STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI Revisited - Looking Back At 5 Things That Worked And 5 That Didn't

We've now reached the end of our look back at the original Star Wars trilogy, but how did this finale stack up to the one George Lucas delivered years later with Revenge of the Sith? Find out here...

By JoshWilding - Nov 13, 2023 10:11 AM EST

Filed Under: Star Wars

The Star Wars franchise returned to the big screen in 2015 with The Force Awakens, though this Galaxy Far, Far Away has since found greater success on television than in theaters. While Lucasfilm did announce three new movies earlier this year, the Hollywood strikes have led to inevitable delays and little progress is likely to have been made since the Spring.

Unfortunately, it seems we'll have to continue turning to Disney+ for our Star Wars fix, though that's not necessarily a bad thing if the likes of The Mandalorian and Andor are anything to go by (Skeleton Crew and The Acolyte are also heading our way in 2024).

To fill the Star Wars-shaped void in your lives, we're continuing to take a look back at the Skywalker Saga after recently delving into what did and didn't work in A New Hope. and The Empire Strikes Back.

Return of the Jedi got a lot right but made some crucial mistakes, and while it's nowhere near as divisive as The Rise of Skywalker, it certainly left Star Wars fans with mixed feelings. So, to take a look through this breakdown, all you need to do is click the "Next" button below!

Did Work: The Jedi Knight

What a difference a year makes, eh? When Return of the Jedi begins, Luke has enacted a clever plan to rescue Han Solo from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt, and when we see him for the first time here, he’s become a fully fledged Jedi Knight.

Displaying some amazing lightsaber skills and a mastery of the Force, the one time farm boy couldn’t have been any different upon his return to Tatooine. With his black robes and a brand new green lightsaber (an interesting change), he looked every bit the part too.

It seemed a little convenient seeing as he trained with Yoda for such a short amount of time, but Marvel's Star Wars comics are now filling in the gap between The Empire Strikes Back and this film.

Didn't Work: A Second Death Star

Why?

That's the big question here, and the fact that another Death Star showed up so soon after the destruction of the first cheapened the victory of the Rebels in A New Hope.

After all, Revenge of the Sith showed us that it’s something the Empire had been working on for decades, so the fact that they’d knocked together another – much bigger and more powerful than the last – so quickly seems a bit odd in hindsight, as does the fact that it once again had an easy to exploit fault to make it fairly easy to destroy.

As epic as the space battle may have been as Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader battled in front of the Emperor, this definitely felt like a retread of old ground in some ways, and we've yet to find out whether this was being built at the same time as the first one or whether it was just thrown together.

With another weakness, of course!

Did Work: Endor Speeder Chase

One of the most exciting and overlooked action sequences in the original Star Wars trilogy, Luke and Leia racing through the forests of Endor while being pursued by Stormtroopers stands as out as one of the franchise’s most kinetic and well-put-together set pieces.

Essentially flying motorbikes, the speeders made for a unique visual, especially as the previous movies had spent so much time in the air. Lucas would of course recapture this same excitement years later with the Podrace in the otherwise disappointing The Phantom Menace.

Alas, this one took an admittedly rather sour turn when it led to Luke and Leia meeting the Ewoks, something which proves once and for all that all good things do indeed come to an end.

Didn't Work: Boba Fett's Apparent Demise

Even thoughThe Empire Strikes Back had established Boba Fett as a firm fan-favourite, George Lucas still made the baffling decision to kill him off in perhaps the lamest way possible in Return of the Jedi. If the filmmaker felt that there was no other way to end his story here, then there had to be a better way to have the bounty hunter meet his maker.

After all, his apparent demise boiled down to Han Solo accidentally hitting his jetpack with a staff and sending him into the Sarlaac Pit for a slow and agonising death...we guess he deserved?

While the Expanded Universe is no more, Disney has confirmed that Boba Fett managed to survive (much to the delight of fans), and he is now set to make his return in The Mandalorian on Disney+.

Did Work: Slave Leia

A few years ago, it was confirmed that Disney had stopped producing any merchandise with Princess Leia in her slave costume, a decision which is understandable in many ways, but one that not even Carrie Fisher agreed with. That’s a shame, though, because regardless of how incredible the actress looked in this costume, she also got to kick some serious ass.

Bear in mind that Leia was responsible for killing Jabba the Hutt while chained up, giving her a role as pivotal as that of Luke and Han, and proving that she was no longer the vulnerable girl who had to be rescued in A New Hope. The fact she did it all while looking downright incredible was a bonus, and the costume is of course now iconic. Sadly, it's just a tad dated!

Didn't Work: Leia Is Suddenly Luke's Sister

When Yoda (whose death happens far too quickly and feels wholly unnecessary) talked about there being "another." you’d think that it would have major ramifications for Return of the Jedi.

