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Luke hadn't heard of "Darth Vader" until Obi-Wan mentioned him?

posted 8 years ago by FrankNave
22 replies | jump to latest

Darth Vader had been Emperor Palpatine's most prominent 'enforcer', yet Luke doesn't appear to have even heard of Vader until Obi-Wan says: "A young Jedi named Darth Vader betrayed and murdered your father." When someone has been under the command of a dictatorship for decades, they are likely to know the names of the people who have power over them. I understand Owen and Beru not discussing Vader with Luke, but he surely would have heard the name tossed around by his school friends on Tatooine, particularly the ones who were planning on joining "The Academy." It's also odd that Luke never mentions to Han or Leia that Vader murdered his father in Episodes IV to VI. That's a pretty big secret to keep from your friends.

[–] ErgonomicSpliff 8 years ago

"If there's a bright center to the universe, you're on the planet that it's farthest from." -Luke Skywalker

There weren't many folks in the outer rim who have detailed, first-hand knowledge of the Galactic Empire's hierarchy, apparently. Luke never acknowledges whether he has or has not heard the name "Darth Vader," he only listens to Obi-Wan and is only interested in what he has to say about The Force. The dialogue between Luke and Obi-Wan is pretty vague, apart from that. It's not even really all that clear that Owen and Beru know who Darth Vader is or that he even exists. They know that Luke is Anakin's son and Shmi's grandson, which was only established (again, vaguely) at the very end of "ROTS." That's pretty much it.

I think that you have to take the dialogue that is presented in "ANH" 100% at face value.

[–] triplegrim 8 years ago

Vader was not a political figure, and more of a right hand man to the emperor. He did not hold military command, outside Secret missions such as capturing the princess. His name was probably not touted in the News, like Tarkins, or Palpatine. Compare Vader to an important CIA CEO, or perhaps even James Commey, nobody comparable to Luke had heard about him until last year.

[–] Jeorj Euler 8 years ago

Luke was raised in a kind of seclusion. He knew about the rebellion against the Empire but not all of even the surface details. Vader might've been famous but not nearly in the same way and scale that the Emperor and the Moffs were. The exiled Jedi and the Imperial Senate know of Vader, what he does and what he looks like, is because it's among their prerogatives.

[–] krypton_son 8 years ago

If you ask most 18 year olds who the current Vice President is, I'd say that 90% of them would give you a blank stare. The fact that he doesn't know who Vader is really isn't all that surprising.

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[–] debiler 8 years ago

If I remember correctly, Luke acknowledges that Vader killed his father, but doesn't ask any questions. So maybe he does know who Vader is. Just because he doesn't blurt out "What? The vice president killed my father???" doesn't mean he hadn't heard of him before.

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[–] pjl69 8 years ago

I think its more strange that Obi Wan and Yoda waited for so long before started Luke's training. Yoda even tells luke in ESB that he is too old to begin the training... That's quite weird considering Luke (and Leia) were their last hope and they were carefully hidden from Vader and the emperor...

[–] tenantennae 8 years ago

It doesn't seem like they planned to train Luke and Leia. They found homes for them so they could grow up normally, safe from the Emperor. It was only by fate that Luke finds his way to Obi-Wan at all.

[–] ILJtheFirst (2139) 6 years ago

If Luke and Leia were trained as Jedi, Anakin and Palpatine could track them down.

[–] Kruleworld 8 years ago

Darth Vader had been Emperor Palpatine's most prominent 'enforcer'

and the only time you heard about him was just before he f'ed you over. Even then, I doubt Vader bothered to introduce himself to those he was interrogating.

"He's dusted, busted and disgusted, but he's ok"

[–] kwestmo (4385) 6 years ago

In the so-called episode IV, Vader was a henchman for Tarkin. Vader was ret-conned in the higher slot for the next film

[–] Frogarama (12942) 6 years ago

Retcon, or a promotion due to Tarkin's death?

[–] kwestmo (4385) 6 years ago

It was a retcon. Tarkin wasn't the only general and political leaders were between the military leaders were between the military and the emperor.

[–] Frogarama (12942) 6 years ago

But how many of those leaders may have died on the Death Star?

[–] GreenGoblinsOck8 (7977) 6 years ago

Who knows? The military and politicians aren't really focused on at all in the OT. It's funny how Darth Vader going out to fight in a ship outside the deathstar saved his life. Maybe he had a force vision of what was going to happen.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

That's how I saw it as well.