When did Vader find out Luke was his son?

[Nerdius Maximus]

Watching the special editions, it would seem, with the new footage of the emperor, that Vader finds out during their conversation. So why is Vader so hellbent on finding the Millenium Falcon before that? He obviously wants to use them as bait to lure Luke to him. Given this change in the storyline, what reason does he have for wanting so badly to capture Solo?

 

[Hermiod]

Watching the special editions, it would seem, with the new footage of the emperor, that Vader finds out during their conversation. So why is Vader so hellbent on finding the Millenium Falcon before that? He obviously wants to use them as bait to lure Luke to him. Given this change in the storyline, what reason does he have for wanting so badly to capture Solo?

Regardless of whether the guy who destroyed the Death Star is his son or not, he said during the Battle of Yavin that "the Force is strong with this one".

I would say that Vader and ultimately the Emperor would be very interested in anyone like that as they could become a powerful ally or a dangerous threat to be destroyed.

 

[the Dagman]

I'd say when he heard that the kid who blew up the Death Star was named Luke Skywalker and he was from Tattooine. That'd pretty much clinch it I'd say.

 

[rafterman1701]

Yeah. Might be the name thing. "Oh, you're a Skywalker too?!? Wow!" It's implied that he found out between IV and V.

 

[Heeroyuy]

He finds out in the comic series Vader's Quest, and also in one of the old Marvel comics. Apparentally by interrogating a Rebel prisoner.

 

[Mr Light]

Yeah, he found out in the Vader's Quest comic from 1999 or so, I forget the details. I always thought the DVD Edition revamp of the Emperor's dialogue was a little strange because they're trying not to spoil the reveal at the end of the movie. But yeah if the damn kid's name is Skywalker and he's from Tatooine, would anyone think that's a coincidence?

 

[Anwar]

That, and finding out his age (born around the time the Empire began) would have clinched it even if he thought that there were other Skywalkers on Tatooine.

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

Yeah, he found out in the Vader's Quest comic from 1999 or so, I forget the details. I always thought the DVD Edition revamp of the Emperor's dialogue was a little strange because they're trying not to spoil the reveal at the end of the movie. But yeah if the damn kid's name is Skywalker and he's from Tatooine, would anyone think that's a coincidence?

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about, the new dialogue makes no sense in the context of the movie. He had to have known before that. I guess we can assume he's feigning ingnorance with the emperor because he wanted to find Luke and make him his secret apprentice, so they could overthrow the emperor together and rule the galaxy.

 

[Daneel]

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about, the new dialogue makes no sense in the context of the movie. He had to have known before that. I guess we can assume he's feigning ingnorance with the emperor because he wanted to find Luke and make him his secret apprentice, so they could overthrow the emperor together and rule the galaxy.

That's exactly what I inferred from the new dialogue. I agree, they didn't really need to change it as much as they did, but I don't think it's too much of a stretch to think that Vader was simply trying to keep the Emperor out of the loop with regards to Luke, and Vader's relation to him.

Either way, it's pretty clear that Vader knows exactly who Luke is at the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back. He must have found out sometime between Episodes IV and V.

 

[Anwar]

How much of a time gap was there between Episodes IV and V?

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Yeah, he found out in the Vader's Quest comic from 1999 or so, I forget the details. I always thought the DVD Edition revamp of the Emperor's dialogue was a little strange because they're trying not to spoil the reveal at the end of the movie. But yeah if the damn kid's name is Skywalker and he's from Tatooine, would anyone think that's a coincidence?

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about, the new dialogue makes no sense in the context of the movie. He had to have known before that. I guess we can assume he's feigning ingnorance with the emperor because he wanted to find Luke and make him his secret apprentice, so they could overthrow the emperor together and rule the galaxy.

That's the way I've decided to reinterpret the scene. Seems fitting considering the prequel trilogies, to be honest.

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

How much of a time gap was there between Episodes IV and V?

Probably a few months for them to scout out a new base location and move all their stuff, then carve out the ice caverns and set up a base once they got there.

Frankly I'm disappointed that we haven't seen more books exploring not only that period, but focusing on Darth Vader before ANH. Everybody keeps focusing on the Clone Wars. I want more Vader! I was also disappointed that the vader suit didn't debut until the end of ep 3. I had always imagined at least ONE movie with Anakin having switched to the dark side at the beginning. I wanted a whole movie about Vader tracking down the remaining Jedi. Instead, we got the Frankenstein scene, and that was it.

 

[Aragorn]

The two went on Maury Povich for their weekly DNA Test episode.

 

[John Picard]

How much of a time gap was there between Episodes IV and V?

Probably a few months for them to scout out a new base location and move all their stuff, then carve out the ice caverns and set up a base once they got there.

Frankly I'm disappointed that we haven't seen more books exploring not only that period, but focusing on Darth Vader before ANH. Everybody keeps focusing on the Clone Wars. I want more Vader! I was also disappointed that the vader suit didn't debut until the end of ep 3. I had always imagined at least ONE movie with Anakin having switched to the dark side at the beginning. I wanted a whole movie about Vader tracking down the remaining Jedi. Instead, we got the Frankenstein scene, and that was it.

I think that would have taken longer than a few months to move all of that equipment and set up camp.

 

[Daneel]

How much of a time gap was there between Episodes IV and V?

I think most sources have it as roughly the same amount of time between the movies being released: three years.

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

The two went on Maury Povich for their weekly DNA Test episode.

Weekly? I think they've been doing it every day for the past ten years.

 

[cylkoth]

A more interesting question for Vader would be, "What's this space princess doing with my 2 old droids..?"

 

[Lindley]

Frankly I'm disappointed that we haven't seen more books exploring not only that period, but focusing on Darth Vader before ANH. Everybody keeps focusing on the Clone Wars. I want more Vader! I was also disappointed that the vader suit didn't debut until the end of ep 3. I had always imagined at least ONE movie with Anakin having switched to the dark side at the beginning. I wanted a whole movie about Vader tracking down the remaining Jedi. Instead, we got the Frankenstein scene, and that was it.

This may be as close as you get.

 

[BenRoethig]

I'd say when he heard that the kid who blew up the Death Star was named Luke Skywalker and he was from Tattooine. That'd pretty much clinch it I'd say.

That's what I figured. Learning the identity of Red 5 would have been an intelligence priority for the Empire. They also would have probably looked at the after action report from tatooine and discovered who the droids were sold to. Vader and the Emperor would be able to put the pieces together without much difficulty.

 

[Rarewolf]

A more interesting question for Vader would be, "What's this space princess doing with my 2 old droids..?"

He never really sees the droids. R2 gets locked out in Empire, 3P0 is incomplete on Chewie's back, but apart from that they never meet.