I’ve been having deep writerly thoughts–or I think I have.  Maybe they’re just morbid.  But, they’re all centered on Star Wars, so bad can they be?  I mean, a series of movies with a man-eating hole,

a nasty ‘thing’ living in a garbage chute that’s going to squish you alive,

and a bad guy who wants to fry you with lightning bolts, up close and personal,

can’t be that intense, right?

So this is what I’ve got–when Darth Vader cuts off Luke’s hand–and chose that moment to tell Luke that he, Darth Vader is Luke’s father, he illustrates a willingness to re-create his son in his own image.  Cyborg-style.

Darth Vader: “Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father.

“Luke Skywalker: “He told me enough! He told me you killed him!”

Darth Vader: “No, I am your father.”

―Vader and Luke, on Cloud City

Luke, by refusing him, clung to his own humanity and rejected the artificial state that symbolized Darth Vader’s cross to the dark side.

Darth Vader has an understandable familial desire to have his son stand beside him, but in true villain style, went about realizing that dream by cutting his son down and violating his rights as an individual.

Then, in the close of the original series (and I’m not even going to bother to say SPOILER HERE except, I just did), Darth Vader has his helmet removed, and joins his son.  Albeit as a force ghost.

And we see the story come full circle, twirling around the core character truths.  Don’t you love it when stories have a sense of internal logic?  I do.  In fact, it makes me want to throw my arms around Vader and give him a big hug!

Or, not. 😉

Many thanks to Wookieepedia for all the awesome Star Wars pics. And they even helped me remember that the above-mentioned man-eating pit is called a Sarlacc.  Just in case I ever come across one and wish to address it by the proper term. But, I’ll bet you already knew that. Right? 😉

Check out the other Tween the Weekends posts, and thanks for stopping by!

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