TheStar Warsoriginal trilogy may be classics, but some elements simply haven’t aged all that well. That isn’t meant as a criticism, of course; even George Lucas implicitly acknowledged the dated special effects when he kept trying to “improve” them with theStar WarsSpecial Editions. “When Michelangelo made the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel,he looked at it and said: I’m going to redo this part,“Lucas insisted when recently defending the Special Editions. As someone who grew up with the original, unaltered versions, I have to admit I rather wish he hadn’t made some of those changes.
Oddly enough, though, Lucas tinkered with a lot of things that I don’t really feel needed it. As hard as it is to admit, the elements that have aged badly include actual plot points and scenes, meaning they’re not really easy to “fix.” I wouldn’t want them to be “fixed,” either, becauseStar Warsis and always will be a product of its time. Society has moved on, and the franchise has too, with Lucas' own pivots and course-corrections causing many of these issues. Here are the ten that stand out to me.
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10The Force Powers Are So Weak
The true power of the Force is seldom seen
Viewed all these decades later, theForce powersdisplayed in theStar Warsoriginal trilogy seem… pretty weak. There are good reasons for this, of course, ranging from the special effects of the ’70s and ’80s to the fact there’s been a strong sense of power creep since the OT. What’s more, the lack of “flashy” special effects throughout serves to underscore the one moment of true Force spectacle, when Palpatine unleashes Force Lightning - like nothing ever seen before.
The dark side just seems a tad underwhelming.
“The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force,” Darth Vader tells us in the firstStar Warsmovie (whichLucas later retitled " A New Hope”). That kind of comment really sets you up to expect the showy, flashy Force powers we’ve seen in wider canon; it hints that the Death Star is nothing compared to the dark side. But, purely from watching the movies themselves,the dark side just seems a tad underwhelming.
9Bail’s Message To Obi-Wan Kenobi
It just doesn’t make any sense
Princess Leia’s message to Obi-Wan Kenobi has made even less sense as the years have gone on. “Years ago, you served my father in the Clone Wars,” Leia recounts in the hologram. The problem, though, is that he didn’t; Bail Organa was a senator, not a military leader, and he and Obi-Wan had few interactions. At this stage, Lucas appears to have been hinting at a conflict in which the Jedi worked for a royal house - Leia is a princess, after all.
The problems become even more amusing given the events ofObi-Wan Kenobi. This revealed Leia’s own history with Obi-Wan, meaning she wouldn’t really need to introduce herself in this way. That one just about works, but it’s a close thing, and it just underlines the problems already there in the scene.
8Princess Leia’s Lack Of A Character Arc
More than just a priincess
Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia is rightly seen as an absolute icon. She’s introduced as a damsel in distress, but swiftly subverts that, taking charge of her own rescue. And yet, rewatching theStar Warsoriginal trilogy, I can’t help but feel Lucas didn’t quite know what to do with her.The Empire Strikes Backturns the rebel leader into a love interest first and foremost, while inReturn of the Jediher focus is on rescuing Han. Leia could have (and should have) been so much more.
The problem becomes all the more obvious when you take a step back and realize what this character has actually gone through. By the end ofA New Hope, Leia has lost everything she’s ever known - her homeworld, her family, her political position, everything. There’s no real sense of emotional reaction to all this, though,no hint of trauma or a character arc. Tie-ins have tried to fix this issue, but it’s striking nonetheless.
7The Lightsaber Duel Between Darth Vader & Obi-Wan Kenobi
This one has become very, very dated
The lightsaber is the ultimate symbol ofStar Wars, and we’ve had so many epic duels over the years. Unfortunately, the very first lightsaber duel - the clash between Darth Vader and Obii-Wan Kenobi on the Death Star - simply hasn’t dated well. There’s an obvious reason for this, of course; the technology was fresh and new, meaning it wasn’t possible to do the ind of epic duels we now take for granted. Just compare this toThe Acolyte’s incredible choreography, orAhsoka, or the unforgettable “Duel of the Fates” inStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.
As I said earlier,this is something that really can’t be “fixed” without doing incredible damage to the movie. Sometimes, when you watch an older film, you simply have to accept that the people involved were dealing with limitations that don’t restrict modern movie-makers. This datedness is all a part of their charm.
6The Computers & Targeting Mechanism In A New Hope
Yeah, they’re tremendous, but they are also really dated
It’s odd how some elements of popular culture haven’t aged well, and yet are somehow absolutely perfect. That’s definitely the case with the targeting systems in theStar Warsoriginal trilogy, which were designed as a homage to arcade games and the like. Nowadays, these just look odd - and yet it’s impossible not to grin when you see them on the screen. This is one element ofStar Warsthat I really hope never changes (and I was delighted to see the targeting crosshair crop up again inThe Acolyte).
In general, though,there’s something distinctly odd about technology in the original trilogy- especially when compared to the prequels, which look so much more sophisticated. The reason, of course, is thatA New Hopewas based on a 1977 idea of advanced technology, which hasn’t dated well. Canonically, there’s a convenient explanation in that social decline under the Empire was accompanied by technological decline.
