After Darth Vader dies in Return of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker is the only person left who knows the full truth about who Vader really was. To the galaxy, Vader dies as a Sith Lord and the Emperor’s enforcer. But to Luke, he dies as Anakin Skywalker, his father.
That leads to a bigger question. What about everyone else? The people of the galaxy once knew Anakin Skywalker as a hero of the Republic, a Jedi who fought countless battles against the CIS during the Clone Wars. Did they ever learn what really happened to him? And did Luke tell anyone the truth about who Darth Vader actually was?
Luke Told Leia
In canon, this is made clear in Star Wars: Bloodline by Claudia Gray. By this point, years have passed since the fall of the Empire, and Leia is a respected political figure in the New Republic. But the truth about her parentage is something she keeps buried.
In the novel, Leia reflects on her experiences with Darth Vader during the war, her capture aboard the Devastator, her interrogation, and being forced to witness the destruction of Alderaan. She remembers the hatred she carried for Vader, how that hatred became a source of strength just to survive what he put her through.
And then she thinks of him differently.
Not as Darth Vader.
But as her father.
The important detail here is that Leia already knows the truth. She knows Vader was Anakin Skywalker. And that knowledge didn’t come from the galaxy, the New Republic, or Imperial records. It came from Luke.
The Public Eventually Learned That Vader Was Luke and Leia’s Father
However, the secret doesn’t stay hidden forever. The book also shows us how the entire galaxy learns that Vader was the father of Luke and Leia, and it happens during a Senate session.
During the session, Leia’s political rival, Ransolm Casterfo, turns on her. He accuses her of deception and argues that if the Senate is considering her for the position of First Senator, the galaxy has the right to know who she really is. As he speaks, Leia feels the meaning of his words closing in on her before he even says it out loud.
Then he does.
Ransolm points at Leia and declares to the entire Galactic Senate that Senator Leia Organa is the daughter of Darth Vader.
The chamber explodes into noise. Senators shout, desks are slammed, and the room descends into chaos. Leia can barely hear anything beyond the rush of blood in her ears. When allies try to shout the accusation down, Ransolm presses forward instead of retreating. He claims he has proof.
He produces an Alderaanian keepsake chest and opens it in front of the Senate. Inside is a music box. The moment it begins to play, Leia recognizes it. Then Bail Organa’s voice fills the chamber.
The recording reveals the truth Bail had hidden for Leia’s entire life, that her biological father became Darth Vader.
The revelation doesn’t stop at the Senate floor. Within moments, it is broadcast, recorded, and repeated across the galaxy. What Luke once shared privately with Leia is no longer a family truth. It becomes public history.
From that point on, the galaxy knows exactly who Luke and Leia’s father was.