , drawing himself closer to her before both end up in a passionate kiss . When Threepio arrives , Leia withdraws and walks away . Vader orders the entirety of Death Squadron to begin sweeping the asteroid field to find the " Millennium Falcon " As the search continues , the dangers of the field begin to take their toll : an asteroid smashes into the bridge tower of a Star Destroyer , presumably killing all aboard . On the " Executor " , Vader communicates with the captain s of the other ships ( the captain of the demolished star destroyer throws his arms up in horror , and the transmission fades ) . One officer , Captain Lorth Needa , tells Vader that they should consider their damage . Vader firmly replies that they will continue the search . Shortly afterward , Admiral Piett informs Vader that Emperor Sheev Palpatine commands he make contact immediately . Vader orders his ship out of the asteroid field for a clear transmission . In his private quarters , Vader receives a holographic message from Palpatine , alias Darth Sidious , who alerts the Dark Lord to a " new enemy who could destroy " the Empire - Luke Skywalker . Vader suggests that if Luke could be turned , he would be a " powerful ally " . Lord Sidious agrees , saying that Luke would be a " great asset " and asks his apprentice if it could be done . Vader declares Luke will join the Empire " or die " . Instead of going straight to Yoda , Luke is brought to the creature ' s hut . Luke insists on going to find Yoda immediately , but the small creature only responds with " Not far . Yoda not far . " The diminutive figure then declares the boy lacks patience , but the voice of Kenobi tells the figure that the boy will learn patience if he is to be trained . Only then does Luke realize that the small green figure " is " Yoda . Yoda asks Kenobi if he will finish whatever training he begins , then suspects that Luke will someday succumb to fear . The next day , while cleaning parasitic creatures called Mynocks off the " Falcon " , Solo and his companions are forced to escape what turns out to be a titanic space slug ( which resided in the asteroid the " Falcon " landed on ) . Meanwhile , Luke begins a rigorous training regime from Yoda which includes moral lessons about the dangers of the dark side of the Force . That particular lesson is driven home when he is told to enter a cave that is strong with the Dark Side ' s power . Ignoring Yoda ' s counsel to leave his weapons , Luke enters the cavern armed . Once inside , he has a vision of himself angrily confronting Darth Vader and beheading him . However , the severed head ' s mask bursts apart and reveals Luke ' s face underneath ; it is a warning that if Luke battles Vader with no emotional control , he will become Vader himself , seduced by the Dark Side . Back on the Star Destroyer , Vader enlists the bounty hunters , Boba Fett , Dengar , IG - 88 , Bossk , 4 - LOM and Zuckuss to find the " Millennium Falcon " for a " substantial reward " . One of the Imperial commanders finally spots the " Falcon " , leading to another pursuit which results in the Falcon eluding the Empire by making the insanely counter intuitive move of attacking the lead Star Destroyer . However , at the last moment , the ship veers off and secretly attaches itself to the rear of the cruiser ' s command tower , which is not extensively covered by sensors , making it appear to have vanished from the Destroyer ' s point of view . Days later , while training , Luke becomes distracted when he finds that his X - wing fighter has almost completely submerged into the swamp . Luke declares he will never be able to get the ship out , seeing that it is too big for him to extract from the water . Yoda says it is " no different , only different in your mind . " Luke says he ' ll " try " to lift the ship , but Yoda says " No ! Do or do not , there is no try . " Luke tries to use the Force , but to no avail . Yoda reminds him that " size matters not " and gives him wisdom about the Force . Luke denies all of this , then Yoda decides to use the Force to lift the ship out himself . Luke is dumbfounded and incredulous . Yoda senses the youngster ' s failures within his mind . When the fleet disperses to search for the " Falcon " , the Rebels wait for the ship to do its standard dump of refuse before jumping , then detach to float away with it . The " Falcon " s hyperdrive needs repairs , so Han decides to make their way to Cloud City , a gas - mining colony run by his " old friend " Lando Calrissian . Unfortunately , the bounty hunter Boba Fett had deduced the " Falcon " s escape method and had his ship jettisoned with the waste to stealthily follow the fugitives . The next day , Yoda reminds Luke of the things the young Jedi will see in his mind , the future , the past , and of friends he recognizes . Luke loses concentration again and has a vision of his friends in danger . He wants to leave Dagobah to rescue them , but Yoda reminds him that if he