George Lucas Improved ‘Return of the Jedi’s Final Scene With Update ‘Star Wars’ Score

George Lucas has been praised as a sci-fi visionary for his work on the Star Wars franchise, but some criticize him for toying far too much with the saga after the fact. Some of Lucas’ biggest changes to his movies happen years or even decades after their initial release. While most involve visual alterations, other tweaks Lucas makes don’t happen in front of the lens. That is the case for what is arguably the biggest change the Star Wars creator implemented while updating the space opera.

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope premiered in 1977, kick-starting the beloved franchise that’s still going today. A New Hope and its two immediate sequels went on to form what is now known as the Original Trilogy. Almost half a century has passed since the Star Wars universe first graced the big screen, and generations of audiences have witnessed different versions of the original three movies. However, away from the eternal argument of whether Harrison Ford’s Han Solo shot first, another alteration was an unequivocal improvement over what was initially part of the classic movies.

How George Lucas Wildly Improved ‘Return of the Jedi’s Final Scene

1983’s Return of the Jedi has some incredibly pivotal and well-executed moments. Not only is the second Death Star destroyed, and the Empire toppled, but Darth Vader’s redemptive transformation back into Anakin Skywalker also provides a beautiful full-circle moment for the story as a whole. That said, many fans were hyper-focused on the silliness of the Ewoks. Seeing an army of cuddly alien teddies take down the most fearsome regime the galaxy had ever seen was, to put it lightly, divisive. Some loved the Ewoks, others hated them.

For those who weren’t on Team Ewok, Return of the Jedi‘s closing scene did little to win them over. After a war had been waged among the stars for three full movies, fans were forced to sit through what was essentially the Ewoks singing to them in celebration. Also known as “Ewok Celebration,” a piece known as “Yub Nub” rounded off John Williams’ otherwise flawless score for the movie. Sang entirely in Ewokese, “Yub Nub” made Return of the Jedi even more of a laughingstock among those who already hated the Ewoks having such a big role to play in the movie.

Years later, Return of the Jedi was re-released. The 1997 edition was presumably part of a larger effort to prime Star Wars fans for 1999’s The Phantom Menace, but the new version of the 1983 movie was far more than just a remaster. Sure, the special effects looked better than ever, but there was also new footage and more. Perhaps the most notable update was “Yub Nub” being erased from the soundtrack altogether. Composer John Williams returned to team up with Lucas for the 1997 re-release and wrote “Victory Celebration” to replace its Ewokese predecessor.

“Victory Celebration” is a far more balanced affair when it comes to its Ewok involvement. Luke and the others are still celebrating with their adorable allies, so it would have been unfaithful to pen a traditional Williams score for this moment. Instead, the composer masterfully split the difference. The new melodies and soaring string arrangements add an incredible amount of emotional weight to the scene. Furthermore, while the vocal parts could still be attributed to an in-universe performance from the Ewoks, they sound far more like wordless chants that perhaps can’t be heard by the characters in the movie. The percussion even sounds like it could have been built and performed by the Ewoks. “Victory Celebration” has remained on every following remaster to date.

The Ewok Celebration Scene in ‘Return of the Jedi’ Is Still Divisive (For Another Reason)

20th Century Studios

Return of the Jedi‘s remedied soundtrack didn’t leave the scene fixed for very long. In 2004, the Original Trilogy was remastered again and released on DVD for the first time. On the laundry list of additional changes made to all three movies was one that was saved until the very end. It remains incredibly divisive to this day. When Anakin’s Force Ghost initially appeared back in 1983, he was played by Sebastian Shaw. Now, the actor’s only role in the movie (and the trilogy at large) is when Luke removes Vader’s helmet before fleeing the Death Star.

In the 2004 DVD remaster, George Lucas made the decision to replace Shaw as Anakin’s Force Ghost. He used Hayden Christensen’s younger, more up-to-date, but equally translucent version of Anakin instead. Again, with 2005’s Revenge of the Sith on the verge of dropping to conclude the prequel trilogy, this made sense from a marketing perspective. However, when Star Wars continuity is considered, the logic of Lucas’ decision is still heavily debated. Those against replacing Shaw with Christensen argue that Anakin hasn’t looked like his younger self in decades by the time of Return of the Jedi.

So, it arguably makes no sense that Anakin would suddenly revert to how he was just before he became Darth Vader in Revenge of the Sith. Some think the opposite, though. The last time Anakin remembers himself as Anakin Skywalker, he did look like Hayden Christensen, not Shaw. Exactly how Force Ghosts work is still unclear, so it’s not unreasonable to assume that Anakin’s Force Ghost took the form of how he last saw himself. Considering he’d never really seen himself as an older man, I think it’s fine to accept that Christensen’s physical appearance is what subconsciously influenced how he looked as he became one with the Force. It’s probably one of those Star Wars debates that will never be settled.