The Original Empire Strikes Back Script Shows Darth Vader Wasn't Supposed to Be Luke's Father

George Lucas once described his own father as a "domineering, ultra right-wing businessman"—a man who is largely believed to have inspired the relationship between Luke and Anakin Skywalker. In 1980, The Empire Strikes Back revealed that Darth Vader was actually Luke's father, a twist that has become one of the most famous father-son stories of the century. That reveal marked a pivotal moment in the Star Wars franchise—one that turned this into a decades-long narrative about fathers and sons that has resonated in virtually every major plot point of the eight films in the Skywalker Saga.

But that major twist almost didn't even happen. A transcript of what is allegedly the original script for The Empire Strikes Back has appeared online and includes a number of key differences. Luke never loses a hand. Han never gets captured. And Luke never learns that Darth Vader is really his father.