Star Wars: Episode VI - Return Of The Jedi TOP
If I had to choose, I would say this is the least of the Star Wars films. It lacks the startling originality of the first two. It's more concerned with loose ends and final resolutions. It was the correct decision for George Lucas to end with a trilogy and then move to another point in time for the continuation of the saga. To return to these characters a fourth time would destroy the mythic structure of the story and turn it simply into a series.
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
Tropes F to I Face Death with Dignity: Anakin would rather die more quickly while looking his son in the eyes than push it off a little longer to pass in the back of some Imperial ship.Anakin: (in Vader mask) Luke, help me take this mask off. Luke: But, you'll die. Anakin: Nothing can stop that now. Just for once, let me look on you with my own eyes.
Face, Nod, Action: Luke and a disguised Lando Calrissian nod heads just before Luke springs their escape plan.
"Facing the Bullets" One-Liner: Han responds to Jabba's final ultimatum at the Sarlacc pit with a bitter insult.Han: Threepio, you tell that slimy piece of worm-ridden... filth, that he'll get no such pleasure from us!
Failsafe Failure: Executor is 19 kilometers long and has inhabitable space comparable to a major city. Yet destroying the main bridge, conveniently positioned prominently at the front of the highest tower on the ship, can apparently send the entire thing into a nosedive, with the many thousands of crew members aboard unable to do anything to stop it. Even worse, there is apparently no backup bridge, because Admiral Piett's reaction to being told that their deflector shield is down is to order increased firepower focused on defense, which technically might have stopped the incoming fighter had they reacted a bit faster, but would have done nothing to protect against turbolaser or ion cannon fire from Rebel capital ships. It is possible that the backups themselves were destroyed, given that Ackbar just ordered the entire Rebel fleet to fire on it.
In the EU, imperial engineers are aware of the vulnerability of Star Destroyer Bridges, and compensate with a more centrally located combat information center to serve as a backup. Unfortunately, it takes several minutes to transfer command of the Destroyer from the bridge to the CIC, which the Executor didn't have due to its close proximity to the Death Star when its bridge was destroyed.
Fan Disservice: One of Jabba's dancing girls is quite lithe and lovely; the other is... not.
Sure, Leia's slave outfit is Fanservice in and of itself, but also consider that she's forced to wear this outfit as part of her slave duties with the lecherous Jabba the Hutt. Even worse when you consider she has almost nothing between her and Jabba's slimy body.
Fanservice: Why else would you have Carrie Fisher laying around in a gold metal bikini?
Fantasy Counterpart Culture: More than one writer has commented on The Vietnam War parallels in the Battle of Endor, with supposedly backwoods natives outsmarting a superior armed force.
Fatal Flaw: Luke accurately identifies the Emperor's over-confidence as being this, with his hubris ending up leading to his own death, along with that of much of the Imperial admiralty, the destruction of the Death Star II, and the end of the Galactic Empire itself. For his part, the Emperor claims that Luke's own fatal flaw is his faith in his friends; this turns out to be a case of Evil Cannot Comprehend Good, however, as not only does said faith turn out to be 100% justified, but so does Luke's faith that there's still some good left in Vader.
Fed to the Beast: Luke getting trapdoor'd into the Rancor pit. Additionally, the Sarlacc pit serves as the current page image.
Final Battle: In the a battle to decide whether the a galaxy will be free or continue to live under the Empire, the Rebels attack the Empire's shield base on Endor, launch an aerial offensive on the Death Star, and send Luke Skywalker to battle his evil father, Darth Vader, and the man behind all the wars in the galaxy, the Galactic Emperor himself.
Final Speech: Before dying, Yoda tells Luke more of the truth about his father, his destiny as a Jedi, and finally, that there is another Skywalker blessed in the Force as him.
Finish Him!: When Luke has Vader at swordpoint, Palpatine practically hisses at Luke to finish the job.
Fireworks of Victory: In the extended editions, scenes featuring various planets around the galaxy celebrating the death of the Empire were added to the end of the movie, fireworks and all (despite the final battle taking place somewhere very isolated where no-one outside of the combatants should have known - however, an episode of The Mandalorian, released in 2020, shows that the destruction of the second Death Star was holo-recorded and broadcast across the galaxy).
Five-Second Foreshadowing: The Rebel fleet arrives to find that the Imperials are already jamming their scanners.Lando: But how could they be jamming us if they don't know... we're coming? Break off the attack! The shield is still up!
Luke tells Jabba that trying to execute him and his friends is "the last mistake you'll ever make!" Jabba laughs it off. Minutes later, Leia strangles him to death and he is incinerated in a fiery explosion.
Flaunting Your Fleets: One particular shot shows that the Imperial armada over Endor is positively gigantic. The Rebel Fleet is also treated to a number of establishing shots of their massed assortment of starships and fighters. Of note is the shot of the Fleet just before jumping to Hyperspace, and the shot of the Fleet arriving over Endor just before they realize it's a trap.
