Line #49 Awesome/ReturnOfTheJedi


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vadervsluke.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:The final battle between father and son.]]
3	* Luke's entrance into Jabba's Palace. The door slowly opens, and a lone robed figure stands there. Then he immediately starts striding purposefully into the darkness, pausing only to casually Force-choke a few guards that get in his way. The sequence is shot in such a way that the viewer knows a full-on Jedi beatdown is about to begin. The Hero's Journey is complete in that moment: Luke Skywalker left Tatooine a naïve farmer, but he returned a Jedi. And then there's more evidence of that journey's impact when Jabba drops Luke into the Rancor pit. The slavering beast sets its sights on Luke, and Luke takes it down within three minutes. With a [[ImprovisedWeapon bone.]] And a skull.
4	** Bit of Fridge Awesome: Luke grew up on Tatooine. No doubt, throughout his first nineteen years of life, he would've heard horror stories about how powerful, dangerous, terrifying, and ruthless Jabba is. Walking right into his palace like that without even his lightsaber is no small feat of courage.
5	* Luke walking off the plank over the Sarlacc pit, turning, grabbing the edge, flipping back onto the skiff, catching the lightsaber Artoo fires from Jabba's sail barge, igniting it, and '''proceeding to kick ass'''. Luke is ''definitely'' his father's son--this is most definitely something Anakin Skywalker would do!
6	** The buildup in that scene is awesomely constructed, especially the music, which was recycled for the teaser trailers for Phantom Menace, if you recall.
7	** "[[AnOfferYouCantRefuse You should have bargained, Jabba. That's the last mistake you'll ever make]]." C'mon! How badass is that!?!
8	** What makes it even better is that Luke legitimately gave Jabba every opportunity to negotiate and live to tell about it. The Hutt is the galaxy's biggest, nastiest, slimiest space slug of a gangster and Luke sees value even in ''his'' life. [[FridgeBrilliance It's almost foreshadowing his beliefs about his father...]]
9	* When Luke ignites his [[TheReveal new green lightsaber]] after escaping his execution. We've only ever seen blue lightsabers and Vader's red one in the previous two films; while making Luke's saber green was [[RealLifeWritesThePlot a way to make it more visible against the blue sky]], it immediately sets him apart from the old guard. Luke is no longer imitating his mentor or using his father's weapon but forging his own path as the next generation of Jedi.
10	** Or the moment right ''before'' that where it is made clear, via a combination of body language and camera cues, that the heroes are about to put [[UnspokenPlanGuarantee their plan]] into action.
11	** When Luke ignites his lightsaber for the first time, Chewie's reaction in the background could best be translated as, "Oh, hell yeah!"
12	** The NPR Radio Drama kicks it up a notch. Han, who has been dismissive of Luke's claims to be a Jedi, hears the lightsaber igniting, and exclaims "[[SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound I know that sound!]] Heads are gonna roll now!"
13	* Instead of seeking cover like everyone else when Leia threatens to blow up Jabba, Boba Fett quickly picks up his blaster carbine. Leia's gambit with the thermal detonator has a more mundane explanation in the Legends continuity[[note]](she had stolen the identity of a bounty hunter she had previously killed, and said hunter was notorious for threatening his clients with thermal detonators unless they doubled the bounty, meaning that if she ''didn't'' do this then Boba Fett would have immediately figured out that she wasn't who she claimed to be)[[/note]], but going purely by the film it gives the amusing implication that not only does Leia show up to rescue Han, she even decides to scam Jabba out of the bounty that was out on Chewbacca's head, and a little extra besides.
14	** Jabba gets some points here too. While everyone is ducking for cover, he just laughs at Leia's audacity and throws in some extra money. It's not even half the increase Leia asked for, he's pretty much [[ItAmusedMe just tipping her for being his kind of scum]]! You have to admit, that is pretty ballsy.
15	** As anticlimactic as Boba's defeat is[[note]]'''defeat''', not death as he escapes in both the Legends continuity, supported by [[WordOfGod George Lucas]] confirming he survived, and the Disney canon with his return in ''Series/TheMandalorian''[[/note]], you have to admit how goddamn ''cool'' he looks--more so than usual--when he emerges from the sand barge and leaps into action with the way his jetpack ignites and he gets all the way over to the sand skiff in one go. Not only that, but he wasn’t entirely dependent on the jetpack to move; it's more like a jump-assist. He was fighting like a SPARTAN [[VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved almost twenty years before Master Chief hit the scene!]]
16	* During the battle at the Sarlacc pit, Lando gets thrown off a skiff into the sand. Han, attempting to save him, gets his foot tangled in ropes hanging from the skiff, which keeps him from getting thrown down as well. A tentacle grabs Lando and starts pulling him in, when Han gets a blaster from Chewie and blasts it, one-handed, hanging upside-down, and ''[[HandicappedBadass mostly blind]]''. Lando gets one too, as while being slowly dragged to his potential death, and with his blind best friend essentially pointing a gun at him, he keeps his calm and tells Han where to shoot.
17	* Princess Leia choking Jabba to death. After he objectified her [[GoGoEnslavement the way he did]], she was able to turn the tables. The {{novelization}} of this scene makes it clear that she's subconsciously calling on the Force to help her with it. In a similar vein, slave girl Oola is being [[DefiantToTheEnd defiant to the end]] when Jabba tries to force himself on her.
