The Dumbest Theory About Lobot You Ever Heard

I cannot believe that I even thought of this one. But what the hey. Let's discuss it.
I have always wondered what, if any, mind control Vader or The Emperor excercised over Lando on Bespin. After all here is a guy who was about to betray his 'old friend'. So here is the crackpot theory. What if the Lobot who is with Lando when he greets Han is actually Palpatine in disguise? And he used mind control to look after Lando. They are the same general size. And the absence of Lobot just after the Officer informs Vader that "Skywalker has just landed."? That could mean that Palpatine was getting out of his disguise and was laying in wait on the Star Destroyer. The so-called "journey to the Emperor" could have been a rather short one. And the fact that Vader wanted to freeze Luke could mean that The Emperor was a bit nervous about his skills.
And the real Lobot is the one being activated by Lando just as he is about to free Leia and company.

 

Wow, that really is the dumbest theory about Lobot!


So are you saying that the Emperor has shape shifting powers??

 

I'm willing to examine the possibility, but you better be prepared to give some support to your theory; otherwise it's merely imaginative fun, which I have no problem with, either -- so it's all good.

My first line of questioning would be what precisely the Emperor stands to gain from this deception. Are you suggesting that Lando was initially under Palpatine's influence, which is why he (Lando) lied so convincingly? And that gradually Lando was able to shrug off the mind-control until his sense of goodness and fair play was restored?

Or Lando had sent him off to his private chambers to await the call to strike.

Okay, let's say it's possible. If Lando was mind-controlled, why would he constantly gripe about the terms of the deal? Wouldn't he be too suggestible to bitch? Further, Lobot was there in the room when Lando first started complaining. Are we to assume that this, too, is the "real" Lobot? If so, just how many scenes is the Emperor-Lobot actually in? Just the first one, on the landing platform? All the way up to the dinner table? Let's be as specific as we can here!

Lastly, we know the Force has an affect on the weak-minded. Judging by his actions later in the film, Lando Calrissian is anything but weak-minded. How to reconcile this fact of the GFFA?

 

well, it sure beats the Palpy/Sidious-clone-theories...

 

The obscurity of this thread made me laugh so I had to post here.

I've always dug Lobot. I dig his cool, silent ways. I must admit I've never had any weird theories about him, tho.

The thing I wanna know is: Did Kenner come up with the name 'Lobot'? After all, the character is referred to as 'Lando's Aide' in the credits. I know Kenner have a history of creating names for characters such as 4LOM (For the Love OF Money). Because when you think about it, 'Lobot' is a pretty dumb name. I mean, imagine going thru life being named after a medical procedure that's been performed on you:

"Hi, I've just had a vasectomy. From now on I wish to be known as Vasecto!"

 

Very interesting........but it stinks!

 

Uhm, this may sound a little naive...but....was there only one "Lobot" or were there several Lobots around? Was Lobot the name of the guy or a general name for a guy with a computer hooked into his head?

Carnage

 

He was but one 'man' Carnage

 

Anyone see Daily Show last night? Stewart was talking with one of his staff about the "ear-flicking" phenomenen, which is exactly what it sounds like: flicking someone's ear with the middle finger. The other reporter then said that while in the present, ear-flicking seemed like a nuisance, in the future, devices to protect the ears (picture of Lobot) may turn out to be a vital improvement, allowing someone to save the Rebel Alliance at a crucial time.

 

didn't Lobot help assist in the escape of Lando, Chewie, Leia and the rest from Cloud City?

 

Yes it does. And I believe Kenner/Hasbro have publicly admitted as such.

 

I like your thinking about Lando trying to chase away, or somehow warn, Han by acting so belligerent on the platform. That moment crackles with a sense of foreboding -- the lack of music, the hiss of the vents, that look in Lando's eye: is it rage? desperation? Who can say? However, if, as you suggest, Lobot is in fact the Emperor in that scene, and Lando is under his persuasion through mind-control, why doesn't he (Lando) act buddy-buddy from the get-go? Wouldn't Palpatine be controlling him the entire time? And if not -- that is, if the mind control doesn't set in until Lando starts being nice -- why couldn't Lando, before he was under mind-control, have actively voiced a warning to Han, or even revealed that the Empire was there? "You're in danger! Get out!" Why would he speak in some kind of surly code?

Well, I like to imagine stuff, too; in fact I encapsulate my fantasies into an adventure novel (as I'm sure do many STAR WARS fans!), but if you're going to post a thread about your quirky imaginings you should expect a little contention on the point of plausibility.

GFFA means Galaxy Far Far Away. So... what you're saying is that on Lando's moment of clarity, that's when the Emperor ditched his Lobot disguise, and Lobot became Lobot again? Sorry, but can you explain a little more carefully what exactly is happening? What does Lando's realization that this deal is baloney -- which we saw him express earlier, once via eye contact with Lobot -- have to do with Palpatine's personal replacement of Lobot? How are these moments connected precisely?

