History NightmareFuel / TheEmpireStrikesBack

* ''Yoda'' of all people can make every kid (and some adults) piss themselves in horror when he reveals the sheer ''cost'' of trying to battle the physical dark side. Even ''he'', the apex of what a Jedi can be, who has faced the rage, fear, hatred and sheer malevolence of this force, manifested by the worst and lowest sentient emotions, and ''won'' was not unscathed; the absolute malignant glee he takes in Luke's short-sighted callow idealism is nothing short of terrifying as the MythArc of all of Star Wars comes crashing down on our neat little world of good and evil.

** Similar to seeing the Super Star Destroyer dwarfing all of the impossibly huge Star Destroyers not much earlier in the film, the Emperor's very ''existence'' is horrifying when you compare him to Darth Vader. In the first movie, Vader was held back by orders and deferred to Tarkin, who was "holding his leash". In this film, he's large and in charge, taking command as he slaughters Rebels by the hundreds, and being judge, jury and executioner if any of his men fail. Vader spends the first half-hour of the film as the most terrifying man in the galaxy, but when the Emperor summons him, he goes on his knees and calls him "Master". How evil is ''this'' man?

* The climactic duel between Luke and Vader is one of the foremost examples in the 'PG' category of film. The carbon-freezing chamber is soullessly industrial and filled with an infernal light. Vader appears as a silhouette, the monotone breathing underlying his BreakingSpeech. Vader toys with the hero enough to establish the hopelessness of his battle, at one point leaping as if to crush him underfoot. When Luke loses line of sight, he's suddenly met with a JumpScare - Vader had turned off his VaderBreath, lain in wait, then activated his saber and struck in a single motion. Then Vader starts to beat Luke to a pulp with [[EverythingTryingToKillYou Force-flung objects:]] the windows are blown out and the final showdown occurs in hostile winds, over a bottomless abyss. Vader backs Luke onto a fragile perch and hacks his weapon hand off (Mark Hammill ''really'' sold the horror and excruciation of being maimed with his anguished scream.) There is no hope for victory, our protagonist is ''helpless''.

->'''Luke:''' I'm not afraid.
->'''Yoda:''' You will be... ''You will be''.
----

** Captain Needa losing sight of the ''Millennium Falcon'', realizing that he's going to have to break the news to Darth "YouHaveFailedMe" Vader, and then visiting him to apologize anyway to take the heat for his subordinates. Cut to Vader forgiving Needa...[[ForgivenessRequiresDeath after an implied Force-choke]]. A reminder that serving in the Imperial military, especially in a position that requires you to answer directly to Vader, means having to stay on top of your game; a single mistake risks a swift and fatal discharge.

** According to ''Shadows of the Empire'', yes, he can. Vader would have succeeded in killing Xizor from the other side of the galaxy, if not for the Emperor.

* When Han starts flying the ''Millennium Falcon'' out of the asteroid field, only to discover that [[spoiler:they were inside a giant space slug the entire time.]]

* Say what you will about the special edition edits, but Ian [=McDiarmid=]'s face isn't quite as scary as the Emperor's [[http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20050925103433/starwars/images/0/08/PalpatineOldHolog2.jpg old face]]

* Vader killing Admiral Ozzel. We've seen him use the Force-choke before but this is more chilling because he's able to do it through a video screen! He doesn't even have to be in the same room to kill you, just establish a line of sight. What are the limits to this? Can he choke someone from across a galaxy?

** Palpatine himself does this to Dooku in cartoon series.
* When Han starts flying the Millennium Falcon out of the asteroid field, only to discover that [[spoiler:they were inside a giant space slug the entire time.]]
** The JumpScare that greets Leia when she hears a disturbance outside of the ship and inside the cave. A Mynock, a really creepy flying creature with a LampreyMouth, attaches itself to the window and ''screams'' loudly at her.

* ''Yoda'' of all people can make every kid (and some adults) piss themselves in horror when he reveals the sheer ''cost'' of trying to battle the physical dark side. Even ''he'' the apex of what a Jedi can be, who has faced the rage, fear, hatred and sheer malevolence of this force, manifested by the worst and lowest sentient emotions, and ''won'' was not unscathed; the absolute malignant glee he takes in Luke's short-sighted callow idealism is nothing short of terrifying as the MythArc of all of Star Wars comes crashing down on our neat little world of good and evil.