18	-->'''Carrie Fisher:''' Tell them that a giant slug captured me and forced me to wear that stupid outfit, and then I killed him because I didn’t like it. And then I took it off. Backstage.
19	** When one thinks about it, Leia killing Jabba is even more awesome: an adult Hutt is large enough to [[EatenAlive swallow a human whole]], and they can't be killed with most blasters because their layer of blubber and ''muscle'' allow them to tank the shot... And Leia ''physically overpowered the monster'', an act she actually became famous for in-universe.
20	** The pose she strikes as she jumps down from Jabba's dais after strangling him. Sure, she's wearing the most fanservice-y getup in the history of fanservice-y getups, but in those few frames, she is pure, 100% badass ActionGirl, the ensemble be damned.
21	* The death of Jabba is made even more awesome with the context that Jabba more or less ruled Tatooine for centuries. It was under him that the systems of crime and slavery persisted, he was essentially the greater shadow under which Anakin endured his early life. In a few moments, Anakin's children and a couple friends bring down someone that has been a blight on the galaxy longer than most people in it have been alive and at least partially avenged their father's and grandmother's time in slavery. No wonder Obi-Wan comments later that Palpatine would recognize any offspring of Anakin Skywalker as a threat.
22	* It's extremely subtle compared to most, but Yoda has spent 800 years of his life teaching many generations of Jedi, fought in the Clone Wars, sent two Sith Lords running off with their tails between their legs even if they'd already achieved what they'd come for, and even weathered the corruption and eventual fall of the Jedi and Galactic Republic. And what ultimately does him in? ''Old age.'' That's a resume hardly anyone else in the franchise can boast about, especially that last part (usually, it's a blaster or lightsaber or, in some cases, a Force choke, Force lightning, a fall, or even overexertion).
23	** Yoda is the ''only'' major Jedi in the entire Skywalker Saga to die from natural causes. He racked up nine centuries worth of life experiences and put his life on the line countless times...and he got to pass away peacefully from old age, something that ''no'' other Jedi prominently featured in all nine theatrical films managed.
24	** In Legends, the novelization makes it even ''more'' badass. Yoda ''knows'' he's going to die, that the Jedi Order as he knew it for centuries is gone, all his friends are dead, and when he goes, only Luke will be left to carry on the ways of the Jedi and rebuild the fallen order. He simply chooses to accept his fate, trusting that Luke will rise to the task and succeed, which he does, and in both continuities at that! He could've chosen to spend his final days scribbling down as many things as he could about the order's beliefs and tenets, panicking about how Luke will manage when he's gone, but he instead chooses to trust that his successor will do what's best for the Jedi.
25	** Even in the current continuity, the fact that he used holocrons from his younger days to instruct Luke after the events of the previous film shows how CrazyPrepared he was in the ''decades'', perhaps even ''centuries'', leading up to his final days. He had every faith in the power of online learning, and it paid off.
26	* The Emperor's arrival at the Death Star in ROTJ with a huge assembly of Imperial officers and stormtroopers awaiting in the hangar, a multitude of TIE fighters flying outside, and the John Williams Imperial March blasting loud as his royal guards and then finally he disembarks from his shuttle.
27	* Luke taking down three biker scouts during the speeder bike chase by the following methods: Jumping from the speeding bike piloted by Leia onto the back of one scout's and throwing him off. Then using that bike's blaster to shoot down another ahead of him. And then after falling off it, using his lightsaber to deflect the blasts of the third speeder scout and stepping out of the way and slicing the steering vane so it spins out of control and crashes into a tree.
28	** Minor one for Leia and Luke for riding speeder bikes and reacting quickly while the Scout Troopers wore protective helmets to help them navigate. The Skywalker twins definitely inherit their father’s ability to pilot and have incredible reflexes.
29	** The scout troopers acquit themselves fairly well throughout the sequence. The one Han sneaks up on yells for his partner to BringHelpBack while engaging Han in fisticuffs, and two others manage to make Luke and Leia crash their bikes at the climax of the speeder chase.
30	* The first person point-of-view shot of the speeder bike chase.
31	* [=C3PO=] has his SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome... it is, as befits him, rather subdued, but--when the Ewoks capture the "Pitiful little band", and they see their Golden God, and bow down to him--well, that's not it; it's a few moments later, when he speaks to the tribesmen, and Luke asks in surprise "Can you understand what they're saying?" and, of course, Threepio responds: "Oh yes, Master Luke... I am versed in over six million forms of communication!" Also, remember that [=C3PO=] has been complaining about the adventures he has been in, always being in danger, actually being nearly destroyed several times... but, in the end, he becomes the one that allows the Rebel victory, because it was his presence in all those adventures that allowed him to tell the Ewoks what was going on in the rest of the galaxy.
32	* The scene where Luke surrenders himself to Vader and addresses him as "Father". When Vader prods Luke that he has accepted the truth, Luke firmly responds "I accept the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker, my father." With a simple turn of phrase, Luke shows Vader how he has grown from a boy who fell into a HeroicBSOD upon hearing Vader's little emotional sucker punch to a mature man who accepts an uncomfortable truth ''his way'', while acknowledging the rest of the truth that his father would rather forget.
