A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... there was a film franchise so incredibly breathtaking that no science fiction story has ever been able to top it. With its compelling characters and jaw-dropping storylines following the lives and wars that plague the vast universes in space, Star Wars is still a global phenomenon since the release of A New Hope in 1977. In the 46 years since fans not only got three trilogies but multiple stand-alone films and impeccable TV series.
One of the most compelling aspects of the films is the plot twists, betrayals, and surprises that everyone's favorite characters encounter. With amazing performances throughout all the films, Star Wars creates a realistic pull that draws fans in and makes them feel like they're experiencing the shocks themselves.
1 Qi'ra Betrays Han (Solo)
It was pretty predictable that something would happen between these two lovers in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Because it predates Han's appearance in the original trilogy, and we see or hear nothing of Qi'ra, fans ultimately knew something had to happen that would force them apart.
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Their relationship was so moving throughout the film that it almost had people loving them together more than Han and Leia, almost. So when the ending came and Qi'ra betrayed and abandoned Han, the film ended on a somber note. And it gave fans a keen insight as to why Han was so hesitant to trust Leia.
2 Lando Hands Over Han (Empire Strikes Back)
Few Star Wars characters are as charming as the con man Lando Calrissian. When Han and Lando reunite in The Empire Strikes Back all is seemingly well, with Lando being the administrator of Cloud City. But when Lando is faced with dangerous threats from Darth Vader, he essentially throws Han and his friends to the wolves.
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His redemption surely comes when Lando eventually saves Han from Jabba the Hutt and, thankfully, helps Leia and Chewbacca escape aboard the Millennium Falcon, but at the moment, his betrayal still stings quite a bit.
3 Luke And Leia Are Actually Twins (Return of the Jedi)
Despite the creepy fact that they kissed, the second family-related twist of the series came as quite a shock to fans. With the first family-related twist in The Empire Strikes Back, Lucas doubled down and gave us another in Return of the Jedi. Not only does he have an evil overlord as a father, but his sister is someone he kissed. Geez!
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Fans everywhere were shocked to see these two main characters end up related, but ultimately it was a nice and warm surprise. It seems that throughout the series Luke is dealt with revelation after revelation. At least this one was received much better than the other.
4 Everyone Dies (Rogue One)
With the franchise full of surprising and sad deaths, none was quite as shocking as the entire cast of Rogue One. The film was so well received that fans have deemed it one of the best pieces of work the minds behind Star Wars have given them. But that doesn't negate the shock that came when all the heroes perished in the end.
The film is full of anti-heroes and rebels forced to risk their lives to save the galaxy, and audiences spent the majority of the film gaining more and more love and respect for these fighters, the rest of the film they spent mourning them.
5 Kylo Ren Kills His Father (The Force Awakens)
One of the first major twists fans got in the sequel trilogy was that the main villain, Kylo Ren, is actually the son of Han and Leia. Naming him after Ben Kenobi, Ben was sent to learn under the eye of Luke but things when south from there. Turning his back on his family and the light, Ben turned towards the way of the Sith becoming known as Kylo Ren, much like his grandfather Anakin.
When Kylo is reunited with his father towards the end of The Force Awakens, fans are on the edge of their seats to see what happens. No one could have predicted that Kylo would turn his lightsaber onto his own father. Fans were even more shocked to find out that Han Solo was only returning for one film.
6 Vader Kills The Emperor (Return of the Jedi)
When it comes to stories with a big bad villain, the norm is the good guy kills the bad guy trope. So maybe that is why the ending of Return of the Jedi was so shocking. When the story started, fans only saw Darth Vader as a pure evil overlord. There was nothing to sympathize will, only fear.
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But when it was revealed that Vader was being controlled by Palpatine the entire time, fans became enthralled in the fight waiting to happen. And sure enough, when Palpatine turned to kill Luke, Vader assumes the protective dad role and saves his son, killing the Emperor. In the end, Vader succumbs to his injuries and dies but not before he earns his redemption.
7 Rey Is A Palpatine (The Rise of Skywalker)
One of the biggest questions that fans had throughout the sequel trilogy was who Rey's parents were. The mystery gave way to many incredulous theories, but the answer was just as shocking. In TheRise of Skywalker, Rey's parentage is finally confirmed. She is a Palpatine.
The scene in which we get our first clue is perhaps one of the best of the trilogy. When Chewbacca is being taken prisoner on an imperial transporter, Kylo and Rey fight to gain control over the escaping ship. When she is exerting herself and pushing her force to ultimate capacity, Rey accidentally unleashes lightning powers identical to Palpatine's and destroys the transport. A shocking discovery.
8 Luke Is A Force Projection On Crait (The Last Jedi)
At the end of The Last Jedi, the First Order has the Resistance cornered in an abandoned base on Crait. All seems lost, and the Resistance is just waiting for The First Order to blow them to smithereens. And then when everything seems lost, who should show up but Luke Skywalker. Keep in mind it was the first time he has left that island in years, shocking in itself.
But the real shock was when he walked outside with nothing but his lightsaber and challenged his nephew. Doing what he said he wouldn’t do: walking out with a laser sword and facing down the whole First Order, Luke manages to best Kylo in combat. This provokes a humiliated Kylo into raining down his entire fleet on his uncle only to find that Luke wasn't even there the whole time but actually projecting himself through the force on his little island.
9 Order 66 (Revenge of the Sith)
The entirety of the prequel series revolves around Anakin Skywalker and his fall from the light side and his rise in the dark side. It also follows the slow galaxy level take over from Sheev Palpatine, who goes from an innocent-seeming politician to the grand puppet master of the Sith. When it comes to fans watching the prequel trilogy they knew to expect something horrible at the end seeing as only Obi-Wan and Yoda remained of the Jedi order in the original trilogy.
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But no one expected that in Revenge of the Sith, the Emperor would use the Jedi's own clone army to carry out the sinister 'Order 66'. This ends up being too much horror, a mass murder of all Jedi. Including the harrowing scene of Anakin with the younglings.
10 Darth Vader Is Luke's Father (The Empire Strikes Back)
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Not only does this plot twist take, eat, and devour the cake, but it also is the best and most iconic plot twist in film history. The much-awaited first battle between Vader and Luke takes place on Cloud City and when Vader has Luke bested and an arm short, he decided to twist the knife, or lightsaber, in further and reveal to Luke that he is his father.
One of the greatest behind the scene moments came from this part of the saga. Only George Lucas, David Prowse, and the actor behind Vader knew about this twist. Even Luke Skywalker's Mark Hamill was kept in the dark. That's right, Luke's reaction is that genuine. Mind-blowing.
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