In the Star Wars trilogy, particularly
in the second and third films, The
Empire Strikes Back and Return
of the Jedi respectively have a
pervading theme of the power of the Dark Side of the Force. Luke
Skywalker, a budding Jedi Knight is tempted time and time again with
the alluring power of the Dark Side.
Darth Vader constantly
perpetuates the idea that the power of the Dark Side is
incomprehensible, that it is the most powerful force in the galaxy,
that it promises untold power to rule and dominate. It seems that it
is the case, as the Emperor has used it for years to dominate the
galaxy as leader of the evil Empire.In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke is tempted multiple times by the Dark Side. The first being when he travels to Dagobah in search of the legendary Yoda, a Jedi Master. After finding Yoda and convincing Yoda (with the help of Obi-Wan) to train him, Luke begins his journey towards becoming a Jedi Knight. As one of his trials on Dagobah, Yoda tells Luke to enter a cave that is filled with Dark Side energy. In this cave, Luke sees a vision of Darth Vader which he confronts in a lightsaber duel. Upon winning this duel, Luke cuts off Vader's head which destroys his helmet, revealing the face underneath. To Luke's dismay, the face is his own. This scene reveals the truth about the Dark Side, that if he uses his anger to fight Vader, he will slip to the Dark Side and become Vader. This scene also foreshadows the fact that Vader and Luke are related.
The second temptation comes when Luke actually confronts Vader on Cloud City in the underbelly of the city. After a "thrilling light saber duel between Luke and Vader," in which Luke is defeated and is backed against a proverbial wall, Vader spares Luke. (Pfieffer, 108) He tells Luke that he can join him on the Dark Side and rule the galaxy as father and son. At this point Luke is clinging to scaffolding above a dark chasm. It seems that Luke's only choice is to give in; but instead he does not relent and falls into the chasm.
A third temptation of the Dark Side comes in the third movie, when Luke goes to the Death Star to face Vader and the Emperor. While Luke is watching the Rebels fight the Empire in the space battle, the Emperor taunts him by telling Luke to strike him down, to give in to his hate. In doing so, it would solidify Luke's journey to the Dark Side, as Luke would then be in power. However, according to Pfieffer (and Master Yoda), Luke must defeat the Emperor and Vader "by strictly adhering to the code of the Jedi, so that he may finally earn his place as the last of the Jedi Knights." (Pfieffer 130). This sets up the last temptation Luke experiences with the Dark Side in the movies. In the end, it would be easy for Luke to have striken down Vader in anger, and then the Emperor. Instead Luke throws his lightsaber down saying that he won't give in, he won't turn. This results in the Emperor nearly killing Luke before Vader jumps to defend his son. This final act of Vader redeems him from the Dark Side, which in the end saves his "spirit".
Tom Mather
I agree with your convictions about Luke's temptations to the Dark Side. I would also raise the argument that Darth Vader toys with temptation to the Dark Side in the third film. Although he is already a member of the Dark Side, there is a new sort of temptation that he must face. When Luke is captured by the Emperor and Luke, Darth Vader and the Emperor are on the space station together, Vader must watch his own son be nearly killed. Vader knows that being a true member of the Dark Side means letting his own son die, and although a monopolistic power of the galaxy is incredibly tempting to Vader, he can not stand to watch his own son killed. In an interesting plot twist, Vader ends up killing the Emperor to save his estranged son, effectively losing the war to the Rebel Alliance. In this scene, the attraction to the Dark Side comes in the form of power over the galaxy, which could have probably been achieved by Vader and the Emperor, had Vader let his son die. Although most of the instances throughout the film involving the temptation of the Dark Side involve Luke, I would argue this as an instance in which someone who was already a part of the Dark Side, Vader, was even tempted further by it.
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