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In The Empire Strikes Back, during the scene where the Millennium-Falcon's crew is valiantly trying to escape from an Imperial blockade, C-3P0 begins to tell Captain Solo what the odds of survival were. He never finishes.

“The odds of successfully surviving an attack on an Imperial Star Destroyer are approximately…”

I was wondering if the true value of his unfinished sentence was ever calculated and documented, or if he just says that in the movie with no real number because no real number is used.

What are the odds?

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  • 32
    Never tell me the odds.
    – Valorum
    Commented Jan 27, 2015 at 21:32
  • I wasn't gonna bring that up but....
    – ruckus
    Commented Jan 27, 2015 at 21:33
  • Related: scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/21903/…
    – alexwlchan
    Commented Jan 27, 2015 at 21:33
  • I saw that but it doesn't give me my answer. :(
    – ruckus
    Commented Jan 27, 2015 at 21:34
  • 8
    Well lets consider only the evidence we have actually observed, since anything else is just hearsay. We have seen the Falcon attack a star destroyer once, and it survived once. So the odds are 1 out of 1, or 100%. QED :)
    – JK.
    Commented Jan 27, 2015 at 23:07

2 Answers 2

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Update:

We finally have a direct comparison from the new (canon) novelisation of the film; The Empire Strikes Back: So You Want to Be a Jedi?

“Sir! The odds of surviving a direct attack on an Imperial Star Destroyer are—”
“Shut up!” Leia shouts.
But in case you want to know, the odds of the Falcon surviving an attack on an Imperial Star Destroyer are about the same as the odds of a lame, half-blind bunny surviving an attack on a hungry tiger. Give or take.
The ship dives at the Destroyer, lasers blazing.
It is one brave bunny.

Basically none.

The film's junior novelisation also gives us a fair indication;

“You’re going to attack them?!” Leia said with alarm as Han jumped back behind the controls. When Han didn’t reply, C-3PO informed him, “Sir, the odds of surviving a direct assault on an Imperial Star Destroyer —”

“Shut up!” Leia shouted.

Han banked hard to port, then made a steep, twisting turn. In the next moment, the Falcon was racing toward the infinitely more powerful Destroyer.

Although it's clearly an act of hyperbole to state that the Destroyer is infinitely more powerful, it stands to reason that the odds are essentially 0%

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    I feel like a tiger would be so confused if a rabbit attacked it that the rabbit would have a fair to middling chance of survival.
    – Wad Cheber
    Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 19:32
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    @WadCheber - Astoundingly, you're not wrong
    – Valorum
    Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 19:37
  • See also: Four lions pick a fight with a single mongoose; mongoose wins
    – Wad Cheber
    Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 19:41
  • I feel like there should be a Sci-Fi equivalent to Terry Pratchett's "Rule One" which comes into play here
    – Joseph Rogers
    Commented Nov 19, 2015 at 16:43
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No script that I can find continues the sentence beyond what we see onscreen. The interaction isn't in the first draft at all, and the only other script I can find is the shooting script.

HAN Sharp bank, Chewie. Let’s turn this bucket around. (Chewie puzzled, barks) You heard me, turn around! Full power on the front shield.

LEIA You’re going to attack them?!!!

THREEPIO Sir, if I might point out, the odds of surviving a direct assault on an Imperial Star Destroyer are…

Chewie BARKS and the golden droid shuts up.
Source: The Jedi Bendu Script Site, Empire Strikes Back Shooting Script

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