Return of the Jedi changed a lot from first draft to finished product. Mark Hamill shot the entire movie with a blue lightsaber, only to have it colored green during post-production. Leia wasn’t Luke’s sister, and then she was. Han Solo was supposed to die, and well, you get the idea. The biggest change by far was the movie’s climax. In Return of the Jedi‘s original ending, Luke puts on his father’s helmet and becomes Darth Vader.
The Original Ending
According to transcripts, George Lucas and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan had a pre-production meeting where George first pitched his dark ending. Lucas described it as Luke removing his father’s mask as he does in the final film, but rather than putting it aside, he puts it on and declares, “Now I am Vader!” Return of the Jedi‘s original ending also saw Luke vowing to “kill the Rebel fleet,” and take his rightful place as ruler of the known galaxy.
Would Have Been So Much Worse Than The Last Jedi
The concept of Luke turning to the Dark Side is nothing new. Legends has a few instances of the Jedi breaking bad, the most famous being the 1991 comic Dark Empire. Still, secondary stories are one thing.
Had Return of the Jedi kept its original ending with Luke taking up his father’s mantle, it would have changed the Star Wars franchise as we know it.
If you hate what Disney did to Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi, imagine what it would be like to have him as the new Palpatine for the Star Wars sequels. The original Return of the Jedi ending proves that George Lucas is plenty capable of ruining his own characters. I’ll even argue that turning Luke evil could have derailed the sequels altogether.
The Butterfly Effect That Would Undo The Franchise
Return of the Jedi’s original ending would have been the franchise’s butterfly effect. Luke’s transition to the dark side would have unquestionably derailed Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy and Dark Empire. Without those two works to set up the foundation of the Star Wars Expanded Universe, there would be no renewed interest in the franchise.
Without the sudden bump in popularity, Kenner never releases the second wave of Star Wars figures in 1995. No figures means no Special Editions in ’97, leading to no prequel trilogy. Cut to 2012, and Disney decides spending $4 billion on three movies and the Ewok cartoon is insane.
As a result the company never purchases Lucasfilm.
Would Have Been A Wasted Hero’s Journey
Simply put, Star Wars fans didn’t follow Luke Skywalker on his epic hero’s journey just to watch him become the villain at the last second. Return of the Jedi‘s original ending would have killed all the goodwill fans had built up for Luke’s character over three movies. On top of that it’s just a downer of an ending.
Thankfully, Lucas changed his mind before the Return of the Jedi began production. Instead, we got one of the best happy endings ever committed to celluloid—until Lucas changed it. Return of the Jedi‘s original theatrical ending is a giant Ewok celebration where our heroes cut loose after saving the galaxy.
Rogue Squadron lights up the night sky with fireworks as Han, Luke, Lando, Leia, and the droids dance and sing with their new fuzzy companions. It was the perfect ending to the perfect trilogy.
Fortunately, George Lucas Didn’t Take This Route
Well, it was the perfect ending, until George Lucas decided we needed to check in with the Gungans to see how they celebrated Palpatine’s demise. In George Lucas’s definitive version of Return of the Jedi, the whole galaxy celebrates the Emperor’s death approximately ten minutes after it happens. The residents of Tatooine and Coruscant are amazing at spontaneous party planning apparently.
Still, I prefer the current CGI-fest ending to Return of the Jedi‘s original ending. I don’t care if you’re George Lucas or not. You can’t take a generation’s greatest hero and suddenly make him a bad guy.
News
Adele Announces Indefinite Break From Music: “I Will Not See You For An Incredibly Long Time”
Adele has revealed she is ready to step out of the spotlight and take a well-deserved break. After an impressive run of live performances, the beloved British songstress is preparing to hit pause on her music career for a while. During…
Johnny Depp’s New Pearly Whites Shine In Video After His “Rotting” Teeth Went Viral
Johnny Depp seemed like he was living his best life while vacationing in the Bahamas, smiling and laughing away with customers and staffers at a beachside bar in Exuma. But it wasn’t just his laid-back island vibes that caught people’s attention: it was…
Queen Camilla Shares Rare Update On King Charles’ Health Amid Abdication Speculations
Amid rampant speculation about King Charles III’s health and possible abdication, Queen Camilla offered a rare comment on her husband’s well-being. The 77-year-old queen shared the update during her visit to the new state-of-the-art Dyson Cancer Center at the Royal United Hospital in…
Katy Perry Reveals Orlando Bloom Split Up With Her Because He Didn’t Want To Play Her “Games”
“I would be dead without it,” Katy Perry said about a monumental shift in her life after she broke up with her current fiancé, Orlando Bloom. The separation, which took place in 2017, happened due to an incompatibility between the lifestyles of both…
Dave Bautista’s Weight-Loss Transformation Has Fans Concerned: “He Most Definitely Looks Sick”
Dave Bautista recently addressed his striking body transformation, which left some fans raising eyebrows over his leaner appearance. The 55-year-old former WWE superstar has come a long way since his days in the wrestling ring, where his massive frame made him a force to…
“Fine Taylor … You Win”: Elon Musk Offers To Impregnate Taylor Swift
Elon Musk, who always seems eager to expand his ever-growing family, proposed the idea of fatherhood to none other than Taylor Swift. The billionaire Tesla CEO offered to impregnate the pop star after she shared her thoughts on the U.S. presidential debate, which…
End of content
No more pages to load