Friday, January 24, 2014

Munoz, Andres: The Darkside

Andres Munoz
Blog Prompt Week 3
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi

The Power of the Dark Side


As you can see this is for us in the present a typical situation of good vs. evil where at the end good will always prevail.  The dark side is in numerous ways more powerful and their dirty schemes trying to make the last of the Jedi’s to become part of the conquering and destruction of other planets becoming unstoppable. Knowingly in both forces that Luke Skywalker is very influential to either sides determining what could happen in the future, Luke himself is powerful than his soon to be known father Darth Vader. I believe Han Solo does take a bigger part than just someone who helps Luke occasionally to flee from places and be the funny guy. Han Solo is a different kind of hero than from Luke where his angle is more indirect.

            Han Solo doesn’t really have a temptation to really join the other side rather just being on his way where no one can bother him.  Getting closer to Leia feelings come to play in his conflict of staying and help the rebellion or return to his meaningless life. In the preparation of the attack against the death star Solo does leave in his starship he returns to save once again Luke Skywalker for him to accomplish the mission.  What I wonder is if Harrison Ford would’ve not returned for the last two films how would Lucas would move about the issues of Luke being constantly saved by Solo. For example in the Battle of Hoth where Luke wanders off and Solo comes to the rescue.

            For Luke there is a different kind of temptation regarding the connection of his father being in the dark side. Luke has numerous encounters when facing the dark force and having the decision to join the wrong cause. Going back to the start of the second film Luke is in the training of Yoda and the conflict of having to help a friend in need is more important than finishing the training. “Luke disregards his mentor to attempt a suicidal mission to rescue Han Solo” (Pfieffer 108) Yoda then has a conversation with the spirit of Kenobi about the fear of him being unready will make him more vulnerable and easier to influence in becoming to the dark side.

            I believe what helped Luke to not become part of the dark side was this mere hope that his father will become good once again and join his son in the fight against the emperor. In the last battle the emperor shows Luke his plan of putting his friends into an ambush where they where all going to die just to make a point on anger and to use it. The Emperor taunts Luke, but Luke resists.  When trying to strike the emperor down a battle begins with Vader.  Luke with rage manages to win the battle against his father, but having the opportunity to take that last blow he shows that he isn’t like his father or the emperor by putting his lightsaber away. The Emperor with his hunger for power strikes Luke with thunder making him suffer to the point of death Vader reaches deep down his half human side and gets the strength of the goodness and grabs the emperor and throws him into a pit, to the death of the emperor.  The ending scene shows Anakin, Kenobi, Yoda as spirits as a representation that he has finished his training and has become a master Jedi.

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