# When and how did Darth Vader realize Luke was his son? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 26, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711 "2009-05-26T17:49:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711/21 "2009-05-26T22:38:41Z")
From Episode IV, we can deduce certain things: 1. Darth Vader cannot tell his offspring solely by being in proximity to them, or even close intimate proximity. He does not realize he is interrogating his own daughter by mind probe, and he doesn’t cotton that his son is on the Death Star, or that his son is about to blow up the Death Star. 2. Vader knows about Luke before the Emperor contacts him while he is hunting down Han and Leia in the asteroid field. He does not sound surprised when the Emperor says "Luke Skywalker. Further, he knows this Skywalker is “just a boy,” and that the boy had been with Obi-wan Kenobi. 3. There is a significant period of time between the two films. In this time, Vader would have had plenty of time to gather the available data on the destruction of the Death Star, the activities of Obi-wan Kenobi, and the activities of the rebels. Certainly, he would have tracked the Millenium Falcon backwards to see where it had been engaged in the service of Obi-wan Kenobi. This would lead him to the knowledge that Skywalker had been seen in the bar on Tatooine, etc. etc. So it’s not a shock he knows the information by Episode V. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711/22 "2009-05-26T22:40:38Z")
who blew up an entire planet, and “mislead” (lied to) leia. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711/23 "2009-05-26T22:41:52Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > So, presumably he did some research (and some thinking) between the time he got spun off into space at end of STAR WARS and the time he got to Bespin in EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. The into to EMPIRE implies that Luke was making a name for himself in the Rebel Alliance. It wouldn’t take too much detective work, once he heard that there’s a “Luke Skywalker” running about with the rebels, strong in the force. In the scene where Darth communicates with the Emperor, the Emperor doesn’t seem aware (at that point) of the relationship? I guess it’s arguable. This isn’t exactly canon, but I always wondered if the Alliance wasn’t making some PR for their own sake out of Luke around the time of the opening of ESB. Not necessarily a publicity campaign that would make him known throughout the empire, but dropping it around the right circles where people might be willing to support them if they had a bit more confidence that the Rebellion might have a chance. “Yeah, we’re not saying that he’s been trained in the Jedi ways like the old days, but the Force is strong in him, he’s the son of one of the Jedi heroes of the Pre-Empire days, Anakin Skywalker, and was trained by Obi-Won Kenobi before Kenobi died. He saved Princess Leia from Darth Vader, blew up the Death Star, and personally I feel like he’s just getting started.” 😃 (This is assuming the fact that Anakin Skywalker=Darth Vader is known to very few people.) ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711/24 "2009-05-26T23:37:34Z")
> [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](#): > > Maury Povich. We’ve tested the results and Darth Vader, you ARE the father! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711/25 "2009-05-26T23:43:52Z")
> [@chrisk](#): > > …“Yeah, we’re not saying that he’s been trained in the Jedi ways like the old days, but the Force is strong in him, he’s the son of one of the Jedi heroes of the Pre-Empire days, Anakin Skywalker, and was trained by Obi-Won Kenobi before Kenobi died. He saved Princess Leia from Darth Vader, blew up the Death Star, and personally I feel like he’s just getting started.” 😃 … Just what the embattled, rag-tag Rebellion needs: a good publicist! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711/26 "2009-05-26T23:51:02Z")
The real question is why Obi-Won and Yoda did such a half-assed job at hiding Luke. They put him on Vader’s home planet, with Vaders relatives, and had him keep his last name. Had they just told his uncle to change his name to ‘Luke Lars’, Vader would’ve presumably never figured it out. Actually, before the prequels made it clear Yoda was trying to hide Luke, I assumed that Vader always knew he had a son (but not daughter), and had just decided to let him be raised by his uncle why he was busy conquering the universe and hunting down Jedi ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711/27 "2009-05-27T00:05:24Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > We’ve tested the results and Darth Vader, you ARE the father! The results are in, and Luke’s father is… **Jar-Jar**! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711/28 "2009-05-27T00:54:26Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > The results are in, and Luke’s father is… > > **Jar-Jar**! > > :smack: This is funny until you picture Luke getting er… produced… Excuse me while I go hide under my bed, everything is ruined forever. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711/29 "2009-05-27T00:56:15Z")
“No, Vader, \*you \*are my father. Search your feelings, you know it to be true.” ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711/30 "2009-05-27T01:46:56Z")
