Your Complete Guide To The Star Wars Cinematic Universe

Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back

Released: May 21st, 1980

Runtime: 2hrs 4mins

Directed by: Irvin Kershner

Written by: George Lucas, Leigh Brackett, Lawrence Kasdan

Starring: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Billy Dee Williams, Alec Guinness, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, David Prowse, Frank Oz, Jeremy Bulloch, James Earl Jones, Denis Lawson.

Significant characters introduced: Lando Calrissian, Yoda, Boba Fett, The Emperor.

Notable universe developments: Luke develops his Jedi skills with Yoda; Lando Calrissian joins the team; Han is frozen in carbonite and taken to Jabba the Hutt; Luke discovers the identity of his father.

Opening crawl: “It is a dark time for the Rebellion. Although the Death Star has been destroyed, Imperial troops have driven the Rebel forces from their hidden base and pursued them across the galaxy. Evading the dreaded Imperial Starfleet, a group of freedom fighters led by Luke Skywalker has established a new secret base on the remote ice world of Hoth. The evil lord Darth Vader, obsessed with finding young Skywalker, has dispatched thousands of remote probes into the far reaches of space…”

Three years after the events of Episode IV, the Rebels have established a new secret base on the ice planet of Hoth, under the leadership of Princess Leia. Darth Vader relentlessly sends probe droids throughout the galaxy to find them. On patrol, Luke is attacked by a large wampa, and must escape from its cave using his lightsaber. He succeeds, but soon collapses as a result of his injuries and the extreme conditions. He’s rescued by Han Solo, but not before he has a vision of the late Obi-Wan Kenobi, telling him to travel to the Dagobah system to train with the legendary Jedi Master, Yoda (Frank Oz).

The Rebel base is attacked, and the group splits up – Han, Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3PO taking the Millennium Falcon to Cloud City on Bespin (followed by the bounty hunter, Boba Fett), and Luke and R2-D2 crash-landing on Dagobah in his X-wing. Han introduces his group to his old friend, Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), who runs Cloud City, but Lando is forced to betray them to Darth Vader and the group is taken into custody. Vader intends to use the group to lure Luke to their location, so that he can deliver Luke to the Emperor and make the Dark Side stronger. Luke sees a vision of Han and Leia in trouble and leaves Dagobah to save them.

Vader betrays Lando and freezes Han Solo in carbonite – and Boba Fett then takes the slab to deliver to Jabba the Hutt, claiming his bounty. Lando helps the others escape, but they are unable to save Han. Luke arrives and battles Darth Vader, losing his right hand in the process and discovering that Vader is his father. On hearing this revelation, Luke falls from an air shaft and is rescued by his friends in the Millennium Falcon. Luke, Leia, C-3PO and R2-D2 are then left on a Rebel ship, while Lando and Chewbacca set off to rescue Han Solo.