Return of the Jedi: New Ending

no, unfortunately this is not a hoax, this is true.

How absurd. If true, why wouldn't Obi-wan and Yoda be young too?

Because Darth Vader's "good force" spirit died when he became Darth Vader. Hence, when he turned back to good, his "force spirit" was frozen back to the moment of his "turning."

God, you guys are so dense! Duh.

😊

Y'never know . . . they might reshoot the whole scene with Ewan MacGregor and CGI Yoda. 😛

Hm, someone has a good point. Personally, I was never satisfied with the actor who played Anakin Skywalker at the end of Return. I mean, he was *way* too old! After all, he was nine in Episode one, making him a mere *forty one* in Episode four: A New Hope. Even if you figure that the events of the original trilogy lasted ten years, which is pushing it, Vader would only be in his early fifties! And this is an active man, not some guy at a desk job! He'd be buff! Yeah, he'd be scarred and have lung problems, hence the mask, but other than that he'd be in excellent physical shape. Personally, since X-files, I always thought Mitch Pileggi would make an excellent post-Return of the Jedi Anakin.

Vader should be old. Possibly not Sebastian Shaw old, though I don't have a problem with it. Certainly old though. The whole point of the end of Jedi is that Anakin turns back to the light side. Therefore the theory about his "force spirit" being frozen doesn't sit well with me. I will of course buy the DVDs when they come out, but under heavy protest, and with a great sigh of relief that I still have the Laser Discs and a player on which to watch them in all their matte-painted glory.

On the Star Wars website they detail many changes made for the Episode VI DVD, but switching out old Anakin for young Anakin isn't one of them:

http://www.starwars.com/episode-vi/feature/19970115/index.html

Like i said - it is replaced. I already have XviD rip from future retail version of DVD, and there is young Anakin ghost. I was pissed to see that :(

Alex, I'd have thought your usual inquisitive mind would have seen the date on that article on the website..... something tells me an article posted in January 1997 doesn't have much bearing on the DVDs released 7 and a half years later.

Andrew (and other skeptics), i dont know about those websites and wrong dates, but this screenshot from new version of Episode VI is real, unfortunately. I can make screenshots of more frames maybe, if anyone needs more proof.

3Dman, might I remind you that the whole point of this website, among other things, is to not trust a single person's declaration of fact, nor some examples of "evidence" that cannot be verified as being 100% accurate. While some screen shots can certainly lend credence to a claim, they don't make up an airtight case for this being a "fact." Additional screenshots won't hurt, but also won't ultimately "prove" this story as true, especially when they come from such a dubious place as an "XviD rip from a future retail version."

Personal convictions on whether you think the changes are warranted aside, I beleive this story needs more information from either side to label it either true or a hoax.

and being skeptical is hardly a negative trait

Andrew, you're right. I didn't see that 1997 date. Doh!


My gut feeling is that the new ending to ROTJ isn't a hoax. George Lucas is probably worried about someone in the future watching the movies from the beginning, who would be confused that Darth Vader suddenly looks different at the very end of the series. He seems to be underestimating the audience a bit, but that would be nothing new.


And yeah, I was a bit skeptical of an XviD rip as a source also.

Hey, guys, i didnt mean any offense, not by a long shot! 😊 Well, the thing is, Episode VI DVD has been "borroved" early and is circulating on The Net for some time now. Well, to be more precise, since july 23, 2004 (http://www.nforce.nl).
But for definite confirmation i guess we have to wait till someone really buy real retail DVD in store. 😊

But there is more. Here some more information that i found, but can not confirm:

Episode IV: A New Hope DVD:

* Light Sabers changed for Vader versus Ben Kenobi Death Star duel.
* TractorBeam control now in Aurebesh.
* Han and Greedo scene slightly changed (everyone's seen this).
* Jabba the Hutt redone from Special Edition Jabba.
* Boba Fett still mugs camera.
* Han still steps on tail - "You're a wonderful human being" - still there.
(The scene is an improvement over the SE - however, still not great.)

Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

* Emperor replaced with Ian McDiarmid.
Dialogue in this scene has been slightly modified, indicating either that the Emperor knows it was Luke who nuked the Death Star, or that he is Vader's son. Maybe both. Otherwise, dialogue remains in tact. Emperor's theme from Jedi also added into the scene.

