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10 Ways Star Wars Has Changed How You See Return Of The Jedi, 40 Years Later
10 Ways Star Wars Has Changed How You See Return Of The Jedi, 40 Years Later
The Star Wars franchise has grown significantly over the past 40 years, and so has the way audiences have viewed Return of the Jedi. The final film in the original Star Wars trilogy remained unchanged for a long time, as there weren’t many books or comics that significantly altered the story. That changed with the release of Heir to the Empire in 1991, which marked the beginning of the modern Expanded Universe and renewed interest in the story Return of the Jedi. George Lucas also began altering the film starting with the 1997 Special Edition, changing certain moments with each subsequent revision. The prequel trilogy finally brought Star Wars to the big screen, revealing storylines that were only hinted at in Return of the Jedi. The sequel trilogy then offered their own versions of events following Return of the Jedi, as well as the live-action TV shows on Disney+. With so many new entries in the series, it’s impossible for audiences to watch a Star Wars film with the same eyes they did when it was released, and that’s especially true of Return of the Jedi. From new scenes to revelations that provide additional context, here are 10 aspects of Return of the Jedi that have changed in the 40 years since.
Boba Fett Didn’t Actually Die In Return Of The Jedi
Boba Fett appears to have met his end in Return of the Jedi by falling into the Sarlacc Pit, but Star Wars has done this many times. The Legends sequels include several stories about Boba’s survival that were re-canonized in season 2 of The Mandalorian. The Book of Boba Fett gives a more detailed explanation of how Boba’s armor protected him in the pit and allowed him to crawl out. He joined a tribe of Tusken raiders, worked with Din Djarin for a while, and eventually replaced Jabba the Hutt as Lord of Mos Espa on Tatooine.
Palpatine’s Death Brought Balance To The Force
Palpatine’s death was originally just a father saving his son, but the prequel trilogy gave it cosmic meaning. Anakin Skywalker’s “Chosen One” prophecy stated that he was destined to destroy the Sith and restore balance to the Force, and although he turned to the dark side, he was later killed by Palpatine as predicted. This made Anakin’s sacrifice more meaningful, making Return of the Jedi the final chapter of not only the original trilogy, but the six films in total.
Anakin Skywalker’s Force Ghost Returns To His Young Form
The late Sebastian Shaw appeared as Anakin’s Force ghost in Return of the Jedi, but was replaced by Hayden Christensen for the 2004 DVD release. The theatrical cut depicts Anakin as he is, gazing proudly at Luke like a father had he not turned to the dark side. The revised cut provides new context, showing the Anakin audiences know from the previous films, and reflecting Luke Skywalker at this point in his life. Fans still debate which is better, but Anakin’s Force ghost returning to his younger self changes the ending of Return of the Jedi.
Palpatine’s Death In Return Of The Jedi Isn’t Final
Palpatine’s death brought balance to the Force and completed Anakin’s redemption, but Star Wars never left the Emperor dead. When Palpatine first returned in Star Wars: Dark Empire, the iconic comic book series created by Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy, he transferred his dark spirit into a clone body. A similar explanation was used in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in the Star Wars canon, revealing Palpatine to be the true mastermind behind Snoke, Kylo Ren, and the First Order. Considering Palpatine cheated death once, it’s entirely possible that he could return a third time.
Jabba The Hutt Is Already An Established Character
Jabba the Hutt did not appear in A New Hope, so it was a surprise when he was eventually cast in Return of the Jedi. However, George Lucas did recreate Jabba in CGI, including in a deleted scene in the special edition. Jabba later appeared in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, the animated series, and the film Star Wars: The Clone Wars, expanding his storyline before the original trilogy. Historically, Jabba was an established character long before his first appearance in Return of the Jedi.
Luke’s Behavior Is More Troubling (Because Of Anakin)
In Return of the Jedi, Luke is tempted to the dark side during his final Jedi exam. Yet, Luke had no compelling reason to join Palpatine until the lives of his friends were in danger, whereas in the prequels, we see even more parallels between Anakin and Luke. Observing Anakin’s actions in the previous films, it is much more unsettling to see Luke Force strangle a guard or tell someone not to underestimate his power. It suggests that Luke has unwittingly fallen to the dark side, which creates even more tension as Palpatine tries to get Luke to defect to the Death Star.
Obi-Wan Lying To Luke Is More Understandable After Revenge Of The Sith
Obi-Wan Kenobi lied to Luke throughout the original trilogy and only had time for a brief explanation in the final film. Thanks to Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan hiding the truth from Luke makes more sense given what he’s been through. The film also shows how Luke and Leia could become brothers and how they became brothers, making the Skywalker family story more consistent.
Leia Remembering Her Mother Is Confusing Now
However, in Revenge of the Sith, some scenes were more confusing, such as Leia’s memories of her mother but not Luke’s. In Return of the Jedi, it was implied that Leia was old enough to remember her mother’s death, but in Revenge of the Sith, Padme Amidala is Luke and Leia’s mother. It turns out she died shortly after she was born. Several Star Wars fan theories have attempted to explain this plot hole, but this scene always feels strange on repeated viewings.
The Empire Didn’t Fall At The Battle Of Endor
Return of the Jedi led viewers to believe the Empire collapsed after the Battle of Endor, but that was never the case in the books and comics. In the Legends timeline, the New Republic and Imperial remnants continued to war for years before finally signing a peace treaty. In Star Wars canon, the Galactic Civil War officially ended with the Battle of Jakku one year after Return of the Jedi, but the Empire survived in various forms. The Imperial Shadow Council continued to undermine the New Republic, the First Order eventually succeeded the Empire, and Palpatine constructed the Final Order fleet to form a New Empire.
Luke Is Destined To Repeat The Same Mistakes As The Jedi
The Star Wars sequel trilogy showed that the happy ending of Return of the Jedi would not last forever, especially not for Luke. Yoda urged Luke to pass on his knowledge, implying that he would successfully build a new Jedi Order that would be better than the old one. Unfortunately, Luke knew nothing about the old Jedi Order until it was too late and Ben Solo destroyed the Jedi Temple. The ending of Return of the Jedi will likely never again have enough impact to change audiences’ perception of the film after 40 years.
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