That wasn’t the case and the reveal that Luke’s sister is Leia is handled very poorly, with it feeling like little more than a convenient way to squash the notion of any sort of romance between them because Lucas had decided that she was meant to be with Han.

While Vader briefly mentions her, you’d also think he would have had a bigger reaction to learning that the woman he kidnapped and tortured was his daughter, and this is a reveal which feels too much like Lucas struggling to replicate The Empire Strikes Back’s big twist.

Did Work: Darth Vader Returns To The Light

Return of the Jedi may have featured an incredible space battle, but even more exciting was what was happening inside the Death Star. The highlight of the fight between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker came when Anakin was forced to choose between his son and the Dark Side.

Regardless of their many faults, the prequels at least provided some insight into why Vader made this decision, as have Marvel's Star Wars comics (which revealed that he knows the Emperor had lied to him about the circumstances of Padme’s death).

All that aside though, this was still a powerful moment, as well as one which didn’t necessarily fully redeem Vader, but did prove he was more than just a fearsome and entirely evil villain.

Didn't Work: The Ewoks

Look, you can be honest with us; when Star Wars: Battlefront was released, you totally spent all your time on the Endor map attempting to shoot these little bastards rather than other players, right?

The Battle of Endor would have been much better off without the infuriatingly stupid Ewoks, and the fact that these silly-looking teddy bears played such a key role in proceedings was arguably a sign of the childish direction George Lucas would take the franchise in years later with The Phantom Menace.

The Ewoks added a lot of unneeded comedy to a final act where it had no place, spoiling much of the action as a result. Making them blink just made them even weirder, and while they do have their fair share of fans, you can't really argue that they brought much to the movie.

Did Work: "Let Me Look On You With My Own Eyes"

With Darth Vader making up for his evil past by saving his son, Return of the Jedi did the right thing by giving him and Luke a very personal moment following his decision to bring the Emperor’s reign to an end. The unmasking is a massive reveal, but more important than that is what’s said between these two.

Vader wanting to see Luke’s face with his own eyes and telling him to tell his sister that he was right about him still having some good within was very powerful and memorable, and somewhat made up for his lack of reaction to learning he has a daughter as well as a son.

While Luke hoped he could save Vader, it was ultimately the right decision to kill him off. Whether it was the right move to have Hayden Christensen show up as a Force Ghost remains a big talking point.

Didn't Work: "Nooooooooooo!"

Added to George Lucas before he sold Lucasfilm to Disney, Return of the Jedi now gives Darth Vader a "Nooooo!" moment at the end of the movie which was one of the many tweaks George Lucas decided to make when the movies were all re-released on Blu-ray (it's still there on Disney+).

Because Vader’s borderline comical scream of anguish from Revenge of the Sith has been so widely criticised, why the filmmaker thought it would be a good idea to add that here (it’s not even a new recording; the dialogue has just been lifted from the prequel and placed over the scene) to the moment when the Sith Lord saves Luke from the Emperor is unclear.

It’s another unnecessary alteration, and while it’s one which doesn’t quite spoil that final fight, it does hurt it.

THE ACOLYTE: New Teasers Feature More Of Mae Vs. Indara; Possibly Confirm Recent Rumor - SPOILERS

Recommended For You:

STAR WARS: 10 Ways George Lucas' Prequels Are Way BETTER Than Disney's Disappointing Sequel Trilogy

DISCLAIMER: SFFGazette.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

SFFGazette.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

0 Comments

Be the first to comment and get the conversation going!

Please log in to post comments.

Don't have an account?
Please Register.

Related Headlines

Star Wars

THE ACOLYTE: New Teasers Feature More Of Mae Vs. Indara; Possibly Confirm Recent Rumor - SPOILERS

MarkCassidy

1 day ago

Star Wars

STAR WARS: 10 Ways George Lucas' Prequels Are Way BETTER Than Disney's Disappointing Sequel Trilogy

JoshWilding

2 days ago

Star Wars

STAR WARS: Rey's First Post-THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Dialogue Revealed Via Disneyland Collectible

MarkCassidy

2 days ago

Related Headlines

Star Wars

THE ACOLYTE: New Teasers Feature More Of Mae Vs. Indara; Possibly Confirm Recent Rumor - SPOILERS

MarkCassidy

1 day ago

Star Wars

STAR WARS: 10 Ways George Lucas' Prequels Are Way BETTER Than Disney's Disappointing Sequel Trilogy

JoshWilding

2 days ago

Star Wars

STAR WARS: Rey's First Post-THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Dialogue Revealed Via Disneyland Collectible

MarkCassidy

2 days ago

Star Wars

OBI-WAN KENOBI TV Series Reportedly Earned STAR WARS Creator George Lucas' Approval

