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What if Luke hadn't confronted Darth Vader and the Emperor? Would the Empire had fallen with the death of the Emperor. I think he's at least 86 in ROTJ (based on him being 50 in TPM, plus about 36 years). He couldn't have lived much more than another 10 years, based on his advanced aging. Would Darth Vader make an adequate Emperor? He looked pretty old for a guy who was supposed to be under 50. Your thoughts?

For that matter, wouldn't they have both been killed on the DS2 anyway? Luke's confrontation made no difference to that, which I always thought was a plot weakness.

However, to get into the spirit of your question, I reckon the point of the story was that Luke was the last chance to stop the Sith. They would have otherwise gone on for who knows how long? In one guise or another.

In an interview with the actor who plays the emperor, Ian Mcairmid (or something like that) he said he been playing somebody over a 100 years old, it was in The Times I think. Well wasn't fighting Vader Lukes destiny, hence his comment to Liea about not running away and having to fulfill his destiny, hence his trip to the deathstar

I have noticed that once the Emperor died, the Imperials seemed to really suck fighting the Rebels. I always thought that his death had something to do with that.

Thet seemed pretty sucky already to me.

Besides, the Empire was a vast war machine. Palaptine's power was the clever way he usurped and took control; it doesn;t have the same ring if he was somehow personally powering it.

Luke on the Death Star II DID mather: if he wasn't 'caught' by the Imperials and wasn't brought to DV, and he didn't brought him to the Emperor; sure the Emperor will die but you still have Vader and Luke almost being killed caused Vader to turn to the Light Side

Vader would have been on the Death Star. Either that or the command ship, which got totalled as well.

Wouldn't the Emperor sense that he was in danger and evacuate the DS? (I know you'll counter that DV got him, but the Emperor was focusing on Luke.)

I guess he may have done, but with the Imperials apparently 'defeated' I wouldn't rate his survival hopes as very high. I am sure Wedge wouldn;t have minded a shot at his shuttle...

Sorry Ush, again I have to say something that you're not going to like
The Emperor demanded that Vader would go to the far side of the moon, Vader came back because he sensed his son, the Emperor didn't so he was caught in the surprise.
So if Luke wasn't around; Vader would have been walking around on the far side of the moon. OK, he could easily be turned then but he was still a menace to them

ACTUALLY, Yerssot, he told Vader to REMAIN ON THE COMMAND SHIP! It was on the far side of the moon because the fleet was hiding.

Vader only went down to the surface once Luke turned up.

That is what you get for watching the letterboxed movies!!
You are right Ush (darn!), but he had to stay there, so does my reply still counts?

No, because the Command Ship was destroyed.

But I think that if they saw Vader on the command ship they would be scared and fly away, or Vader could use the Force to take them all down

How very Marvel... do you think his mask could shoot laser bolts?

No! What do you think I am? Stupid? (NO! don't answer that!!)
He takes his mask of and everybody is scared to hell!

In any case, I always thought it was a weakness of ROTJ that, as presented, the Sith would have been defeated anyway. Even if Luke had killed Vader and fallen, he would have died with the Emperor shortly afterwards anyway, Rather like he said would happen, in fact.

The while plan of the Emperor's was crap. This 'insignificant rebllion' defeated the largest force he could muster, and it was not very believable.

A shame, because the actual final confrotation of The Emperor, Luke and Vader was top notch, but it starts to look a little sidelined.

But a lot of that defeat was down to Lando's rather unique engagement ploy. Palpatine knew that the rebel commanders would not do such a think, but he didn't count on a reckless leader like Lando pulling the two fleets into close proximity battle.