Episode VI: Return of the Jedi:

* Hayden Christenson has replaced Sebastian Shaw only in the Force Ghost shot.

* Line about Leia remembering her mother while talking to Luke on the Ewok Village veranda has either been omitted, or modified.

* Naboo has been added to the final planetary celebration montage at the end of the movie. It is a shot very similar to the helicopter shot of Theed in TPM when AATs are moving up the street towards the palace.

also theres an age difference with Anakin and Obi in episodeII but in the original ending of Return of the JEdi it made it look as Anakin is older than Obi one.

I watched my dvds of the original series and they did replace him. LOL You were right, 3Dman. I think it's pretty gutsy of them, considering fans usually don't like it when classics are tampered with. In this case, however, I think it was necessary for continuity. Like greg said, the age difference seemed very wrong in Jedi, based on what we know from the prequels. I guess, they just went with "young Anakin" as opposed to finding a new "older Anakin."

My husband found this when he got the new DVD set. He was a little pissed a first, but then I guess he got over it, or I stopped listening...whichever happened first.

Well personally I think if he's going to go around making such changes in order to preserve continuity then he should go ahead and make the last three episodes. He let everyone know that this story is actually made up of nine total episodes... goes back and makes the prequels... and has made it VERY clear in recent interviews and such that episodes 7,8,& 9 will never be made. When asked about it further he also stated that he wouldn't allow anyone else to do them either... up to and including his son. This interview w/ Mr. Lucas was on PBS locally just a mere 2 weeks ago. BUMMER!!!

I agree with "someone" as well... they said the good in Anakin died when he became Vader, so there would be no reason to show the old Anakin since there really was no such person on the good side of the force. And obi-wan and Yoda were old because they have always been on the good side of the force. But I really think they should have added the original unaltered versions of the movies as an option on the DVD

Holy Nerd Alert, Batman!!

And dedicated be that nerd, for the last comment was three months ago.

thanks for noticing eagle eye. the reason i posted now is becuase i just watched the new dvd version of ROTJ for the first time. and i liked the new ending.

I'm pissed of about that ending. I don't think Lucas should have put the younger Anakin in there. Why mess with an incredible movie we all know and love. If I bought a vintage Mustang I certainly wouldn't want to find a Chevy engine in it. I liken Lucas's actions to those same A holes that run the record companies. When you buy your favorite bands greatest hits CD expecting to listen the the songs you have known since you were a kid and you end up with some "re-mastered" P.O.S. which sounds nothing like what you were expecting. It is a huge let down. I think it stinks.

I agree with GL replacing Sebastian Shaw, especially since the movies were obviously modified to fit in with Episode I II and III. As someone said before the real Anakin died years ago and was replaced by Darth Vader, he lost his soul in a way. Once Vader died his soul was set free which would explain why the ghost appears young. Both Ben and Yoda were the same consistently, so when they died, they died. Anakin in a way was trapped in a shell, and was finally let go. Yes, I can see why OT fans would be mad, but it accomodates much better. I am sure if Lucas would have though of the original trilogy back then he would have had a younger actor play Anakin's ghost.

i know its not going to happen, but everyone should respect GL's decision, this is the way the movie was meant to be seen in his eyes. although change has always been a fear of man kind.

At first i was like...whoa! WTF!? But after i thought about it for a while...i kinda liked the idea.

like other people, at first i was whoa-- that doesn't seem like the old ending or the one i watched before. But i liked it and it made sense. the good man that luke was referring to as his father was the YOUNG anakin skywalker BEFORE he "died" and became darth vader as obi wan kenobi said. anakin kinda pops through at the end when he wants to see his son for the last time with his own eyes. did you also notice added scenes of Naboo, and other planets partying?

I just want to know how he's gonna explain Anakin having an American accent before he bacame darth vader and then a clipped British accent when Luke takes off his helmet...

That bit just makes no sense...

british? moron!

