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When did Vader find out Luke was his son?

I was reading the other day somone's suggestion that it should have been Anakin Starkiller in the prequels. Sensible move, even if it contradicts Obi-Wan--that's okay, the dude's a liar.
 
^I'm sure in the SW universe Skywalker is a very common surname...

...because surely Obi-Wan et al. couldn't be stupid enough to not even take the precaution of creating a false identity for Luke...

Or we blame Owen and Beru Lars - they could of changed his name.

Kenobi probably didn't think that it would matter. Anakin/Vader thought that the babies had died with Padme and Luke was on the planet furthest from the bright centre of the universe so it would be highly unlike that Luke would of been discovered even with the skywalker name.

But then there must of been other skywalkers otherwise where did Shimi get the name from?
 
Kenobi probably didn't think that it would matter. Anakin/Vader thought that the babies had died with Padme and Luke was on the planet furthest from the bright centre of the universe so it would be highly unlike that Luke would of been discovered even with the skywalker name.

I know in the Expanded Universe that Vader had vowed never to return to Tatooine unless absolutely necessary because it reminded him of when he was a weak child. He swore if he ever returned that he would never set foot on the planet either, which he actually never did. In some Expanded Universe literature though they wrote Vader believed she had had their children.

For those of you who have Star Wars: Empire at War - when the game was being written that was originally included in the game's code but was removed from the final product. Originally you weren't supposed to be allowed to land Vader on the surface of Tatooine.
 
There is some seriously stupid stuff on that page. Leia dueling Vader? My ass she did.

...because surely Obi-Wan et al. couldn't be stupid enough to not even take the precaution of creating a false identity for Luke...
The bigger question, I think, is why Luke evidently never read any history books/files whatsoever on the Clone Wars, as he'd find the name "Skywalker" all over the place. Maybe all that was wiped away, along with the instructions for building destroyer droids, shiny ships and non-1970s hairstyles.
 
There is some seriously stupid stuff on that page. Leia dueling Vader? My ass she did.

...because surely Obi-Wan et al. couldn't be stupid enough to not even take the precaution of creating a false identity for Luke...
The bigger question, I think, is why Luke evidently never read any history books/files whatsoever on the Clone Wars, as he'd find the name "Skywalker" all over the place. Maybe all that was wiped away, along with the instructions for building destroyer droids, shiny ships and non-1970s hairstyles.

SO? He already knew from Ben that his father was a war hero. There would have been nothing in the history books to indicate that him and Vader were the same person. The only people still alive who knew were: Kenobi, Yoda, Palpatine maybe R2 and Vader himself.
 
I assumed that his Uncle and Aunt also knew, I mean Ben likely would've warned them since he was there on Tatooine watching over them since Luke was born. And it put Lars' "That's what I'm afraid of" line in a totally new context over not wanting Luke to leave Tatooine.
 
I find it unlikely that Kenobi told them anything else than the cover story he later also told Luke. That Anakin was a Jedi and a war hero, killed by Vader.
Luke's uncle didn't want to put any idea's into Lukes head to become a Jedi as well, because he believed that it would be Luke's downfall as well if he ever went to the stars, too. So he created the lie about Anakin the boring freighter pilot.
 
How many theories are there that Obi-Wan told Luke the whole "Vader killed your dad" thing because he was hoping it would drive Luke to kill Vader?
 
^Disagree. I don't think Obi-Wan would have wanted Luke to become a killer.

Plenty of Jedi have killed in the line of duty, and Obi-Wan himself is not that different.

I think Obi-Wan assumed Vader was dead until he met him again on The Death Star. So if anything, he was preparing Luke to take on The Emperor. It wasn't until TESB that he was gung ho about Luke taking down Vader. Because being dead, and Yoda being close to death, he was the only one who could. I don't blame Obi-Wan for lying in that regard. I would have too. Because the truth would have been too ridiculous for anyone to believe. Better for this kid to believe is dead father was a martyr and give him better motivation to take down Palpatine then for him to find out that his dad was an evil scumbag who was responsible for putting the galaxy in the sad state it was in. And if the Emperor told him the truth, he'd just assume Luke would think he was a liar with him being a Sith and all. So Obi-Wan must have assumed his lie was airtight with Vader being dead. Or so he thought.
 
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Is all that in the Expanded Universe? If so, that's retarded and a half. I liked some of the stuff about spies and torturing to find out Luke's identity, but, after that, not so much. All those contrived situations of Luke fighting or almost fighting Vader. TESB doesn't have the same impact if Luke had fought him before.
 
