History Film / ReturnOfTheJedi

** "Your father [Vader] is." This is also an interesing case, because it was a Wham Line for Luke ''and'' audiences during Episode VI's original release in 1983. It confirms Vader ''wasn't'' playing mind games in the previous film and ''had'' told the truth at Cloud City after all. However, with the subsequent release of the Prequels -- and the dramatization of Anakin's rise and fall -- this is now longer a Wham Line for audiences (and even if it wasn't, [[ItWasHisSled the twist has since permeated every corner of pop culture]]). ''However'', in-universe, it's ''still'' a Wham Line for Luke because, of course, he doesn't know ''any'' of this.

** "Your father [Vader] is" remains an interesing case. This was a Wham Line for Luke ''and'' audiences during Episode VI's original release in 1983, confirming Vader ''wasn't'' playing mind games in the previous film and ''had'' told the truth after all. However, with the subsequent release of the Prequels, this is no longer a Wham Line for audiences (as we've now seen Anakin's rise and fall and have that context). ''However'', in-universe, it's ''still'' a Wham Line for Luke because, of course, he doesn't know any of this.
** ''"There...is...another...sky...walker"''

* LockedOutOfTheLoop: Threepio is the only member of the team not briefed on the plan for Jabba's palace (as shown by his shock and horror when Luke "gifts" the droids to Jabba in his message). Justifed, as Luke knows Threepio can't lie or keep his vocoder shut if his life depended upon it.

** Similarly, there's also a retroactive instance here thanks to the Prequel Trilogy. [[spoiler:The Prophecy of the Chosen One stated he or she would destroy the Sith. After Anakin became Vader, Obi-Wan and Yoda believed the Prophecy was wrong...until now. Anakin ''does'' destory the Sith when he turns back to the Light Side. He tosses Palpatine down the reactor shaft and succumbs to his injuries, thereby taking the Sith teachings with him and ending their line. Of course, this is only within the context of George Lucas' films (as the Disney Canon invalidates this).]]

* [[TwoDSpace 2-D Space]]: During the space portion of the Battle of Endor, all of the participants operate under this principle. The Death Star, along with the Rebel and Imperial fleets, are arrayed on a narrow plane parallel to the surface of the moon of Endor. ''Nobody'' appears to consider the possibility of moving in any direction other than towards the Death Star or the Imperial fleet formation. Even lateral movement away from the two Imperial obstacles is seemingly unfathomable.

* DramaticIrony: In hindsight, the plot twist of Leia being Luke's twin sister becomes dramatic irony thanks to the prequel trilogy.

* UnspokenPlanGuarantee: Luke doesn't share any specifics about his plan to save Han, but despite his worries, succeeds after all. Among the good guys, the only ones who don't know the plan are Han and Threepio. Everyone else knows what to do and are ready when Luke goes on the attack at the Sarlacc pit. It's strongly implied that Luke formulated his plans around Force Clarvoyiance meditations and the Sarlaac Pit Showdown was an entirely foreseen outcome.

--->'''Luke:''' You've failed, Your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me.

* DidntSeeThatComing: Yoda is briefly taken aback when Luke's questioning on his deathbed reveals he now knows Vader's true identity. Yoda admits this is unexpected; he and Obi-Wan didn't anticipate that Vader would tell Luke the secret (likely justified since, in their minds, Anakin was dead and only Vader remained).

* ForgotAboutHisPowers: When Leia goes missing it never seems to even occur to Luke to try to reach her through the Force, the way that he did on Bespin in ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack''. Instead he recommends a physical search and the use of Artoo's scanners. Justified that, since he was half dead on Bespin when he did it, he may not even remember he's ''able'' to do it.

* ItOnlyWorksOnce: The film doesn't directly state it, but the briefing room scene pretty much implies that the Exhaust Port weakness used to bring down the first Death Star isn't gonna work this time, forcing the rebels to make a daring suicide mission by having their starfighters fly directly inside of the unfinished space station to attack the reactor. Justified, as the Empire ''would'' have tried to figure out ''how'' the Rebels impossibly blew up the original Death Star and eliminate that weakness before having another go at it.

* VileVillainLaughableLackey: Salacious Crumb is a tiny bird/monkey creature that laughs at Jabba's victims. He's no threat, himself, and gets a ButtMonkey moment when [=R2D2=] electrocutes him, but Jabba is a powerful and wealthy Hutt gangster who keeps Crumb around for no other reason than [[JustifiedTrope because he finds him amusing]].

* ItOnlyWorksOnce: The film doesn't directly state it, but the briefing room scene pretty much implies that the Exhaust Port weakness used to bring down the first Death Star isn't gonna work this time, forcing the rebels to make a daring suicide mission by having their starfighters fly directly inside of the unfinished space station to attack the reactor.