I was shocked to see the different Anakin ghost as well but after a little consideration I couldnt care less. The thing that pissed me of was that George changed the Ewok's victory "Yowah" song. That song ruled, it was the way the triliogy ended for me. A tribal up-beat ditty that I absolutely loved. I watched it with my girlfriend (first time she had ever seen it) last night and sadly whimpered "they changed it..." I couldnt have been more upset. But who knows to make many more millions of dollars Lucas will probably release another set of dvds where you can chose what new stuff is added and what old stuff is changed. Because like a sucker I would buy it.

yup, it's true, I know it is old news, but I still wanted to post it
I just saw ROTJ on Fox latinamerica, and yeah, young Anakin is there

Just fished watching all 6 episodes in a row!

Had to go to the theatre to see Episode III, but it actually "somewhat" justifies switching the actor.

At first I thought it was super cool... but then I started thinking, wait a sec... I remember him being really old. Then I searched the net and found this page.

I actually liked the overall feeling it gave. It was quite clear that the Anakin as a Jedi not a Sith was being represented I thought.

However I didn't realize how much other stuff had been changed, as is posted above. Most of them do seem to have changed if memory serves, but interesting choices. There are still some remaining flaws (as should be expected - I mean come on guys, perfection?) but strange that he would cover up some and still leave glaring ones. Most notable is the Leigha remembering her mother.

Of course all of this can be explained if you extend your reasoning far enough. I think in some ways its a shame Lucas felt he had to modify things, however it did give an overall nice feeling when watching the whole set. I actually liked the extra screenshots of planets from the first three episodes right at the end of Jedi.

Anyhow, just my opinion.

I actually don't mind so much that Lucas changed the ending "ghost" scene of ROTJ, if that is the way he sees it then so be it. However, why the heck couldn't he actually release the DVDs with both versions on them. Many, many other movies release DVDs with "the original theatrical version" and "the director's cut" on them, why not these? I have a feeling the uber-greed of Lucas has gotten the better of us and you will find the originals eventually released, just like how PM widescreen came out on video b4 the DVDs. You gotta admit the guy knows how to squeeze every last buck out of the fans.

^
^
finally people get the reason lucas did this...
i imagine if hayden was 20 something in 83 and he knew hayden would be in the prequels then he would have used him then too. i honestly think the actor he used for anakin in the OG ROTJ was a stupid idea anyway.

BTW: EP3 ownes.

i think that obi wan, like most of the other jedi, was trained by yoda as a youngling in a clan and when he reached the right age he became qui gons apprentice. so actually he was trained by both. check this nerd out

i dont get it.. i thought there were only 3 star wars movies out but whys everyone talking about episode 6???

*sigh*

There was episodes 4-6 (A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi) between 1979 and 1986.

Recently, there have been episodes 1-3.

oh, are they going to remake them?

The rumor going around is that in the upcoming DVD release of the Star Wars series, George Lucas has altered the ending of Return of the Jedi (Episode VI) so that Hayden Christensen has replaced Sebastian Shaw in the final scene that shows the ghosts of Darth Vader, Yoda, and Obi wan Kenobi standing together

From the original entry.
So it's just the DVD release. I assume that this is when they release the whole lot as a set.

so the old movies are gonna carry on from the new ones? wouldnt that look wrong?

Um, I'm not sure if I get what you mean.
If it's that the older ones are set later in the Star Wars universe, yes.
The more recent three are prequels.

well like if the old movies filmed 20 years ago are carrying on from these new ones wont it look odd.. all the characters wil be different and the effects wont be near as good..

In what way different? There's quite a time gap between where episode three finishes and episode four starts, remember. People who were children are now adults, people who were young (I'm thinking of Obi Wan here) will be old...

True, the effects are more old-fashioned, but George Lucas always intended to make episodes 4-6 first, then go back to the prequels. Plus there's areas where they have updated the originals with more high-tech computer effects.

oh ok cool,
thanks then :>

No problem.
😊

well if u guyz watch EP III when anakin turned into the robot he was still young, if u think about it ROBOTS don't agE!!! so therefore he looks the same!!!,

for the scene where he takes off his mask it makes sense coz he face probably melted and stuff so meh

i thought there was an uncanny resemblance between Hayden and the Anakin at the end of return of the jedi. I have been amazed for days but thanks for explaining it. i don't know which i would prefer sebastian or hayden. Its a great ending still though,if a bit wierd ages wise. It make sense and carries on well from the prequels. It seems a shame to edit he old ones though. Perhaps they should have been left as they were, sorry to sound so cheesy but now the originals have been lost forever. Shame really, maybe they should bring out an unedited version. i dunno, they could have at least explained the trilogy had been edited, to be honest i never noticed,being 7yrs since i last saw them but it was a bit wierd. I dunno. i better shut up. It will take me a week to make up my mind. Ad they could have changed the credits at the end to hayden christensen but maybe leave sebastians name too. it made me confused.

