Many of the films in the Star Wars franchise have been re-released, both theatrically and on home media formats. Franchise creator George Lucas often altered the films for the re-releases. These alterations range from minor refinements (such as color grading and audio mixing) to major changes (such as the insertion of new dialogue, characters, and visual effects). The original trilogy was altered the most, although revisions were also made to the prequels. According to Lucas, some changes brought the films closer to his original vision, while others were attempts to create continuity with later films.

While different versions of the Star Wars films have existed since the 1977 release of the original film (later titled A New Hope), the first major changes were made in 1997 for the release of a Special Edition remaster in commemoration of the franchise's 20th anniversary. These changes were largely made as visual effects tests for the forthcoming prequel films, demonstrating the possibilities of computer-generated imagery (CGI). Additional notable changes were made when the original trilogy was released on DVD in 2004, in an attempt to create more consistency with the prequel trilogy. More changes were made to the films for their Blu-ray release in 2011 and for their 4K Ultra HD release in 2019.

Although some fans and critics felt that many of the smaller changes were innocuous or justified, most larger changes were received negatively—particularly those made to the original three films, the theatrical versions of which have never been officially released in high definition. Although the master negatives of the original trilogy were dismantled, another set of high-quality duplicates was created for long-term preservation.

Prior to making A New Hope, Lucas experienced dissatisfaction with the changes made to his previous films by the studios that produced them. His first feature, THX 1138 (1971), had five minutes removed by Warner Bros.^[1] His next film, American Graffiti (1973), had several minutes removed by Universal Pictures.^[2] Following the success of A New Hope, Lucas's original version of THX 1138 was theatrically released in 1977.^[1] The original version of American Graffiti was released theatrically in 1978, and was further altered for the 1998 DVD release with a CGI modification to the opening shot.^[2] In 2004, Lucas supervised a director's cut of THX 1138, which included new special effects.^[3] As an advocate for the moral rights of artists, Lucas spoke before the U.S. House of Representatives in 1988 in support of legislation that would discourage studios from altering films without the consent of the creators of those films.^[4][5] Lucas stated:

People who alter or destroy works of art, and our cultural heritage, for profit or as an exercise of power are barbarians ... Today, engineers with their computers can ... add or subtract material to the philosophical taste of the copyright holder. Tomorrow, more advanced technology will be able to replace actors with "fresher faces," or alter dialogue ... Attention should be paid to the interest of those who are yet unborn, who should be able to see ... the past generation as it saw itself, and how it worked with the mediums that were available to it.^[6]

