In Star Wars, why didn’t R2-D2 tell Luke Skywalker that his father was Darth Vader? It’s a question that was plagued the franchise for decades, and even Mark Hamill doesn’t have a good answer to this curious plot hole. Star Wars is one of the greatest works of fiction ever made, and its impact on pop culture and the medium of film cannot be overstated. Since its humble 1977 debut, Star Wars has spawned three trilogies, numerous spin-off films and television series, hundreds of novels, and countless video games, all dedicated to expanding the sprawling universe first created in the imagination of George Lucas.
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Of course, such a massive storytelling setting can’t help but have some ripped seams. The canon of Star Wars strives to be consistent and devoid of continuity errors, but it simply cannot be helped, and it’s something fans have come to accept as a simple fact of dealing with such a rapidly growing and evolving universe. However, there is one supposed plot hole that even Luke Skywalker’s actor, Mark Hamill, can’t explain away.
On Twitter, the Jedi Master himself, Mark Hamill, was asked why R2-D2 never told Luke Skywalker that Darth Vader was his father, Anakin Skywalker. Unlike C-3P0, who got his memory wiped at the end of Revenge of the Sith, no such fate befell the little blue astromech droid. Based on his role in the original and prequel trilogies, R2 knows the truth about the Skywalker family but doesn’t tell Luke. Why? Hamill admitted he couldn’t think of an acceptable answer and posted a gif of Lucille Ball shrugging her shoulders.
R2-D2 has always been a mischievous robot, but it’s hard to imagine he would keep such a massive secret from Luke without a good reason. While no reason is ever given in the films, fans have long pondered the implications of R2’s selective silence. Perhaps he doesn’t want to break Luke’s heart. Given the young, would-be Jedi’s reaction when he does discover the truth in the climax of The Empire Strikes Back, maybe R2’s presumed choice was the right thing to do. Or perhaps Skywalker is a really common last name on Tattooine, and R2 didn’t realize his new human companion was the son of his old friend, Anakin. Or maybe the droid was simply following Obi-Wan Kenobi’s lead in refusing to divulge the truth, opting instead to keep the young Skywalker safe by choosing to see things “from a certain point of view.”
Whatever the case may be, R2-D2 had his reasons, and his motives are his own. Whether or not R2’s lie of omission qualifies as a plot hole depends on the viewer’s willingness to accept that not everything has to be explained. Much like The Force itself, R2-D2 works in mysterious ways; perhaps it was Luke’s fate to learn of his lineage from his own father, and not his droid companion.
Source: Mark Hamill