* Luke going into the "dark side cave" on Dagobah. Once inside, he is soon met by a shocking hallucination of Vader. Terrified, Luke desperately attempts to fight back, eventually gaining the upper-hand and ''slicing Vader's head off''. Vader's helmet lands in front of Luke, only to soon explode, revealing that the face underneath the mask was in fact Luke's, establishing that he is not as safe from the dark side as he would like to believe. Not only is the whole premise and context of this scene terrifying, but there's the added fact that [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsOd85H-drA the music in this scene]] is probably John Williams at his most bone-chilling and sinister, and of course there's the lifeless stare the severed Vader/Luke head gives off (shown right).
** Not to mention that Hallucination! Vader's entrance and the helmet exploding are both well-placed jumpscares in a scene already fraught with tension. Watching it for the first time can be frightening to say the least.

* Han being tortured by Vader. When you're a kid who grew up used to the initial relative innocence of ''Film/ANewHope'', hearing Han's piercing howls of agony is as soul shaking as realizing the extent of the nightmare you are listening to. Worse, Vader has no reason to torture Leia, Han and Chewie except to send their pain through the force and draw his son to Bespin! Bastard!

* Say what you will about the [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks special edition edits]] but Ian [=McDiarmid=]'s face is not as scary as the Emperor's [[http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20050925103433/starwars/images/0/08/PalpatineOldHolog2.jpg old face]]

--> '''Han''' "They never even asked me any questions."

* The climactic duel between Luke and Vader is one of the foremost examples in the 'PG' category of film. The carbon-freezing chamber is soulessly industrial and filled with an infernal light. Vader appears as a silhouette, the monotone breathing underlying his BreakingSpeech. Vader toys with the hero enough to establish the hopelessness of his battle, at one point leaping as if to crush him underfoot. When Luke loses line of sight, he's suddenly met with a JumpScare - Vader had turned off his VaderBreath, lain in wait, then activated his saber and struck in a single motion. Then Vader starts to beat Luke to a pulp with [[EverythingTryingToKillYou Force-flung objects:]] the windows are blown out and the final showdown occurs in hostile winds, over a bottomless abyss. Vader backs Luke onto a fragile perch and hacks his weapon hand off (Mark Hammill ''really'' sold the horror and pain with his anguished scream.) There is no hope for victory, no seeming method of escape.

* ''Yoda'' of all people can make every kid (and some adults) piss themselves in horror when he reveals the sheer ''cost'' of trying to battle the physical dark side? Even ''he'' the apex of what a Jedi can be, who has faced the rage, fear, hatred and sheer malevolence of this force, manifested by the worst and lowest sentient emotions, and ''won'' was not unscathed; the absolute malignant glee he takes in Luke's short-sighted callow idealism is nothing short of terrifying as the MythArc of all of Star Wars comes crashing down on our neat little world of good and evil.

* Does no-one remember when freakin' ''Yoda'' of all people makes every kid (and some adults) piss themselves in horror when he reveals the sheer ''cost'' of trying to battle the physical dark side? Even ''he'' the apex of what a Jedi can be, who has faced the rage, fear, hatred and sheer malevolence of this force, manifested by the worst and lowest sentient emotions, and ''won'' was not unscathed; the absolute malignant glee he takes in Luke's short-sighted callow idealism is nothing short of terrifying as the MythArc of all of Star Wars comes crashing down on our neat little world of good and evil.

* Han being tortured by Vader. When you're a kid who grew up used to the initial relative innocence of ''Film/ANewHope'', hearing Han's piercing howls of agony is as soul shaking as realizing the extent of the nightmare you are listening to.
** Worse, Vader has no reason to torture Leia, Han and Chewie except to send their pain through the force and draw his son to Bespin! Bastard!
*** "They never even asked me any questions."

* The whole carbon freezing scene. The atmosphere is, frankly, hellish, with red lights and steam galore. Han's forced into the chamber after sharing a last kiss with Leia, the process starts, he's obscured by the carbon mist. When the process is complete a claw reaches in, pulls out a ''slab'', it's pushed over and lands hard with a clang - first part of a double shock, because we have a lovely close up of Han's face, frozen in pain and fear, trying to ward off his fate despite himself. Lando specifically says the process can kill him and that Vader is testing it to make sure it won't kill Luke. Luke proceeds to get stuck in the carbon freezer as Vader pulls the switch. Thank God Luke got out of there in time and didn't suffer the same fate Han did.
** The novelization makes it worse-[[AndIMustScream he's still conscious!]]

* Our first view of Vader's head. Piett comes in to Vader's chambers and sees the black helmet being lowered on to a pale, scarred head that's supported by a black metal collar. Until the movies ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' and ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' came out, we could only guess at the extent of Vader's disfigurement.
** InUniverse as well--in the {{Novelization}}, Piett sees the back of Vader's head and worries that he might have seen something he shouldn't and will suffer the same fate as Ozzel. Good thing Vader wasn't in a killing mood.

-->'''Luke:''' I'm not afraid.
-->'''Yoda:''' You will be... ''You will be''.