JoshWilding

3 days ago

Star Wars

STAR WARS: SKELETON CREW Director Jon Watts Shares Show's Premise, Premiere Window, And More New Details

JoshWilding

6 days ago

Star Wars

Movies

BARBARELLA: Edgar Wright Officially In Talks To Direct As Sydney Sweeney's Remake Also Eyes Writing Team

JoshWilding

6 hours ago

Movies

First Footage From THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM Set For Annecy

MarkJulian

7 hours ago

Latest Headlines

Dune

DUNE: PROPHECY Casts Legendary Indian Star Tabu In A Recurring Role

MarkCassidy

4 hours ago

Movies

BARBARELLA: Edgar Wright Officially In Talks To Direct As Sydney Sweeney's Remake Also Eyes Writing Team

JoshWilding

6 hours ago

Movies

First Footage From THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM Set For Annecy

MarkJulian

7 hours ago

The Lord of the Rings

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: First Teaser For Season 2 Of THE RINGS OF POWER Arrives Tomorrow

MarkCassidy

9 hours ago

Movies

KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Off To A Strong Start At The Box Office With $129M Global Haul

MarkCassidy

12 hours ago

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Director George Miller Addresses Charlize Theron And Tom Hardy's Long-Rumored Feud

Movies

More Comic Book Movies ►

CREATURE COMMANDOS Confirms First-Look Reveal Headed To Next Month's Annecy Film Festival

More Cartoons & Animated ►

MARVEL RIVALS Devs Apologize For Banning Content Creators From Posting Negative Impressions

More Anime & Manga ►

THE MUMMY Director Stephen Sommers On Why He Was Insulted By 2017 Reboot Starring Tom Cruise

More Horror ►

MONKEY MAN Exclusive Interview With Production Designer Pawas Sawatchaiyamet On Working With Dev Patel

More Action Movies & TV ►

Two Of Pro Wrestling's Biggest Stars, Becky Lynch And Bryan Danielson, Could Soon Be Free Agents

More Pro Wrestling ►

Sydney Sweeney's BARBARELLA Remake Eyes Edgar Wright To Direct And A Writer With Superhero Experience

More Comic Book Movies ►

More Cartoons & Animated ►

More Anime & Manga ►

More Horror ►

More Action Movies & TV ►

More Pro Wrestling ►

STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI Revisited - Looking Back At 5 Things That Worked And 5 That Didn't

We've now reached the end of our look back at the original Star Wars trilogy, but how did this finale stack up to the one George Lucas delivered years later with Revenge of the Sith? Find out here...

Did Work: The Jedi Knight

Didn't Work: A Second Death Star

Did Work: Endor Speeder Chase

Didn't Work: Boba Fett's Apparent Demise

Did Work: Slave Leia

Didn't Work: Leia Is Suddenly Luke's Sister

Did Work: Darth Vader Returns To The Light

Didn't Work: The Ewoks

Did Work: "Let Me Look On You With My Own Eyes"

Didn't Work: "Nooooooooooo!"

THE ACOLYTE: New Teasers Feature More Of Mae Vs. Indara; Possibly Confirm Recent Rumor - SPOILERS

STAR WARS: 10 Ways George Lucas' Prequels Are Way BETTER Than Disney's Disappointing Sequel Trilogy

THE ACOLYTE: New Teasers Feature More Of Mae Vs. Indara; Possibly Confirm Recent Rumor - SPOILERS

STAR WARS: 10 Ways George Lucas' Prequels Are Way BETTER Than Disney's Disappointing Sequel Trilogy

STAR WARS: Rey's First Post-THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Dialogue Revealed Via Disneyland Collectible

THE ACOLYTE: New Teasers Feature More Of Mae Vs. Indara; Possibly Confirm Recent Rumor - SPOILERS

STAR WARS: 10 Ways George Lucas' Prequels Are Way BETTER Than Disney's Disappointing Sequel Trilogy

STAR WARS: Rey's First Post-THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Dialogue Revealed Via Disneyland Collectible

OBI-WAN KENOBI TV Series Reportedly Earned STAR WARS Creator George Lucas' Approval

STAR WARS: SKELETON CREW Director Jon Watts Shares Show's Premise, Premiere Window, And More New Details

LEGO STAR WARS: REBUILD THE GALAXY Trailer Introduces Us To The Official Version Of Darth Jar Jar!

