Why Luke THREW AWAY His Lightsaber in Return of the Jedi

Breaking down the deeper meaning and context of Luke Skywalker throwing away his weapon in front of Emperor Palpatine, as well as Luke's thoughts during that moment in the lore...
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[@vintvarner16]

Even Palpatine as Master of the Sith referred to him as a Jedi "So be it Jedi" after he knew Luke would never join them

[@stonemcquark2805]

He went all in on Vader turning. It's just wild that he only gets to be a Jedi by doing what the entire Jedi order failed to do.

[@twrecks4598]

Obi and Yoder forgot to tell Luke he could block force lightning with his saber ... you'd think that would be an important lesson esp since both had blocked Sith lightning before. Oh yeah, and tell Luke about Sith lightning 🤣

[@MrRasheed7]

I cant blame then. I mean they did both DIE by the time Luke came back to finish his training. lol

[@JohnNathanShopper]

Yes, this is an underrated take. Now, there’s a question as to whether Luke could have conventionally killed Vader and Palpatine by facing down all the Force lightning, and probably yes. But would Return of the Jedi have been a better movie is we swapped Luke’s moral victory for an action victory? No way. This moment gives Star Wars an incredible moral core that both gives us all the action we wanted but also challenges us to accept a victory of forgiveness.

[@thedrededquash]

Throwing down the lightsaber forced his father to reject Palpatine and embrace the love of his son.

[@eviljigglypuff2254]

It didn't force him to. But after Palpatine told Luke to kill Vader, Vader realized he was disposable. All the promises from Palpatine were false. When he threw the lightsaber out, it was a "You aren't gonna get me" moment. You won't even get close. Not the fear, or anger or any of it. You'll take me out before I'll kill my father

[@thedrededquash]

I think Vader has always known a Sith apprentice is the definition of disposable. I agree, Luke saw that he was being groomed to replace his father. I also think he saw the good in his father and wanted to force Anakin to make a choice. Embrace the love he had for his son and save him or watch the ghoul that manipulated Anakin into existence and ruined his life, incinerate the one thing in the galaxy he had left to love.

[@eviljigglypuff2254]

@@thedrededquash I also agree with that. Points of view are something! Just ask Obi! Lol

[@ryanmulcahey9810]

It’s also the only time we see a Jedi throw away his weapon rather than fight. As you point out, Yoda says a Jedi never uses their weapon for attack and yet we see them do exactly that over and over in the prequels.

[@Amiri_Francis]

I’ll feel that lesson for Yoda didn’t literally meant “the Jedi are forbidden using their lightsabers” he meant that the Jedi are to never use their lightsabers in an act of aggression against the enemy. (Meaning that they made the first attack)

[@sailorbychoice1]

Yet, nearly always when you see a Jedi and Dark Side user come face to face it'll be the _"Jedi"_ who ignites his weapon first.

[@henryshaw]

Great vid! Folks need to remember the most powerful factor in this moment- The Force. Luke was probably at a place where he trusted in The Force and instinctively threw his lightsaber because that trust led to Vader choosing to become Anakin again. The Force is apart of why Luke made that decision too…

[@andreasschaeflein4233]

"It is unwise to lower your DEFENSE'S!"

[@marcdescoteaux8219]

... Your DEFENSE'S defense!

[@austinsnow2397]

Luke is my favorite too

[@yepodolopoldo2786]

I understand that you dont want to lecture the viewer about cinema and story telling, but that is exactly what this is about. Fans need to remember rhat Star Wars is a story, and that [good] stories are written with intent and a message that can be gleaned from the text without being said literally, this is the principle of "show, dont tell" that so many renowned writers from all over the world repeatedly tell us as a tip to achieve impactful story telling. In my opinion, far too many star wars fans (critics in particular) miss the meta, they miss what is not being told to them directly and they feel like Star Wars is shallow because THEIR relationship to the material isnt sound.

[@Callisto_Arcas]

I agree 100%!

[@Philly_Jump_Over_The_Fence]

As a Jedi it is better for him to die in a state of harmony, peace and unity with the force than to live forever in the cycle of hatred, domination and conflict that is being suffused with the dark side.

[@georgecostan3248]

I think that throwing the saber away was also a statement to himself, because he was very close to killing his father and fearful of himself and what he could do. And after he threw the saber away, he looked relieved, despite Palpatine being in front of him and despite him being intimidated by the Sith Lord since they met. It was not easy at all for Luke to do what he did.

[@Callisto_Arcas]

That's true! You can see in his face, a kind of serenity. Great point!

