Teaching with Star Wars continues its weekly run on StarWars.com with Dan Zehr looking at how Lando makes his choices as events unfold in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.
Lando Calrissian is a notorious scoundrel determined to make an honest living for himself. He is the Baron Administrator of Cloud City, eager to prove he can leave the shadows of his past, and be a stand-up guy. Change and growth are certainly things to admire, and Lando is adamant that he has made that happen. No one has ever really gotten the best of him, anyway (at least, in his own mind). What could possibly go wrong?
But it’s really difficult to run from your past, as Lando learns in his visit from Darth Vader and the Empire. Vader makes him an offer he can’t refuse, and Lando is manipulated into betraying his long time friends, Han Solo and Chewbacca, as well as Princess Leia. While it is fair to say that not many people would have been able to say no to Lord Vader, it is also accurate that Lando has, once again, deceived Han Solo and taken something precious from him. Lando’s questionable luck and penchant for trickery has not helped him to reinvent himself, as he had hoped. It certainly did not do Han any favors.
Yet, we always have a choice. Does Lando want to let things stay the way they are, or does he want to make things right? The current status quo does not look promising (never make a deal with Darth Vader!), and Lando will have to own up to his potentially fatal decision — his friend’s life is at stake. It takes a big person to stand up to Vader and the Empire, potentially losing Cloud City for good, but it takes an even bigger person to take responsibility for their actions and own their mistakes.
With an ego like Lando’s, that could be even more challenging. However, Lando is not like most people. He chooses to right the wrong — to free Leia and Chewbacca, and alter Darth Vader’s deal in order to save his friend. While it is not successful, Lando has proven that he has changed, even in the face of overwhelming odds. While it is certainly most impressive that he went against Darth Vader, it may be more relatable that he admitted his mistake, and did his absolute best to correct this error.
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