Fluffy the Terrible: According to EU material, Jabba's pet rancor was called 'Pateesa', Huttese for "friend". It was apparently a birthday present from Bib Fortuna.
Forced to Watch: When Luke is taken to Palpatine's throne room the Emperor makes him look out the window and see the battle going on and watch his friend's ships being destroyed. All of this is done in order to provoke Luke into acting on his hatred.
Foreshadowing: Subverted when Han is leaving for the Endor mission and says with great gravity as he stares at the Millennium Falcon, "I just got this funny feeling, like I'm not gonna see her again." It ends up making it through the battle with just a few scratches! This may be related to rumors of alternate endings that were originally considered and not completely written out.
Played straight in the next scene when Vader and Palpatine are conferring in his Throne Room. Palpatine orders the Imperial flotilla detached to Endor to shift position to elsewhere in the system until called for. Vader also mentions reports of the Rebel Fleet massing near Sullust, but Palpatine isn't concerned and states the Rebellion will be crushed. These are all clues that Endor isn't just a construction site, but a trap for the Rebels that's about to be sprung.
Forgot About His Powers: When Leia goes missing it never seems to even occur to Luke to try to reach her through the Force, the way that he did on Bespin in The Empire Strikes Back. Instead he recommends a physical search and the use of Artoo's scanners. Justified that, since he was half dead on Bespin when he did it, he may not even remember he's able to do it.
Fragile Speedster: The speeder bikes. Very fast. Also Made of Explodium.
Freeze-Frame Bonus: When Vader is shocked by the Force Lightning, not only can you see his skeleton, but also surgical rods and screws.
Funny Background Event: When Luke is being escorted back to the turbolift after his talk with Vader on Endor, a stormtrooper, who apparently overheard the conversation, can be seen turning to stare at him.
When Threepio explains that the Ewoks think he is a god, Luke is seen trying not to laugh. Especially during the following exchange, where either Mark Hamill is Corpsing terribly, or Luke finds the whole situation hilarious:Han: Then why don't you use your divine influence and get us out of this? Threepio: I beg your pardon, General Solo, but that just wouldn't be proper. Han: Proper?! Threepio: It's against my programming to impersonate a deity.
When Admiral Ackbar is ordering the jump to hyperspace, an extra in the background is having trouble finding one of the monitors.
When Han and the strike team invade the shield generator compound, one of the rebels can be seen changing into the garb of one of the felled scout troopers. When the captured rebels are led outside, this character can be spotted among a group being held at gunpoint, still wearing the armor.
Gate Guardian: Jabba the Hutt has a gatekeeper droid that threateningly scrutinizes Artoo and Threepio before letting them into his palace.
George Lucas Altered Version: For the Special Edition and onward: They added in a bizarre musical number in Jabba's palace in place of the original, which leads into the original scene of the Twilek dancer being fed to the rancor.note They also filmed a new scene with Oola in the pit as the rancor advances on her, even using the old actress, who didn't look as though she'd aged much over the last 14 years. The sarlacc was given extra tentacles and a beak. And the final musical number was replaced, playing over an extensive "Nations of the World" Montage that included Bespin, Tatooine, and Coruscant (the latter never visited in the original trilogy) celebrating the massive victory against the Empire.
For the DVD version and onward, Hayden Christensen was spliced into the footage where Anakin's Force spirit appears next to Obi-Wan and Yoda, replacing Sebastian Shaw. This same edit also burned off Anakin's eyebrows in his unmasking since he lost them in his immolation scene in Revenge of the Sith. Shaw, however, still speaks and is seen in the unmasking in all versions. A shot of Naboo (like Coruscant, never visited in the original trilogy) was added to the "Nations of the World" Montage at the end.
For the Blu-ray version, Vader lets out a Big "NO!" while saving Luke from the Emperor, as a callback to Revenge of the Sith.
Ghost Reunion Ending: The most famous example. Luke steps away from the celebrations on Endor for a moment to smile at the "Force spirits" of Obi-Wan, Yoda and Anakin watching him.
Gladiator Games: The Rancor pit, which Jabba enjoys dropping people in and watching them be devoured.
Go Back to the Source: Luke must return to his home of Tatooine in order to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt.
God Guise: The Ewoks think 3PO is a god. Luke uses his Force powers to reinforce this idea.
Go-Go Enslavement: The captured women at Jabba's palace are put in skimpy outfits. The usual form is a metal bra and either harem pants or thin strips of fabric that barely count as a skirt (Carrie Fisher joked that having her wear that outfit was just to get her to go to the gym more).
"Good Luck" Gesture: Before they embark on their respective missions, Lando gives Han the same two finger extended version that he and L3-37 exchanged in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Lando even accompanies it with an actual "good luck", which is returned by Han.
Grand Finale: Of the Original Trilogy. The vile Emperor has been defeated and Anakin Skywalker has been redeemed. Gets a Happy Ending Override by The Force Awakens.