[@Callisto_Arcas]

That's true! You can see in his face, a kind of serenity. Great point!

[@MrRasheed7]

Vader wouldn't have intervened if Luke defended himself. That's the point.

[@chrisperlaky8715]

Wonderful video. It's a joy to see someone who finally understands the Jedi are the embodiment of the non-aggression principle, which people mistakingly conflate with pacifism. Why did Luke fail in the cave? Luke drew his lightsaber to attack Vader. Alternatively, he could've used the vision as a means to draw knowledge from the Force and learn the truth about Vader under Yoda's supervision. Luke made the same mistake at Cloud City. When you push against a wall the wall pushes back. Luke tossing the lightsaber was a symbolic representation of "letting go" his conscious self to act on instinct, trusting in the Force just as he had done when destroying the Death Star.

[@Callisto_Arcas]

That's right! And, Yoda even told him before he entered the cave that he wouldn't need his weapons. But, Luke ignored him.

[@jenniferlapos9542]

Great video. As a practicing Catholic, I noticed the spiritual significance. This was about Luke winning the spiritual battle. He was winning the physical battle but losing the spiritual war. You’ll notice that when Luke fights Vader after he threatened to turn Leia, the music isn’t triumphant but dark. It’s better to die on the light side than live on the dark side.

[@BobbyMoore2-mp8wb]

Cool info bro 😊

[@darthconquest1046]

Star Wars Theory is THE #1 Luke Skywalker fan. You must battle to decide who is the Master Fan, and who is the Apprentice.

[@andiralosh2173]

People fundamentaly not getting the refusal to play Sith games is wild. He submitted to the will of the force through love, it's... the point of Star Wars 😂

[@AcapachVideo]

It's no wonder that during the OT, Luke Skywalker is a TRUE Jedi!

[@MrRasheed7]

I remember Yoda had a vision (or whatever it was) where he fought Sidious and did sorta the same thing. I mean he fell to his death presumably but he made the right decision to save Anakin sacrifice himself. Obi wan also sacrificed himself so Luke & Leia could escape The willingness to sacrifice yourself knowing your job is done

[@nathanhawee5373]

Very well put

[@sailorbychoice1]

I always thought the better ending of that encounter would have been if Darth Vader/Anakin would get up off the ground, pick up the fallen lightsaber and killed The Sith with the weapon of a Jedi, Palpatine could have still pumped him full of electricity as he dies so we could still have the Luke/Anakin moment.

[@LeonardMosca]

I think Luke saw vision of how palpatine corrupted his father

[@Thaumh]

Should Luke have thrown away his saber and thus made himself defenseless? No. Was it the best decision he could have made as far as his fate in the long run is concerned? *OH* yeah.

[@CompanyHaze]

The mistake Lord Sidious did was to attack Luke. If he was to follow the Sith teachings he should have attacked Vader only. This would have encouraged Luke to strike down Sidious. Making Lord Sidious victorious. Sidious failed as a Sith. 😈

[@dbentertainment9148]

He should have force pushed Palpatine down the shaft right there. That is what I would have done in Star Wars Battlefront 2 in heroes vs villains.

[@williamlatham9246]

I like your explanation, that how I saw it too, Luke had resolve that he would never turn. I'm wondering, in The Last Jedi, why did he throw the lightsaber over his shoulder?

[@Bob-gy6ud]

Gods told Luke only a fully trained Jedi with force as his ally will conquer Vader and his emperor. Yoda never said either had to be killed. So Luke discarding his lightsaber was setting his fate to the force itself. Very much like how Obiwan did vs Vader by leaving himself wide open leaving his fate to the force. Which Obiwan knew his body would die but the force would keep him alive and virtually immortal as a force ghost just like his old mentor. The time between empire and return Luke mastered his skills in some form without Yoda. I at first thought was Obiwan as force ghost but after rescuing Han he returned to Yoda to complete his training. I’m certain it was Obiwan force ghost that actually taught Luke how to construct a lightsaber. It wasn’t until the later movies when Luke Ives Rey a limited amount of lessons 3 which was what Luke had first lesson in new hope under Obiwan, second under Yoda, then his third which he learned how to construct a lightsaber. The last skill that the emperor couldn’t foresee. Which points to Obiwan force ghost which gave Luke his final lesson.

