“Obi-Wan Killed Your Father”: How Empire Strikes Back’s False Twist Would Have Changed Star Wars Forever

Darth Vader’s “I am your father,” line to Luke Skywalker is easily the most iconic twist in The Empire Strikes Back, if not the entire Star Wars franchise. Revealing the chief antagonist as the protagonist’s father was a stroke of storytelling brilliance on George Lucas’ part. Nevertheless, the shocking twist was a closely guarded secret between the higher-ups of the film’s production, such as Lucas and director Irvin Kershner. And to make sure the surprise twist didn’t leak to the public before the film’s release, a fake version of the script for The Empire Strikes Back was given to the cast.