*** The true mistake from Palpatine's side was believing Luke was like his father. Luke, while having some features of Anakin, was way more like Padme. And seeing what Anakin had become helped Luke come into his senses. So truthfully, Sidious' attempt to turn Luke was doomed to fail from the beginning.

* AintTooProudToBeg: When Emperor tortures Luke with Force lightning and it has become clear that Luke has no way to fight back or even survive, he begs his father for help.

** The Rancor's death, with its handler weeping over its body. It even whimpers pitifully as it dies. The novelization expands on this, with Luke realizing that not only is the Rancor just an animal following its instincts, but that it's been malnourished, mistreated, and abused just so it will be more vicious when Jabba decides to feed people to it for entertainment. Luke rationalizes that the best way to deal with it would be to give it the means to put itself out of its misery, but that the beast can't comprehend that level of mercy, so Luke ''has'' to [[MercyKill kill it]].

* DiseaseBleach: While not directly mentioned, it is [[https://imgur.io/BsE2A8d obvious]] that the stress of being Darth Vader's fleet commander for just ''six months'' has not been good for Admiral Piett.

* EstablishingCharacterMusic: The first time we see the Emperor in person we hear first a bombastic Imperial March as his forces are assembled in a grand spectacle as Vader kneels before his master, then as Palpatine descends his shuttle's ramp a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkp80PB4PkA low men's chorus]] takes over with a tune of quiet malice.

* FedToTheBeast: Luke getting trapdoor'd into the Rancor pit. Additionally, the Sarlacc pit serves as the current page image.

* FluffyTheTerrible: According to [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Pateesa EU material]], Jabba's pet rancor was called 'Pateesa', Huttese for "friend". It was apparently a birthday present from Bib Fortuna.

* SeriesFauxnale: Long believed to be the final chronological chapter of the ''Star Wars'' saga. Up until three decades later with Creator/{{Disney}}'s acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012, leading to production of the Sequel Trilogy and ''Series/TheMandalorian'' which continued the story.

* WarIsHell: A subtle example when the Rebel fleet manages to send the Super Star Destroyer crashing into the Death Star; while Admiral Ackbar's staff cheer, Ackbar himself just slumps sadly in his command chair[[note]]The ''Executor'', according to Wookiepedia, has a standard crew of over 280,000. If her full complement of ground troops were on board, add another 38,000 to that number. That's (roughly) between a quarter and a third of a million sentient beings that died all at once.[[/note]]

* {{Troll}}: Palpatine taunting Luke to provoke an attack. When he delivers the line, "Oh, I'm afraid the deflector shield will be quite operational when your friends arrive," he sounds like he's barely choking back a laugh.

[[header:[[center:[-'''''Franchise/StarWars'' Films'''\\
'''''Skywalker Saga:''''' '''[[Film/ThePhantomMenace I]]''' | ''[[Film/AttackOfTheClones II]]'' | ''[[Film/RevengeOfTheSith III]]'' | ''[[Film/ANewHope IV]]'' | ''[[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack V]]'' | ''VI'' | ''[[Film/TheForceAwakens VII]]'' | ''[[Film/TheLastJedi VIII]]'' | ''[[Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker IX]]''\\
'''''A Star Wars Story:''''' '''''Film/RogueOne''''' | '''''Film/{{Solo}}'''''-]]]]]

* BodyguardingABadass: The Emperor has the impressive looking Imperial Guard, and as we see, is perfectly capable of effortlessly killing them all.

* SpannerInTheWorks: The Emperor would have gotten away with destroying the Rebel fleet and the ground troops on Endor if it weren't for those meddling Ewoks, and Chewie's brilliant idea to hijack one of the walkers. That's the real turning point of the ground battle (which trickled down [up?] to the space battle when the generator went up in flames). Now, as far as Luke was concerned, a total victory over the Alliance probably would not have been enough to save The Emperor from a DisneyVillainDeath anyway.

[[header:[[center:[-'''''Franchise/StarWars'' -- Skywalker Saga'''\\
''[[Film/ThePhantomMenace I]]'' | ''[[Film/AttackOfTheClones II]]'' | ''[[Film/RevengeOfTheSith III]]'' | ''[[Film/ANewHope IV]]'' | ''[[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack V]]'' | '''VI''' | ''[[Film/TheForceAwakens VII]]'' | ''[[Film/TheLastJedi VIII]]'' | ''[[Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker IX]]''-]]]]]

* EyeScream: Salacious B. Crumb nearly tore C-3PO's left eye out.