33	** In a way, Luke also ends up turning the tables on Vader when he [[TranquilFury somewhat snaps]] to sternly tell him "''[[DoNotCallMePaul That name]]'' [[ThatManIsDead no longer has any meaning to me.]]" And then Luke tells him that if Darth Vader truly sees no alternative but the Dark Side, then his father must be truly dead. Imagine the Sith Lord's surprise when it's ''Luke'' who is now playing mind games with ''him''. [[IveComeTooFar He even admits that he understands what his son is trying to do for him, but believes it's too late after everything he himself has done]].
34	** After their conversation Vader slumps against the railing looking utterly ''exhausted!'' It's the first time in the trilogy he seems anything but unstoppable.
35	* The Ewoks' BigDamnHeroes moment when they rescue the rebels from the Empire.
36	** Though it must be admitted that the one stormtrooper who manages to actually laserblast one of those damn teddy bears always seems to get a cheer from the audience.
37	** The BigBadassBattleSequence on Endor is kicked off by none other than the Ewoks.
38	** The Ewoks themselves. Besting the Empire, the most technologically advanced and numerically superior fighting force the galaxy has ever seen, with nothing more than stone-age weapons and the burning desire to defend their home from invaders. ''This'' is what Star Wars is really all about.
39	** The Empire is about to take the Rebels off to whatever prison or firing squad they have set up, then the Ewoks launch their surprise attack: their cute little horns signal cry, ''and'' '''''hundreds''''' ''of Ewoks pop up out of'' '''''nowhere, all over the forest''''', and every one of them is armed to the teeth. If you're the Empire, teddy bears have never been so frightening.
40	** Keep in mind: We ''know'' the Empire patrols the forests around the base. We've ''seen'' them. An entire army of Ewoks, complete with prepared booby traps (that's battlefield ''engineering'') set up around the Imperial base without being observed, which means they were either exceptionally stealthy or were able to make their preparations very quickly once they got into position.
41	* During the battle on Endor, Leia is wounded, and they are cornered by two Stormtroopers while Han is huddled over her making sure she's alright. As the Stormtroopers order Han to put his hands up, he sees that Leia has discreetly drawn her sidearm ([[CallBack not entirely unlike how Han once did when cornered in a bar on Tatooine...]])
42	-->'''Han:''' [[MeaningfulEcho I love you.]]
43	-->'''[[ActionGirl Leia]]:''' [[PreAssKickingOneLiner I know.]]
44	* Chewie along with two Ewoks taking control of a scout walker and turning the tide of the forest battle which had been going badly for the Ewoks. Also, it allowed Han to use it to trick the remaining Imperials inside the bunker into opening the doors.
45	** Having just barely taken out some enemy Stormtroopers, Han and Leia think [[OhCrap they're done for]] when a walker starts approaching them... and then the hatch opens and [[BaitAndSwitch Chewie pops out]].
46	** Chewie's AT-ST shooting out the other walker becomes a rallying point for the Ewoks. Whereas they had had trouble dealing with the troops and the walkers, this time around their attacks--making a walker slip and fall over a bunch of logs, doing a "nutcracker" on another--are much more effective. They start taking out the Imperial speeder scouts zipping to and fro as well, with clotheslines, and catching their steering vanes in lassos tied to trees. We see a bunch of primitive, tribal creatures actually hold their own against the baddest army in the galaxy. They had ''every'' reason to celebrate that night at the victory party.
47	*** In ''Legends'', the battle was such a disaster for the Empire, that the post-Endor manual for the AT-ST explicitly forbade its usage on planets with "rock-wielding primitives".
48	** Think about it for a second: The entire Battle of Endor, both on the ground and eventually in orbit, was turned around by a Wookiee and a pair of Ewoks hijacking an enemy vehicle.
49	* With all the Luke/Vader action, it is easy to forget Han. In a flash of genius, he gets the men in the base to come out by pretending the Rebels have retreated, only to jump them outside.
50	* Palpatine's "Oh, I'm afraid the deflector shield will be ''quite operational'' when your friends arrive..." It's just the way he says it, [[FauxAffablyEvil a mockery of a friendly old man's concern]].
51	** Also, absolutely everything else Palpatine says in that conversation, including but not limited to "''[[TheChessmaster Everything]]'' [[TheChessmaster that has transpired has done so according to]] ''[[TheChessmaster my]]'' [[TheChessmaster design]]".
52	** Of course, he's talking to the guy whom he expressly stated he did not foresee being there.
53	* "Now witness the firepower of this '''fully armed and operational battle station!'''"
54	* Moff Tiaan Jerjerrod gets a minor one in a deleted scene. The Emperor orders him to destroy the Endor moon in case the rebels manage to destroy the shield generator. Jerjerrod protests the order as they have several forces on the moon. Sure, he reluctantly complies when ordered further, but the fact that he dared to talk back to [[TheDreaded the Emperor]] at all says something.
