The single most iconic image in the Star Wars saga

For me its got to be the scene in Return of the Jedi when Luke and Leia are talking on the ewok balcony.

[image=http://www.starwarskids.com/enter_the_saga/lore/2003/05/img/luke_leia.jpg]

Since one of the main focuses in the film is the Skywalker family I think this truely defines it because Luke mentions that Vader is his father, and Leia talks a little bit about her real mother, and then Luke ties it in with saying that he and Leia are brother and sister. And then ties in the "Force" power that flows through all of them.

And also the Ewok celebration scene.

[image=http://lucien.blight.com/~scarlett/images/luke-white.jpg]

I think this scene defines Star Wars because its the first time that Luke and Leia socialize as brother and sister.

 

The Millennium Falcon going into lightspeed.

Back in 2000, I noticed this was the one Star Wars image most commonly used by the media in various "best of 20th century cinema" compilations. It was definitely the one used at the Oscars.

 

i think maybe the only decent PT image would be the one from AOTC where Anakin is on the speeder and his silohuette is in front of the suns. It's also showing that he is getting darker (hence the dark silohuette).

 

Finding the single most iconic image from SW is tough. So, I'll throw out a few that I think might qualify, and a few that stuck with me from watching the films at various points in my life. (I am also trying to use images not mentioned before on this thread.)


A New Hope:

When I saw this film in 1977, as a 6 year old, the image that I remember most was of "Walrusman" getting his arm hacked off by Obi-Wan. Even though this image probably cannot be considered iconic, it is a theme that is repeated (in one form or another) in every other SW film. (In TPM no one loses an arm or hand but Jar-Jar's gets stuck in the Pod engine and Padme removes it for him.)

So...the image that might be the most iconic from ANH is the very end shot of the new heroes of the Rebellion, everyone is full of new hope, the music is great, and, after watching it, how can you not feel happy!


The Empire Strikes Back:

For this film, I am going with an image from the Vader/Skywalker Lightsaber battle in Cloud City. There is a moment after the battle has been going on when Darth uses the Force to throw objects at Luke. This overwhelms Luke and when Darth sees this he sort of drops his Lightsaber, basically realizing that victory is at hand , and that the Empire will strike back.

Another great image from ESB is Yoda levitating the X-Wing out of the swamps of Dagobah, teaching Luke an invaluable lesson.


Return of the Jedi:

I feel as though the Lightsaber duel on board the second Death Star is the "heaviest" moment in the SW Saga. An epic battle between good and evil, where a son fights for the redemption of his father. Awesome.

However, the image from ROTJ I will choose is a little more subdued. A possible iconic moment in this film is when Luke enters Jabba's Palace. Perhaps the image isn't iconic in imagery Per Say, but it does show us the return of the Jedi. (OK, I know that technically Luke isn't a Jedi Knight until after he has defeated Vader but you get the idea...)


The Phantom Menace:

The image from this film that I feel is most iconic is during "The Duel of the Fates" when Darth Maul blocks both of the Jedi's Lightsaber blades. The image is of Maul's face as the 2 blades lay on his blade and he sort of sneers at both of them. Another image that I really like from this battle is the shot of Qui-Gon meditating, while Darth Maul paces behind the "energy barrier".


Attack of the Clones:

The images I have thought of for this film represent different things about the SW Saga. One is the shot of Mace approaching Count Dooku, his boot in the dust and his robes surrounding him. Total gunslinger attitude. Also during that scene, when he ignites his lightsaber in front of Jango's neck (ah, such subtle foreshadowing George) and declares "This party's over." That was cool. The Mace stuff does not represent my final choice of iconic images from AOTC however.

For me, one of the most powerful images in all of the SW films was when Anakin had retrieved his mother's body and had just arrived at the Lars homestead. As he is carrying Shmi's body (which is wrapped in a death shroud) past everyone he gives this tortured, driven, you are all beneath me sort of look. It is intense, and Hayden nailed it perfectly. Ice Cold!



Just a few different images to consider.....

 

Either the Luke/Vader scene on Endor, or when Mon Mothma says, "Many Bothans died to bring you this information." She sounds sad there, and it reminds you that this is indeed a war.

 

In the EU...sorry but i dont know what the book is called. In the front cover theres a tall Darth vader walking side by side with luke, in the empror's castle. But we dont see thier faces, only the back. I think its a sillowete.

 

Mine is Vader beckoning Luke to join him in ESB.

 

Ep.2, Anakin riding the Swoopbike to find his mother, and we his sitllhoute, which goes from ANI, to VADER as he makes his first step toward the Dark Side, and DOTF blasting! WOW!

 

When Yoda finally reveals himself to Luke in ESB.

 

Yoda himself is a icon from SWS.