> [@Asylum](#): > > Didn’t they find Yavin by putting homing beacon on the Falcon and then following that? [Yeah. Didn’t they?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11179972&postcount=14) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711/31 "2009-05-27T02:07:43Z")
> [@Asylum](#): > > Didn’t they find Yavin by putting homing beacon on the Falcon and then following that? Easy?! You call that easy?! ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711/32 "2009-05-27T02:12:07Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > The real question is why Obi-Won and Yoda did such a half-assed job at hiding Luke. They put him on Vader’s home planet, with Vaders relatives, and had him keep his last name. Had they just told his uncle to change his name to ‘Luke Lars’, Vader would’ve presumably never figured it out. Actually, it’s kind of brilliant to hide Luke as Vadar’s nephew with in-laws he never visits on some jerkwater planet he probably never plans to go back to. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711/33 "2009-05-27T02:37:56Z")
How did Vader even know he _had_ a son? I mean he knew that Padme was preggers, but that was about it. In retrospect it was stupid for the crew that separated the twins and hid them from Vader even kept Luke’s last name. Clearly no one was in the know about Leia, cuz she had a different last name, but just think if they made him Luke O’Malley or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711/34 "2009-05-27T03:43:23Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > 1. There is a significant period of time between the two films. Three years passed between ANH and ESB, according to official Lucasfilm canon. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711/35 "2009-05-27T03:48:45Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > How did Vader even know he _had_ a son? > > I mean he knew that Padme was preggers, but that was about it. That’s the point. The last he saw of Padme, right before his duel against Obi-Wan on the lava planet, she was pregnant, unconscious, and badly injured. After the cybernetic surgery, Palpatine told him that Padme had died. At that point, he had no reason to believe that Padme had delivered. But, when he starts hearing about this Skywalker kid who blew up the Death Star, and he puts it together with “the Force is strong in this one”…DUH! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711/36 "2009-05-27T04:10:05Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > There could also have been reports available regarding a rerettable incident when Owen and Beru Lars burst into flames while assisting Imperial stormtroopers in their inquiries involving the search for some allegedly stolen droids. Those reports might have listed one Skywalker, Luke, as living at that address, but not accounted for. [Here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc9DmLc93ow) is the documentary on that. Of course, the search for the nephew might have been slowed down due to name confusion. Duke? ---
**Author:** ![2ply](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/b2d939/32.png) [@2ply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2ply)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711/37 "2009-05-27T04:29:26Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > How did Vader even know he _had_ a son? > > I mean he knew that Padme was preggers, but that was about it. > > In retrospect it was stupid for the crew that separated the twins and hid them from Vader even kept Luke’s last name. Clearly no one was in the know about Leia, cuz she had a different last name, but just think if they made him Luke O’Malley or something like that. Hey, it worked, didn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711/38 "2009-05-27T04:34:23Z")
> [@Asylum](#): > > Didn’t they find Yavin by putting homing beacon on the Falcon and then following that? [I’m sure they did.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzoeEdW-EDQ) I love the expression on Chewie’s face at the 0:56 mark. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711/39 "2009-05-27T05:25:59Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > “She lied. She lied to us!” > “I told you she would never consciously betray the Rebellion.” > “Terminate her! Immediately!” and later “She may be of some use to us after all.” “Who are you talking about? The girl you told me to terminate _immediately_ like _hours_ ago? Dude, if you’re going to revisit your decisions like this, you really need to work on your impulse control.” ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711/40 "2009-05-27T06:26:14Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > and later > > “She may be of some use to us after all.” > “Who are you talking about? The girl you told me to terminate _immediately_ like _hours_ ago? Dude, if you’re going to revisit your decisions like this, you really need to work on your impulse control.” Actually, aren’t Tarkin and Vader notified of the Falcon’s arrival almost immediately after the termination order? Vader turns around and says “She may yet be of some use to us.” The order never got out of that room. I have _some_ excuse for being this nerdy, honest. I just watched the movie again last week. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-how-did-darth-vader-realize-luke-was-his-son/497711.md?page=3)