Well, let's hear some otherwise, because the Emperor in Lobot garb angle isn't quite cutting the Trandoshan mustard.

 

Lando was never all that weak minded. Hence the reason that Palpatine being in close proximity was required. As to eye contact between Lando and Palpatine in disguise. I remember, but will have to revisit it, a note of defiance in Lando's gaze. Plus, it is only when he is being escorted by troopers that he is wearing the communicator bracelet he uses to wake Lobot. By than The Emperor would have been getting out of the disguise and concentrating on Luke and Vader. There by losing his total influence on Lando.

As to a possible timetable:

Fett follows Falcon.
Fett traces Falcon to Bespin.
Fett contacts Vader.
Vader talks to Palpatine.
Executor, and other Destroyers, go to Bespin area.
Emperor, Vader, and cadre of Troopers visit Lando.
Vader and Emperor confer about Lando not being easily persuaded.
Emperor decides to masquerade as Lobot. And using close proximity mind control he influences those around him.
Now wether Lando knew of this right away. I am not certain. I am going from the idea that he was not.
What we know Lando knew was that Vader was in the city and was waiting for Han and Luke. This punches my first hole in my own theory. If Palpatine was getting the Storm Troopers? What was keeping Lando from warning Han on the way to

 

Lobot is Luke's father.

 

No way!! A third cousin twice removed, maybe?

 

Obi-Wan: "The Force can have a strong effect on the weak-minded." Thus, since Lando is decidedly not weak-minded, the Emperor could have no control over him, regardless of proximity.

You're suggesting that Billy Dee Williams was actually instructed to portray defiance against Lobot? Forgive me, but that's a bit of a stretch.

How convenient. One has to wonder what the Emperor hoped to accomplish by this elaborate scheme, since when it came down to the final moments of his plan he ditched his mind-control victim and left his mortal enemies to their own devices. Not exactly the actions of a criminal mastermind.

If "someone had a gun ready" to fire at Lando, what's the point of the Emperor masquerading as Lobot to control his mind? If you can simply threaten the man's life to obtain his acquiescence, there's no need for mind control. Sheesh. And if Palpatine was "still close enough" to control Lando without being in the same room, there would be no need to disguise himself as Lobot. He could simply control Lando from behind a wall. It just doesn't add up, man.

This is certainly an entertaining theory, I must say. Ridiculous, but entertaining.

Brilliant! It's a wonder none of this made it into the actual film.

This would almost make sense if not for the fact that it could never happen according to everything we know about Jedi mind-tricks. And even assuming that somehow Sith have an easier time with mind-control, why couldn't Vader simply be controlling Lando? This totally removes the necessity of the otherwise stirring Emperor-as-Lobot subplot.

Okay, I think I've got it. The Emperor was projecting an illusion of himself disguised as Lobot in order to mind control Lando Calrissian into tricking Han

 

It's settled then. Lobot = Darth Sidious. Now. Did He drop his "Mask" to show his true Lobot self or was he forced to wear that headset due to damage sustained by Mace Windu?

Carnage

 

post like the initial one makes my post worthy of biblical mention.

unreal.

 

really, lobot's the father, i always thought of it being more along the lines of Jabba

 

I think I'll stick with the OS's information about Lobot.

 

I used to think Lobot was also in a batman movie.

 

ROFLMAO

can i get an "Amen"?

actually it's not the worst theory i've ever heard about Lobot, but i'll spare you all that story, it's a lot worse.

 

Mikadojedi, this has been a fun ride, but I have a certain trump card that will sadly dash your fanciful imaginings into so much Bantha poodoo. In The Annotated Screenplays, editor Laurent Bouzereau examines all drafts, treatments, story conference manuscripts, handwritten notes, correspondence, etc. appertaining to each of the OT films. The text consists of sections of the final (shooting) draft of each screenplay, followed by in-depth discussions of the earlier drafts and notes, and comments by the filmmakers. I don't think many here will be surprised to discover that nowhere in the ESB section do any of the commentators mention anything about Lobot being the Emperor in disguise. In fact, one quote from Irvin Kirshner reveals much on the matter: "The idea of Lando communicating with his aide, Lobot, through his headset did not exist in the script. I added that on the set." This assertion removes any question that Lando's wrist-communicator machinations were intricately planned by the filmmakers. Further, as if we needed any more evidence, in the story treatment (from Nov. 1977), when Lando (who is a clone in this version) delivers the group to Vader, he says that he knew all along who Leia was (in this draft she gave Lando a fake name) and that he "owes his comfort to the Empire; he had no other choice." This illustrates that from the earliest incarnations of the script, Lando's complicity in Vader's scheme was entirely voluntary. There is no need for some illusory-Lobot-mind-control subplot: all we need to know is right there on the page, and up there on the screen.

But it's been fun B*ing with you!

Butt Edit: Can't use that abbreviation.