leaves now , everything his friends fought and suffered for will be destroyed . The city in the clouds . Upon arrival at Cloud City , Han ' s party is welcomed by an old friend of his who goes by the name Lando Calrissian . However , there are numerous elements that make the Rebels suspicious , not the least of which being C - 3PO being found deactivated , dismembered , and almost recycled . That evening , Luke and R2 prepare themselves to leave Dagobah , but are warned by both Yoda and the spirit form of Kenobi not to end training so soon for a fight Luke is not ready for . Ben declares that should Luke decide to face Vader , he will have to face him alone without interference . Luke understands this , and his ship takes off from Dagobah . Yoda is disappointed , declaring Luke is reckless . Ben tells Yoda " That boy is our last hope " , however , Yoda answers back , " No . . . there is another . . . " A day later , Han and company find themselves betrayed by Calrissian who was approached by the Empire just before the Rebels ' arrival and threatened him and the city unless he cooperated . They became the captives of Darth Vader , who proceeds to torture Han and Leia to create a disturbance in the Force for Luke to detect . That afternoon , Vader enters a carbon - freezing chamber intending to freeze Luke Skywalker once he arrives . The Dark Lord uses the opportunity for Boba Fett to deliver Solo to Jabba the Hutt ( to whom Han owed a debt ) by testing the device on Solo himself . Han and company enter the chamber for the experiment . At first , Chewbacca resists the stormtroopers , but Han restrains him , saving his strength for another time . Han says goodbye to Leia with a passionate kiss before he is escalated into the carbon freezing chamber . When he is successfully entombed in carbonite in a state of suspended animation , Vader hands over Han to bounty hunter Boba Fett for transportation to Tatooine to receive a bounty from Jabba . One of the Imperial commanders informs Vader that Luke ' s starfighter has arrived on Bespin . The Dark Lord orders Lando to take Leia , Chewbacca , and C - 3PO to his Star Destroyer , reneging on a deal he made with Calrissian . However , the Cloud City administrator has other plans . Duel with the Dark Lord . Luke makes his way to Bespin safely . He quietly walks down the corridors of Cloud City . He spots Boba Fett who is taking the now - frozen Solo back to his ship . He attempts to follow but is thwarted when the bounty hunter notices and opens fire . Luke narrowly escapes and runs down farther into the corridor . He finally meets up with Leia , Chewie , and Lando , who have been captured by stormtroopers . Luke tries to ambush the group of Imperials , but is unsuccessful . Leia yells at him and tells him that " it ' s a trap ! " Luke runs after his captured friends , hoping to save them , but wanders into the carbon - freezing chamber . There , he meets with Vader and the two fight in an epic lightsaber duel , where Luke ' s undeveloped Jedi skills are no match for Vader ' s experience . The Imperials ( escorting the Rebel prisoners out of Bespin ) are overpowered by Cloud City security , setting Lando and company free . Chewbacca turns against Lando for betraying Han and chokes him , but he manages to tell the Wookiee there ' s still a chance to rescue Han at the East Platform . C - 3PO is reunited with his companion R2 - D2 . Lando and company arrive too late as Fett ' s ship takes off , then engage in a fierce battle with stormtroopers . Luke and Vader continue their lightsaber battle in the bowels of Cloud City , just nearly freezing Luke in the carbon freezing chamber . Vader uses the Dark Side of the Force against Luke by using whatever equipment is at hand , eventually thrusting Luke through a window and landing on one of the emergency platforms . As the gunfight continues , Lando orders an evacuation of Cloud City , then the company manages to find their last hope of escape . . . the " Millennium Falcon " . In the final phase of the lightsaber duel , Vader manages to cut off Luke ' s right hand , which then falls ( along with the lightsaber which the hand grasped ) into an abyss . In what has become one of the most memorable scenes in cinema history , Vader reveals to Luke the truth about his father : A horrified Luke screams in denial . Vader attempts to persuade Luke to join him and embrace the Dark Side to defeat the Emperor . However , Luke chooses suicide over being corrupted and throws himself down a deep shaft . Luke is sucked into an air vent , exits the underbelly of the city and catches an antenna beneath Cloud City . Facing clear death , Luke calls out to Ben Kenobi in vain ( Kenobi had warned Luke that he would not be able to help Luke once he faced Vader ) . Then , he calls out to the only other one who could help . . . Leia . Leia mysteriously senses Luke ' s telepathic distress signal . The Falcon turns around and comes back to Cloud City . Using