Editing The Empire Strikes Back (section)

== Legacy ==
=== Critical reassessment ===
''The Empire Strikes Back'' remains an enduringly popular piece of cinema.<ref name="SyFy40Years" /> It is considered groundbreaking for its [[cliffhanger]] ending, influence on mainstream films, and special effects.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="Space.COM" /><ref name="ScreenRantGroundbreak" /><ref name="StarWarsComGroundbreak" /><ref name="DOGGroundbreak" />}} Brian Lowry of [[CNN]] wrote that without the "groundwork laid by one of the best sequels ever, [the [[Star Wars|''Star Wars'' franchise]]] wouldn't be the force that it is now".<ref name="CNNLowry" />

Despite the film's initial mixed reception, it has since been reevaluated by critics and fans and is now often considered the best film in the ''Star Wars'' series, and one of the [[List of films considered the best|greatest films ever made]].{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="DOGBlockbusterSequel" /><ref name="Playboy" /><ref name="Empire500" /><ref name="TotalFilm100" /><ref name="EmpireRetroReview" /><ref name="DOGMixed" /><ref name="SyFy40Years" /><ref name="USATodayBest" /><ref name="FilmSiteBest" /><ref name="SFGateBest" /><ref name="LATimesKurtz" /><ref name="Variety1002022" />}} In 2014, members of the entertainment industry ranked ''Empire'' as the 32nd-best film of all time in a poll conducted by ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''Star Wars'' was #11).<ref name="THRJun14" /> ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine named it the third-best film of all time, stating that the modern cliché of sequels employing a darker tone can be traced back to ''Empire''.<ref name="Empire500" /> A 1997 retrospective review by Roger Ebert declared the film the best of the original trilogy, praising the depth of its storytelling and its ability to create a sense of wonder in the audience.<ref name="EbertRetro" />  A vote by 250,000 ''[[Business Insider]]'' readers in 2014 listed it as the greatest film ever made; it is also included in the 2013 film reference book ''[[1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die]]''.<ref name="BIBestReaders" />{{sfn|Schneider|2013}} The revelation that Vader is Luke's father continues to be seen as one of the greatest [[plot twist]]s in cinema.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="TimeBestSequels" /><ref name="DOGMixed" /><ref name="I09Twist" /><ref name="USATodayBest" /><ref name="RingerTwist" /><ref name="EsquireTwist" /><ref name="ColliderTwist" /><ref name="Space.COM" />{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=339}}}} Similarly, Han saying "I know" in response to Leia's love confession is considered one of the most iconic scenes in the ''Star Wars'' films and one of the more famous lines of improvised dialogue in cinema.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="IKnowi09" /><ref name="IKnowCBR" /><ref name="IKnowSyFy" /><ref name="IKnowVulture" /><ref name="IKnowSlate" /><ref name="DOGMixed" />}}

''Empire'' magazine selected the film as the sixth greatest movie sequel, lauding the "bold" unresolved ending and willingness to avoid the same formula as the first film.<ref name="Empire50GreatestSequels" /> ''[[Den of Geek]]'' called it the second-best sequel—after ''[[Aliens (film)|Aliens]]'' (1986)—and hailed it as Lucas's "masterpiece".<ref name="DOGBlockbusterSequel" /> ''[[Playboy]]'' named it the third-best sequel, describing the disclosure of the relationship between Luke and Vader as the "emotional core that has elevated ''Star Wars'' to the pantheon of timeless modern sagas".<ref name="Playboy" /> The [[BBC]] and [[Collider (website)|''Collider'']] listed it as one of the best sequels ever made,<ref name="BestSequelBBC" /><ref name="BestSequelCollider" /> while ''Time'' and ''Playboy'' described it as a sequel that surpasses the original.<ref name="Playboy" /><ref name="BestSequelsTime" /> Review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]] recognizes it as the 27th-best sequel, based on review scores.<ref name="RTTop100Sequels" /> ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s 2014 reader-voted list of the best sequels listed ''Empire'' at third.<ref name="RollingStoneReaderBest" />

{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|{{RT data|score}}|9|{{RT data|count}}|Dark, sinister, but ultimately even more involving than ''A New Hope'', ''The Empire Strikes Back'' defies viewer expectations and takes the series to heightened emotional levels.|ref=no}}<ref name="RottenTomatoes" /> ''Empire'' has a score of 82 out of 100 on [[Metacritic]] based on the reviews of 25 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".<ref name="Metacritic" /> Characters introduced in the film, such as Yoda and Lando Calrissian, are now considered iconic.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="VergeYoda" /><ref name="ScreeRantYoda" /><ref name="ObserverYoda" /><ref name="WAPOLando" /><ref name="RadioTimesLando" /><ref name="GQLando" />}} The [[American Film Institute]] ranked Darth Vader as the third best villain on its 2003 list of the [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains|100 Best Heroes & Villains]], after [[Norman Bates]] and [[Hannibal Lecter]].<ref name="AFIHeroes" />

