Mark Hamill’s favorite Star Wars movie, The Empire Strikes Back, is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year – and there’s a reason it’s still so many people’s favorite franchise installment. While the entirety of the original Star Wars trilogy is widely regarded as one of the most influential science-fantasy works of all time, The Empire Strikes Back is often considered one of the best movie sequels of all time, period. It altered the fabric of the Star Wars universe and cemented George Lucas’ world as a cultural phenomenon.

Other Hollywood legends, like Steven Spielberg, have also claimed Empire as their favorite Star Wars film; interestingly, in Spielberg’s case, Empire is closely followed by the highly controversial second prequel film, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. Given The Empire Strikes Back’s revered status, it’s perhaps not surprising that Mark Hamill announced Irvin Kershner’s sequel as his favorite Star Wars film, but as its leading star, his reasons for loving Empire are all the more persuasive.

Mark Hamill Appreciates Empire Strikes Back For Its “Unexpected” Ending

In a 2019 interview, Hamill confessed that, if he were “forced to choose,” his favorite Star Wars movie would be The Empire Strikes Back. He also said it felt like “picking your favorite child,” because each movie is likable for different reasons.

“I guess I’d have to go with ‘Empire,’ only because it was so unexpected to have the protagonist be so soundly defeated. Losing the hand and the dad Vader, all of it was pretty unexpected. And it was much more cerebral. Yoda is such an important addition to the mythology, and I thought it was so clever of George [Lucas], the concept of the Force, so you can talk about religion and spirituality without making everyone uncomfortable. So, for that alone.”

The reveal that Darth Vader was Luke’s (and Leia’s) father is still widely regarded as one of the greatest plot twists in Hollywood’s long history, not just because it added shock value. It was unexpected, but it tied in so beautifully with the profound loss that Luke and his allies faced during Empire’s showdown.

The heroes are downtrodden, and though you know, to an extent, that they’ll turn it around one day (the same narrative “trick” utilized so effectively by the Marvel Cinematic Universe between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame), the journey there is all the more impactful because Luke, Leia, and the audience experienced that emotional weight first. They will have to grapple with the darkness of their legacy first. It grounds the story within the galaxy’s fantastical setting.

There’s A Reason Why Empire Is The Ultimate Fan-Favorite Star Wars Movie

While the original Star Wars movie, later reтιтled A New Hope, introduces us to George Lucas’ imaginative, far-off universe, The Empire Strikes Back reveals the true heart of the franchise. As Hamill explained, it deepens our understanding of the Force and the Jedi through Yoda. It makes the all-evil villainous organization more nuanced, no longer entirely faceless. There is someone behind every mask, making the Empire’s horrific deeds in A New Hope and Empire all the more terrifying.

Though A New Hope encompᴀsses most of Star Wars’ major narrative themes, like hope, good vs. evil, and rebellion in the face of oppression, Empire examines them more closely. Nothing is ever truly black and white, as Darth Vader’s parental reveal proves. I’d argue that the narrative choices made in Empire influenced Star Wars as a franchise more than A New Hope ever did. The 1977 movie laid the groundwork. Empire changed what Star Wars could be without losing sight of its core idenтιтy.

Empire Remains One Of The Best Sequel Movies Of All Time

One of the reasons Empire remains one of the greatest movie sequels of all time is that it elevated what made A New Hope so wildly popular. It didn’t retrace its steps, it didn’t completely alter what the franchise stood for. It simply changed our perspective and was, somehow, even more visually appealing. Interestingly, critical opinion was pretty divided when Empire was first released in 1980, with some recognizing the importance of Luke’s loss at the end of the film and others criticizing it for having drifted too far from the uplifting adventure of A New Hope and its self-contained structure.

Yet the total package was worth the wait. The Empire Strikes Back bridges the gap between A New Hope and Return of the Jedi, but it does so beautifully. There’s never a moment to wonder whether this story could have been told more efficiently or less dramatically. I’m not convinced Star Wars would be the cultural behemoth it is today with The Empire Strikes Back – it gave the galaxy time to grow into something truly monumental.