Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Lawrence Kasdan

Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes back is the sequel to Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope. It was directed by Irvin Kershner and written by George Lucas, Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan. It was released in 1980.

## **Opening Crawl**

> "*Episode V*
>
>
> THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
>
>
> It is a dark time for the
> Rebellion. Although the Death
> Star has been destroyed,
> Imperial troops have driven the
> Rebel forces from their hidden
> base and pursued them across
> the galaxy.
>
>
> Evading the dreaded Imperial
> Starfleet, a group of freedom
> fighters led by Luke Skywalker
> has established a new secret
> base on the remote ice world
> of Hoth.
>
>
> The evil lord Darth Vader,
> obsessed with finding young
> Skywalker, has dispatched
> thousands of remote probes into
> the far reaches of space....*"*
>
>
>
>

## **Summary**

In the year 7980, 3 years after the Battle of Yavin, the Rebellion had evaded the Empire's efforts to find them. Luke Skywalker and a group of Rebels established a base on Hoth. Meanwhile Darth Vader became obsessed with finding Luke so he sent probes out across the galaxy. One probe found the Rebel base on Hoth, Luke wass attacked by a Wampa, and Han (who was about to leave the Rebellion for good) was forced to rescue him. The Rebels then found the probe and prepared to evacuate. Shortly afterwards the Empire entered the system and invaded Hoth. The Rebellion managed to evacuate meanwhile Luke had plans to go to Dagobah after Obi-Wan ordered him to train with Jedi Master Yoda. Han and Leia ran from the Empire in the Millennium Falcon and ended up hiding in an asteroid field.

When Luke crashed on Dagobah he was surprised to find that Yoda was a small green alien rather than a big 'powerful' Jedi. Meanwhile the Millennium Falcon's hyperdrive was malfunctioning. Han and Leia landed in an attempt to fix it but they ended up landing inside of an animal and flying away before getting eaten. The Emperor told Vader that he knew Luke was his son and agreed when Vader suggested that Luke could be turned to the dark side. Yoda then revealed his true nature to Luke and agreed to train him.

After training with Yoda Luke sensed the dark side inside a cave. He went in with a weapon even though Yoda told him not to and failed a test when he realized he was going on the same path as Vader. After evading the Empire, Han and Leia decided to go to Bespin where they could hide with Han's friend Lando. But a bounty hunter named Boba Fett tracked them for Vader. When Han and Leia got to Bespin, C-3PO got sidetracked before being destroyed by Stormtroopers. It was then revealed that the Empire was on Bespin all along and the rebels were captured. Vader tortured Han so that Luke would sense that his friends are in danger and come to Bespin against the wishes of Yoda and Obi-Wan.

Han was frozen in carbonite right after Leia revealed her love to him. Boba then took him from Bespin as Luke Skywalker finally entered Cloud City. Leia warned Luke that he was walking into a trap to no avail. Luke continued on through Cloud City until he found Darth Vader and dueled him. During the duel Luke lost his right hand and Vader revealed to Luke that he was his father. Luke refused to join Vader to overthrow the Emperor and fell down to the very bottom of Cloud City where Leia, Chewie, Lando, and the droids saved him. They regrouped with the Rebel Fleet and Luke got a new cybernetic hand. Lando and Chewie went to Tatooine to rescue Han and Luke planned on meeting them there.