I still do not know what one of Emperor Palpatine’s lines in Death Star II’s throne room being among the most resonant moments in the Star Wars franchise. Jedi is not without flaws, of course, and one of Palpatine’s lines does not make much sense.

When Darth Vader brings Luke before the Emperor, Palpatine examines Luke’s confiscated lightsaber, noting its similarity to his father’s weapon. As he puts it:

"Ah, yes. A Jedi's weapon, much like your father's. By now you must know that your father can never be turned from the Dark Side. So will it be with you."

The problem with this line is that the hilt of Luke Skywalker’s iconic green-bladed lightsaber is nearly identical to that of Obi-Wan’s in A New Hope, with a design that differs greatly from the weapon Anakin Skywalker used during the Clone Wars and the red-bladed Sith weapon he uses as Darth Vader. I recall reading tongue-in-cheek comments on this line, with some suggesting that perhaps Obi-Wan is Luke’s real father, but there are potential explanations for this seemingly erroneous comparison.

It's Possible Lucas Hadn't Decided That Sith Used Lightsabers

One possible explanation for Palpatine’s line is that – at the time of Return of the Jedi’s writing –Star Wars lore had not yet established that lightsabers are used by Sith Lords. The word “Sith” is never spoken in the original Star Wars trilogy and as far as average viewers knew, Darth Vader used a lightsaber because he was a fallen Jedi. In fact, many viewers most likely did not perceive Vader and Palpatine as being part of a different Force-using tradition, which would make Luke and Vader’s use of lightsabers – exclusively Jedi weapons – the basis of Palpatine’s comparison.

The idea that the Sith lore did not exist before the prequels is incorrect, however. The word Sith first appeared in A New Hope’s novelization and elements of Sith lore appear in some of the earliest Star Wars non-movie material, such as the classic Marvel Star Wars comics. The comics introduce Sith other than Vader and Palpatine, with Kharys, Flint, and Lumiya all battling Luke Skywalker at different points. Notably, all three Sith wield lightsabers (or a lightwhip, in Lumiya’s case). Since the comics were officially canon at the time, they established that lightsabers are not exclusively Jedi weapons.

Lucasfilm had creative oversight over Marvel’s Star Wars comics, vetoing ideas that would conflict with the films, such as a Second Death Star appearing before Return of the Jedi.

Star Wars Legends Had A Partial Explanation For Palpatine's Line

One explanation for Palpatine’s line only works in the Star Wars Legends continuity. Steve Perry’s 1996 novel Shadows of the Empire introduces synthetic lightsaber crystals to Star Wars lore. Although Jedi traditionally use naturally occurring lightsaber crystals to power their weapons, the Empire destroyed most sources of such crystals by the time Luke began constructing his lightsaber, leading him to create a crystal using the Force and machinery. Sith, on the other hand, traditionally use synthetic crystals, created with the dark side of the Force. Perhaps Palpatine was noting that both Luke and Vader’s weapons used synthetic crystals.

While I like this explanation’s use of Legends-era lore, it is not perfect. The explanation relies on lore established after Return of the Jedi’s release, so it was certainly not what George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan had in mind when writing the film. It also raises additional questions. How would Palpatine know that Luke’s lightsaber uses a synthetic crystal just by examining the hilt? Did he come to this conclusion because his regime wiped out most natural crystal sources? Can he sense a difference between natural and synthetic crystals? The synthetic crystal comparison makes some sense, but it is convoluted.

What Does Palpatine's Line Mean In Current Canon?

The Star Wars canon underwent a partial reboot in April 2014, rendering the Legends continuity – previously the official Star Wars canon – an alternate and mostly-discontinued timeline, though Return of the Jedi is part of both continuities. With the modern Star Wars canon rewriting lightsaber lore and rendering synthetic crystals unfit for use in lightsabers, this once-plausible explanation cannot work in the newer continuity. Ultimately, I believe no explanation fully makes sense of Palpatine’s line in Return of the Jedi in either continuity. Palpatine was simply trying to manipulate Luke, invoking his fallen father, making Luke’s corruption appear inevitable.