History YMMV / TheEmpireStrikesBack

* AssPull: At the time, Darth Vader telling Luke that he was his father. It came right out of nowhere, as the previous movie clearly said Luke's father was a hero whom Vader betrayed and murdered. It worked, nonetheless.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: During the Battle of Hoth, there is a [[FreezeFrameBonus Blink And You'll Miss It]] shot of what looks like a little two-legged baby Imperial Walker. It does not appear in any of the wide shots of the AT-[=ATs=] advancing or at any other point in the battle. Though multiple, AT-[=STs=] have a much more prominent role in ''Return of the Jedi'' and they are well known through PopCulturalOsmosis, its presence in this film is an example of this trope. It's since been revealed one of the effects crew threw it in as basically a joke, only for Lucas to take quite a liking to the idea and give them a bigger role in the next film.

** With the release of the Prequels and Sequels and those films being dubbed as [[{{Sequelitis}} subpar follow-ups]] themselves by parts of the fandom, the claim that [[ContestedSequel "people hated Empire at the time too" or that it was "divisive too"]] allegedly because of the darker tone and the twists has somehow taken root due to defenders of these trilogies (but particularly the latter), with newer fans who were brought into the series by these later films unwittingly perpetuating this. But in truth, ''Empire'' got an overall excellent reception from critics (at least those who didn't consign it to the SciFiGhetto as with the first film) and fans alike. The darker tone and the twists actually got people excited. ''Empire'' topped the worldwide box office in 1980 and had three successful re-releases in theaters in the intervening years before the third movie. It did not need to be [[BetterOnDVD released on home video]] in order to be better appreciated, all the more because its first home video release was in 1989, years after the trilogy ended. The very year it came out, so without the benefit of the passage of time, it even won Best Film at the ''People's Choice Awards''. Besides, claiming this about ''Empire'' is not only [[LogicalFallacies whataboutism,]] but the "proof" is just taking those critics who didn't like the first film to begin with as representative of the critics and fandom at large. As much as the later films may be divisive, the originals were the ones that pretty much everyone liked, which enabled the later films to be made.

* ContestedSequel: When it was first released its reception was mixed, being seen as too dark to be a Star Wars film. It also had to go against the landmark original ''Star Wars'', which at the time was the biggest film ever released, and had lasting changes of the industry of film-making that is still felt today. Nowadays however, "Empire" is not only seen as the best Star Wars film, but one of the greatest films ever made.

** In the GeorgeLucasAlteredVersion, Boba Fett's voice is probably the biggest point of contention; while Creator/TemueraMorrison gives a decent performance, many people grew attached to Jason Wingreen's original voice acting as the character. The reaction toned down in later years as Morrison more fully took over the role of Fett with his appearances in ''Series/TheMandalorian'' and ''Series/TheBookOfBobaFett''.

** The special edition also sees fit to insert several new shots of Vader returning to the Excecutor during the climax, as well as changing his "Bring my shuttle" line to "Alert my Star Destroyer to prepare for my arrival". While there are those who appreciate the movie showing this since he originally seemed to get back to his ship unreasonably quickly, others think it breaks up the flow of the Cloud City escape, over-explains a plot-point that was fairly self-explanatory, and think the old line and and its much angrier-sounding delivery is more appropriate considering that he had just come ''so'' close to capturing Luke. The fact that the shots of Vader's landing are very obviously repurposed footage from the opening ''Return of the Jedi'' doesn't help.

** The special edition also sees fit to insert several new shots of Vader returning to the Excecutor during the climax, as well as changing his "Bring my shuttle" line to "Alert my Star Destroyer to prepare for my arrival". While there are those who appreciate the movie showing this since he originally seemed to get back to his ship unreasonably quickly, others think it breaks up the flow of the Cloud City escape, over-explains a plot-point that was fairly self-explanatory, and think the old line and and its much angrier-sounding delivery is more appropriate considering that he had just come ''so'' close to capturing Luke.

** In the GeorgeLucasAlteredVersion, Boba Fett's voice is probably the biggest point of contention; while Creator/TemueraMorrison gives a decent performance, many people grew attached to Jason Wingreen's original voice acting as the character.

