Few movies in existence can say that they are the most iconic part of an iconic series, but Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back happens to be one of those few. Star Wars is a film franchise that completely revolutionized the film industry, but if the follow up to the original Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope hadn't fulfilled the audience's expectations then that could have meant the end of the hype right there. I mean really, imagine if The Phantom Menace had been the second installment in the Star Wars saga or something.
And like any legendary movie, The Empire Strikes Back has become a source of endless entertainment and fodder for the internet. Everyone's favorite Star Wars movie is really the ideal source for memes, and since the movie is home to some of the most memorable moments in film history it's easy to find a lot of Empire Strikes Back memes that everyone will love. And here is 10 of the best.
Painful Puns
We'd like to think that Luke would only slice up his tauntaun and use it as a makeshift incubator if he felt like he had absolutely no other options, but damn that's cold (literally and figuratively). You use some poor creature as your steed, and then when stuff hits the fan you slice it in half and use it as your presumably very wet and smelly blanket? That was a very unfair way for Mr. Tauntaun to go, but hopefully in it's force afterlife the tauntaun can at least take some small comfort in the fact that taking up residence inside of it's chest cavity had to have been very uncomfortable and gross.
Doesn't Everyone?
There are very few things in this world that are almost universally agreed upon, however Empire Strikes Back being the best entry into the entire Star Wars franchise is one of them. And clearly the most interesting man in the world would only want to watch the most interesting movie in the Star Wars universe. Actually on second thought, it's surprising that the most interesting man in the world wouldn't feel threatened by Han Solo in Empire Strikes Back, because while Han is one of the greatest badasses the film world has ever seen in general it's pretty irrefutable that he's at his most badass in this particular Star Wars installment.
Close Enough
Oh, if only Luke Skywalker and wampas were this cute. Anyone with a lick of sense would understand that Hoth is not the ideal location for any human being, but if Luke didn't understand the dangers of this ice planet then his experience with the tauntaun and wampa ensured that he would never want to make a return trip.
But Mike Wazowski would never be caught slipping that hard, and luckily for him he has a much better relationship with monsters than Luke does generally. And as Monsters Inc. taught us all, what may appear to be a scary monster could just be a misunderstood and awesome dude.
Primitive Technology
Well as the old saying goes, you have to walk before you can run. The technology within the Star Wars universe is undeniably very advanced and very cool, but the AT-AT walkers featured in The Empire Strikes Back undeniably draw a lot of inspiration from nature. And while elephants may not be able to shoot laser beams out of their faces (at least not yet, but who knows where evolution might take them) they're still undeniably awesome rides. However upgrading to an AT-AT makes a lot of sense, not only is it unfair to force elephants into war, but at least the sound of gunfire won't scare the pants off of a machine.
It Never Gets Old
If the original Star Wars film ever left any question as to whether or not Han Solo is literally the coolest man who ever lived, The Empire Strikes Back settled that once and for all.
Legend has it that when Princess Leia told Han that she loved him just before he was about to be frozen in carbonite, the line that Harrison Ford was originally supposed to say was a simple "I love you" in return. However Ford wanted to change things up and felt that "I know" was a more in character response, which obviously resulted in one of the most iconic moments in movie history.
He Did Kind Of Deserve It Though
Han Solo's "I know" response to Princess Leia's declaration of love may be one of the most iconic moments in movie history, however all things considered, it was also pretty rude. Darth Vader has tortured people for much less than dissing his only daughter, but Han kind of deserved a little pay back for leaving Leia hanging like that. In fairness to Han, his love affair with Leia was built on a foundation of insulting each other every time they opened their mouths, but you'd think you could muster a little sentiment in such dire circumstances. But if he couldn't muster it, at least he had Darth Vader there to torture it out of him.
Friend Request Denied
Literally no one under the age of 40 actually wants to be Facebook friends with all of their family members, but at least Aunt Betty just posts awkward child photos instead of being the most monstrous person in all of the galaxy.
No one in the world would handle the revelation that Darth Vader is actually their father very well, but at least Luke didn't have to deal with all of the awkwardness that comes along with today's social media. Come to think of it though, it's kind of weird that social media doesn't even seem to exist in the Star Wars universe.
The Sun Never Sets On The Galactic Empire
Because we're all trapped in the darkest timeline, some people are experiencing nostalgia for the classic domineering empires because at least they were slightly better than the current domineering empires. It only took a few centuries for the sun to finally set on the British Empire, and Hong Kong was under the purview of the United Kingdom up until 1997. And after a hot minute of something resembling independence, China has decided that they actually want Hong Kong to be under more of their control. The protests have exploded throughout the small region, and it would appear that the empire is quite literally striking back now.
Name That Film!
Alright look, memes are all fun and games until someone gets hurt, and losing an arm is no laughing matter. Taking iconic moments in media out of context and figuring out every joke that can be made about it is one of the internet's favorite pastimes, but cut Luke Skywalker a little slack. He could barely catch a break with two hands, no need to poke fun now that his chances have been literally cut in half. Also how are there no jokes about finding out who his real father is here? I mean yes, losing his hand was a memorable moment, but it's only the addendum to the biggest cinematic revelation of all time.
But Who Would Watch A Movie Backwards?
If the story of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back took place backwards then it undoubtedly would be a much more heartwarming story, but it would also kill the magic of some of the most thrilling moments in the history of film. Also this doesn't seem like a very accurate description. We can go with the whole magical doctor theory, but how does anyone leave out the father son relationship at play here? Telling some dude that you're his real father and then magically reattaching his hand is an even wilder plot twist than this meme would let on.