an escape hatch , Lando manages to catch Luke and rescue him before the wounded Jedi falls helplessly to the planet as TIEs race toward them . The Falcon finally leaves Bespin ' s gravitational field and is about to escape into hyperspace when the hyperdrive system again fails . Vader asks for confirmation that the " Millennium Falcon " hyperdrive system was deactivated to prevent their escape , then orders weapons be set to stun . As the Imperials pursue the " Falcon " , the injured Luke telepathically hears the voice of Vader calling to him . He answers , " Father . . . " , while Vader telepathically calls , " Son , come with me " . Luke senses it is Vader , then cries , " Ben , why didn ' t you tell me ? " C - 3PO commands that R2 finish reconstructing him after his ordeal in Cloud City . However , with quick ingenuity , R2 manages to re - activate the " Falcon " hyperdrive system just in time for the ship to flee to hyperspace . Vader is disappointed and retreats to his secret quarters in his Star Destroyer , ignoring Piett ' s failure . The film ends on a EF76 Nebulon - B escort frigate at the Rebel fleet ' s rendezvous point , where Luke under the care of 2 - 1B again which includes the implantation of a prosthetic hand . Lando and Chewbacca begin their parts of a most dangerous mission . . . rescuing Han . Lando promises to Leia they ' ll bring her back the man she loves . Luke , Leia , and the droids look on as the Falcon departs for unknown territories . Development . Lucas hired screenwriter Leigh Brackett to write a screenplay based on his story treatment . Brackett finished the first draft on February 23 , 1978 , but she died soon afterwards . According to Lucas , he did not like the direction in which her screenplay went . Without a writer to fix it , he was forced to write the second draft himself throughout March . Major plot changes were made compared to the first draft and the storyline that is in the film was formed in this draft . One of the most notable changes was making Vader Luke ' s father . When Lawrence Kasdan finished writing the screenplay for " " he was hired to rewrite and improve Lucas ' draft . He wrote a few more drafts before the script conference was held in November between George Lucas , Lawrence Kasdan , Irvin Kershner and Gary Kurtz . After some additional input , the shooting script was finally formed . Minor changes to dialogues came from Kershner and actors throughout the filming and were mostly approved by Lucas . Majority of the concept art and designs for the film was done by Ralph McQuarrie , Joe Johnston and Nilo Rodis - Jamero based on Lucas ' ideas . The Yoda puppet was designed by British make - up artist Stuart Freeborn . He said he based Yoda ' s face on his own face and added some of facial features to it . Filming lasted from March 5 until September 24 , 1979 . Some of the Hoth sequence was filmed in , in the area from the railway station " Finse " to the " " . The scenes on Dagobah , Cloud City and inside the Hoth Echo Base were shot at Elstree Studios , . During the production , the film went seriously over - budget and over - schedule . When the film budget increased for $ 10 million the bank wanted to pull the loan . To secure the additional money required to complete the film , Lucas was forced to approach 20th Century Fox to negotiate a deal . The studio received more profit from the film while in exchange it guaranteed the loan . Despite this Lucas managed to retain the sequel and merchandising rights . Release . In the lead - up to the release of " The Empire Strikes Back " , various cast members made in - character television appearances to promote the film ; Mark Hamill and Peter Mayhew on " " , Anthony Daniels on " Sesame Street " , and Daniels , Hamill and Mayhew on " The Muppet Show " . The world premiere of " The Empire Strikes Back " was held on May 17 , 1980 , at the Kennedy Center in Washington , D . C . ( as a special Children ' s World Premiere event ) . The film had a Royal Charity Premiere in London at the Odeon Cinema in Leicester Square on May 20th . The special event was dubbed " Empire Day , " a playful take on the British Commonwealth Day holiday ( known as Empire Day prior to 1958 ) , where legions of stormtroopers were unleashed across the city . A series of other charity benefit premieres were held in numerous locations on May 19 and 20 . The film went on to official general release in North America and the U . K . on May 21 , 1980 . The first wave of release included 126 70 mm prints , before a wider release in June 1980 ( which were mostly 35 mm prints ) . In September 1980 , CBS aired the official making - of documentary , " " . Merchandise . A of the film was written by Donald F . Glut and was published on April 12 , 1980 . The film was adapted into comics form by Marvel Comics as part of their ongoing " Star Wars " series . Released in six parts ( issues to ) , the adaptation was scripted by Archie Goodwin and illustrated