[@rollingpingamers2785]

To add to this how would Luke know the force can enable someone to use lightning? to my knowledge both Obi-wan and Yoda failed to mention that XD

[@strikerfrost7222]

Yoda yapped about lightsabers only being used for defense or something

[@MrScaryPasta]

Not only is your video right, but according to the EU when Yoda died he passed on whatever Lightside energy had left onto Luke, to ensure that his spirit would not be as corrupted and broken as Anakin. Yoda deeply regretted his past actions that doomed his Order, so he wanted to ensure Luke would take that knowledge and power and not make the same mistakes.

[@jenniferlapos9542]

What book was that from?

[@SJHFoto]

I can't quite agree-at least by the EU and the novelization (I have no idea what Disney is saying these days nor do i care) In the original novel, it is stated that Luke had no idea the Emperor could shoot lightning. I agree that he shouldn't have "gone after" the Emperor, but using the lightsaber as a defence against the Emperor's attack is a valid response for a Jedi. Would Luke have been able to defeat Sidious? I don't know-but plotwise, it would not have turned Vader back to good. (But again, I don't think Luke planned to be half killed to do it-he wasn't aware of this attack of the Emperor's)

[@gyeranmari]

Whilst it's an interesting analysis, it does place Luke's personal journey to become a jedi above the interests of the galaxy, which seems rather un-jedi like.

[@derekaldrich330]

@gyeranmari Luke telegraphed his intention very early in his interaction with Palpatine. If he couldn't turn Vader back, Luke understood he would be a vastly greater threat to the galaxy than Vader by submitting to the dark side. It reinforces the duality of good versus evil, intention and outcome, which is the core theme of the original trilogy. Another key element of the Luke and Palpatine dialogue shows us exactly how both understand each other's motives... LUKE: "Your overconfidence is your weakness." PALPATINE: "Your faith in your friends is yours." In fact, neither of them is inherently wrong, but both understood this to be the last chance at completing their respective efforts. Palpatine even recognizes this with another line, "By now you must know that your father can never be turned from the dark side, so will it be with you." It's an affirmation of his own weakness to have even said that and sought to deflect from it but from a position of actual fear that it could be possible. Otherwise, why say that at all? Turning Vader back was the fulcrum that everyone other than Vader himself understood, and Luke had been getting winning cues from both Sith lords between Empire through Return. Vader turns back, the Empire is done. Still a ballsy move by Luke.

[@k.mcdaniel8378]

I get what your saying but remember what Master Yoda said. A Jedi uses the force for knowledge and defense, never to attack. So how are you going to defend without a lightsaber?? He shouldn't of thrown it away in my opinion.

[@BAZFANSHOTHITSClassicTunes]

He must have picked it up afterwards as hes slaughtering dark troopers with a green sabre. Cant go on the deleted scene in jedi as it wasnt in the movie.

[@Sneakyweaselxd]

thats from mandalorian i belive

[@RetneysHolocron]

Yes, Luke retrieved his saber, you can see it hanging on his belt when he joins Han and Leia on Endor at the end of the movie!

[@Spiderweb566]

Luke Skywalker is my favourite Star Wars character. Who is your favourite Star Wars character of all time ?

[@GertMega]

It is still incredibly stupid. So what if the emperor does not win him over and he gets to stay a jedi being dead? Luke would have failed all his friends and everyone that depended on him and the galaxy will still be royalty fucked under the emperors rule as luke would have FAILED to stop it. Luke got LUCKY that vader saved his ass. Just because he could deny this small victory from the emperor does not downplay in any shape what a massive loss the galaxy would have got had the emperor not been stopped there. The emperor would still win on the grand scale of things.

[@derekaldrich330]

I'd agree that it's a risky move for Luke to take, but to take out every other context that leads to that conflict is also pretty stupid. It's not just a simple lightsaber duel with a Jedi and a couple Sith lords. The situation is far more complex, and the dialogue between Luke and Palpatine sets that up. It's also important to remember, Luke was not only trying to turn Vader back but buy his compatriots time to fulfill their own roles.

[@glasses685]

I'm still not convinced this was a good idea. I get that Luke wants to demonstrate his compassion for his father, but what about the rest of the galaxy? Surely taking out the Emperor and ending the Empire should be more important than Luke's personal connection with Vader. It's not like Luke knew Vader would (or even could) save him.

[@Finfection]

(Meanwhile Obi-wan's force ghost stands cringing and wincing gritting his teeth in the corner of the room watching Luke recklessly throw his light saber away. While Luke is laying on the ground screaming in pain thinking to himself "Oh God why did I do that?")

[@rb5151]

Bull!!! He was just untrained and unwise to lower his defences....

[@AnkurWow]

Luke showed Vader/Anakin that there are some things more important than power. Anakin's thirst for power led to him losing everything.