A musical theme, originating from the mind of John Williams and brought to life by the London Symphony Orchestra, was initially heard in the 1980 motion picture, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. This theme is presented as a repeating ostinato, prominently featured in the film's soundtrack track titled "To Hyperspace." This same track was integrated into "Snowspeeder Rescue," the music accompanying Rogue Squadron's search for Han Solo and Commander Luke Skywalker using modified T-47 airspeeders on Hoth, led by Wedge Antilles. Furthermore, this dark side ostinato resurfaces as Luke Skywalker clings to a weather scanner vane of Cloud City, and during the Millennium Falcon's escape from both the city and the Galactic Empire's Death Squadron above Bespin.
A comparable musical figure is utilized in the 1977 film, Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, specifically when Luke Skywalker rushes toward his burning homestead. A version of the dark side ostinato is also present on the soundtrack for Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, appearing at the beginning of the concert piece "The Forest Battle," which musically depicts the Ewok ground engagements during the Battle of Endor. The motif appears twice, each time followed by a transition to the dies irae leitmotif.
The Episode V motif can be heard during the train stage in Shadows of the Empire.
Paul Webb adapted the dark side motif from "The Forest Battle" for use in the Endor levels of the 1995 video game Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. This ostinato is also present within levels – notably those featuring the snowspeeder – of the Star Wars: Rogue Squadron game, with music composed by Chris Hülsbeck and released in 1998. The game's Concert Hall tracks "TIE Fighter Attack" and "Save the city" incorporate the motif, while "Snowspeeder theme" is built entirely around the ostinato. The 1996 video game Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire utilizes the "To Hyperspace" track for the hovertrain level on Ord Mantell.
While "To Hyperspace" from The Empire Strikes Back is featured in Star Wars: Bounty Hunters, a 2002 video game connected to the film Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, the Return of the Jedi ostinato makes an appearance at the start of the Seduction TV Spot for the 2005 prequel trilogy film Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, during the scene where Palpatine tempts Anakin Skywalker to embrace the dark side of the Force.
The dark side ostinato resurfaces in the track "Rogue One" on the soundtrack of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, a 2016 anthology film scored by Michael Giacchino. Within the film, this track accompanies the sequence depicting rebels preparing to sacrifice themselves on the Imperial world of Scarif. The dark side motif is heard twice throughout the Battle of Crait sequence in the 2017 sequel trilogy film Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi. It is present in "The Battle of Crait" track on the associated soundtrack.
The Episode V "To Hyperspace" track is reused for the Resistance's escape from the Finalizer in the Rise of the Resistance attraction, which debuted in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in 2019. The score for the 2019 sequel film Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker also incorporates the Episode V dark side ostinato, sampled from "To Hyperspace."
Within The Rise of Skywalker, the dark side motif plays as the Millennium Falcon jumps through hyperspace across the galaxy. In this instance, the ostinato is interwoven with the dies irae and layered with "March of the Resistance" and the Rebel Fanfare, before transitioning into the new heroics motif and then returning to the Resistance motif. The "To Hyperspace" track then plays alongside the Rebel Fanfare, concluding with the climactic music from the Battle of Yavin in 1977's A New Hope.