by Al Williamson . ( Years later , a illustrated by Toshiki Kudo was released in Japan in 1998 and in the United States in 1999 . ) Kenner launched a based on the film . A radio drama adaptation was written by Brian Daley and produced for broadcast on in 1983 . Re - releases . Along with the other two films of his original trilogy , George Lucas issued a Special Edition of " The Empire Strikes Back " in 1997 , making a number of changes and additions , including replacing a piece of music from the closing scene . On September 21 , 2004 the three original movies were finally released on DVD . There have been a few further minor changes to the film on this release — such as sound effects and improvements to the visual quality of the film . One highly noticeable change involving visually quality improvement is that the odd pink glow was removed from the Cloud City entrance scene , where the Cloud Car was replaced with a Tibanna refinery in the 1997 theatrical version . In addition , the scene in which Darth Vader speaks with the Emperor was altered for the DVD release . Originally , Palpatine was portrayed by a woman wearing a mask with a chimpanzee ' s eyes superimposed over her own , with an elder male ' s voice dubbed in later . Clive Revill , who performed Palpatine ' s voice , and Marjorie Eaton , who portrayed Palpatine physically , were both replaced with Ian McDiarmid , who would eventually be cast for the same role in " Return of the Jedi " and all three prequels . However , Revill ' s name still appeared in the movie ' s credits as the voice actor for Palpatine . McDiarmid re - recorded the dialogue with James Earl Jones and they both added more lines for this scene . Another addition was Temuera Morrison providing the voice for Boba Fett , further establishing the fact that Boba is indeed a clone of Jango Fett . The trilogy was re - released on separate two - disc Limited Edition DVD sets from September 12 , 2006 to December 31 , 2006 ; the original versions of the films were added as bonus material . Controversy surrounded the release because the unaltered versions were from the 1993 non - masters , and were not retransferred with modern video standards . " The Empire Strikes Back " was re - released for a Blu - ray format re - release in September of 2011 . On April 7 , 2015 , the Walt Disney Studios , 20th Century Fox , and Lucasfilm jointly announced the digital releases of the six released " Star Wars " films . As Lucasfilm had retained digital distribution rights to Episodes I through VI , Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released " The Empire Strikes Back " for digital download on April 10 , 2015 . Despite the Walt Disney Company ' s 2012 purchase of Lucasfilm Ltd . and the release rights to all future " Star Wars " films , Fox was to retain original distribution rights to , which they co - produced and co - financed , in perpetuity in all media worldwide . Fox was also to retain theatrical , nontheatrical , and home video rights worldwide for the franchise ' s five subsequent films , which Lucasfilm produced and financed independently , through May 2020 , at which time ownership was to transfer to Disney . This complex relationship between Fox and Disney , particularly in regards to Fox ' s perpetual rights to Episode IV , was to create an obstacle for any future boxed set comprising all nine films . On December 14 , 2017 , the Walt Disney Company announced that it is acquiring most of Fox ' s parent company , , including the film studio and all distribution rights to " A New Hope " . Reception . " The Empire Strikes Back " initially received mixed reviews . Many critics had problems with the story , but at the same time said the film was a technical achievement . Critics also had various reactions to changes introduced in re - releases of this film . According to the actors , Irvin Kershner would encourage group discussions and improvisations from the actors , and would do many takes of each scene , in contrast to Lucas , who would always stick to the script , usually do about three takes , and offer little direction to the actors . The film is the highest grossing sequel of all time when adjusted for inflation . It is believed to be the most morally ambiguous and darkest of the original trilogy . The film was selected in 2010 to be preserved by the as part of its . At theaters in Australia , the United Kingdom , and Scandinavia , the short film " " was shown before " The Empire Strikes Back " theatrical release . " Black Angel " was the directorial debut of Roger Christian , the art director for " A New Hope " . The film was shot in , Autumn 1979 , for £25 , 000 , a gift to Christian from George Lucas for his work on " Star Wars " . " Black Angel " was officially re - released on YouTube on May 12 , 2015 . Deleted scenes . The Death of General Veers . General Veers is about to destroy the shield generators when Hobbie , a Rebel pilot , flies his damaged snowspeeder toward