As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Return of the Jedi and its recent re-release into theaters to celebrate this milestone, there’s renewed excitement for the third installment of the original Star Wars trilogy.
We could easily take a comprehensive deep dive into the conception, production, and little-known facts surrounding the film, but there are already a plethora of articles that exist on these topics. Instead, we thought it would be fun to look back on a few of the movie’s most iconic moments — the ones that made audiences cheer, gasp, and possibly even shed a tear. Let’s break down a handful of those famous scenes and what makes them so memorable (and maybe even sprinkle in a few of those little-known facts for good measure).
1Leia Saves Han
We alllllll know that when it comes to prominent Han/Leia quotes, Han’s passive “I know” to her declaration of love before he’s frozen in carbonite in Empire Strikes Back takes top billing. Return of the Jedi takes it full circle with a nod to that infamous exchange when the bounty hunter Boushh releases him from his year of frozen captivity. Shivering and unable to see, Han questions Boushh on his whereabouts and condition until he finally gets to “Who are you?” That’s when Boushh’s helmet is removed to reveal it’s actually Leia in disguise, and she cheekily responds with “someone who loves you.”
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It’s a fun, albeit short-lived, reunion between them before they’re ultimately captured by Jabba the Hut. The scene focuses on Leia’s resourcefulness, bravery, and dedication to Han and further cements (pun intended) her as one of the strongest female leads in cinematic history.
2The Rancor
Jabba’s Palace has many iconic moments — Slave Leia in her gold bikini, Leia strangling Jabba with her chains, and The Sarlaac consuming Boba Fett — but let’s not forget about the Rancor.
Luke is unceremoniously dropped through a trapdoor to be fed to the crime lord’s pet, but he outsmarts the beast, unarmed, by luring it to be crushed to death beneath a gate. The scene was one of the more difficult ones to shoot, as ILM used two different modes; a scaled-down puppet and a larger version of just its arm on a soundstage with Mark Hamill. That’s not what fans remember most, though. It’s the random, oddly placed bit with the Rancor’s keeper/Jabba’s henchmen becoming emotional over the Rancor being killed. You almost feel for the guy in his time of mourning, which raises some conflicting questions. Jabba and his cohorts are the bad guys, so we shouldn’t feel sorry for any of them, right?
Then again, the Rancor is just a big beast who acts on animalistic instincts, so it’s not really at fault for wanting to eat. It’s quite the (slightly humorous) conundrum to occur during such a well-known section of the movie.
3Vader’s Redemption
Let’s face it; there is NO other plot point in the entire franchise as momentous as this one. Darth Vader’s transition from plucky young Anakin in the prequels to a whiney, conflicted young adult, and then ultimately to the evil Darth Vader, willing to do anything for his master, is essentially what Star Wars as a whole is built around. Yes, the “good guy turns bad, then turns good again” storyline has been around far longer than these movies have, but Vader’s character arc, in particular, is one of the most important.
Anakin’s love for Padme kept him in line during much of the prequels until he ultimately fell to the dark side. After spending years dedicated to the evil ways of the Emperor, it’s once again love that brings him out of darkness, this time for his son. Once Vader sees the pain and suffering being inflicted upon Luke at the hands of Palpatine, he can’t take it anymore and sacrifices himself to save his son by chucking the Emperor down the reactor shaft. We then are treated to the emotional moment where Vader once again becomes Anakin Skywalker, and his helmet is removed so that he could look at his son’s face with his own eyes.
Moments like this give Star Wars true heart and make the movies so much more than just your average space opera.
4The Battle of Endor
Star Wars is known for its epic battles. It was revolutionary for movies to showcase such grandiose displays of war outside the confines of a planet. In Return of the Jedi, The Battle of Endor showcases both ground and air combat between the Rebel Alliance and Imperial Fleet. How the Alliance rallies together to once again overpower the Empire, even when the situation looks dire, makes this scene particularly memorable.
They get by with a little help from the Ewoks on Endor, who are first (understandably) mistrusting. More than anything, it signals a major deterioration of the Empire, with the loss of Palpatine, Vader, and several key leaders, as well as the destruction of the second Death Star. There’s also ample opportunity for hero moments for characters like Lando, who gets his time to shine by piloting the Millennium Falcon and succeeding in taking out the Death Star.
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When he first realizes the Death Star’s shields are still up and calls off the initial attack, only to head into an all-out assault with a swarm of TIE fighters, it looks like he (and the entire Alliance) may have lost. The fact that he could expertly maneuver his squadron, take out the onslaught of Empirical forces, and carry out his objective remains one of the most valiant bits of the franchise.
5Those Death Scenes
Yes, we’re cheating here by including more than one scene under a single category, but just think for a moment about how many climactic deaths are in this movie. The most talked about ones have already been covered above, but in the immortal words of Billy Mays: but wait, there’s more!
You can’t mention the demise of Return of the Jedi characters without bringing up Yoda. The sage Jedi master is one of the most famous characters in the entire franchise, and his ultimate passing at 900 years old is profound. While this is largely used as a plot device to provide exposition and move the story forward, it’s also an incredibly poignant exchange between Luke and his mentor. While Luke does bombard the poor old master with questions during his final moments, he gets a wealth of information regarding Leia being his sister, Darth Vader being his father, and the fate of the galaxy if Luke follows in his patriarchal footsteps. It’s a pivotal point in the overall story, as the gravity of Luke being the only living Jedi really sets in.
Of course, an honorable mention must go to “Dead Ewok.” So emblazoned in fans’ hearts is this little guy that even though his name is never uttered, he is forever known as Dead Ewok (though a 2012 action figure revealed it to be Nanta). After he falls, his fellow Ewok buddy heartbreakingly nudges him in hopes that he’s okay… which, of course, he’s not. It’s a short but somber scene in the midst of the chaos during the Battle of Endor.
So, there you have it. Yes, many, many more notable scenes over the course of Return of the Jedi could have (and should) been mentioned. This is merely just a sampling of some of them. Regardless of what you feel are your particular favorite scenes, it can’t be argued that this third part of the famous trilogy has insane rewatchability and remains one of the most entertaining, fun, and heartfelt chapters in the entire Star Wars cinematic universe.
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