Star Words: Episode VI, Part 13

[matril]

Yoda has a few more hard truths to impart to Luke before night falls upon him. Luke is afraid that he hasn't received enough training; Yoda assures him that he has. But that doesn't mean he's attained full Jedi status. He must confront Vader again. This brings up all sorts of interesting questions, like whether defeating a Sith Lord is considered equivalent to passing "the trials" referenced by the Jedi Council in the prequels. After all, Obi-Wan vanquished Darth Maul and was subsequently given the title of Jedi Knight. In the absence of a formal council, confronting Vader might be the best option.

Well...we might also suppose that Yoda isn't thinking in broad, universally-applicable terms. He's thinking of Luke in particular, and Luke has a very personal history with Vader that must be resolved. Yes, he is Luke's father. Was Yoda ever planning on telling Luke? I assume so. He was probably counting on Luke attaining the sort of emotional maturity which would allow him to accept the truth without wailing and gnashing his teeth, poor kid.

Or...maybe it was for the best that Luke learned it as he did. Trial by fire, as it were. It was agony, but look at him now. Humble enough to apologize to Yoda for leaving rashly. Mature enough to accept the final confirmation of his parentage without hysteria or anger. Luke has gone through hell, but he has come out the other side a stronger, wiser man.

In preparation for this confrontation with Vader, Yoda reiterates his warnings about the Dark Side, with an additional crucial exhortation.

"Do not underestimate the powers of the Emperor, or suffer your father's fate, you will."

Anakin underestimated the Emperor's power? Yes, I believe so. It's not that he thought the Dark Side was weak, quite the contrary. He began to view it as superior to the good side, at least in terms of the potential "unnatural" abilities it could offer. Yet he viewed it as a tool to be wielded, rather than something that could overpower him.

He didn't trust Palpatine; he just thought he could use him. Remember the hatred and disgust in his face when the Chancellor revealed his duplicity? You might say that Anakin saw Palpatine as a means to an end -- a devil who would grant him a precious gift, after which Anakin could defeat him and be free. As early as his conversation with Padmé on Mustafar, he reveals that he's already plotting to overthrow the Emperor and take his place as ruler of the galaxy. He never intended to be his slave for twenty years.

But things didn't work out that way. The Emperor's grip on Vader has not loosened. He has never been able to break free.

Yoda could also be covertly referring to his own over-confidence as well. Recall the dawning realization on his face toward the climax of his duel with Palpatine. He can hold him off, but he can't defeat him. He had no idea just how powerful the Emperor was. That underestimation led to Yoda's defeat and the effectual end of the Jedi Order. Yoda's warning to Luke is far from hypothetical.

Next time, Yoda's final words....

Comments

[krpalmer]

As I said last week, there does seem to be a lot of scope for interpretation of this scene, although I can see how that might only reveal someone's existing opinions on "wise masters." I've already admitted to wondering about Yoda's attempt to dodge the question when Luke asks whether Vader is his father, which might have to do with interpretations of how Luke's reactions changed in the last minutes of Episode V (and whether or not they kept changing afterwards). There's also just what "confront" means to both Yoda and Luke, although that question might come up again in impending instalments. I'm not opposed to the idea that "Luke would have eventually been told the truth," although I remember some fan discussion about whether Yoda and Obi-Wan could have brought it up just before his actual rash departure and deflected him from leaving (given the risk of Vader revealing it himself at an impactful moment, and opening up the question of the two Jedi really understood the issue.) Mentioning Yoda's own experiences, anyway, was something I hadn't really been thinking about myself, and a diversion of sorts from "dwelling too obsessively."