55	** In another deleted scene, Jerjerrod (on Palpatine's orders) tells Vader, extremely bluntly, that he may not enter the Emperor's Chambers. Vader, being Vader, Force-chokes him. Jerjerrod then, [[TheDeterminator through sheer force of will,]] sharply inhales and tells Vader just as bluntly, while being Force-choked, [[YankTheDogsChain that order comes from the Emperor]]. Vader stops choking him reluctantly. [[{{Jerkass}} Jerjerrod may be a dick in the deleted scenes]], but he had the sheer power as a [[{{Muggles}} non-Force user]] to overpower a freaking Force Choke from Vader. Something we only ever see Padmé accomplish in the movies. No wonder this guy was Palpatine's choice for [=CO=] of the second Death Star!
56	*** Plus, ''who'' would throw away a chance to order ''Vader'' around and get away with it?
57	** Jerjerrod was Palpatine's choice because his skills in logistics and as an architect made him the only man in the galaxy capable of rebuilding the Death Star as requested by the Emperor while in complete secret. Overpowering a Force Choke didn't have much to do with it... But as he was used to doing the impossible, he went and added that to his triumphs.
58	* During their lightsaber duel, Luke jumps onto an overhead platform. Vader, having learned from Mustafar, elects to throw his lightsaber rather than jump after him.
59	* After Vader has failed repeatedly to lure his son to the Dark Side, he finally discovers Luke's {{Berserk Button}}:
60	--> "Give yourself to the Dark Side. It is the only way you can save your friends. Yes, your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for them are strong. Especially for... Sister. So, you have a twin sister. Your feelings have now betrayed her too. Obi-Wan was wise to hide her from me. Now his failure is complete. If you will not turn to the Dark Side, then ''perhaps she will''."
61	** The music cue that played at that moment especially made it powerful.
62	** Luke's cry of "[[BigNever Never]]!" and then nearly taking Vader's head off in the duel was also awesome.
63	*** Even better. Immediately after Luke's BigNever, Vader quickly turns in his direction with a rapid VaderBreath... Yes, Luke got ''Darth Vader'' to '''''gasp!'''''.
64	* The entire climax of the duel between Luke and Vader. The music slowly builds as Vader searches the throne room for where Luke is hiding, continually pushing him in an effort to break his cool. Then he finds the secret Luke has been keeping: Leia. The music continues to build as Vader threatens that if Luke will not be turned, Leia may instead. At which point Luke explodes with righteous anger born of his love for his sister, igniting his lightsaber one last time and screaming in challenge. The music and fury of the action to follow as Luke battles and overcomes Vader stands as the emotional climax and most powerful moment not of the film, ''but the entire franchise''.
65	** Adding to that, the utter NoHoldsBarredBeatdown Luke delivers to Vader. Even though the audience knows he's teetering on the edge of the Dark Side, it is a thing of beauty to behold--Vader is utterly defenseless against his onslaught.
66	*** What a difference a year makes. Vader positively curb-stomped Luke in ''Empire'' without even trying, but this time, Luke utterly overwhelms Vader, whose entire fighting style is "batter them into submission", with sheer rage and strength.
67	*** In addition, this scene already demonstrated through Luke, long before the Prequels came along, how much of a powerhouse a healthy Vader would have been without his debilitating injuries, something that was ultimately confirmed in ''Revenge of the Sith''.
68	* "Never... I'll ''never'' turn to the Dark Side. You've ''failed'', Your Highness. [[AllegianceAffirmation I am a ]]''[[AllegianceAffirmation Jedi]]''[[AllegianceAffirmation , like my father before me.]]" Doesn't matter that the Emperor immediately got lightning happy, that was the moment the Good Guys ''won''. Probably the second greatest SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome in the entire series.
69	** Looking at the progression of events around that point, that scene ''is'' when the tables turned and the good guys started to win. After that declaration, the Shield Generator blew up, the ''Executor'' was destroyed, and the Death Star Run into the reactor began. Everything began to fall apart for Palpatine.
70	** Just the fact that Luke's personal greatest triumph is then, when he wins without fighting--when he wins ''by'' not fighting. We saw earlier that he clearly has the courage to face giant monsters--we see here that he has a depth of ''emotional'' courage which runs every bit as deep. By believing, and by ''not'' acting, and by trusting in Anakin, he brought his father back. Incidentally, defeating an enemy without fighting them ''is very much the Jedi way.'' By doing this, Luke truly proved himself a Jedi Knight.
71	** All the way from the start of the trilogy, Yoda and Obi-Wan have kept the same plan and message: Luke ''must'' kill his father and the Emperor in order to win. Not only does he not kill either of them, but in ultimately redeeming Anakin he finds a way to finally bring balance to the force and proves that for all their mastery they were ''wrong''.
72	** A small but vital point, when Luke takes a good look at Vader's severed right hand and notices that it's a robotic replacement just like his, he manages to piece together that Anakin fell for the ''very same reason'' that he was about to fall and pulls himself from the Dark Side before it's too late. That sort of emotional understanding is the one thing that the Old Order lacked, but it's the very thing that saves Luke from the trap set by the Emperor.
73	** It's even more awesome when you look at the history of the series. [[TheChessmaster Palpatine]] has had everything go according to his plan for over 30 years (and, if you go by the Literature/DarthPlagueis novel, ''since he became an adult''). [[TheBadGuysWin He hasn't suffered a major loss in his entire life]], with even the destruction of the first Death Star not taking away his cool. He played ''every major character'' in the prequel trilogy [[TheChessmaster like a kazoo]][[note]]The expression is often written as "Like a fiddle" but a fiddle is actually incredibly hard to play. A kazoo, however, is not.[[/note]], then Luke came in. He's the first person ever to do something the Emperor never expected: make him ''[[VillainousBreakdown lose his cool.]]''
