Watch Luke Skywalker and Yoda in Rare ‘Empire Strikes Back’ Deleted Scene
Vintage '80s action here.
Luke Skywalker is pretty good at fighting with a lightsaber when he confronts his father, Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back. But, how did Luke get some damn smooth with that lightsaber? In the newer movies, we saw Rey beating people down with a giant staff, meaning she had some fighting skills before picking up the lightsaber in The Force Awakens. But what’s Luke’s deal? Did Yoda teach him to fight with a lightsaber in The Empire Strikes Back?
Answer: yes. But, it happened in a very rare and seldom talked-about deleted scene, which also has no sound whatsoever. Earlier this week, hilarious and popular Star Wars podcaster Steele Saunders went looking around Twitter for some proof that there were scenes shot for The Empire Strikes Back which showed Luke training with a lightsaber under the tutelage of Yoda. And Twitter didn’t disappoint! Several fans located the deleted scene(s) which are easy to watch on YouTube.
Below are some real-deal deleted scenes from The Empire Strikes Back, which clearly show Luke swinging the lightsaber while Yoda is on his back.
In the days before endless comic books, novels and other material that explained everything about Star Wars, ’80s kids (and some ’90s kids) had to just wonder about how all this stuff happened and why Luke became such a wicked talented swordsman. Now, this great deleted scene gives a quick glimpse into a different cut of the movie we never saw.
Because The Empire Strikes Back is still arguably the best Star Wars movie of them all, it’s not like it would have been better if these scenes had been included in the movie. But, still. One scene of Yoda showing Luke how to swing that lightsaber seems like it would have at the very least, satisfied some confusion for children who were dreaming of a galaxy far, far away three decades ago.