The ancient Jedi prophecies when the Chosen One was discovered on Tatooine. Years later, it was why Yoda was instinctively distrustful when his final student, Luke Skywalker, had a vision of his friends in danger.
Yoda believed Luke shared his father Anakin's greatest weakness, a need for attachment that would lead him to the dark side. In Yoda's view, a Jedi can love, but they cannot fear loss. They must submit themselves to the will of the Force, releasing their loved ones when the time is right. It was a philosophy Yoda had expounded over the centuries, and one he attempted to impress upon Luke. In the main Star Wars timeline, Luke refused to heed Yoda's warning and instead traveled to Bespin to face Darth Vader. There, he learned truths that - as Yoda had warned - he was not prepared for. And yet, in spite of this, Luke ultimately clung to the light side of the Force and accomplished what Yoda did not believe was possible. Luke redeemed Darth Vader, proving once and for all that love is the light that shines even in the darkest night.
It's fascinating to imagine how the Star Wars saga would have played out had Luke Skywalker listened to Yoda, though, and allowed his friends to die. This would have been a timeline in which Yoda was much more confident his student was ready and yet, ironically, it would probably have been one in which Luke fell to the dark side. Here's how things would probably have played out if Luke had stayed on Dagobah.
The Rebel Alliance Would Have Fallen Without Leia & Lando
Darth Vader had only gone after Han and Leia because he believed them the perfect bait to capture Luke. Had Luke not taken the bait, however, the Sith Lord would still have captured some of the Rebel Alliance's most important figures. Princess Leia had been a Rebel leader for years, and she became a symbol of hope to the galaxy when she continued fighting the Empire even after the destruction of her homeworld of Alderaan. Star Wars comics have revealed Leia played a key role in reorganizing the Rebel Alliance after its defeat at Hoth in the main timeline, so much so that she became a personal target for Imperial leaders. Bereft of Leia's influence, the Rebel Alliance would have splintered. Meanwhile, Han Solo - one of the Rebellion's best pilots - would have been sent to Jabba the Hutt with no obvious hope of rescue.
Lando Calrissian would never have ed the Rebel Alliance. Tie-in comics have revealed he worked hard to regain Leia's trust after The Empire Strikes Back, helping the Rebellion figure out how to work around the Empire when they realized their communication codes had been broken. Without Lando, the Rebel Alliance would have been unable to regroup. The fleets would have fallen. The Rebel Alliance would have been utterly routed.
Luke Would Have Continued His Training As A Jedi
Meanwhile, on Dagobah, Luke Skywalker would have continued his training as a Jedi. There, he'd have been trained under Yoda and Obi-Wan, as they tried to turn him into a hero who they believed could cast out the darkness consuming the galaxy. There are only three years between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and it is likely Luke's training would have taken much longer. By the time he was ready, the Rebel Alliance would have been reduced to a footnote in the history vids, while the second Death Star would have been completed.
Yoda and Obi-Wan's Force ghost would have eventually told Luke to leave Dagobah, but he'd have done so in a much more emotionally confused state. Worse still, it wouldn't have taken Luke long to discover the galaxy had become a friendless place.
Luke Skywalker Would Have Rescued Han Solo
Luke's first act would surely have been to try to find allies, by trusting the Force to lead him to his old friends. He'd have wound up on Tatooine, rescuing Jabba the Hutt without any help. This version of Luke Skywalker would have been a lot more well-trained, however, and Jabba the Hutt would have been no threat to him. Luke would have rescued Han, but in doing so he'd have unwittingly drawn the attention of the Empire. Darth Vader would have been watching Han, looking for any hint of his son's return, and he'd have set another trap for the Jedi.
Leia Would Have Been The Bait In The Trap
Darth Vader did not know Leia was his daughter. To the Sith Lord, she was just another Rebel leader, albeit one with a curious ability to resist interrogation. She'd have become the bait in a trap set by both Darth Vader and his own master, Palpatine, for the Emperor would surely have been carefully monitoring the emergence of a Jedi. Unfortunately, in this particular Star Wars timeline, things really wouldn't have gone well for the heroes. Their attempt to rescue Leia would have brought them face-to-face with Palpatine and Darth Vader, and it's likely the Emperor would have orchestrated a similar temptation to the one he used to try to seduce Luke to the dark side in the actual films.
There is, however, one crucial difference. dark side power required a host under the influence of darker emotions; anger, rage, fear, and the like. In the main timeline, Palpatine died because of a redeemed Darth Vader who was acting out of love, meaning there were no potential hosts in the throne room. In this Star Wars timeline, however, Luke would most certainly have been subject to darker ions. Had Luke killed the Emperor in anger, he'd have become the host for his spirit.
Yoda believed he was acting in Luke's best interests, and the best interests of the entire galaxy, when he encouraged his last apprentice to remain on Dagobah. He was wrong, however, because Yoda hadn't recognized the flaws in his own teachings. Attachment and love are not the same things, the dark side can be resisted, and redemption is always possible. The Force was brought into balance by redemptive love, not by ionless serenity. Had Yoda succeeded in indoctrinating Luke, he would have unwittingly stripped him of the love that made him great, and in doing so he would have doomed the galaxy. This Star Wars timeline is a dark one indeed.