** George Lucas altered the scene of the Emperor talking to Darth Vader for the 2004 DVD version and onward, not only with replacing the original visuals and voice work with [=Ian McDiarmid's=] for consistency with ''Return of the Jedi'' but also replacing lines and slightly extending the scene, which thus leads to alternate interpretations of the character dynamics at work. Hence:

* AwardSnub: Many feel that Creator/FrankOz's portrayal of Yoda was very underlooked, between his voice acting and puppeteering work. Creator/GeorgeLucas attempted to campaign for him to get a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Academy Awards, but the voters ultimately felt that it didn't qualify as a "real" performance.

** Creator/TemueraMorrison's voice as Boba Fett in the DVD version onwards. On its own, his performance (of [[TheQuietOne only a few lines]]) is considered decent and was praised by some fans for its CanonWelding with ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' due to Morrison playing Jango Fett, but was decried by fans who found Jason Wingreen's original voice for Fett to be superior. After over a decade, however, Creator/DanielLogan (as young Fett) and Morrison (as the older Fett) have basically become the definitive actors for the character, appearing in numerous TV series and video games and with Morrison [[RoleReprisal returning as Boba in live-action]] in ''Series/TheMandalorian'', providing a much-praised grand return for the character in the Disney canon. As such (and as the audience that grew up with the prequels and Special Editions has grown up), it's far harder to find fans hung up on that particular change as of the 2020s.

*** During the AT-AT battle, the Snowspeeders (and related shots, as per WordOfGod) were not printed at their full opacity. This is evident in a view from the cockpit. Like the Wampa example, this was eventually fixed.

** A common fan theory is that Admiral Ozzel was a [[TheMole double agent]] or Rebel sympathizer, and so his seeming incompetence (not wanting to search the Hoth system, alerting the Rebels' to the imperial fleet's presence by coming out of light speed close to the solar system) was actually his attempt at undermining the Empire's efforts to find them. A few POV scenes of Ozzel in ''Legends'' render this unlikely in that timeline, as he is portrayed as demonstrably incompetent, disdainful of the Rebels, and primarily concerned with his own advancement. Captain Needa, on the other hand, was posthumously stated to have had Rebel sympathies in ''[[Literature/XWingSeries Wedge's Gamble]]''.

* TheWoobie: Han Solo, being subject to ColdBloodedTorture at the hands of Darth Vader and then being frozen in carbonite while Leia is ForcedToWatch. Becomes even worse when you learn that it took the rebels a year to find out where he was sent to and that he was [[AndIMustScream conscious the whole time]].

** Creator/TemueraMorrison's voice as Boba Fett in the DVD version onwards. On its own, his performance (of [[TheQuietOne only a few lines]]) is considered decent and was praised by some fans for its CanonWelding with ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' due to Morrison playing Jango Fett, but was decried by fans who found Jason Wingreen's original voice for Fett to be superior. After over a decade, however, Creator/DanielLogan (as young Fett) and Morrison (as the older Fett) have basically become the definitive actors for the character, appearing in numerous TV series and video games and with Morrison [[RoleReprisal returning as Boba in live-action]] in ''Series/TheMandalorian'', providing a much-praised grand return for the character in the Disney canon. As such (and as the audience that grew up with the prequels and Special Editions has grown up), it's far harder to find fans hung up on that particular change as of the 2020's.

* UncannyValley: The Emperor's [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/e/ee/Emperor_TESB_1980.png/revision/latest?cb=20170129211936 original face]] before it's changed with Ian [=McDiarmid=]'s version in Special Edition.

