This article explores the continuity problems caused by placing The Empire Strikes Back three years after A New Hope, examining how this gap impacts character development and plot points.
The Empire Strikes Back is often considered the best Star Wars movie, but its placement in the Star Wars timeline has created continuity problems. This doesn't diminish its status as my favorite Star Wars movie, as it still possesses a perfect structure, masterful direction, and a compelling story that expands upon the foundation laid by A New Hope. However, there's always been one aspect of The Empire Strikes Back that bothers me.
\In both the original Star Wars Expanded Universe (now known as 'Legends') and the current Disney canon, The Empire Strikes Back is set three years after A New Hope. While this may not seem like a problem at first glance, considering The Empire Strikes Back was released three years after A New Hope, it becomes illogical when analyzing the movie. Stories set during this time gap exacerbate the issue, and a simple change could have rectified the timeline decades ago. \Why Would Obi-Wan Wait Three Years To Send Luke To Yoda? His Jedi training should have taken priority. Because The Empire Strikes Back takes place three years after A New Hope, it seems strange that Obi-Wan Kenobi waited that long to send Luke Skywalker to Yoda. A New Hope confirmed that Luke was already strong enough in the Force to hear the voice of Obi-Wan's spirit, so a lack of connection isn't a valid excuse. By Jedi standards, Luke was already too old for training, so you'd think Obi-Wan wouldn't want to delay any longer. Staying with the Rebellion for three years allowed Luke's attachment to Han Solo and Leia Organa to grow, which is precisely what his masters wanted him to let go of during his training. Obi-Wan also believed that Luke was the galaxy's last hope, even more so than Yoda, so why would he deny Luke three additional years to prepare against the dark side? I'm unsure if I can come up with a logical explanation, no matter how hard I try. \Han Should Be More Hesitant To Leave His Friends He's Already Chosen To Stay For Three Years. Close While Luke's three years with the Rebellion made him too attached to his friends, it apparently didn't have the same effect on Han. The heart of the conflict between the main characters is Han's decision to leave the Rebellion and the emotional turmoil it causes between friends. Leia feels betrayed by Han's decision, Han feels hurt that Leia doesn't reciprocate his feelings, and Luke is caught in the middle. As well-written and entertaining as the conflict is, the fact that these characters have been together for three years makes Han's leaving more confusing. If Han still hasn't paid his debt to Jabba (for some reason), why has he only now run into a bounty hunter? Why wouldn't Han try harder to stay with the Rebellion or at least promise to return, and why wouldn't Luke and Leia try harder to make him stay? \The Books & Comics Add More Confusion. Three Years Of Adventures To Create Contradictions. Close A three-year gap between movies allows for numerous stories in canon and Legends, but some tales don't align with dialogue from The Empire Strikes Back. Han tells Leia he's decided to leave the Rebellion because of 'the bounty hunter we ran into in Ord Mantell,' but the books and comics show that this is hardly the first time Han has faced Jabba's bounty hunters. Why has it finally affected him now after three years? Another example comes after Han rescues Luke and tells him 'That's two you owe me, junior,' a reference to Han saving Luke during the trench run at the Death Star. However, Han and Luke saved each other several times in the books and comics, so unless they were keeping a really close tally, this line no longer makes sense. Finally, the Emperor tells Darth Vader 'We have a new enemy,' which can hardly describe Luke after three years. \Did George Lucas Have A Shorter Time Gap In Mind? Some hints suggest this may have been the case. George Lucas always made sure to differentiate between his personal canon and the rest of the Expanded Universe, so that made me wonder if he originally intended a shorter time gap. In the DVD commentary for The Empire Strikes Back, Lucas only says 'some time has passed,' not specifying three years. The back cover of The Empire Strikes Back novelization by Donald F. Glut also says 'Several months have passed' since A New Hope. However, these details don't hold up under closer examination. The novelization of A New Hope, credited to Lucas and ghostwritten by Alan Dean Foster, says that Luke is around 20 years old
STAR WARS TIMELINE CONTINUITY THEEMPIRESTRIKESBACK LEGENDS
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