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After reading the "What the hell was Luke thinking in ROTJ" thread, one thing came to mind.

Why the hell did Owen and Beru not change Luke's surname? Let's just say Vader had strayed into Tatooine space at some other time, wouldn't he have found it a bit odd that there was someone with the name "Skywalker" on some podunk little moisture farm he visited years ago?

Unless of course, Skywalker is the SW equivalent of Smith.

can't be that rare, if Red Leader recognises luke as Anakin son.

Did they know about the connection when they got Luke?
Its possible that Obi -wan believed Anakin was dead and Tatooine was far enough out of the way that nobody would notice. You have to remember that 1. Anakin was left for dead, and 2. Anakin killed Padme and probably thought the babies died with her.
The only people who knew Anakin was Darth Vader at that point were the ones personally invovled in his rescue and recovery,
And the only people who knew about Luke and Leia were the ones involved in their rescue and adoption. Its even possible that Bail Organa's wife was never told all the details about where Leia came from.(unlikely but possible)

PainRack wrote:can't be that rare, if Red Leader recognises luke as Anakin son.

First, I always thought that scene from the novelisation was overruled.

Second, wouldn't that be an indication of the opposite?

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:

PainRack wrote:can't be that rare, if Red Leader recognises luke as Anakin son.

First, I always thought that scene from the novelisation was overruled.

Second, wouldn't that be an indication of the opposite?

Red Leader speaks to Luke in the SE but obviously doesn't mention flying with his dad, that said the conversation we see does not preclude another conversation where Red Leader DID mention this. Moreover since the novelisation adds two extra squadrons (Red, Gold, Blue, and Green against just the first two in the movie) this leaves an otherwise unseen Blue Leader to speak to Luke just as in the novelisation.

Also if one can connect Luke Skywalker to Anakin Skywalker without detailed knowledge (and in the novelisation Blue Leader wasn't even 100% positive it was Luke) then Skywalker must be a relatively rare name.

phred wrote:Did they know about the connection when they got Luke?
Its possible that Obi -wan believed Anakin was dead and Tatooine was far enough out of the way that nobody would notice. You have to remember that 1. Anakin was left for dead, and 2. Anakin killed Padme and probably thought the babies died with her.
The only people who knew Anakin was Darth Vader at that point were the ones personally invovled in his rescue and recovery,
And the only people who knew about Luke and Leia were the ones involved in their rescue and adoption. Its even possible that Bail Organa's wife was never told all the details about where Leia came from.(unlikely but possible)

That doesn't work, because Obi-wan would've let the Lars know when he realized that Vader was still alive. Or at least, he should've.

According to the NEC, Owen explains to neighbours that he gave Luke the name "Skywalker" to honour Owen's stepmother, Shmi.

So, for most people on Tattooine, the immediate connection is Shmi -> Owen -> Luke and they may not even believe that the famous Anakin Skywalker is related at all.

That doesn't work, because Obi-wan would've let the Lars know when he realized that Vader was still alive. Or at least, he should've.

IIRC, this is addressed in the last chapter or so of Dark Lord. Obi-Wan is keeping a covert eye on Owen, Beru and baby Luke during a shopping expedition in Anchorhead and chances across a newscast that identifies the Emperor's new enforcer as Darth Vader. His immediate reaction (after shock) is to want to get Luke and run like hell, but the ghost of Qui-Gon tells him to settle down, that there's no way Vader will come back to a place that caused Anakin so much pain. But the book doesn't say whether or not Obi-Wan tells Owen and Beru that Vader = Anakin.

Beru: "He has too much of his father in him."

Owen: "That's what I'm afraid of."



Would this little exchange indicate the Lars DO know Anakin=Vader?

^ That's how I always read the line in lieu of ESB, even if it wasn't written that way to begin with.

I really doubt that Kenobi never talked to Lars. I think they had a couple of conversations before Lars sent him packing. Think of it this way: you're not getting near my kid, since you made his father from a cute little "local hero" Podracer into a Sith Lord with an iron lung!

Enola Straight wrote:Beru: "He has too much of his father in him."

Owen: "That's what I'm afraid of."

Would this little exchange indicate the Lars DO know Anakin=Vader?

Seeing that little exchange again after TESB, I concluded...

1) Owen and Beru know that Luke is the son of Anakin Skywalker.

2) Only Owen knows that Anakin became Darth Vader.

Enola Straight wrote:Beru: "He has too much of his father in him."

Owen: "That's what I'm afraid of."



Would this little exchange indicate the Lars DO know Anakin=Vader?

I had always assumed that the meaning of the exchange didn't change, even after seeing ESB: it can be rationalized without the Larses knowing Anakin is Vader, just being afraid that he'll run off and become an adventurous Jedi.

EDIT: typodemons

it can be rationalized without the Larses knowing Anakin is Vader, just being afraid that he'll run off and become an adventurous Jedi.

Or simply run off into the big, bad universe. Luke becoming a Jedi wouldn't be a big concern to them, since the last of them know lives in a shack in the mountains, but I doubt they'd want to lose him to the Academy.

It's also possible Owen was informed that Anakin had joined the Sith, took the name Vader, and was now dead, and then some time later, he heard the name "Darth Vader" and put it all together.