Summary
- The reveal that Darth Vader is Luke's father was one of the biggest shocks in cinema history and greatly expanded the Star Wars universe.
- David Prowse, the actor behind Darth Vader, may have unintentionally spoiled the twist in a 1978 interview, accurately describing the high-stakes duel and complicated connection between Luke and Vader.
- There is considerable evidence suggesting that Prowse did not actually know about the plot twist, as George Lucas kept it tightly under wraps and only Mark Hamill was aware of the true confession in the iconic "I am your father" scene.
Star Wars’ reveal that Luke Skywalker’s late father was in fact the villainous Darth Vader is well known as one of the biggest shocks in cinema history. After a successful first movie, George Lucas was able to expand his story into a full trilogy, which would go on to inspire an even bigger expanded universe. While Star Wars runs a pretty tight ship when it comes to spoilers now, the biggest spoiler of all was already circulating around well before the original Star Wars trilogy was complete.
Darth Vader has always been a central character in the Star Wars universe, even before Anakin’s backstory was revealed. The iconic villain was a favorite from the very beginning, and the reveal that he was more than just any old fallen Jedi only made him more interesting. After the first movie, David Prowse, the actor behind the mask, was eager to share the idea of Vader’s increased importance with Star Wars fans – and he may have shared too much.