74	** If Palpatine lost his cool it's also because, much like he was a type of Sith that evolved past Yoda and the Old Order, Luke proved himself a type of Jedi that had surpassed both the Old Order ''and'' the Sith of now, a Jedi that could use his compassion and emotions for good without being corrupted to the Dark Side.
75	** "So be it... ''Jedi''." Palpatine's ''pissed,'' but even he has to take one moment to acknowledge Luke's awesomeness.
76	*** Furthermore, consider the significance of Palpatine addressing Luke as a Jedi. For the past two movies, the Emperor has schemed on how to flip Luke to the Dark Side of the Force. This is someone who, as stated above, has ''never'' lost any battle he's entered, simply because [[XanatosGambit he always set up the game for his own victory]]. And yet some farm boy from a desert planet proved to be unbreakable. And Palpatine ''hates'' the Jedi order. In his own, twisted way, [[VillainousRespect Palpatine is commending Luke's will.]]
77	** The fact that Luke's ploy to redeem his father was knowingly and willingly subjecting himself to the Emperor's lightning attack. He's so committed that he endures the worst pain of his life for the greater good. And it works.
78	* The Force Lightning assault has to be one for Palpatine. He shows up in the movie, and he's just a frail old man. Everyone is terrified of him, but you're never sure why. Then Luke throws his offer back in his face, and: "If you will not be turned...you will be DESTROYED!"
79	* Palpatine's overall reaction to everything that is going on around him. For the first time in his Sith life, something does ''not'' go his way: His designated apprentice and heir to the Empire, Luke, has completely ignored his wishes of giving in to the Dark Side and repudiated him, the Death Star II's shields are down and the battle station will surely be destroyed any minute now, and his Galactic Empire which he spent a lifetime to create prior to Episode IV is left without an heir and will fall into ruin without him or a successor. He tries to get some cathartic rage on Luke for denying his wishes...however, something he never would have thought would happen happens: His own slave Darth Vader breaks free from the Dark Side and hoists Palpatine. All Palpatine can do at this point is yell in fury and anger, and ultimately in ''fear''; he even ''demands'' Vader let him go. For the first time in the Star Wars timeline, Palpatine has made an error, which costs him his Empire, the Sith Order, and his life.
80	** And the best part about that is the way he says it. The entire movie his tone of voice has been, as someone stated previously, like a mockery of a kind old man because he is so assured in his belief that he will win. But when Luke refuses to turn, he drops that tone and so the way he says that line, how it is just dripping in pure cold hatred and evil...classic.
81	** If you watch the films in the order they were made, there's the impact of seeing the lightning for the first time. Palpatine gives some death threats, etc., and you expect some big lightsaber fight or force choking or what have you. Instead, out of freaking nowhere, he starts shooting LIGHTNING at Luke. While the lightning has been downgraded and made much more commonplace since then, back then not even Darth Vader could do it (now we know why, but the EU wasn't as developed at the time). It made the Emperor a grade-A badass.
82	** Keep in mind that the Emperor is suffering from a VillainousBreakdown because, for once, his plans are failing. That doesn't stop him being awesome.
83	** According to the novelization, the lightning was nothing less than a straight-up abomination of the Force, Palpatine [[ThePowerOfHate using his sheer overwhelming hatred to break the very rules that bind the universe together]]. Consider that even in the prequels, we only see two characters who ever use it: Palpatine and his apprentice, Count Dooku.
84	*** And then, finally, there's the act that solidifies Vader's HeelFaceTurn: bodily lifting the Emperor overhead and tossing him into the Death Star's reactor core, [[RedemptionEqualsDeath saving his son's life and dooming his own in the process]].
85	* Vader ''lunging'' at Palpatine to save his son. The man clearly has very little energy in him from the brutal duel with Luke. He can barely stand and has only ''one hand'', yet he still musters enough energy left in him to grasp Palpatine by the waist high above his head and cast him down the shaft...all with ''one hand''. Truly a PapaWolf if there ever was one.
86	** Even more awesome after watching the prequel trilogy. Anakin had spent his entire life adhering to the whims of other people. He was Watto's slave in his childhood. As a Jedi, he could only do what his elders allowed him to do, which meant his potential to be the hero he was hoping to be was severely limited. The Emperor played him like a pack of cards to the point where he lost almost everything. Even his relationship with Padmé transpired on her terms, not his. By killing the Emperor to save his son, Anakin finally took control of his life.
87	** The triumphant resurgence of the 'Force Theme' overpowering Palpatine's screams and protests as Vader seizes and lifts him, signifying Vader/Anakin's return to the Light.
88	* Palpatine's terrified last words as Anakin carries him to his death: "LET ME GO!". Watching the Prequels and The Clone Wars series, Palpatine always had the "I'm untouchable" look to him. Not this time, however; for the first time in his life, Palpatine feels ultimate fear.