^Disagree. I don't think Obi-Wan would have wanted Luke to become a killer.

Plenty of Jedi have killed in the line of duty, and Obi-Wan himself is not that different.

I think Obi-Wan assumed Vader was dead until he met him again on The Death Star. So if anything, he was preparing Luke to take on The Emperor. It wasn't until TESB that he was gung ho about Luke taking down Vader. Because being dead, and Yoda being close to death, he was the only one who could. I don't blame Obi-Wan for lying in that regard. I would have too. Because the truth would have been too ridiculous for anyone to believe. Better for this kid to believe is dead father was a martyr and give him better motivation to take down Palpatine then for him to find out that his dad was an evil scumbag who was responsible for putting the galaxy in the sad state it was in. And if the Emperor told him the truth, he'd just assume Luke would think he was a liar with him being a Sith and all. So Obi-Wan must have assumed his lie was airtight with Vader being dead. Or so he thought.

I find it hard to imagine that Obi-Wan thought that Vader was dead. Firstly, he would have sensed him living via the Force. Secondly, Vader was, by the time of ANH, a figure of galactic notoriety.Obi-Wan may have been living a reclusive life on Tattoine, but he would doubtless have been keeping an eye on the holonet and following developments in the galaxy. How could he not have heard of the Emperor's Sith enforcer?

He lied to Luke because he wanted Luke on his side. What was he going to say: 'Your father is alive, but I left him for dead, face down in a volcanic hellhole, after cutting off his legs and his one remaining arm? But I'm a good guy, trust me.' Better to allow the kid to think highly of his father - and Obi-Wan for that matter.
 
I think Obi-Wan assumed Vader was dead until he met him again on The Death Star.
Vader the public face of the Empire and the scourge of the galaxy. Not to mention in the novel "Dark Lord" which is about Vader in the months after ROTS, Obi-Wan sees Vader on the TV for the first time on Tatooine and realizes it's Anakin.
 
Which still leaves the question of why, knowing Yoda was alive and well and Anakin badly wounded, he and Yoda went into exile in the first place, leaving the other Order 66 survivors to die on their own...
 
I find it hard to imagine that Obi-Wan thought that Vader was dead. Firstly, he would have sensed him living via the Force. Secondly, Vader was, by the time of ANH, a figure of galactic notoriety.Obi-Wan may have been living a reclusive life on Tattoine, but he would doubtless have been keeping an eye on the holonet and following developments in the galaxy. How could he not have heard of the Emperor's Sith enforcer?

By that logic Vader could have sensed Obi-Wan as well. But he didn't sense him until he was on The Death Star.

He lied to Luke because he wanted Luke on his side. What was he going to say: 'Your father is alive, but I left him for dead, face down in a volcanic hellhole, after cutting off his legs and his one remaining arm? But I'm a good guy, trust me.' Better to allow the kid to think highly of his father - and Obi-Wan for that matter.

He lied because Luke was the only one potentially powerful enough to defeat The Sith. If the biggest sacrifice in the liberation of the galaxy from endless tyranny and genocide is some kids hurt feelings, I'd call that deal. Which, in any case, Luke didn't hold it against Obi-Wan. I don't see why the fans do.

Vader the public face of the Empire and the scourge of the galaxy. Not to mention in the novel "Dark Lord" which is about Vader in the months after ROTS, Obi-Wan sees Vader on the TV for the first time on Tatooine and realizes it's Anakin.

This would of course be around the same time he dueled Darth Kryat, reprogrammed some old Jedi super-computer, and fathered Mara Jade. This is why no one takes The EU seriously.
 
^ I think we're essentially in agreement on two out of the above.

I disagree with your first point. Vader only Obi Wan's presence on the Death Star in terms of sensing his proximity. He seemed to already be aware that the older man was alive. Besides, even if one accepts that Vader only sensed his presence for the first time on the Death Star, bear in mind that Obi-Wan had developed his force skills so as to be able to sense the destruction of Alderaan, then to be able to communicate to the living even after his death. Remember the 'lessons' Yoda set him at the end of EpIII? I don't think Vader honed his skills in quite the same way in the interim.

Point two - I say he wanted Luke on his side, he said Luke was the only one ... Same thing, essentially. He didn't want to make an enemy of him, seems to be the gist of both our posts. It was a white lie, in the circumstances, I'd say. I don't hold it against him either.

Point 3 - with you on the EU totally.
 
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