At the end of The Empire Strikes Back, we see Luke recovering after his intense battle with Darth Vader on Cloud City.
Leia rescues him, and together they board the medical frigate, Redemption. Standing side by side, they gaze out a large window at a stunning celestial sight—a luminous galaxy (or is it?) glowing in the distance.
At first glance, the scene feels like a peaceful ending to the chaos of Episode V, but among Star Wars fans, it has sparked a fascinating question: What exactly are Luke and Leia looking at?
Some believe it’s a galaxy far, far away, while others argue it’s a protostar—a young star in formation.
The Rebel Fleet Is Positioned Near a Protostar
The prevailing consensus among fans and sources is that the Rebel fleet is near a protostar at the end of The Empire Strikes Back, rather than being positioned outside the galaxy. Several references across Star Wars media have supported this interpretation.
The 2017 trivia book Star Wars Made Easy explicitly mentions this: “The rebel fleet gathers near a protostar at the end of The Empire Strikes Back.”
Similarly, the short story “Right-Hand Man,” featured in From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back (2020), describes the view from the medical frigate Redemption: “The large viewport of the Redemption’s surgical suite yawned wide and dark […] The spinning fire of a nearby protostar was unusually brilliant.”
While the conformed script of The Empire Strikes Back initially suggested that the Rebel fleet was outside the galaxy, earlier drafts, including the original shooting script, described the setting as “a large red star… with one small planet.”
This depiction was reinforced in the novelization by Donald F. Glut, released in advance of the movie, where it is referred to as “a large red star.”
Additionally, a fan shared a signed concept art piece by Kenny Baker, who portrayed R2-D2. The artwork shows the Millennium Falcon in deep space, with Luke, Leia, R2-D2, and C-3PO gazing at a glowing red protostar. This imagery aligns closely with the interpretations presented in official materials.
The Other Sources Say Luke and Leia Are Looking at a Galaxy
This question comes with one of the most complex answers I’ve ever come across. According to The Star Wars Book (2020), the shot in question is used to illustrate a profile on the galaxy.
The accompanying caption states, “The galaxy. The Rebel Alliance hides on the edge of the galaxy, planning its next move against the Empire.”
In the Legends anthology Star Wars: Tales of the Bounty Hunters, there’s a reference suggesting that the Rebel fleet was positioned beyond the known galaxy.
Specifically, the bounty hunters 4-LOM and Zuckuss are said to meet the fleet “out of the galaxy at a point near the galactic equatorial plane,” implying that the Alliance was indeed operating outside the galactic boundary.
Additionally, The Empire Strikes Back Notebook, which contains the conformed script for the film, describes the Rebel Fleet’s location as “a dense, luminous galaxy swirling in space.”