Return of the Jedi ending explained

What happens

Vader turns on the Emperor and throws him down a shaft, saving Luke at the cost of his own life. The Death Star is destroyed, the Empire collapses, and Luke burns his father's body on a pyre.

The last image

As the galaxy celebrates, Luke looks across the Endor celebration and sees the Force spirits of Obi-Wan, Yoda and a smiling Anakin Skywalker watching over him.

What it says

Luke wins by refusing to kill, and Vader is redeemed by a son's faith in him. The film ends with the family made whole because the story was never really about the battle. It was about whether anyone is beyond saving.