Star Wars reveals Emperor Palpatine learned Luke Skywalker is Darth Vader’s son during The Empire Strikes Back. After Anakin Skywalker turned to the dark side and became Vader, his children were hidden to keep them save from the clutches of the Emperor. However, they could only remain in the shadows for so long, with both becoming prominent figures in the Rebel Alliance during the Galactic Civil War. Luke became famous after destroying the Death Star, putting him right in the crosshairs of the Empire. As The Empire Strikes Back picks up, Vader is obsessively searching for Luke, due to their familial connection.
In Star Wars canon, Vader learns Luke’s true identity as his offspring in a comic set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, setting him on a path to find his son. Of course, Vader wasn’t the only Sith Lord who had an interest in Anakin’s children. Palpatine initially viewed Luke as a threat, but then warmed up to the idea that Luke could be an asset to the Empire and take Vader’s place as his apprentice. Palpatine was known for playing the long game, but this idea came into fruition fairly late in the original trilogy.
To celebrate The Empire Strikes Back’s 40th anniversary, a new book titled From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back was published. The novel retells the film’s events from the perspective of various characters. One chapter is focused on Emperor Palpatine, taking place shortly before he summons Vader to discuss Luke. The book details the specifics of the disturbance Palpatine saw, which essentially is Vader’s power fantasy of ruling the galaxy. Instead of being in the life suit, Vader looks like an older Anakin who never received the devastating injuries, and Padmé and Luke (who struck down Palpatine) are by his side. It’s during these visions Palpatine realizes Luke – who he only knew as the Rebel who destroyed the Death Star – is Anakin’s son.
Three years pass between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, and Vader discovered the truth behind Luke shortly after the former. This means he kept his son’s identity a secret from Palpatine for all that time as he plotted and schemed a way to overthrown Palpatine. Given how emotional Anakin was, it’s interesting he didn’t inadvertently reveal his ties to Luke before then. While his thoughts eventually did betray him as Palpatine witnessed Vader’s dreams, it’s impressive someone as powerful as Palpatine was kept in the dark for so long. In From a Certain Point of View, Palpatine admits Vader’s feverish hunt for Rebel leadership could have been a bit over-the-top, but he didn’t mind. When he learns about Luke, it all makes more sense to Palpatine, and he hatches a new plan to eliminate Vader and mold Luke into a powerful Sith.
In home media re-releases of The Empire Strikes Back, the dialogue in the Vader/Emperor scene was altered. Most notably, Palpatine says, “I have no doubt this boy is the offspring of Anakin Skywalker” instead of “Luke Skywalker.” The revelation in From a Certain Point of View helps flesh this change out a bit. Knowing that Palpatine only learned the truth for himself just moments prior, the new line can be interpreted as a way of goading Vader. The chapter mentions that as Vader speaks to Palpatine, the old master senses Vader’s “struggle to control his desires,” which confirms his suspicions. This is just one example of how From a Certain Point of View helps add a little more to the movies, allowing even longtime fans to get a greater sense of appreciation from them.