=== Cultural influence===
{{See also|Cultural impact of Star Wars|l1=''Cultural impact of'' Star Wars}}
''The Empire Strikes Back'' was ubiquitous in American culture upon its release.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=336}} [[Freddie Mercury]] ended a 1980 [[Queen (band)|Queen]] concert by riding on the shoulders of someone dressed as Darth Vader.<ref name="StarWarsUKPremiere" />{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|pp=328,336}}<ref name="AVClubCulture" /> The film was referenced in [[political cartoon]]s.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=336}} Kershner received letters from fans around the world asking for autographs, and from psychologists who had used Yoda to explain philosophical ideas to their patients.{{sfn|Rinzler|2010|p=339}} Other films, television shows, and video games have extensively referenced or parodied the film,<ref name="CultureFilm" /><ref name="CultureVG" /> including the [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]] (MCU),<ref name="CultureMCU" /> ''[[Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom]]'', ''[[Spaceballs]]'', ''[[Toy Story 2]]'', ''[[Logorama]]'', ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'', ''[[Stargate Universe]]'', ''[[The Muppet Show]]'', ''[[The Fairly OddParents]]'', ''[[Futurama]]'', ''[[American Dad!]]'', ''[[South Park]]'', ''[[Aqua Teen Hunger Force]]'', ''[[The Venture Bros.]]'',<ref name="CultureFilm" /> ''[[The Simpsons]]'',<ref name="CultureSimpsons" /> ''[[Robot Chicken]]'', ''[[Family Guy]]'' and its subsequent [[Laugh It Up, Fuzzball: The Family Guy Trilogy|parody trilogy]].<ref name="CultureFamilyGuy" /> In 2010, the United States [[Library of Congress]] selected ''The Empire Strikes Back'' for preservation in the [[National Film Registry]] for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".<ref name="Loc" /><ref name="LOCTHR" />

Landon Palmer, Eric Diaz, and Darren Mooney argue that ''Empire'', and not ''Star Wars'', created the concept of the modern blockbuster film franchise, which includes sequels serving as chapters in an infinitely expanding narrative—a template which was embraced by other film properties in the decades following ''Empire''<nowiki/>'s release. This new paradigm stood in opposition to the popular trend of exploiting a successful film by creating low-budget sequels (which resulted in diminishing returns, as happened with the [[Jaws (franchise)|''Jaws'' franchise]]).<ref name="Escapist" /><ref name="LandonPalmer" /><ref name="NerdistBlockbuster" /> Instead, more money was spent on ''Empire'' to expand the fictional universe and reap greater box-office returns. The use of a cliffhanger ending to set up a future sequel is seen in many modern films, particularly those in the MCU.<ref name="Escapist" /> It has also been suggested that ''Empire'' forged a narrative structure that continues to be emulated in trilogies, wherein the middle film is darker than the original and features an ending in which the protagonists fail to defeat the antagonists (which sets up a subsequent film). Emmet Asher-Perrin and Ben Sherlock cite the series ''[[Back to the Future (franchise)|Back to the Future]]'', ''[[The Matrix (franchise)|The Matrix]]'', ''[[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|The Lord of the Rings]]'', and ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)|Pirates of the Caribbean]]'' as examples.<ref name="TOR" /><ref name="ScreenRantInspo" />

Filmmakers such as the [[Russo brothers]], [[Roland Emmerich]], and [[Kevin Feige]], and actors such as [[Neil Patrick Harris]], [[Jim Carrey]], and [[Jude Law]], cite ''Empire'' as an inspiration in their careers or identify as fans.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="ColliderRusso" /><ref name="EmpireEmmerich" /><ref name="ColliderFeige" /><ref name="NPH"/><ref name="ColliderCarrey"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://collider.com/who-is-jude-law-in-star-wars-skeleton-crew/ |title=Jude Law Reveals His Favorite 'Star Wars' Movie and Addresses The Biggest 'Skeleton Crew' Fan Theories |work=Collider |last1=Jones |first1=Tamera |last2=Weintraub |first2=Steven |date=November 29, 2024 |access-date=January 20, 2025}}</ref>}}