89	** Possible WMG/YMMV but his takedown of Palpatine is significantly more impressive when you consider the following: Firstly, Palpatine's force lightning could almost instantly shut down Vader's suit, and immediately after tossing Palpatine he collapses and is unable to move, meaning that the suit was probably non-functioning before he even threw the Emperor. He was moving with pure force of will (and the Force). Secondly, Palpatine was far too powerful to be killed merely by falling, surely someone of his power level would have been able to arrest his descent. So in all likelihood, Vader stopped him from doing that via the Force.
90	** Also, arguably, the only bit Lucas himself has in tying the original series to the prequel trilogy. Watch the death scene again, and it's arguable that Vader finally realizes that he was always whining about other people limiting him, but it was always him -- in staring at his ruined stump of a hand, just like Luke's, it's got to be a little apparent to him that Luke's been through almost exactly the same kind of life he had, but worse on almost every level, all without giving in to the Dark Side. It's very hard to hear in the film, but just before he lifts Palpatine, you hear the exact point it ''finally'' hits him:
91	--->'''Vader:''' No... [[BigNo NOOOOOOOOOOO!]]
92	** This is even better in the NPR radio adaptation, with Creator/BrockPeters's incredible delivery in this exchange:
93	--->'''Palpatine:''' Release me, Vader! I command you! Put me down!\
94	'''Vader:''' I will: down the core shaft! Down to your death!\
95	'''Palpatine:''' Vader, I am your master!\
96	'''Vader:''' Darth Vader's master. But ''not'' '''Anakin Skywalker's'''!\
97	''[Palpatine screams as Vader sends him hurtling down the shaft]''
98	** Another great part of the NPR adaptation is just a few seconds before this. Instead of saying a rather clumsily edited in (in the newest special editions) and narmtastic "Noooooooo!", Peters instead gives a more convincing, and very pissed off, shout of "MY '''SOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!!!'''" as he lifts Palpatine off the ground, it really has to be heard to be appreciated.
99	* '''THE ENTIRE BATTLE OF ENDOR IN SPACE'''. Some specific moments are
100	--> '''Lando:''' Yes, I said '''''closer!''''' Move as close you can, and engage those Star Destroyers at point-blank range!
101	--> '''Ackbar:''' At that range we won't last long against those Star Destroyers!
102	--> '''Lando:''' We'll last longer than we will against that '''Death Star'''! ''[[TakingYouWithMe And we might just take a few of them with us!]]''
103	** Think of it this way: Your fleet is wedged between a shielded superweapon slash space station capable of destroying large cruisers and an enemy fleet. What do you do? Go in headlong against said fleet! This leaves the enemy forces with a SadisticChoice: Lose large numbers in direct combat or fire the superweapon and risk disastrous amounts of friendly fire. Genius!
104	* Flying '''[[AirstrikeImpossible into]]''' the Death Star is crazy enough, but then a pair of ''[=TIE=] Interceptors'' come in after them.
105	** This counts as a moment of awesome for the [=TIE=] pilots, too. Everything is going to shit around them, they're being beaten by the badly outnumbered Rebels ''again'', and their planet-destroying superweapon is about to be blown up ''again''. They ''could'' cut their losses and just get as far away from Endor as they could to try and escape the probable Death Star explosion coming their way, [[VillainousValour but they don't. They fly right into the Death Star after the Rebels in a desperate bid to prevent another Imperial defeat. That's commendable, in it's own way]].
106	* During the Battle of Endor, the A-Wing of Arvel Crynyd, aka Green Leader, gets shot down. As his ship begins to break apart, the pilot manages to [[RammingAlwaysWorks crash it clean through]] the bridge of the ''Executor'', [[TakingYouWithMe causing it to lose all control and smash into the Death Star, and managing to kill Admiral Piett and Commander Gherant in the process]]. ''Best. Death. Ever.''
107	** Commander Gherant's total "Oh God, we're dead!" moment while Piett is shouting to "intensify the forward batteries" of the ''Executor'' and Gherant sees off in the distance the out of control A-Wing coming straight for them. And then Piett's quick OhCrap moment when he sees the A-Wing. Watching these usually composed officers shit their pants is equal parts hilarious and satisfying.
108	--->'''Bridge Officer:''' Sir! We've lost the bridge's deflector shields!\
109	'''Admiral Piett:''' Intensify the forward batteries, [[TemptingFate I don't want anything to get through.]]\
110	''[Meanwhile, Arvel Crynyd's A-Wing is shot, and he is sent spiraling toward the Executor's bridge]''\
111	'''Commander Gherant:''' ''[points at the incoming wildly-spinning A-wing fearfully, which Piett fails to notice]''\
112	'''Admiral Piett:''' [[SuddenlyShouting Intensify forward firepower!]]\
113	'''Arvel Crynyd:''' ''[[BattleCry AAAAAAAAAA]][[HeroicSacrifice AAAAHHHHH!!!]]''\
114	'''Commander Gherant:''' '''''TOO LATE!!!'''''\
115	''(Gherant runs away and Piett looks at him in confusion before seeing the A-Wing. Piett reacts hilariously and bolts away too, and both dive away from the window as the A-Wing crashes into the bridge and kills everyone aboard.)''
116	** Not only was Arvel Crynyd's final moment of defiance amazing in every way, but according to the ExpandedUniverse, after the battle, there was an ''award'' named after the pilot called the Crynyd Award, given for conspicuous bravery in space combat.
117	** The Rebels also named a captured Star Destroyer after the guy.