ICONs from the PT
Queen Amidala
The Pod Race
Clone Troopers
Darth Maul

 

Here we go:

1.) The binary sunset scene from ANH... the isolation,
the longing in Luke's face and William's
gorgeous score underneath... pure magic.

2.) Empire as a whole: perfect Drama. One of my
texts in my Performing Arts Conservatory talks
about it as the perfect middle act: some faves:

"Away put your weapon, I mean you no harm!"

The sequence where Yoda raises the x-Wing from
the swamp to prove a point; Luke's faith is
being tested, and Yoda is hurt that he must
demonstrate his power to a stubborn student just
to make a point. The perfect union of visuals and
music (the themes of which are iconic unto
themselves)

"Luke, I am your father." Wow.


3.) And a few from Jedi, especially this moment:

"I'll not leave you here, I've got to save you."

"You already have, Luke."

Tears, everytime. The character arc is complete.
Anakin fulfilled his destiny and brought balance
to the Force.

 

Yeah I think the PT will make us understand exactly how epic and impotant what Anakin did in ROTJ was.

 

The shot of the three Jedi spirits, Anakin, Ben, and Yoda at the end of Return Of The Jedi

 

Show anyone in the world Vader's mask and they'll know it's Star Wars. Vader is Lucas' Mickey Mouse.

L8r

 

If we are just talking images that are an icon of Star Wars, look at the banner above.

Nothing says STAR WARS like Vader's helmet.

It's THE defining iconic image of Star Wars.

They even had posters for The Phantom Menace that incorporated the image of Vader, because to the general public, Vader means Star Wars.

 

I watched Empire last night (the original!! Thank you ebay) and one image jumped right out at me as symbolic of the entire OT. I couldn't find a pic online so I'll have to describe it.

Luke enters the carbonite chamber, and the door closes. A mysterious wheezing is heard, and the words "THE FORCE IS WITH YOU, YOUNG SKYWALKER...BUT YOU ARE NOT A JEDI YET."

Up on the platform is Darth Vader in silhouette. Luke walks up to face him, and JUST BEFORE the sabers are ignited there is a great shot of Luke and Vader in silhouette facing each other (Luke standing defiantly with hands on hips, Vader standing there exuding menace.)

Freeze frame right there. That shot pretty much sums up the conflict of the whole trilogy.


(I'll wait till 3 is out before I can say the defining image of the PT. Right now Darth Maul's entrance in the Naboo hangar tops the list)

 

Either :

Luke watching the binary sunsets in ANH

or the smoke clearing into full view of Vader's mask in ESB in the carbon freezing chamber

 

Ohhh boy, that's a toughie. I can definitely say it'd have to be from the OT, although there's some good ones from the PT.

OT:
- Vader trying to sway luke, with his hand outstretched.
- Vader's silhouette on the steps in the carbon-freezing chamber. The steam all around him, the lighting, the silhouette...prolly my favorite SW image ever.
- Luke on the sail barge with his lightsaber held up.
- Yoda sittin' in the swamp.
- Threepio and Artoo on Tatooine. Any shot from where they were wandering around.

PT:
- Anakin as he's about to bring down the lightsaber on the Tusken's neck.
- Anakin as looks up from his mother's body right before he goes to hack the Tuskens to pieces.
- The last minute or so of AOTC where we see the clone army and the wedding.
- Darth Maul turning on his lightsaber, lookin' all badass.

I'll post again if i think of more. I'll put together some pics, too

 

i have to agree with mad jon, I was watching ROTJ last night and it hit me, he was at the crossroads. Very Powerful. I think picture of a lightsabre down the middle of the pic/poster with Vaders mask on one side Luke on the other, and a pic of the Emperor fading.

 

The most iconic image of SW as a whole? Vader's mask. Like someone said, even if you are not a SW fans you KNOW who/what that is.

 

I've gotta admit that Vader helmet is hard to beat as a universally recognized icon.

 

The binary sunset in ANH is really great... but there are so many iconic images in all Star Wars films that I can't really pick one...

 

When you stop and think about it, Lucas wasn't really that known for being a strongly visual filmmaker until Star Wars. THX 1138 had some cool images, but American Graffiti was sort of routine. It wasn't until Star Wars that he really began creating powerful visuals that would become universally recognizeable.
And there's so many now, it's hard to choose the best ones. There's too many of them!

 

That's a good point...Star Wars seems to
be where Lucas's visual skills really came
to the forefront.

 

as the last post of this page i will have to tell you all that it is VADERS HELMET!!!!


Thats it, Vader is who people think of when they think of star wars who are fans and it is the image that non fans think as well. Let us not forget that Lucas has already stated that the whole series is based upon Vader(i like him as vader as opposssed to punk a$$ anakin) and that the prequels represent his fall while the Ot represents his redemption