As perhaps the most beloved franchise in history, Star Wars changed the game back in the 70s and hasn’t looked back since. The original trilogy paved the way for the films to follow, and at this point, Star Wars has conquered every form of media, including television with The Mandalorian.
Return of the Jedi is one of the most popular movies in franchise history, and one scene in this movie has always rubbed people the wrong way. However, a deleted scene that has surfaced online adds some depth and a much better explanation, which would have cleared up a huge mystery.
Let’s take a look at the scene in question.
Why Didn’t Obi-Wan Tell Luke About His Father?
There are a number of moments in Star Wars history that still leave people scratching their heads after all these years, but few come close to matching the fact that Obi-Wan hid the truth about Vader from Luke. Even Luke was stunned that Obi-Wan hid the truth about Vader from him, but thankfully, this did not put a damper on the relationship that they developed.
As we saw in the films, Obi-Wan let Luke know that he knew his father, but he made it seem as though Anakin and Vader were two completely different people. Obi-Wan was willing to train Luke at the beginning before eventually being taken out in A New Hope. Fast forward to Empire, and Luke finally learns the truth about Vader being his father in one of the most iconic moments in cinema history.
In the following film, however, Luke confronts Obi-Wan about why he didn’t tell him about Vader being his father. Obi-Wan’s response was all about perspective, and Luke was none too pleased about Obi-Wan hiding the truth from him. We can’t really blame him, since this was a pretty big deal that Luke probably should have known about.
This revelation actually had a much better explanation in a deleted scene that could have cleared things up.
It Was Yoda Who Stopped It
So, why did Obi-Wan keep the truth from Luke? Well, a deleted scene from the film reveals that Yoda is the one that told Obi-Wan to keep that information secret! That’s right, Yoda himself was responsible for Luke being kept from the truth, and including this scene in the movie probably would have been a good idea.
During the scene, Yoda says, “Obi-Wan would have told you long ago had I let him. Now, a great weakness you carry. Fear for you, I do.”
It’s such a simple scene, but there is so much weight here. Cutting it out was a mistake that could have easily been avoided had George Lucas kept it on. He seems intent on including a number of things every single time a new version of the films come out, and it’s interesting that he has decided to keep this one in the darkness.
There are plenty of other interesting moments that have been cut out of the films, and many of these scenes have caught the attention of the fandom throughout the years. Some would even prefer these scenes to end up in a cut of the movie, but the chances of that happening is not likely.
Where To Find The Scene
So, where can this infamous scene be found? According to IGN, the clip itself actually came from the LaserDisc version of the movie, but it has made its way online for people to see. It takes place right before Yoda becomes one with the Force, and it adds so much to the story in just a few words.
It makes a lot of sense that Obi-Wan would have wanted to tell Luke about his father. The two were building a solid relationship during their time together, and it must have been a huge burden for Obi-Wan to carry around with him. Instead of getting this scene and having things make sense, we are saddled with a version that makes Obi-Wan look pretty bad.
The Obi-Wan Kenobi show for Disney+ will be taking place while Luke is a kid, and we have to wonder if they will cross paths at some point. Yoda is still alive during this time, as well, so we could potentially see the scene where Obi-Wan talks to Yoda about telling Luke the truth about his father. It is a prime opportunity to help right this wrong and to add more depth to the original scene.
A simple scene could have made a huge difference in Return of the Jedi, but it never made its way into the final cut of the movie.