Top 10 Star Wars Examples of the Mandela Effect
#10: “This is How Liberty Dies”
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“Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith” (2005) There’s a lot of talk about democracy in the “Star Wars” prequel trilogy, so when Palpatine gives his speech in “Revenge of the Sith” and is celebrated for it, some remember Padme responding with the line “so this is how democracy dies, with thunderous applause.” This is not actually the case. In every iteration of the movie, the line is actually SB. Well, every iteration in this reality at least. Although many would chalk the misquote up to a simple lapse in memory, some fans believe the line to be one of many Mandela effects in the “Star Wars” films.
#9: Obi-Wan Kenobi vs Darth Vader Fight
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“Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope” (1977) How do you remember Obi-Wan’s death? It’s well-known that the character dies in the original “Star Wars” film, allowing himself to be struck down by Darth Vader, but there has been some dispute over how exactly the fight went down. One redditor described two possible scenarios - one in which Obi-Wan holds his lightsaber up prior to being hit, and another where he turns his lightsaber off and accepts defeat. The responses on how people remember the fight going down were mixed, but watching any clip of the scene will reveal that the first description best matches the Jedi master’s final moments.
#8: “You Were the Chosen One!”
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“Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith” (2005) The “Star Wars” prequel trilogy goes back to the beginning of the Skywalker saga, attempting to show fans how a villain like Darth Vader could come to be. Viewers watched on as Anakin, once prophesied to be “the Chosen One,” became disillusioned with the Jedi way and fell in with the Sith. All the while his best friend, Obi-Wan Kenobi, watched on. The pair’s opposite life paths eventually lead to a lightsaber fight between them, at the end of which Obi-Wan criticizes Anakin for his choices, telling him SB. Some fans remember the scene going a bit differently, believing that Obi-Wan once named Anakin in his emotional monologue.
#7: “A Name I Have Not Heard in a Long Time”
“Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope” (1977) When the viewer is introduced to Obi-Wan Kenobi in “A New Hope,” they are not introduced to him as Obi-Wan, but as Ben Kenobi. Luke Skywalker eventually figures out the Jedi master’s alias, visiting him alongside R2D2, and telling him that the droid claimed to once belong to an Obi-Wan Kenobi. Ben is taken aback, saying he has not heard that name in “a long time.” Although this is an important scene in the film, and enunciated clearly by actor Alec Guinness, some fans remember the line incorrectly as “a name I have not heard in many years.”
#6: Garbage Mashers
“Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope” (1977) The “Star Wars” universe uses a lot of fun, made-up words and phrases for Earth concepts. Robots are called “droids,” Stormtrooper helmets are called “buckets,” and “fark” is used as an expletive. Even so, some fans were surprised to learn that Luke refers to the trash compactor as a “garbage masher” when rewatching “A New Hope.” Even more puzzling, the scene is often referred to as “the trash compactor scene” when posted to YouTube or discussed online, with the “garbage masher” phrasing rarely being used to describe it. It’s possible that people are just referring to the scene in a way that’s easy to search, but you would think Luke’s screaming insistence to “shut down all the garbage mashers!!” would be more memorable.
#5: “I’d Just as Soon Kiss a Wookiee!”
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“Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) Leia and Han Solo’s constant back and forth in the original trilogy is part of what makes the couple so appealing to fans. The bickering comes across as both an entertaining and realistic start to their relationship. During one of their arguments, Leia insists she’d “just as soon kiss a wookie,” a line which is often misremembered by fans as “I’d rather kiss a wookie.” The following line is sometimes misquoted as well. Han tells the princess “you could use a good kiss,” rather than saying Chewbacca could use a “good kiss.” The latter misconception does make some sense though, as the line is said quickly and Han presumably knows Chewbacca well after traveling with him for years.
#4: Chewbacca’s (Lack of) Medal
“Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope” (1977) At the end of “A New Hope,” Leia holds a ceremony awarding Han and Luke medals for their acts of valor. Unfortunately, despite aiding the rebellion just as much as his human counterparts, Chewbacca does not get a medal for his accomplishments. It’s a weird oversight, which some remember happening differently. One reddit post posits that Chewbacca not only got a medal, but that he had to lean over for Leia to be able to place it around his neck. This moment never existed in any cut of the film in this reality, but others remembered it happening nonetheless. Interestingly enough, one official comic does offer a similar solution, showing Leia standing on a table to award Chewbacca a medal after the ceremony.
#3: C-3PO’s Silver Leg
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The Original Trilogy When you think of what color C-3PO is, what do you think of? Gold, right? Well, you’d be half right. Some may be surprised to learn that Luke’s neurotic droid actually has one silver leg in the original trilogy. Many fans remember the character as being fully gold, to the point that some even believe his colors must have been edited in one of the many re-releases of the films. Even some official merchandise neglects to color his legs correctly. According to actor Anthony Daniels, however, C-3PO has always had mismatched legs. It may be a mandela effect, but it’s more likely that this pervasive misconception is due to the silver leg reflecting the character’s otherwise gold body, thus appearing gold itself.
#2: Obi-Wan Doesn’t Say “May the Force Be With You”
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“Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope” (1977) “May the force be with you” has become a slogan for “Star Wars” over the years, with the date May the 4th even being used as a day to celebrate the franchise. Many believe that this phrase was initially spoken by Obi-Wan in the 1977 film, but this is actually not the case. In the film now known as “A New Hope,” Obi-Wan tells Luke rather than the now universally-known phrase. It may seem like an issue of semantics, but for some this can be an earth-shattering revelation. For those curious, the actual first use of the phrase was by General Dodonna before the Death Star battle in the same film. It is then repeated by Han Solo.
#1: “No, I am your Father”
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“Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) For anyone familiar with both “Star Wars” and the Mandela effect, this number one pick probably seems like a no-brainer. In “The Empire Strikes Back,” a major twist was revealed that completely changed how people viewed both the characters and the franchise as a whole. Darth Vader did not kill Luke’s father, he was Luke’s father! This bombshell is revealed by Vader with the line SB. Yes, you heard correctly. The line is with “No, I am your father” not “Luke, I am your father.” If you’ve been remembering this line wrong, you shouldn’t feel bad. The line has been misquoted in several films, television series, and even, on occasion, by Darth Vader himself - actor James Earl Jones.
