The Empire Strikes Back’s “Happy” Ending Change Made The Movie Perfect

The “happy” ending scene added to The Empire Strikes Back made the movie perfect. By the end of the film, the franchise’s central protagonists were much worse off than they were when the movie started. Han Solo had been captured by Boba Fett, Luke lost his hand during his loss to Darth Vader, and he had found out that the villain was his real father.

Though the events of The Empires Strike Back worked out better for the villains than it did the heroes, there was still a sense of optimism when the credits rolled. Set in the medical bay of the Rebel ship, the final scene showed the characters saying goodbye to Chewbacca and Lando while Luke had his cybernetic arm installed by a droid. It ended with Luke, Leia, C-3PO, and R2-D2 watching the Millennium Falcon take off into space. Recently, Luke actor Mark Hamill settled a Twitter debate over whether or not the scene was a reshoot. According to him, it was added to the movie four months after they had wrapped up principal photography. Hamill claims this “uplifting moment” was included to “reassure the audience”.

Looking at The Empire Strikes Back as a whole, the film would have been a solid sequel to the 1977 film regardless of whether or not the medical bay scene had occurred, but its inclusion made the movie even better. As Hamill pointed out, the main characters had been defeated by the Empire, which certainly didn’t leave them – or audiences – much to be positive about in terms of where they were in their journey. The issue with their situation is that it originally lacked a feeling of hope, which is one of the most important themes in the franchise. At the end of 1977’s Star Wars, for instance, the Empire was still in control of the galaxy and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s death remained unavenged, yet the destruction of the Death Star was enough to end things on a good note.

The Death Star being destroyed was a much-needed happy ending to the first movie. As for The Empire Strikes Back, it didn’t really have a moment like that. There was no silver lining to be found in Han Solo getting captured or Luke losing to Darth Vader. Despair is integral to the Star Wars movies, and while The Empire Strikes Back certainly had plenty of it, hope is important too. Closing the movie with a final scene of Luke and Leia smiling against a backdrop of John Williams’ iconic Star Wars music helped to convey an uplifting tone in the face of all the hardships they were facing.

Since both hope and despair are key elements of the Star Wars franchise, it made sense for TheEmpire Strikes Back to include them together. Creating the impression that they could still win, rather than double down on the idea that their efforts were hopeless, greatly improved the movie’s story. It also served the purpose of properly setting up their ultimate triumph over their enemies in 1983’s Return of the Jedi.

About The Author