118	** '''Nobody''' in the Rebel Alliance can claim they shot down not only a Super Star Destroyer but ''Darth Vader's personal flagship.'' In an A-Wing. Without firing a shot. Nobody except Arvel Crynyd.
119	*** Anyone who's ever played any of the games ([[VideoGame/XWing especially]] [[VideoGame/TIEFighter the]] [[VideoGame/XWingVsTIEFighter simulation]] [[VideoGame/XWingAlliance games]]) will tell you that taking on a capital ship, ''any'' capital ship bigger than a Corvette in a single snub fighter is like trying to sink an aircraft carrier with a water pistol. Crynyd is proof that ''it can be done''.
120	** It's worth noting that the ''Executor'' is so large, expensive, durable, and armed, that it is basically the equivalent of an entire fleet by itself AND it's operated by the Empire's finest officers. It's also a huge propaganda and psychological warfare tool, overshadowed only by the Death Star. The fact that a ''single, mass-produced'' fighter managed to basically obliterate it with what was essentially a pinprick at exactly the right place makes it one of the greatest achievements of the Rebel Alliance. On top of that, it was something that could only be done by ramming (a space superiority fighter lacks the ordnance necessary to do that kind of damage), which means he did it quite deliberately, making it ''the'' single greatest DyingMomentOfAwesome ''in the entire series''.
121	** Cut scenes make this even more awesome by explaining just why the battle had moved so close to the Death Star: it was rotating to ''destroy Endor''. Thus the Rebels charged at it to try and slow it down, the Imperial fleet put itself between the Rebels and their target... Then Ackbar decides the best way to give the fighters time to do their job is to ''blow the Imperial flagship up'', and Arvel Crynyd ''throws it at the Death Star''. And ''that'' big of an impact could have well done the job, aside for utterly breaking the morale of the Imperial fleet (whose ships are conspicuously missing when the Death Star finally blows up, meaning they were either annihilated or [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere broke and ran]]) and freeing more turbolasers to hammer the Death Star.
122	*** The novelization also reveals how the Rebels were able to take down the shields of the ''Executor'', paving the way for Arvel Crynyd: fire ships. Ackbar had known the entire time they'd have to take down the ''Executor'' to destroy the Death Star, so he brought a number of aging GR-75 medium transports filled with explosives that at various moments during the battle surprise-rammed Star Destroyers with lethal effects, and when the ''Executor'' got between the Rebels and the Death Star he had them ram the poor dreadnought until the shields went down.
123	* Watching the ''Executor'', a ship so large it literally overshadowed the Star Destroyers from ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'', get destroyed by plummeting into the Death Star, with the bridge crew of Ackbar's ship cheering triumphantly. Admiral Ackbar himself is in complete disbelief and just slumps into his chair slack-jawed as he watches the ''Executor'' slam into the Death Star and go up in a ''massive'' mushroom cloud.
124	** Before that, there's the scene where while Ackbar orders his fleet to concentrate fire on the ''Executor'', if you look out the window, there's a regular Star Destroyer exploding in the distance. It's like Lucas wants to show us what a Star Destroyer looks like being destroyed before showing us the destruction of the ''Executor''.
125	** Also, watch as the ''Executor'' crashes. We've already seen how big this thing is (it ''completely dwarfs'' regular Star Destroyers), and when it crashes into the Death Star, the ground looks ''almost flat''. The second Death Star completely dwarfs the Super Star Destroyer, which completely dwarfs the regular Imperial Star Destroyer.
126	** It's a Moment of Awesome for ILM as well. Keep this in mind: This sequence was filmed in the early 1980s. There's ''not a single CGI ship or character'' in the ''entire battle''. ''Everything'' you see was done with models, pyrotechnics, sets, and practical effects. And while it's not without editing or continuity problems,[[note]]Arvel Crynyd, the A-wing pilot who downs ''Executor'', actually dies twice; first, he's shown flying an A-wing with two TIE Interceptors on his tail and gets shot down. However, he's suddenly shown to be flying the Y-wing which shoots down the [=TIEs=] which shot ''him'' down. Finally, the last time he appears is just as he makes his fatal run on the Super Star Destroyer[[/note]] not only do the effects ''still'' hold up nearly 40 years later, the Battle of Endor is ''still'' one of the greatest and most complicated space battles ever committed to film.
127	*** In particular, the legendary [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONDQVeoKiZw SB.19]]. ''Months'' of painstaking work. Less than four seconds of footage. ''Absolutely WorthIt!''
128	** Just consider that rather than try to "spice it up" with some CGI for the Special Editions, Lucas left the entire sequence alone, knowing no modern tricks could possibly enhance such an epic work.
129	* Death Star battles seem to be powered by SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome. In the finale of the battle, we first see Luke barely escape in Vader's ship, then Wedge makes good his escape, and finally Lando and the ''Millennium Falcon'' come blasting out of Death Star 2 [[JustInTime with their hair on fire]].
130	-->'''Lando:''' [[BattleCry YAA-HAH!!]]
