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Updated February 11, 2021 73.5K votes 11.4K voters 312.3K views
Voting Rules
Vote up the most glaringly obvious Star Wars plot holes.
Why are we here? What is our purpose in the universe? Why didn't Darth Vader recognize C-3PO and R2D2? These are the big questions of our time, and they demand to be answered. Now, with a franchise as massive as Star Wars, we almost expect to get a certain amount of plot holes, but that doesn't make them any less baffling.
The unanswered questions from Star Wars are compounded by the fact the series was released out of chronological order. The original trilogy dealt with the middle part of the story, while the prequels were written two decades later. This obviously led to some problems for George Lucas, as he fleshed out story ideas and changed particular plot points to better suit his vision. He also had to incorporate some foreshadowing into the Star Wars prequels, which inevitably led to narrative confusion.
Telling the story in such an unusual way was always going to result in some inconsistencies in the Star Warsmovies. And while some of these have been addressed in the expanded universe, most fans are only aware of the plot points that take place in the actual films. Unfortunately, that means there are still plenty of plot holes in Star Wars that continue to bamboozle even diehard fans.
Photo: user uploaded image
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6,781 VOTES
Rey Seemingly Became A Powerful Jedi Without Any Formal Training
Photo: The Last Jedi / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
By the end of The Last Jedi,Rey is a fully-realized Jedi, despite the fact she receives almost no training from Luke. While the Jedi Master himself didn’t follow the traditional method of years of schooling, he did get significant tutoring from two of the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy – Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda.
This goes some way to explaining how he was able to become so powerful in a short amount of time. Meanwhile, there is no explanation for how Rey is able to learn her new abilities and skills so quickly, other than the light side just sort of... wanting her to.
Despite encountering R2-D2 and literally building C-3PO during the events of the original trilogy, Darth Vader never seems to recognize them. This is utterly bizarre, given his past relationships with both droids. Considering that Anakin spent much of the Clone Wars with both droids, and even carried out several missions with them, he should certainly remember who they are.
As it stands, maybe all droids just look alike to him?
6,378 votes
3
5,963 VOTES
Leia Remembers Her Mother, Despite The Fact Padme Died In Childbirth
In Return of the Jedi, Princess Leia talks to Luke about her childhood. During this conversation, she specifically mentions remembering her biological mother from when she was young. This, of course, is physically impossible.
Padme died almost immediately after giving birth to Luke and Leia in Revenge of the Sith, broken-hearted after discovering Anakin turned to the dark side. This means Leia couldn't have any genuine memories, as she was only hours old when Padme passed away.
5,963 votes
4
5,231 VOTES
Using A Hyperspace Jump To Destroy Enemy Ships Shouldn’t Work
Photo: The Last Jedi / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
One of the most intense moments of The Last Jedi comes when a rebel cruiser is used as an improvised weapon to destroy Supreme Leader Snoke’s ship. The spacecraft is obliterated when the rebel ship jumps to light speed using its hyperdrive, causing an immense and immediate amount of damage that otherwise would not have been possible.
However, if this tactic is possible, then why aren't people using it all the time?Even tiny ships can (and are) fitted with hyperdrives, so if this was tactically feasible, fleets could fit missiles or other unmanned projectiles with the faster-than-light engines to fire at enemy ships. But at least it looked super cool.
5,231 votes
5
5,218 VOTES
Luke Is "Hidden" On His Father’s Home Planet, And Keeps His Original Surname
When Padme died at the end of Revenge of the Sith, it was clear to Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Bail Organa her children needed to be hidden away from their father. If Darth Vader discovered them, they probably suspected he would train them in the dark side, or kill them to remove a potential threat.
Bail adopted Leia as his daughter and gave her a new name, but Luke is inexplicably sent to live with his (and by extension Anakin's) blood relatives. Not only that, but despite ostensibly trying to hide him from Darth Vader, the trio decide Luke should keep the Skywalker name, live on Tatooine where Vader was born, and have Obi-Wan (Darth Vader's former master) live nearby. It's honestly shocking they even bothered to change his name to Ben. It's almost as if they tried to make it as easy as possible to find the future Jedi.
5,218 votes
6
6,110 VOTES
Leia Was Never Taught How To Use The Force, But Is Incredibly Powerful In The Last Jedi
Photo: The Last Jedi / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
One of the most intense moments in The Last Jedi came when Leia used her mastery of the Force to survive the vacuum of space, and travel safely back to her ship. Most fans would agree these are the actions of a powerful Force user.
This is strange, however, considering Leia has generally not used the Force before. When she has, it has been instinctive, and with people she has strong personal attachments to – such as when she senses Han’s death, or talks telepathically with Luke. It makes little-to-no sense for her to suddenly utilize such powerful Force abilities with no training or instruction.