Popular Headlines

STAR WARS: 10 Ways George Lucas' Prequels Are Way BETTER Than Disney's Disappointing Sequel Trilogy

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Director George Miller Addresses Charlize Theron And Tom Hardy's Long-Rumored Feud

THE WITCHER: First Look At Geralt Of Rivia Revealed Via BTS Photo

First Footage From THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM Set For Annecy

KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES' Rotten Tomatoes Score Revealed As First Reviews Swing Online

DUNE: PROPHECY Casts Legendary Indian Star Tabu In A Recurring Role

BARBARELLA: Edgar Wright Officially In Talks To Direct As Sydney Sweeney's Remake Also Eyes Writing Team

First Footage From THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM Set For Annecy

DUNE: PROPHECY Casts Legendary Indian Star Tabu In A Recurring Role

BARBARELLA: Edgar Wright Officially In Talks To Direct As Sydney Sweeney's Remake Also Eyes Writing Team

First Footage From THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM Set For Annecy

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: First Teaser For Season 2 Of THE RINGS OF POWER Arrives Tomorrow

KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Off To A Strong Start At The Box Office With $129M Global Haul

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Director George Miller Addresses Charlize Theron And Tom Hardy's Long-Rumored Feud

Comic Book Movies & TV

Sydney Sweeney's BARBARELLA Remake Eyes Edgar Wright To Direct And A Writer With Superhero Experience

ECHO Is Disney+'s Second Biggest TV Series In 2024...But It's Still A Long Way From First Place

WB Animation To Showcase CREATURE COMMANDOS Footage At Next Month's Annecy Film Festival

FURIOSA Director George Miller Addresses Tom Hardy And Charlize Theron's MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Clashes

Nintendo's Decade-Long Plans For The SUPER MARIO BROS. Animated Franchise Teased By Chris Pratt

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER Season 2 Trailer Will Be Released Online Tomorrow

Cartoons & Animated Features

CREATURE COMMANDOS Confirms First-Look Reveal Headed To Next Month's Annecy Film Festival

X-MEN '97 Showrunner Shares Final "Homework" For Fans And Reveals Why Deadpool Isn't In The Series

THE SIMPSONS Showrunner Al Jean Reveals Why 2024 Will Decide Whether We Finally Get A Movie Sequel

X-MEN '97 Showrunner Teases Original 5-Season Plan And Addresses [SPOILER]'s Cameo In Episode 5

X-MEN '97: Beau DeMayo Shares Cryptic Hint About Next Week's Season Finale - SPOILERS

BATMAN: CAPED CRUSADER First Look Reveals Period Setting & VERY Different Takes On The Dark Knight's Villains

Gaming

MARVEL RIVALS Devs Apologize For Banning Content Creators From Posting Negative Impressions

ASSASSIN'S CREED SHADOWS (Codename Red) To Be Revealed On Wednesday

Chris Pratt Teases SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE Sequel Plans And Shares Excitement For Other Nintendo Film Projects

THE LAST OF US Season 2 Set Photos Feature Bella Ramsey And Isabela Merced As Ellie And Dina

New CALL OF DUTY Releases May Launch On Xbox Game Pass

TERMINATOR: SURVIVORS Shares New Key Art Highlighting Alliances And Factions

Anime & Manga

ONE PIECE Star Inaki Godoy Reveals The Three Anime Scenes He Wants To Recreate In Live-Action

DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA HASHIRA TRAINING ARC Now Streaming; Opening Season 4 Theme Released

RICK AND MORTY: THE ANIME Coming To Adult Swim And Max This Year; New Preview Video Released

SWORD OF THE DEMON HUNTER: KIJIN GENTOSHO TV Anime Premiere Date Announced

SHOGUN May Be Getting A Second Season After Series Star Hiroyuki Sanada Signs New Deal

HAIKYU!! THE DUMPSTER BATTLE Tickets Now Available For North American Theatrical Release

Horror

THE MUMMY Director Stephen Sommers On Why He Was "Insulted" By 2017 Reboot Starring Tom Cruise

NIGHTBITCH: Amy Adams Has Got That Dog In Her On First Official Poster

IN A VIOLENT NATURE "Buckle Up" Trailer Features Terrifying New Footage

FALL's Grace Caroline Currey To Star In Remake Of Wes Craven's THE BREED

THE CROW Returns To Theaters To Mark 30th Anniversary - Check Out A New Poster

LONGLEGS First Reactions Hail Osgood Perkins' Horror Movie As "Unsettling, Disturbing" And "Best Film Of 2024"

Action Movies & TV

MONKEY MAN Exclusive Interview With Production Designer Pawas Sawatchaiyamet On Working With Dev Patel

MONKEY MAN Exclusive Interview With Mask Designer Eddie Yang; Dev Patel Film Now Available On Digital HD

Tom Cruise's MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 8 Adds SEVERANCE Actor Tramell Tillman

A24's CIVIL WAR Was The #1 Movie In America For The Second Week In A Row

JAMES BOND: Henry Cavill Isn't Closing The Door On Playing 007; "Maybe I'm Too Old Now. Maybe I'm Not..."

Alex Garland's CIVIL WAR Is The #1 Movie In North America- Opens To $25.7M