Click HERE to see this thread with all of the graphics, features, and links.

its obvious that vader had no idea that luke was red 5 in ep. 4. but, in ep.5, he tells luke that he is lukes father. how did he find out?

that's one thing that will never be known...
though, I think that it's a big possibility it will become general knowledge after ANH
"Hey! Heard of Luke Skywalker??"
-"They guy who blew up the Death Star?"

yeah.. late night on espn. skywalker blows up death star!!!!!! more later!!!!!

Maybe after Luke went to Dagobah and started extending his training, he became powerful enough for Vader and The Emperor to sense him, that'd be my guess.

thought they contacted eachother earlier?

yes, when luke started his training. how could i miss that? sorry, i have an ear infection and am not thinking clearly. thats why yoda went to dagobah in the first place, because it was so full of life. remember luke, as he is landing on dagobah, "im picking up massive life form readings." the force is life, after all. by being surrounded by so many life forms, yoda was able to remain hidden. that poses another question. tattooine was sparsely populated, as darth maul put it. how was obi wan able to stay hidden? maybe yoda had to take more precautions because he was stronger in the force than obi wan was.

No-one has any genuine idea about that; Luke and Obi-Wan 'hiding' on Tatooine appears ludicrous from the info we have.

that was just my guess. how about yoda on dagobah?

I don't know how canon this is, but I heard a long time ago and I don't remember where, that Yoda had killed a Sith Lord on Dagobah and that's why that cave was strong in the dark side of the force, because it was his/her home. Anyway the theory I was told is that with Yoda's "good" Force energy and all the "bad" Force energy left behind by the dead Sith, they cancelled each other out and Yoda was able to stay there undetected.

if its not in the movies, it doesnt count.

when he was in the trench didn't vader say "the force is strong with this one" so he knew there was ssomthing about red5

Yes, he was able to sense Lukes power in the source, but having never met or sensed his son he would have been unable to know it was his son. He probably realised when he found out his name was Luke Skywalker, would have sort have given it away.

Vader was naming Luke as his main target when they first got the Hoth spyreports from that droid

"That is the system. And I'm sure Skywalker is with them. Set your
course for the Hoth system. General Veers, prepare you men"


something like this

"The Force is Strong in this one" I always took to be simply a declaration that the person he was firing at was lucky (or what Vader, being a Force user, sees as luck- which is that the Force wills it so). There is no evidence at all you can just 'sense' someone's talent in the Force.

Vader would not have said it anywhere near so nonchalantly if he actually though he had found a true force adept.

in the yellow text, they (GL and the guy who helped him write it) wrote that a small rebel group (or something like that) led by Luke Skywalker ...erm...something something...

lemme check

EDIT: co-writers of ESB: Lawrence Kasdan and Leigh Brackett
"Evading the dreaded Imperial Starfleet, a group of freedom fighters
led by Luke Skywalker has established a new secret base on the remote
ice world of Hoth."

so, basicly, if it's led by Luke (don't get why Rieekan is higher in rank then) he should be known to the Empire in some way... considering spies and propaganda

luke found echo base. thats probably what they meant by "led by". he led them there.

Just to continue on that floating text Yers

"The evil lord Darth Vader, obsessed with finding young Skywalker,
has dispatched thousands of remote probes into the far reaches of
space..."



Vader was after Luke, the rest of the rebels would be a bonus treat.
He was after Luke and Falcon he didnt chase the fleeing rebel fleet he chased ONE ship ; Falcon because he believed that either Luke was on board or at least those on board could lead him to Luke