Why does the Emperor say it is Luke's "destiny" to join the dark side?

He also says it is "unavoidable". Why? Because his father did it? It seems like there is more to it than that.

 

There's a few possibilities...

1.) Because it was his father's fate, and therefore Luke wouldn't be able to resist.

2.) Because The Emperor was goading Luke into giving in to his anger. By appealing to the sense of hopelessness Luke felt the Emperor was speaking Luke's fall into reality.

3.) Because if he didn't turn, either the Emperor or Vader would have killed him because all Jedi's are enemies of the Empire.

 

He's saying so that Luke will hurry up and join the darkside. Whether it's his destiny or not hes just trying to convince him to give in.

 

If destiny can be thought of as the result of a string of choices, or shaping your fate by the decisions you make, then it was Luke's destiny to go to the dark side. Just like his father he was spurred on in his youth by fear and grief. His aunt and uncle were killed. "There's nothing for me here now." He lost his Jedi teacher. "I can't believe he's gone." One dark side choice leads to another and another, until you find yourself trapped on that particular path. Even in that final battle on the second Death Star, he used his rage to defeat Vader. "Hate has made you powerful." All he had left to do was kill Vader and then his "journey to the dark side will be complete." Luke's choices had led him to a moment when there was seemingly nothing left to decide. He was trapped, committed. In order to do what was right-ending the threat of Vader-he would end up going to the dark side. But he refused to let that happen. He threw down his lightsabre and opened himself to the will of the Force. So in the end there is the destiny we make and there is the will of the Force. The Emperor did not count on Luke being as strong-willed as he was.

 

Perhaps it was Luke's destiny... from the Emperor's point of view.

In AOTC, Palpidious sent Anakin into Padme's arms, as a way of corrupting him, to put a wedge between Anakins's selfish desires, and his destiny as the Chosen One. Obviously, that decision came back to bite Palpidious in his shrivled butt, when, predictably enough, Anakin and Padme's relationship produced not one, but two, offspring.

I know that the Emperor knew that any offspring of Anakin (or Luke, for that matter, if the conversion was successful) Skywalker would be a threat to him. However, it's interesting to think about: What if Luke had not thrown down his saber, but instead vanquished his own father in a fit of rage, would Palidious have continued his Skywalker Breeding Program into countless future generations?

 

I think you're right Winston. The Skywalker children gave the Emperor not only Luke, but Leia and any offspring she had. It reminds me of Lebensborn in Nazi Germany. His plan could have been to use Vader until the Empire eliminated any and all rebellions. By that time Luke would be old enough to challenge his father and, in the attempt to do the right thing, would kill his father and go over to the darkside. Leia would then have children. Then either her or they would eventually challenge and defeat Luke, and so on. Vader had most likely figured this out and asked Luke to join him so that together they could end this Skywalker trap. But that too would have led Luke to the darkside. The Emperor likes his win/win situations.

 

Psychology. When the Emperor was saying this, the war had shifted in his favor and Luke seemed to be struggling against resisting the dark side.

But of course, the Emperor was wrong in the end about a lot of things. Foreseeing this and foreseeing that didn't help him in the end.

 

Vader said "your destiny lies with me."

Of course, he could have been lying too, but I always thought that Vader himself foresaw that father and son would eventually be fighting for the same side.

Since Vader was never going to be a good guy - or so we thought - the only way this could happen is if Luke went bad.

 

The whole way of seducing someone to the Dark Side involves lies. It was the same for both Anakin and Luke, only Luke resisted it and stayed within the light.

 

remember also, like with what darth howell said, seeing the future doesnt always make it turnout like you want (example being CBaoth telling Mara shewould bow before him. She did, butit was to chop him in half with a lightsaber) Ive thought thatit might be possible that Palpy was seeing ahead to DE. is that possible?

 

I think that the most simple answer for this is being over looked. In AotC, when Obi-Wan is talking about Dooku at the end of the movie, Yoda says something along the lines of, "Joined the Dark Side, Dooku has. Lies and deceit are his way." (Sorry, I can't remember the exact quote). The Emperor was just lieing to mess with Lukes head, and to try to drive him to the darkside.

 

"Always in motion the future is..." - Yoda

I always took it to mean that out of the possible choices Luke could choose the Force was telling Palps that going to the Dark Side was definitly on in the top ten considering the whole Rebel trap thing. GL had said that "Destiny" in Star Wars is based on choices and the most likely at the moment was Lukes giving into his hate and striking down Vader.

 

You could also simply interpret it as a generic villainous taunt to psych Luke out.


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