I think it is a tribute to the orginal anakin either that or they were too lazy to edit the end credits

well if u guyz watch EP III when anakin turned into the robot he was still young, if u think about it ROBOTS don't agE!!! so therefore he looks the same!!!

uh...... He is not a robot, he merely needs the life support suit to live. Remember, the name Darth Vader has nothing to do with the black suit he wears, he only wears that because he has to.

Anyways, I disagree with them reamking the ending with Hayden as the ghost of Anakin, ans here is why. Anakin does indeed "die" (not phyiscally) in Episode III when he turns to the dark side, and becomes the dreaded darth vader. However, Darth Vader dies (not physically) the moment he kills the Emperor and saves Luke's life. The man who dies next to Luke's X wing with his helmet is off is NOT Darth Vader, but Anakin Skywalker who had returned to the Skywalker. So when Anakin physically dies, it is not Vader who is dying, but Anakin dying. So for those saying "well it needs to be hayden so it reflects that its Anakian!" that really is not correct. Hayden Christianson merely portrays Anakin Skywalker when he is about 19 years old. But Anakin physically dies when he is about 40 (since eps 4-6 take place about 20 years after Episode 3) so obviously Anakin should be portrayed by someone who looks that aqe and looks like he could be Luke's father. He is supposed to luke the same as the scarred Anakin we see at the end of ROTJ right before he dies, except with no scarring, so its basically how he would look at that age had he not had fallen into the lava. So yeah, anyways it was an unecessary change, since, as I stated, the old Anakin (Sebastain Shaw) relects what Anakin looked like that age, and also reflects the Anakin Skywalker that killed the Emperor, saved luke, returned to the light side, and who ultimately brought balance to the force.

blah lol sorry about some of the typo's in my message I typed it pretty fast..... so i'll repost it.

well if u guyz watch EP III when anakin turned into the robot he was still young, if u think about it ROBOTS don't agE!!! so therefore he looks the same!!!

Uh...... he is not a robot, he merely needs the life support suit to live. Remember, the name Darth Vader has nothing to do with the black suit he wears, he only wears that because he has to. And he DOES indeed age and get older, we just don't see it (untill the end of ROTJ, of course) because he has the suit on, thus we cannot see what he looks like underneath. ...... but honestly, how could anyone think he doesnt age ? Of course he still ages, he may look like a machine on the outside, but he is still a human being.


Anyways, I disagree with them remaking the ending with Hayden as the ghost of Anakin, and here is why. Anakin does indeed "die" (not physically) in Episode III when he turns to the dark side, and becomes the dreaded Darth Vader. However, Darth Vader dies (not physically) the moment he kills the Emperor and saves Luke's life. The man who dies next to Luke's X wing with his helmet off is NOT Darth Vader, but Anakin Skywalker who had returned to the light side. So when Anakin physically dies, it is not Vader who is dying, but Anakin dying. So for those saying "well it needs to be hayden so it reflects that it's Anakin!" that really is not correct. Hayden Christensen merely portrays Anakin Skywalker when he is about 19 years old. But Anakin physically dies when he is about 40 (since eps 4-6 take place about 20 years after Episode 3) so obviously Anakin should be portrayed by someone who looks that age and looks like he could be Luke's father. He is supposed to look the same as the scarred Anakin we see at the end of ROTJ right before he dies, except with no scarring, so its basically how he would look at that age had he not fallen into the lava. So yeah, anyways it was an unecessary change, since, as I stated, the old Anakin (Shaw) relects what Anakin looked like at that age, and also reflects the Anakin Skywalker that killed the Emperor, saved Luke, returned to the light side, and who ultimately brought balance to the force.

get over it already, bitching wont change a damn thing.
GL dosent give a fuck what you all think.

PENIS!!!!

Wow what a intelligent post..... not. Anyways, I know that what we say doesn't change anything. That doesn't mean we can't discuss the subject and give our opinions, and present logical reasons for our opinions.