How we authenticated this artifact
The museum's public record of the evidence, sources, and verification behind “Luke, I am your father.”. Every artifact is traceable to primary evidence before it goes on display.
Evidence
Primary Evidence
The primary evidence is the film itself: Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back.
In the confrontation, Luke says:
“He told me enough. He told me you killed him.”
Darth Vader replies:
“No. I am your father.”
This confirms that the famous popular version preserves the meaning of the scene but not the exact wording.
Supporting Evidence
The research packet for MM-0001 records this as a high-confidence misquote based on direct comparison with the film dialogue.
Related file:
- MM-0001 Research Packet
Sources
- Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back, directed by Irvin Kershner, Lucasfilm, 1980.
- MM-0001 Research Packet
- Collection Catalog
How this was verified
Every artifact passes through the museum's research pipeline — discovery, research and authentication, cataloguing, exhibition drafting, and a Museum Standards review gate — before it reaches the galleries. Claims are traced to primary sources and confidence is stated honestly. Read how the museum works →
- Primary — original publications, letters, speeches, films, official archives.
- Scholarly — academic books, historical journals, museum and library collections.
- Research reference — Quote Investigator, Wikiquote, institutional research.
- General reference — only when corroborated.
Unsourced quote websites are never used as evidence.
Catalog record
- Collection ID: MM-0001
- Gallery: Movie Misquotes · Star Wars
- Quote type: Misquote
- Confidence: High
- Published: 2026-07-05
- Last updated: 2026-07-07