CT 'It Is Too Late For Me ... Son' - Vader had already turned?

Padme was just being optimistic. She didn't have any proof. lol Luke was the one who felt that little bit of Anakin that Vader kept locked away. [Perhaps that's Luke's special Jedi power?] He told both Obi-wan and Leia that he could feel the good in him.
The scene on the catwalk has become one of my favorites in the entire saga because of the dialogue but I never thought that Vader was already thinking of turning back yet. Up until Luke asks him to come with him Vader intended for the father and son to rule from the dark side. When Luke tells him that he feels the good in him and asks him to renounce the dark side and come away, Vader says it's too late and he MUST obey his master. Once Vader is alone he is able to have a moment of reflection where he has this moment of "is it possible?".
I just love that scene to pieces.

 

Whether it was intended or not I do think Vader at the end of ESB makes for a good middle ground. Prior to that point he had really just been a pretty straight ahead badguy, an interesting and ironic one yes but not really a character with much depth to him. That scene introduces more depth not just by him being Luke's father but seeming to care somewhat about him and even having some moral view on the conflict however misguided. Its much easier to go from this Vader to the ROTJ character than if he'd stayed as a charismatic goon.

 

I disagree Vader had not fully turned at the point he issued these words. Luke said he sensed the inner conflict within Vader. Anakin was trying to free himself of the clutches of Darth Vader he needed a little reminder and that came when he saw the consequences of his actions play out in front of him. At that point he chose to destroy Emperor and release Anakin back to the light side of the force.

 

Right, let's not forget the reason Anakin turned to the dark side in the first place. To protect his wife and his child(ren). I don't know that I'd go as far as to say that it was inevitiable that Anakin could be brought back by Luke but I think maybe Obi-wan and Yoda were banking on Anakin's son being able to do just that.

 

In a way both Obi-Wan and Yoda did not fully believe Luke could beat Darth Vader. Yoda had serious reservation about Luke's chances and as for Obi-Wan
"I can't kill my father"
"Then Vader or Emperor has already won."or words to that effect .

Luke was going to defeat the Emperor his way by appealing to the good side of Darth Vader and bring out Anakin. It was a bold move but it proved to be the correct one.

 

And it came scarily close to failing. Vader could've just as easily stood there and done nothing. Luke was VERY lucky that day...

 

"There's no such thing as luck."

 

Considering how much he hated superiors who were "overly critical"...perhaps the hypocrisy was too much to bare by ROTJ

 

"I just can't take it anymore, my Lord Sidious! Down you go!"

 

When Luke and Vader fought in Bespin, Luke was woefully outmatched, didn't know how badly he would be beaten. However, Vader was woefully unprepared for the goodness inside Luke. I don't think he expected that being around Luke would have such an impact on him. He figured "I'll take him to the Empire, he'll join me and he'll turn, help me decorate my swingin' giant, toothy, easter-egg-apartment, all too easy." WRONG! So for Luke to ultimately escape in his extremely weakened state, was a serious blow to Vader.

The months or year between their meeting gave Vader's feelings for his son time to fester. It became an obsession, all he really wanted, though he couldn't truly indulge the feelings, or Palpatine would've gotten wise. So Luke's absence started breaking him down, and seeing him again only strengthened that journey back to the light.