Veers ' s walker . One of Veers ' s men says , " Look out ! He ' s going to . . . " Hobbie crashes his fighter into the cockpit of Veers ' s AT - AT Walker , which is blown up , killing both Hobbie and Veers . ( The Expanded Universe shows both of them alive after the Battle of Hoth . ) This scene was likely cut because Veers succeeds in destroying the shield generators , and the filmmakers would have found it difficult to alter the scene so it takes place after Veers destroys them . Wampa attack . According to the fourth version of the script for " " , there is some extra dialogue concerning the wampas and a scene involving R2 getting chased down a hallway by one while the Rebels blast it . One of the Rebels calls in the report saying , " We got it , sir , but there may be more , " ( talking to General Rieekan ) . Alarms are buzzing and Leia inquires if the creature has been examined yet . The general tells her they are working on it and then they are alerted to a " visitor " — the Imperial probot . Since it is revealed to be metallic , Leia remarks , " Then it couldn ' t be one of " those " creatures " — referring to the wampas , of course . Wampas infiltrate Echo Base . In the scene where Han Solo is about to go after Luke Skywalker on a tauntaun , a dead tauntaun is seen on the floor being examined by 2 - 1B , the medical droid . On the wall is what appears to be some blood , presumably from the dead animal . In the fourth draft of the script , one of the rebels says to his deck officer , " . . . I can ' t imagine , sir . Their necks are broken . " ( The script refers to three dead creatures , not one . ) The wampas have already broken into the base at this point and have obviously attacked some tauntauns . They break in once around the time of Han and Leia ' s argument in the hallway ( see the picture below from the comic adaptation ) and again when C - 3PO and R2 - D2 are walking towards the hangar and commenting about the temperature in Leia ' s chamber . Later , when Han is wondering where Luke is , he comes across the Rebels examining the dead tauntaun . They are wondering what happened to this creature as they have no idea yet that wampas have infiltrated the base . It can be noted however , that this scenario is present in the instant action mode of . The Wampa Pen . Out of all the cut scenes featuring wampas , this one is the most well - known , perhaps because this scene has left the most evidence behind . Sometime during the Hoth scenes , it ' s discovered that R2 - D2 ' s beeping noises attract the wampas — just like in the famous " Pied Piper " fairy tale . R2 - D2 leads the wampas into a large room and the Rebels then place a red and yellow warning sign on the door so Rebels will not wander inside unaware and get eaten . This scene with R2 - D2 was allegedly filmed , but never made it into the final cut . Later on , while on their way to the medical center to see Luke , R2 - D2 and C - 3PO pass by the wampa pen and discuss the creatures briefly . Jumping ahead to the Rebel heroes ' exodus from Echo Base during the Battle of Hoth , Han , Leia , and C - 3PO are scurrying to get Leia to her transport . On the way out , they pass a door with a familiar yellow sign with red lettering . Han gives the door a quick look and almost stops but continues on past it after recognizing the warning ( the quick shot is in the finished film , it appears directly after General Veers destroys the power generators ) . What was not included in the film was C - 3PO ( who is running behind Han and Leia trying to keep up ) trudging up to the door after them . He stops and tears off the yellow warning sign ( C - 3PO is seen tearing off the sign on the " bonus features " DVD of the Trilogy box DVD set . The moment is briefly seen in the trailer for Episode V ) . He then proceeds to catch up with Han and Leia as they make their way to the Millennium Falcon . After the snowtroopers burst into the base , they come across the door , left with only a small piece of the original warning sign . They open the door , only to be attacked by the already annoyed wampas inside . Luke : Gunner . There have always been rumors and images that state there was originally a scene from " Empire " inside Echo Base where Luke mans a gun and blasts a few wampas . The only thing that really makes most fans believe this scene was actually shot is the following quote from Jon Knoles in the " Star Wars Insider 33 " ( page 59 ) talking about the game , " Shadows of the Empire " for Nintendo 64 : " We knew , for instance , of the scene where a wampa actually broke through into Echo Base and mauled a tauntaun ( and possibly some Rebel troops ) and a scene where Luke actually took over an auto - laser cannon and blasts a wampa or two . The wampa filmed in this shot looked absolutely hilarious with a big fluffy face and metallic round eyeballs . We saw the picture in a Kodak shoebox Photo CD that Lucasfilm Ltd . provided us with some time ago . "