131	** This entire battle, as laid out by Website/SFDebris, is Lando's true redemption from his actions in the last film. There, he ironically lost everything, because he chose to play it safe and take no risks like the gambler he's supposed to be would. Sure, he didn't want to risk the lives of the people he's the leader of, but doesn't change the fact that he lost almost everything by not taking a risk. But now, with his gambling skills applied to combat tactics, Lando is forced to make three hard calls during the battle, and they're all extremely risky, Ackbar even chewing him out twice for making such risky calls. But this time, by being true to himself as the legendary gambler that he always was, all three risky moves paid off handsomely: He prevented the fleet from slamming into the shield, he didn't render the ground forces' struggles moot by running away once they say the Death Star firing on them, and he saved the fleet further by telling to go full melee on the Imperial ambush fleet, using them as a shield against the Death Star. Also especially risky was him (and Wedge) leading the assault into the Death Star once the above efforts paid off. Thus, by choosing to take massive risks, Lando Calrissian the gambler was truly redeemed.
132	*** Lando's general sense of defiance in the battle is something to behold. No Imperial Star Destroyer, Death Star, etc. is too big for him to fight, which is made all the more clear when he refuses to retreat despite Admiral Ackbar's protests.
133	** Speaking of Wedge and the second Death Star run, there's something to be said for his [[TheStoic icy cool composure]] during the entire battle. Note that when he and Lando are setting up for their attack run on the power core, his acknowledgement of Lando's directions is a calm "[[PreemptiveDeclaration I'm already on my way out.]]" That he'll succeed on his attack, with a pair of TIE Interceptors still trying to run them down, and make it back out before the whole thing cooks off isn't even a question, it's a fact. He's gonna grab some smokes on the way back to base if you want anything.
134	** And let's not forget the way the second Death Star's explosion sequence plays out. In ''A New Hope,'' the original Death Star blew up instantly, accompanied by intensifying music before it suddenly burst apart in a ball of flame. Here, the second Death Star begins to slowly collapse after Wedge and Lando destroy the reactor. Admiral Ackbar ordering the fleet to move away from the receding battle station. Luke exiting the Death Star hangar as it begins to fall apart, flying out just as the hangar goes up in flames with only seconds to spare. Wedge flying out of the Death Star. Then Lando coming out just before he and the ''Millennium Falcon'' are consumed by flame, and then... '''''KABOOM.''''' Combined with a teaser explosion right before the Death Star is obliterated in a massive fireball, as well as the Praxis shockwave with the Millenium Falcon sweeping past it with its iconic engine roar, this has to be the most beautiful CGI explosion in movie history ever. Forget Michael Bay, this was the EarthShatteringKaboom to end it all. The greatest victory of the Rebel Alliance.
135	* Luke gives his father a [[VikingFuneral proper send-off]], while the magical musical Force theme plays for the last time, and then we see the rebels and Ewoks (and in the HD remake, civilizations throughout the galaxy) celebrating freedom. And two Jedi as Force spirits watch in approval...and then a ''third'' Jedi joins them: the final proof of Anakin's redemption.
136	** As controversial as the Special Edition changes can be, it's a widely held opinion that adding to the ending celebration sequence was a great decision. Similar to how nations across Earth celebrated when World War II finally ended, the entire galaxy throws an enormous party in celebration of the Empire's long-awaited collapse, [[ZeroPercentApprovalRating showing just how universally reviled the regime truly was, from the Core Worlds to the Outer Rim]]. In the 1997 release, we see the cheering populations of Tatooine and an EarlyBirdCameo for the Imperial Capital Coruscant before the prequels fully introduced the city planet in its Republic days to the big screen. Coruscant's celebrations seem particularly epic, as we see a giant statue of the Emperor torn down and hear the resounding echo of some bells chiming (which sounds like a slick electric guitar riff). The 2004 DVD release even shows a glimpse of Naboo, bringing some further circularity to the prequels for fans of them.
137	* In a low-key way, Leia taking her first steps to exploring her Force Sensitivity by feeling her brother escaped the second Death Star.
138	* Obi-Wan's seemingly nonsensical line in Episode IV to Han and in turn the crew "There are alternatives to fighting" finally come to pass 4 years later, Luke didn't beat Palpatine by a lightsaber, he found an alternative way to beat him by proudly proclaiming he was a Jedi like his father before him. Somewhere in the deep recesses of Obi-Wan's Force spirit must have been smiling. BadassPacifist at its finest.
139	* "Jabba, this is your last chance. Free us... or die." And the best part was, unlike some darker-shaded protagonists may have gone about the problem at hand, Luke genuinely and earnestly did offer Jabba several significant chances to end their dispute without any violence whatsoever. It's only when Luke has no other options that he offers a ''vicious crime lord'' one last chance to walk away with his life intact.
140	** And here is the real reason for Leia's bronze bikini. Jabba and his court are well-established from moment one to be absolutely depraved monsters, gleefully watching as equally-scantily-clad Oola dances and is then horrifically killed for refusing to do more than dance, then Jabba sees Leia as a convenient replacement for Oola and has her put on her own slave costume. At every turn, we're shown why we, the audience, should be perfectly okay with Luke and Company slaughtering the lot of them to rescue their friend. The galaxy will ''smell better'' once they're gone. Yet, at every turn, Luke offers peaceful solutions to the problem, wanting everyone to walk away from this den of sin happy and alive. That's not cowardice, that's moral fiber that would make ComicBook/{{Superman}} proud.

Context Awesome / ReturnOfTheJedi