If Luke Somehow Beat Vader in the Duel on Cloud City, Would He Have Killed Him?

We’ve all seen the first battle between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader multiple times. It happens on the planet Bespin in Cloud City. 

Even though Luke was trained by two Jedi Masters, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda, something strange happens during this encounter. 

You’ll notice that when Luke faces Vader for the first time, he stands no chance against the dark Lord.

But what if Luke had actually defeated Darth Vader on Cloud City? Would he have finished him off?

Let’s recall Luke’s training with Yoda, particularly the final lesson in the Dark Side Cave. 

In that vision, Luke manages to cut off the image of Vader, reflecting his inner turmoil and inability to control his emotions at that moment. 

George Lucas explained that the dark side is connected to fear. When Luke entered the cave with his weapons, ready for a fight, he found one.

Lucas noted that if Luke had not brought his weapons, he wouldn’t have encountered Vader.

From Lucas’s perspective, we know that Luke’s fear of facing Vader was a major psychological obstacle. If Luke had faced Vader without that fear, the battle might have gone differently. 

Luke might have won but would likely not have killed Vader, respecting the Jedi code.

Consider the example from Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Luke defeated Vader with his anger, almost succumbing to the dark side of the Force. 

Palpatine urged Luke to finish Vader, but Luke chose not to kill him. This shows Luke’s deep understanding of the Jedi principles and his refusal to give in to the dark side, even in victory.

But if you recall during the battle on Cloud City, Vader asked Luke to search for his feeling “Search your feelings you know it be true.”

After defeating Darth Vader in “Return of the Jedi,” Luke likely recalled his training in the Dark Side Cave. 

In that vision, he saw a dark reflection of himself, showing what could happen if he joined the dark side of the Force. 

This vision helped Luke understand the consequences of succumbing to the dark side. 

Luke knew that if he embraced the dark side, he would become what he saw in the Dark Side Cave.