The Empire Strikes Back (1980), (aka Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back) is considered to be one of the most appealing and powerful films in the Star Wars saga - with a superior and more complex plotline (with two parallel storylines), more developed characters (with a burgeoning romance between two sparring leads) and better acting, increasingly-sophisticated special effects, a consistently-even tone of darkness (i.e., Luke's near-death on Hoth, the defeat and retreat of the Rebels, Luke's vision of his own face in Vader's helmet and his aborted Jedi training, the severing of Luke's hand, and Solo's frozen encasement in carbonite), and a compelling and shocking conclusion that ended with an unresolved cliff-hanger (Han's capture by bounty hunters, and the uncertain nature of Luke's heritage).

The film was generally less beloved and less of a crowd-pleaser than its predecessor for some of those very qualities. It took three years for Lucas to develop this second film - another astounding cult film about "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." from 20th Century Fox, that opened first on May 21, 1980.

The film, shot on location in Norway (for the Hoth planet scenes), and in studios in England, continued to advance special-effects technology to a degree unseen before (i.e., the Imperial-Walkers, the Cloud City, etc.). With the first Star Wars film, this second entry in the saga ultimately helped to resurrect the financial viability of the science-fiction genre, a category of films that was considered frivolous and unprofitable, and it further enforced the phrase "May the Force be with you" into common usage. The budgeted production (of about $18 million) from the TCF/LucasFilm production company, mostly made in Britain, was based upon Lucas' recollections of Saturday afternoon matinees, serials, and comic strips, usually with cliff-hanging endings.

The mythological tale of space-age heroism (fighting Evil for the sake of Good) featured an assortment of both memorable characters from the first film and new ones, including a benevolent ex-Jedi Knight appearing in visions (Guinness) after a deadly duel with the dark lord, an on-the-run Princess Leia (Fisher) of the peace-loving Rebel Alliance, two comical robotic droids (R2-D2 and C-3PO), a self-interested smuggler/mercenary space-pilot (Ford), his beastly creature - a co-pilot named Chewbacca (a Wookiee), a traitorous but then helpful leader of Bespin's Cloud City Lando Calrissian (Williams), an idealistic young boy (Hamill) who becomes trained in the righteous, Zen-like ways of the Force by wizened Jedi master Yoda (voice of Frank Oz) in the swamps of Dagobah, and the dark forces of the Empire led by evil Lord Darth Vader (voice of James Earl Jones/David Prowse).

The second blockbuster film was the second film in the second trilogy, since Lucas had plans for another prequel trilogy (three more films). In its Special Edition release in 1997, a few segments in this film were enhanced or changed, including Luke's encounter with a Wampa creature on Hoth, an altered version of the appearance of the Emperor in a hologram, and the footage of the Falcon's arrival at Cloud City, plus an enhanced soundtrack with digital surround-sound.

Two prequels in a second trilogy were released in 1999 and 2002, with a third in mid-2005. The prequels focused on how the father of Luke Skywalker (Anakin Skywalker) succumbed to the dark side of the Force and became the evil Darth Vader:

The first six "Star Wars" films grossed about $2.2 billion (domestic) and about $4.26 billion (worldwide) at the box office, while taking in at least double that amount from merchandise sales.

The 20th Century Fox film set box-office records and was a critical success (many reviewers considered it superior to the original film) - it grossed $4.9 million in its limited opening weekend and grossed $209 million (domestic) and $538 million (worldwide), eventually earning $290.5 million (domestic lifetime gross). However, all of the appealing Star Wars films were criticized for encouraging a boom in spectacular (but sometimes drab) special-effects laden blockbusters (with thin plot lines) for decades after. Prophetically, a few years later, the Soviet Union became the 'Evil Empire' during the Presidency of Ronald Reagan, and Reagan proposed a strategic space-defense program (or SDI - Strategic Defense Initiative), dubbed "Star Wars" in November 1985 by the media.

It was nominated for three Academy Awards (Best Art Direction, Best Score), winning one (Best Sound). It was also the winner of a Special Achievement award for Visual Effects.