Why doesn't Luke take a stab at the emperor?

When Luke defeats Vader, and the emperor tells him to take Vader's place, he simply retracts his blade and says no. Why doesn't he at least try to cut the emperor down with a light saber? He doesn't know about force lightning yet.

For that matter, when Luke is on Endor, he might have tried to take Vader up on his offer to destroy the emperor, and worry about bringing back the good in him later.

 

He did try to kill Palpatine but Vader blocked his saber. He wasn't thinking clearly when he did this because he was very angry and lashed out. After he defeated Vader and realized that he was a Jedi, he calmed down and threw his saber. He did this because he realized that he almost killed Vader out of anger and didn't want to risk going over to the dark side of the force by killing Palpatine out of anger. Luke knew that the rebels would destroy the Death Star thus killing Palpatine.

It was on Bespin when Vader offered him the deal. Luke just got his hand cut off and also just got the news broken to him that Vader was his father. All Luke cared about at that moment was to get out of there and just fall to his possible death. Luke would rather have ended his own life than join the dark side of the Force. If it weren't for Ben instructing Luke in ANH and Yoda in TESB, Luke might have taken the deal but he took Ben and Yoda's advice about the downfall of the dark side of the Force.

 

Well remember the whole Yoda stuff: "Fear is the path to the dark side... fear leads to anger... anger leads to hate.. hate leads to suffering."

If Luke had struck the emperor down or even tried he would've been giving into his anger which would have easily lead him down the path of the dark side. So if you think about it in a way, Vader saved his son from taking the path that he did.

 

If Luke had struck the emperor down or even tried he would've been giving into his anger which would have easily lead him down the path of the dark side.
Luke was perfectly calm when he threw away his lightsaber, so if he killed (edit: or tried to kill, since he couldn't be sure he'd succeed) the Emperor instead, I don't think it would be out of anger. But he was there to save his father (well, mainly), not to kill the Emperor. I guess he hoped either his friends or his father would kill him anyway.

 

It would have been out of anger. He might've been calm on the outside, but I'm sure the inside was a current of rolling emotions.

In a sense Skywalker was just standing in the Emperor's way and any offensive action would be from the Emperor. If Luke had saved his lightsaber he could have struck the Emperor down in self defense, but alas the fool tossed it aside.

 

Well, whether out of anger or not, any offensive move from Luke would play into the Emperors hand, that's sure. As for self defense, well, I don't think he'd have a chance against the Emperor. The only way he'd be able to kill him was to strike him down in the same moment when he threw his saber away, with Vader knocked out and the Emperor being distracted by his complacence.

 

Luke made a conscious decision not to attack, that's why he didn't lunge at Palpatine.

 

Because hes a Jedi.

 

Because hes a Jedi.

Well, that just says it all, don't it?

L8r

 

I don't think killing a malevolent entity with intentions to kill you or worse turns you over to the dark side of the force.

Were Qui Gon and Obi Wan falling to the dark side when they drew out their light sabers at Darth Maul (they actually drew first, as I recall)? Was Mace Windu caving in when he slashed off Fett's head? Was Obi Wan falling when he attacked Count Dooku?

As someone said above, Luke could have at least held on to his light saber.

The actor who played the emperor, Ian McDiarmond?, I think is perhaps the best in the whole star wars series. He really made me hate the emperor and want to see him killed, and was able to be scary with a minimal amount of special effects.

 

Hm. I think someone in control of their emotions could see the strategic advantage this would be to the light side. They could overthrow the REALLY bad guy and then Luke could perhaps reason with Vader, or kill him if necessary.

I'm assuming that people have free will, and can still exercise voliton after merely making deals with a figure of the dark side.

 

"For that matter, when Luke is on Endor, he might have tried to take Vader up on his offer to destroy the emperor, and worry about bringing back the good in him later. "

I think Luke would have gone to the darkside the and wouldn't be thinking about redemming his dad anymore.

 

Luke was worried about the dark side and after he realized he had become a Jedi he didnt want to go to the dark side by taking a couple jabs at the emperor

 

I think Luke sensed that he didn't have much of a chance versus the Emperor.

He was throwing away the lightsaber to indicate he was rejecting the dark side and all of the various manipulations that have brought him to this point. Not just from the Emperor, but from Obi-won and Yoda too. I think he had given up hope that he could win a physical victory, as he had no way of knowing the rebels were fighting out of the trap, and no reason to suspect he could survive against the Emperor.

He so basically told the Emperor. "BLEEP You. You may kill me, but you still failed to turn me to the Dark Side. I reject you, and the Dark Side. So go ahead and kill me Palpy, but you still FAILED. Yes, YOU, grand master of the universe, FAILED."