* How about the part where Luke is hanging for dear life from the underside of Cloud City? Not only was there no way for him to get back up, but there was no one nearby to save him! If it weren't for his use of the Force to send Leia back for him, he would've been close to falling down through a ''gas giant'', i.e. a planet with no solid ground whatsoever. Suffocate or die of ever-increasing air pressure: take yoru pick.

* Then there's Vader's [[WhamLine wham ]][[LukeIAmYourFather line]], one of the biggest in the entire series. [[Imagine that you just found out that your dad, who you thought was [[YouKilledMyFather killed by the evil overlord]], who then killed your mentor and possibly had your aunt and uncle killed too, just cut your hand off and is standing in front of you, ''is'' that evil overlord. ''And he wants you to join him''.

* The climactic duel between Luke and Vader is one of the foremost examples in the 'PG' category of film. The carbon-freezing chamber is soulessly industrial and filled with an infernal light. Vader appears as a silhouette, the monotone breathing underlying his BreakingSpeech. Vader toys with the hero enough to establish the hopelessness of his battle, at one point leaping as if to crush him underfoot. When Luke loses line of sight, he's suddenly met with a JumpScare - Vader had turned off his VaderBreath, lain in wait, then activated his saber and struck in a single motion. Then Vader starts to beat Luke to a pulp with [[EverythingTryingToKillYou Force-flung objects:]] the windows are blown out and the final showdown occurs in hostile winds, over a bottomless abyss. Vader backs Luke onto a fragile perch and hacks his weapon hand off (Mark Hammill ''really'' sold the horror and pain with his anguished scream. There is no hope for victory, no seeming method of escape.

* Luke facing Vader in the carbon-freezing chamber. No-one can escape the spine chills that back-lit shot of the Dark Lord will evoke, especially when the Emperor's Fist utters the immortal utterance --
-->'''Vader:''' The Force is with you, young Skywalker. But you are not a Jedi ''yet''...
** A specific instance, when Vader knocks Luke down the stairs early in the fight, Vader then force leaps at him, his cape billowing behind him like a flying dark wraith from your deepest nightmares and nearly ''crushes'' Luke under his boots as his opponent rolls away.
** Vader's OffscreenTeleportation at one point in the duel. No VaderBreath warning, no humming lightsaber sounds, just one moment Luke is trying to get his bearings and the next Vader crashes into the frame, doing his damnednest to cut Luke to pieces.
** Much of the duel, in fact. The low-lighting, the heavy shadows, the gas, the heights. Quite terrifying...
* Vader severing Luke's hand. Even though there isn't so much as a drop of blood [[note]] [[WildMassGuessing Maybe because the wound was cauterised]] [[FridgeBrilliance by the heat of the lightsaber?]] [[/note]]- it's mostly just because of how horrific and real his scream sounds. Also, there's the fact that it's so sudden; no warning to prepare the audience, just a flick of the lightsaber and then Luke starts shrieking.

* How about the part where Luke is hanging for dear life from the underside of Cloud City? Not only was there no way for him to get back up, but there was no one nearby to save him! If it weren't for his use of the Force to send Leia back for him, he would've been close to falling down through a ''gas giant'', i.e. a planet with no solid ground whatsoever, just layer after layer of potentially poisonous gases.
** Even if there was a ground, [[NotTheFallThatKillsYou he still would have died]].
** Worse, if atmospheric entry didn't burn Luke to a crisp, he more likely would have been crushed under the planet's dense atmosphere.

** Vader's OffscreenVillainTeleportation at one point in the duel. No VaderBreath warning, no humming lightsaber sounds, just one moment Luke is trying to get his bearings and the next Vader crashes into the frame, doing his damnednest to cut Luke to pieces.

* Our first view of Vader's head. Piett comes in to Vader's chambers and sees the black helmet being lowered on to a pale, scarred head that's supported by a black metal collar. Until the movies ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' and ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' came out, we could only guess at the extent of Vader's disfigurement.

** Although his scream can be {{Narm}} to some.
* Then there's Vader's [[WhamLine wham ]][[LukeIAmYourFather line]], one of the biggest in the entire series. Sure, Luke's [[BigNo reaction]] might be a bit narm-y to some, but can you BLAME him? Imagine that you just found out that your dad, who you thought was [[YouKilledMyFather killed by the evil overlord]], who then killed your mentor and possibly had your aunt and uncle killed too, just cut your hand off and is standing in front of you, ''is'' that evil overlord. ''And he wants you to join him''.

** Not to mention that Hallucination!Vader's entrance and the helmet exploding are both well-placed jumpscares in a scene already fraught with tension. Watching it for the first time can be frightening to say the least.

** Not to mention that both Hallucination!Vader's entrance and the helmet exploding are both jumpscares in a scene already fraught with tension. Watching it for the first time can be frightening to say the least.