** With the release of the Prequels and Sequels and those films being dubbed as [[{{Sequelitis}} subpar follow-ups]] themselves by parts of the fandom, the claim that [[ContestedSequel "people hated Empire at the time too" or that it was "divisive too"]] allegedly because of the darker tone and the twists has somehow taken root due to defenders of these trilogies (but particularly the latter), with newer fans who were brought into the series by these later films unwittingly perpetuating this. But in truth, ''Empire'' got an overall excellent reception from critics (at least those who didn't consign it to the SciFiGhetto as with the first film) and fans alike. The darker tone and the twists actually got people excited. ''Empire'' topped the worldwide box office in 1980 and had three successful re-releases in theaters in the intervening years before the third movie. It did not need to be [[BetterOnDVD released on home video in order to be better appreciated]], all the more because its first home video release was in 1989, years after the trilogy ended. The very year it came out, so without the benefit of the passage of time, it even won Best Film at the ''People's Choice Awards''. Besides, claiming this about ''Empire'' is not only [[LogicalFallacies whataboutism,]] but the "proof" is just taking those critics who didn't like the first film to begin with as representative of the critics and fandom at large. As much as the later films may be divisive, the originals were the ones that pretty much everyone liked, which enabled the later films to be made.
** [[BeamMeUpScotty It's not "LukeIAmYourFather"]], it's "No, I am your father." Even an EU/Legends novel once had Luke remember the line this way. It's not "No, Luke, I am your father" either, except in the [[Radio/StarWarsRadioDramas radio play adaptation]].

-->'''The Emperor:''' ''Search your feelings, Lord Vader; you will know it to be true.''

** Aside from the Wampa, and later Boba Fett's dialogue being redubbed by Creator/TemueraMorrison in the 2004 DVD edition (and even that's less contentious than it once was, following Morrison's later return to the role for ''Series/TheMandalorian''), this is the only film where the changes made in the Special Edition are widely considered to enhance the film rather than detracting from it. The reshot Emperor sequence with Creator/IanMcDiarmid is often cited as an improvement over the original, the additional shots of Cloud City and the CGI windows replacing the white hallways are seen as adding more life and colour to the environment, and the SpecialEffectFailure of Luke turning transparent in the ending sequence is completely fixed up. However, it goes without saying that the original version will always have its defenders, and even people who prefer the Special Edition will still say that the original should still be available as a viewing option.

** With the release of the Prequels and Sequels and those films being dubbed as [[{{Sequelitis}} subpar follow-ups]] themselves by parts of the fandom, the claim that [[ContestedSequel "people hated Empire at the time too" or that it was "divisive too"]] allegedly because of the darker tone and the twists has somehow taken root due to defenders of these trilogies (but particularly the latter), with newer fans who were brought into the series by these later films unwittingly perpetuating this. But in truth, ''Empire'' got an overall excellent reception from critics (at least those who didn't consign it to the SciFiGhetto as with the first film) and fans alike. The darker tone and the twists actually got people excited. ''Empire'' topped the worldwide box office in 1980 and had three successful re-releases in theaters in the intervening years. In the very year it came out, so without the benefit of the passage of time, it even won Best Film at the ''People's Choice Awards''. Besides, claiming this about ''Empire'' is not only [[LogicalFallacies whataboutism,]] but the "proof" is just taking those critics who didn't like the first film to begin with as representative of the critics and fandom at large. As much as the later films may be divisive, the originals were the ones that pretty much everyone liked, which enabled the later films to be made.
** BeamMeUpScotty: It's not "LukeIAmYourFather", it's "No, I am your father." Even an EU/Legends novel once had Luke remember the line this way. It's not "No, Luke, I am your father" either, except in the [[Radio/StarWarsRadioDramas radio play adaptation]].

* OneSceneWonder: Prints from the 2004 DVD onwards digitally add Creator/IanMcDiarmid in for The Emperor's cameo. This is the only Special Edition change most everyone agrees is an improvement over the original, as not only does it maintain tighter continuity, but [=McDiarmid=] simply '''is''' Emperor Palpatine to fans, and his performance is seen as much better than the rather monotone voice-over Clive Revill provided in the original version.

-->'''The Emperor:''' ''Search your feelings, Lord Vader; you will know it to be true.'' He could destroy us.\\
For instance, in the old dialogue Vader already knows who Luke is, but in the new dialogue this may be when he learns who Luke is, or he may be feigning ignorance. Another factor is that [[spoiler:Vader and Anakin (who was previously first named only in the next film) are one and the same]] which may affect the import of either interpretation of the new lines.

