Luke Skywalker and his friends narrowly escaped the clutches of Darth Vader at the end ofThe Empire Strikes Back, and one unexpected character was key to their escape. Although Darth Vader forced Lando Calrissian to betray Han Solo and the rest of the Rebels of Cloud City, Calrissian turned on the Empire and assisted the Alliance when the time was right. Not only did Lando become an ally to the Rebellion, but his right-hand man Lobot and the Bespin Wing Guard did as well.
In a tense chase sequence, the Millennium Falcon flees Vader’sStar Destroyerand a squadron of TIE Fighters, with the ship’s capture seemingly imminent when Darth Vader reveals that his troops sabotaged the Falcon’s hyperdrive. While Chewbacca tries to repair the ship to no avail, R2-D2 manages to reactivate the hyperdrive at the last moment, allowing the Millennium Falcon to escape.The originalStar WarsLegends continuityreveals that R2-D2’s ability to repair the Falcon’s hyperdrive is owed to a minor character inThe Empire Strikes Back.
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Artoo Fixed The Millennium Falcon…But Secretly Needed Lobot’s Help To Do So
R2-D2 provides invaluable help to Princess Leia and the rest of the Rebels in Cloud City, unlocking a door to the Millennium Falcon’s landing platform and covering them from blasterfire with a smokescreen. During this sequence, R2-D2 briefly connects to Cloud City’s central computer, which informs him that the Empire sabotaged the Millennium Falcon’s hyperdrive. According to the 1995 sourcebookThe Essential Guide to Characters, by Andy Mangels,Lobot – via the central computer – notified R2-D2 about the sabotage and told him how to fix it.
Star Wars: Why Lando Never Actually Betrayed Han Solo
Lando Calrissian is often inaccurately seen as untrustworthy or selfish, but his actions throughout the Star Wars franchise prove quite the opposite.
In the originalStar WarsLegends continuity, Lobot’s implanted AJ^6 cyborg construct not only connected him to Cloud City’s central computer, it also functionally made him the personification of it. Under Lando Calrissian’s leadership,Lobot remotely monitored and controlled Cloud City’s security, maintenance, and many other essential systems, naturally making him privy to the Empire’s sabotageof the Millennium Falcon. Sadly, Lobot would not escape the Empire’s takeover of Cloud City and would be forced to work for the city’s de facto governor Hugo Treece.
After the events ofReturn of the Jedi, Lobot would eventually succeed Lando Calrissian as Cloud City’s Baron Administrator.
Without Lobot, The Rebel Alliance Would’ve Died At Cloud City
While Lobot’s role in the Millennium Falcon’s escape was obviously not shown inThe Empire Strikes Backitself,he is nevertheless invaluable to the survival of the Rebellion. Had he not informed R2-D2 of the Empire’s sabotage, the Falcon would have been captured by the Executor and six key members of the Alliance would be in Vader’s clutches. Luke Skywalker would have been turned over to Emperor Palpatine and the Rebel Alliance likely would not have prevailed against the Empire.
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
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The Empire Strikes Back is the second installment in the original Star Wars trilogy, directed by Irvin Kershner. Released in 1980, it follows Luke Skywalker as he trains under Jedi Master Yoda, while Princess Leia, Han Solo, and the Rebel Alliance face ongoing threats from the Galactic Empire and Darth Vader.