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
Cast
Star Wars is a seminal science fiction film released in 1977 that follows the quest of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo to rescue Princess Leia from the oppressive Imperial forces. They are aided by the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, as they strive to restore peace to the galaxy.
5Luke & Leia’s Empire Strikes Back Kiss
All together now: Ew
George Lucas always loved to pretend he had the entire plot ofStar Warsfigured out from the start. If that were really the case, he certainly wouldn’t have ever put in theLuke-Leia kissinThe Empire Strikes Back, a moment that now feels distinctly cringeworthy. To be fair, Lucas wasn’t the only one who assumed Luke and Leia were another potential romance; evenA New Hope’s score was designed to give viewers that impression. Alan Dean Foster’sSplinter of the Mind’s Eye, written well beforeESB, is rather eyebrow-raising after the sibling revelation.
This is the problem with franchises that are always growing and changing; individual scenes wind up in whole new contexts, and in this case they’re turned upside-down. The most amusing thing to consider, of course, isjust what Artoo-Detoo thinks of the sparks between Luke and Leia. He’s the only one who knows they’re brother and sister at this point in theStar Warstimeline, and he chooses to keep quiet.
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
The Empire Strikes Back is the second installment in the original Star Wars trilogy, directed by Irvin Kershner. Released in 1980, it follows Luke Skywalker as he trains under Jedi Master Yoda, while Princess Leia, Han Solo, and the Rebel Alliance face ongoing threats from the Galactic Empire and Darth Vader.
4Return of the Jedi’s Slave Leia
Carrie Fisher hated this
Princess Leia’s rescue attempt goes wrong inReturn of the Jedi, leading to a scene that pretty much symbolizes every problemStar Warshas with female characters. I’ve already pointed out that the fierce and independent rebel leader lacks a prominent character arc beyond love interest. ButReturn of the Jedithen literally strips Leia down into a sexy slave outfit (which Carrie Fisher hated). Recognizing the problematic nature of this scene, Disney has resolved never to release any Slave Leia merch.
Disney has, however, attempted to fix this.Princess Leia is now the Huttslayer, having earned fame and notoriety because she is the slave who overthrew a Hutt. ModernStar Warscanon has retconned her as an inspiration for slaves seeking emancipation across the galaxy, although of course the Hutts weren’t so happy about this. It’s a smart fix, but it doesn’t make the movie iitself any easier to watch at this point.
3Boba Fett’s Fate In The Sarlacc Pit
He deserved so much more
The (apparent) death of Boba Fett inReturn of the Jediis one of the most disappointing scenes in the entire movie. It’s important to remember that Lucas had encouraged an enormous amount of hype around Boba Fett, planning him to have a major role, but had course-corrected when he decided to abandon his original sequel plans. The result is that Boba is treated like a big deal, only to be hastily killed off in an utterly uninspiring manner.A franchise that excels at “cool moments” totally fails with Boba’s death.
The oldStar WarsExpanded Universeswiftly brought Boba Fett back. Canon has done the same, but the results have been just as disappointing;The Book of Boba Fettis generally considered one of the worst productions in the Disney era. All that means Boba Fett feels like a story of wasted potential, andReturn of the Jediis where that story begins.
2Obi-Wan’s Explanation For Lying To Luke
“From A Certain Point Of View”
Why did Obi-Wan Kenobi tell Luke Skywalker so many lies? In reality, of course, the answer is simple; he didn’t, Lucas simply changed his mind on the backstory. The famous “I am your father” moment is entirely absent from Leigh Brackett’s first draft ofThe Empire Strikes Back, only occurring to Lucas after Brackett’s sad death. That was a retcon, and it unfortunately turned Obi-Wan into a liar.
Obi-Wan insists he told the truth “from a certain point of view,” which is a rather eyebrow-raising statement in which he basically shrugs off his duplicity. It means viewers are left with a version of Obi-Wan who is sly and manipulative, deceiving Luke to shape him into becoming a Jedi. With the benefit of hindsight, it’s the first hint the nostalgic rose-tinted-glasses view of the Jedi is false -it’s just a shame it feels damaging to Obi-Wan’s character along the way.
1The Return Of The Death Star
Here we go again…
Looking back, the second Death Star inReturn of the Jedifeels as though it represents all the worst impulses ofStar Warswriters. It’s basically a rinse-and-repeat of an earlier plot point, but amped-up because this new Death Star is of course a bigger and even better superweapon.It spawned an odd obsession with superweapons inStar Wars, one that continues to this day. In Legends, you have Sun Crushers and World Devastators, in canon you have Starkiller Base and Xyston-class Star Destroyers. Each superweapon must be reminiscent of what has gone before, while also being bigger and better.
George Lucas launchedStar Wars, creating a great franchise. But he also kick-started allStar Wars' worst nostalgic impulses, establishing patterns that continue to this day. For me, this is the one story detail in the original trilogy that really hasn’t aged well - becauseI know what stories and stumbles it inspired.
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
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