The original Star Wars trilogy may be well remembered as a feel-good adventure filled with happiness and friendship, but it never shied away from melancholy emotions. Since so many characters, like Luke and Leia, do lead tragic lives in many regards, they and others have some great quotes that illustrate the darker side of the films.
Most of the quotes surround either the heartbreaking redemption of Anakin Skywalker or the deaths of characters, and the moments that accompany such quotes are some of the most affecting in the Skywalker saga.
When Anakin Cannot Break Free Of Vader
“It Is Too Late For Me, Son.”
Return of the Jedi places a lot of focus on Luke’s determination to bring his father back to the light. Luke shows his heart and bravery, pleading with Vader when they first meet on Endor.
In Vader’s first human moment in the trilogy, he calls Luke “son” and tells him it is too late. Anakin, at that point, was too long gone to fight the darkness that had consumed his life for years, and especially in hindsight, the quote is a sad one. It was as if Anakin was on the edge of returning but did not yet have the strength and had given up trying to fight the darkness inside him.
Leia’s Realization About What Is About To Happen
“What?!”
The destruction of Alderaan is a key event in the Galactic Civil War and in the life of Leia Organa, highlighting the true tragedy of the Star Wars character and her life spent fighting tyranny and evil.
Despite her best efforts to take Tarkin’s attention away from Alderaan, Tarkin blows up the planet, and Leia’s “What?!” as she realizes her home, friends, and family are about to be destroyed is an underrated moment of sadness. This tragedy is scarcely mentioned again but is one that likely scarred Leia for the rest of her life. Luckily, she found a new family in Luke, Han, Chewie, and co., but at this moment, she lost nearly everyone she cared about.
When Obi-Wan Felt The Destruction Of Alderaan
“I Felt A Great Disturbance In The Force. As If Millions Of Voices Suddenly Cried Out In Terror And Were Suddenly Silenced.”
The destruction of Alderaan was not only felt by Leia but reverberated through the Force, allowing Obi-Wan to sense it and be taken aback.
His description of what he felt through the Force is not only one of the first indications of what the Force is and how it reaches across all living beings, but it is also harrowing to hear from the legendary Alec Guinness. While the audience knows more specifics than Obi-Wan, both appreciate that a tragedy has occurred in the Galaxy, and hearing it from him not only highlights the scale of the event but adds to its sadness and impact.
Han’s Iconic Response
“I Know.”
There are so many iconic scenes shared between Han Solo and Leia Organa throughout the original trilogy. One of the best but saddest is when Han gets frozen in carbonite with his fate unknown.
The scene is famous for the “I love you,” “I know” exchange, which perfectly encapsulates the characters’ chemistry, making it all the more tragic sadness. At that point, not Leia, Han, or the audience knew if Han would survive the carbon freezing process. The two were too stubborn to show their feelings for each other before this point, and for all they knew, it was too late for them to be happy together.
Luke’s Reaction To Obi-Wan’s Death
“I Can’t Believe He’s Gone.”
There is an issue in Luke’s mourning of Obi-Wan: he did not react as badly when his aunt and uncle who raised him died, and that Leia, who just lost her entire planet, was comforting him and not vice-versa.
However, fans can relate to Luke’s disbelief. Obi-Wan is one of the saga’s finest characters and seeing him die hurts even this many years later. In Luke’s hero’s journey, the loss of his mentor is an essential and impactful moment and an affecting one for all involved.
When Luke Begs His Father For Help
“Father! Please! Help Me!”
The entire sequence involving Luke and Vader’s duel on the Death Star and everything following is so rich with emotion, and when the Emperor is unleashing a barrage of lightning on the hero, it is a make-or-break moment.
As Luke begs for help from his father, it is clear that either Luke Skywalker is about to die or Anakin Skywalker was about to return with the greatest redemption in Star Wars. Until this moment, fans had never seen Luke in such physical turmoil, and it is definitely uneasy to watch, especially the first time around. Luke was always so fearless and strong. Here, though, he was scared and vulnerable, a sad moment for fans of the hero.
Han Tries To Calm Chewie Down
“Chewie! This Can’t Help Me. There’ll Be Another Time. The Princess. You Have To Take Care Of Her, Alright?”
One of the most underappreciated parts of Chewbacca’s character is how his reactions to events so often add to their emotional impact, such as his cries when Han dies, or when he finds out Leia has passed, or when Han is about to get frozen in carbonite.
Like with his final words to Leia, there is uncertainty about whether Han will return for Chewie, adding to the entire ordeal. Since the two met, they had never really been apart. Chewie had to quickly come to terms with the fact he may lose Han; it was sweet that Han tried to comfort his pal but upsetting that the beloved duo was getting separated.
Darth Vader Asks To Look At His Son
“Nothing Can Stop That Now. Just For Once. Let Me Look On You With My Own Eyes.”
One of the most fist-pump-worthy moments in all of Star Wars is when Vader looks to the Emperor, then to his son, and decides to stop his Master, throwing him down a shaft of the Death Star.
Of course, this action was not just saving his son; it was a sacrifice. Vader speaks for the first time as Anakin in the trilogy and not only accepts his death but asks Luke to free him from his own machinery so that his true eyes can look at his son. It is touching and heroic but sad. Anakin got redeemed but never spent time with his son, and Luke never got to know his father first-hand.
Yoda’s Peaceful Death
“Twilight Is Upon Me, And Soon, Night Must Fall. That Is The Way Of Things. The Way Of The Force.”
Yoda is one of the best characters of the original trilogy, and he has some of Star Wars‘ most remarkable quotes throughout his two movie appearances, with this undoubtedly being his saddest.
Accepting his death after hundreds of years of service to the Force and the Galaxy, Yoda’s death may be the most peaceful of any main character in Star Wars, but it still hurts. These are not his last words, but this is his admission that he is about to die, and for fans of Yoda, they are hard to listen to.
The Final Words Of Anakin Skywalker
“Tell Your Sister You Were Right.”
When a beloved character dies, it is hard for their last words not to be their saddest. This is the case for Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker in the original trilogy.
Breathing his last breath, Anakin rewards Luke’s unwavering faith in his father by telling him he was right and acknowledging Leia in the process. It is a poignant and wonderful scene, but one that will forever be sad for fans. This is the death of arguably Star Wars’ best character, putting a cherry on top of his painfully tragic life.