Hand Signals: Luke's salute to R2-D2 as he is being made to Walk the Plank lets the robot know Luke is ready to have his weapon fired to him so he can begin the escape mission.
He Knows Too Much: This is the reason why the speeder-bike chase happens. While infiltrating Endor near the bunker and the planetary shield, Han steps on a dry twig behind a scout trooper, who tells his comrades to go for help. Chewie kills one, but Luke and Leia have to chase down the other two (and two more who join the chase).
Heroic Lineage: Invoked when Luke tells Leia about their real relationship.Luke: If I don't make it back, you're the only hope for the Alliance. Leia: Luke, don't talk that way! You have a power I don't understand and could never have. Luke: You're wrong, Leia. You have that power too. In time you'll learn to use it as I have. ...The Force is strong in my family. My father has it. I have it. And... my sister has it. Yes. It's you, Leia.
High-Speed Hijack: During the speeder bike chase, Luke rides second seat on Leia's bike as they pursue the scout troopers. He has her get up next to the trailing bike, whereupon he jumps to the other bike, throws the mook off, and takes the controls. The trooper smashes backwards and upside-down into a tree.
History Repeats: Just like the start of Revenge of the Sith that heralded the fall of the Old Republic, the end of Return of the Jedi features a gigantic space battle with Palpatine, the brilliant mastermind orchestrating events to his advantage, sitting back on his throne and observing it all as his agents, now Darth Vader rather than Count Dooku, oppose the forces of good trying to hold back the darkness, now Luke Skywalker rather than Anakin Skywalker, and like his father before him, Luke is confronted with a choice, to spare the villain, though unlike his father, he chooses the right path and rejects the dark side, which leads to Vader's redemption and finally restoring peace to the galaxy and bringing balance to the Force.
Hoist by His Own Petard: The chain Jabba uses to control and humiliate Leia becomes the thing she uses to kill him.
As the Emperor tortures Luke with lightning blasts while the latter cries out for help, "Now, young Skywalker, you will die," the Emperor charges up a full blast to kill him once and for all, but Vader, seeing what is happening, can't stand to see his son in pain and hoists the Emperor into the air, causing the Emperor to zap himself with his own lightning, before being thrown to his death in the Death Star's reactor.
During the ground battle on Endor, Chewbacca hijacks one of the Imperial AT-STs and turns its guns on another walker and several squads of Stormtroopers, turning the tide of the battle in the rebels' favour. A few scenes later, Han uses the walker and an Imperial uniform to trick the garrison into leaving the bunker, giving them a chance to blow up the shield generator.
Hope Spot: Luke manages to carry and drag an injured Vader to a working ship to escape the crumbling Death Star, but Vader dies before he can get him proper medical attention.
Hyperspeed Ambush: The Rebel fleet comes out of hyperspace en masse near the Death Star II in order to surround it and cover the attack squadrons that will fly inside the half-constructed space station to destroy it. Unfortunately, the station's shields are still active and the Imperial Fleet appears soon after to trap the Rebel fleet.
If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him!: This what Palpatine is counting on when he tells Luke to take back his lightsaber and strike him down with all of his hatred so his journey towards the Dark Side will be complete.
"I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: Luke and Vader's lightsaber duel.Luke: Your thoughts betray you, father. I feel the good in you... the conflict.
I Owe You My Life: Han Solo, after Luke rescues him from the Sarlacc pit:Han Solo: Hey, Luke, thanks. Thanks for coming after me. I owe you one. Leia also played a crucial part in ransoming Han Solo from Jabba's dungeon, as well as Lando, who is making amends for deceiving Han at Cloud City.
I Surrender, Suckers: C-3P0 and R2-D2 dupe a pack of stormtroopers into walking into an Ewok ambush.
I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Han tells Leia that "when Luke comes back, [he] won't get in the way." Leia quickly corrects his mistake.
Imaginary Love Triangle: Han mistakenly thinks Leia is secretly in love with Luke, and is relieved to find out at the end that she was only upset from finding out they're twins and Vader is her father.
Inescapable Net: The Ewoks' trap. The heroes DO manage to escape... only for the Ewoks to ambush them seconds afterwards.
Ironic Echo: Vader does this to Luke during the I Shall Taunt You portion of their duel.Vader: Yes. Your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for them are strong, especially for... sister. So... you have a twin sister. Your feelings have now betrayed her too.
Irony: Vader never achieves the power to save others from death using the Force, like Plagueis reportedly had. However, when Vader saves Luke from Palpatine, he ends up dying in the process. In other words, in his final moments Vader had the power to save others, but not himself.
It Only Works Once: The film doesn't directly state it, but the briefing room scene pretty much implies that the Exhaust Port weakness used to bring down the first Death Star isn't gonna work this time, forcing the rebels to make a daring suicide mission by having their starfighters fly directly inside of the unfinished space station to attack the reactor.
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