Palpatine has been pulling the strings of the Universe for years now. Everyone has fallen to his maniplutations. Luke just refused too, and threw his refusal back in the Emperor's face.

Hence the Emperor being REALLY angry after that. He is not used to people resisting his manipulations. He certainly isn't used to being told he failed.

Thus I think Luke actualy probably made the right decision, if he attacked he would have just gotten beat down anyway, but here he really stings the Emp's ego, (which keeps him from noticing Vader's obvious conflict of what to do) and provides a strong example to inspire Vader to make his turn back.

 

Luke was showing he would rather die than succumb to the darkside, or even give the darkside a chance.

 

He so basically told the Emperor. "BLEEP You. You may kill me, but you still failed to turn me to the Dark Side. I reject you, and the Dark Side. So go ahead and kill me Palpy, but you still FAILED. Yes, YOU, grand master of the universe, FAILED."

Spot on.
This is the first real failure for Palpatine, after a major investment of time and money, so he's not a happy bunny. Luke can't even quite keep a note of relish out of his voice when he says "You've failed, your highness..."

 

Were Qui Gon and Obi Wan falling to the dark side when they drew out their light sabers at Darth Maul (they actually drew first, as I recall)?

Negative. You recall incorrectly. Darth Maul ignited his saber first.

Was Mace Windu caving in when he slashed off Fett's head? Was Obi Wan falling when he attacked Count Dooku?

Mace was in the middle of a battle. Jango was clearly trying to shoot him. Mace did what any good Jedi would, and eliminated a potential threat.

Obi-Wan did not attack Dooku until after the Count hit Anakin with his lightning.

 

Because Luke was proving a point. Or because it was the heat of the moment and people make mistakes.

It's the classical trap:

You can end so much suffering with a simple, yet evil act. Do you do it?

 

Just because a Jedi kills someone doesn't mean he or she will go to the dark side.
Mace killing Jango was not out of anger, it was self-defense.
Qui-Gon trying to kill Maul and Obi-Wan killing Maul was not out of anger. They were doing their job as Jedi.
In AOTC, if Obi-Wan had suceeded in killing Dooku, he would not have turned to the dark side. He was trying to kill Dooku to end the war.
Mace, Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan were not angry at these times. They were doing their jobs as Jedi.

In ROTJ, Luke was close to going over to the dark side. He almost gave into his anger by killing Vader. Luke snapped. Luke's anger was at a boiling point when Vader mentioned that he would try to turn Leia to the dark side.

 

DrowsEvagus...

You way overanalyzed the Maul and Mace thing. Yes the Jedi are good and dont like to fight, but they are also the most fierce warriors in the galaxy. They can take anyone...if they must

 

But Luke was brand-new to this thing, and was figuring it out as he went along. He felt he had to prove a point, set an example.
EDIT: Oh, and the fact that the Emperor had not attacked him yet, so killing Palpatine would not have been in self defense.

 

Because killing the emperor would have caused Luke to start down the dark path. And Vader would have become the sith lord, and luke the apprentice.

Vader, not wanting that fate for his son had a moment of clarity and blocked luke's sabre. Setting off the best sabre battle, and climax, in SW film history.

 

Just jumping in with my two cents. I recall someone somewhere saying that Obi-Wan was touching the Dark Side when he attacked and killed Darth Maul, since he did it out of rage. Indeed, he wasn't thinking clearly initially and nearly got himself killed by falling into the pit. It was then that he focused and let go of his anger. And it was then that he jumped out, grabbed Qui-Gon's lightsaber and killed Maul.

Jedi aren't fighting machines. They fight in self-defense. Luke, when faced with the ultimate opportunity (ie, killing his seemingly unarmed archnemesis), chooses not to kill. And that's the Jedi way. Yo.

 

I'm beginning to like Skywalkers "I stand in your way" policy that he adopted during the Coruscant operation in the NJO. Basically he let the enemy make the first move and he would just stand in the way. If the enemy attacks, he defends and kills the enemy. If the enemy walks around him and continues on his way, then Skywalker will continue on his.

I'm beginning to think that Skywalker used that same policy on the second death star, well after Vader was down. By throwing away his saber he was telling the Emperor that the next move is his. I also believe that Skywalker was prepared to defend his life, but the force lightening caught him off guard.

 

Also raises the eternal question, why didn't Luke ever catch wind of Force lightning? Why didn't Yoda or Obi-Wan mention it? Surely they expected Palpatine to use it.