-->'''The Emperor:''' ''Search your feelings, Lord Vader; you will know it to be true.'' He could destroy us.

*** For instance, in the old dialogue Vader already knows who Luke is, but in the new dialogue this may be when he learns who Luke is, or he may be feigning ignorance. Another factor is that [[spoiler:Vader and Anakin (who was previously first named only in the next film) are one and the same]] which may affect the import of either interpretation of the new lines.

** "He's just a boy." Is this Vader expressing doubt over Luke being a threat to the Emperor, or is this Anakin Skywalker pleading for his son's life?

* VindicatedByHistory: The film, while commercially successful, was still relegated to the SciFiGhetto by those critics who dismissed it as mere kiddie or adolescent fluff like the first film. Fans and other critics were decidedly not on their side, and now it's considered not only the best film not only in the original trilogy, but out of all the ''Franchise/StarWars'' films, and one of the best SpeculativeFiction works in general even as it and the franchise has influenced tons of other works.

** Aside from the Wampa, and later Boba Fett's dialogue being redubbed by Creator/TemueraMorrison in the 2004 DVD edition, this is the only film where the changes made in the Special Edition are widely considered to enhance the film rather than detracting from it. The reshot Emperor sequence with Creator/IanMcDiarmid is often cited as an improvement over the original, the additional shots of Cloud City and the CGI windows replacing the white hallways are seen as adding more life and colour to the environment, and the SpecialEffectFailure of Luke turning transparent in the ending sequence is completely fixed up. However, it goes without saying that the original version will always have its defenders, and even people who prefer the Special Edition will still say that the original should still be available as a viewing option.

* EvenBetterSequel: Critical and fan reception was overwhelmingly positive with many critics (at least those who liked the first film instead of [[SciFiGhetto dismissing the series as junk]]) calling it an improvement on the first film, if not just as good, due to factors like the character development of the leads, the new characters such as Yoda and Lando Calrissian and the new locations such as Hoth, Dagobah, and Cloud City.

** When he arrives on Dagobah in search of the wise Jedi master Yoda, Luke encounters a small green muppet who speaks in a funny manner. The film is clearly written with the intention of this muppet's identity reveal being a big surprise to first-time viewers... except that, since the film's release, everybody knows who Yoda is, including any new viewers who watch the films in numerical order, rather than release date order.

* NauseaFuel: When Han cuts open Luke's dead tauntaun and all of its rubbery white guts spill out of it, [[CarcassSleepingBag then puts him in it to keep him warm]]. Granted, that's still far preferable to death by hypothermia.

** Luke and Leia's relationship. Notwithstanding TheReveal in the next film that Luke and Leia are siblings (which, like Vader being Luke's father, was a {{retcon}} that came about while the ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' script was being polished), how much of Leia snogging Luke in the infirmary was her actually being attracted to him, and how much was her [[BelligerentSexualTension just wanting to piss Han off]]?

* ShipSinking: Despite the kiss Leia gives Luke, the Luke-Leia ship that was established in ''A New Hope'' and later explored in the first sequel novel ''Literature/SplinterOfTheMindsEye'' as well as the Marvel comic book series, is sunk when it's established that Han and Leia are now a couple. (Three years later, ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' would blow the Luke-Leia ship out of the water completely by establishing the two of them to be siblings.)

** A common fan theory is that Admiral Ozzel was a [[TheMole double agent]] or Rebel sympathizer, and so his seeming incompetence (not wanting to search the Hoth system, alerting the Rebels' to the imperial fleet's presence by coming out of light speed close to the solar system) was actually his attempt at undermining the Empire's efforts to find them. A few POV scenes of Ozzel in ''Legends'' render this unlikely in that timeline, as he is portrayed as demonstrably incompetent, disdainful of the Rebels, and primarily concerned with his own advancement. Captain Needa, on the other hand, ''was'' stated to have Rebel sympathies in ''[[Literature/XWingSeries Wedge's Gamble]]''.