• 1977: In May, Star Wars was theatrically released.^[7] Three different audio versions (a Dolby Stereo mix, a six-channel mix for 70 mm screenings, and a mono mix print) were created, with significant differences.^[8] Later that year, among others, a silent, English-subtitled Super 8 reel version of the film was released by Ken Films.^[9]
• 1980: In May, The Empire Strikes Back was theatrically released.^[7] After its initial opening, but before its wide release, Lucas extended the end sequence.^[10] A 70 mm print of the film differed from the more widely distributed 35 mm print in takes of dialogue, visual and sound effects, shot choices, and transitions between shots;^[11] none of these changes appeared in later releases, with exception of one dialogue change.^[12]
• 1981: In April, Star Wars was re-released, with the addition of the subtitles "Episode IV" and "A New Hope" added to the opening crawl.^[13]
• 1983: In May, Return of the Jedi was theatrically released.^[7]
• 1985: The original Star Wars film was re-released on VHS, LaserDisc, and Capacitance Electronic Disc (CED) with an improved audio mix (featuring a fusion of Lucas's preferred audio takes from the three 1977 mixes).^[14] The LaserDisc and CED sped the film up by 3% to fit onto a single disc.^[12][a]
• 1993: The original trilogy was released on LaserDisc as "The Definitive Collection". With the exception of a new THX audio mix, scratch and dirt removal, and color balance changes, it matched the original theatrical releases.^[12]
• 1995: The original trilogy was re-released on VHS with THX audio, advertised as the final release of the theatrical versions.^[15][16][17]
• 1997: The "Special Edition" of the original trilogy was released theatrically from January through March for the 20th anniversary of Star Wars. This release featured the first significant changes, which were intended to prove that Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) could effectively produce CGI visual effects for the prequel trilogy.^{[18][12][b][c]}
• 1999: In May, Episode I – The Phantom Menace was theatrically released.^[7]
• 2001: In November, The Phantom Menace was released on DVD, which features a slightly extended cut from the theatrical release.^[20]
• 2002: In May, Episode II – Attack of the Clones was theatrically released.^[7] A version made for digital-projection theaters included a few special effects which were not ready for the initial wide release;^[d] the DVD features the digital version^[22] with some extended lines of dialogue.^[23][24] A version was also made for IMAX theaters using IMAX's then-new digital-mastering process, with the aspect ratio cropped to 1.81:1 and the duration reduced to 120 minutes due to IMAX film platter limitations at the time.^[25][26]
• 2004: In September, the original trilogy was released on DVD. Further significant alterations were made,^[12] including replacing Latin script text with Aurebesh.^[18]
• 2005: In May, Episode III – Revenge of the Sith was theatrically released.^[7] The DVD release features a minor editing change.^[27][e]
• 2006: In September, Limited Edition DVDs of the 2004 versions of the original trilogy were re-issued; these contain the original unaltered versions on bonus discs. These match the 1993 LaserDisc release, sans the subtitle Episode IV – A New Hope.^[12][f]
• 2011: The original and prequel trilogy were released on Blu-ray. Alterations were made to all six films.^[12]
• 2012: The Phantom Menace was theatrically re-released in 3D, with a minor change to one shot.^[28]
• 2015: The original and prequel films were released as a digital download. They are identical to their Blu-ray release, except for changes to the opening logos and fanfares.^[12][g] The U.S. Library of Congress made the original release of Star Wars available to watch in person.^[30][h] The sequel trilogy film The Force Awakens was theatrically released in both standard and IMAX formats.^[34]
• 2019: The original and prequel films were released in 4K resolution and HDR on Disney's streaming service, Disney+.^[29][i] Color, compositing, and minor effects adjustments were made to all three films of the original trilogy.^[35][36]

The franchise-originating film was released in 1977, under the title Star Wars. The subtitle Episode IV – A New Hope was retroactively added to the opening crawl for the theatrical re-release on April 10, 1981,^[13][37] to align with the titling of the sequel, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980).^[12]

Aunt Beru's dialogue was re-recorded with a different actress for the 1977 mono release, although the original actress was used for all later editions.^[14]

Some scenes on Tatooine were modified for the 1997 Special Edition, most notably an alteration to the Greedo scene and the restoration of a deleted scene featuring Jabba the Hutt. During the Empire's search for the droids, two newly filmed shots of stormtroopers and CGI Dewback lizards were added. In another shot, a static Dewback was replaced with a moving CGI version. Writing in Wired magazine, Drew Stewart claimed the rationale for the added content was to illustrate the extent of the Empire's search, but criticized the new shots as "people wandering aimlessly."^[18][38][j] The sound Obi-Wan Kenobi makes to scare off the Tusken Raiders was changed for the 2004 DVD release, and then again for the 2011 Blu-ray release.^[39] In the scene in which R2-D2 hides in a cave, rocks were inserted in front of the cave for the Blu Ray release.^[18][k] Other alterations introduced in various releases include a CGI replacement of the Jawa sandcrawler,^[40] the replacement of an external shot of Obi-Wan's hut with a new angle showing Luke Skywalker's parked landspeeder,^[12][41] and color and continuity changes involving the binary sunset.^[42] The shadow of the landspeeder was redone in one shot,^[43] and creatures, robots, and ships were added to Mos Eisley, including elements created for the Shadows of the Empire multimedia campaign.^[18][44][l] Some of the aliens in the cantina were replaced with new CGI characters, and a shot of the Millennium Falcon fighting its way out of Mos Eisley was added.^[18]

Han Solo is cornered in the Mos Eisley cantina by the Rodian bounty hunter Greedo. When Greedo begins threatening him, Han kills him by shooting under the table.^[30] The 1997 release of the film alters the scene so that Greedo shoots first and misses (with Han's head digitally pivoting away from the blaster bolt). The scene was changed again for the 2004 DVD release so that Han and Greedo shoot almost simultaneously;^[32] this was shortened by several frames for the 2011 Blu-ray release.^[46] The scene was further modified for the 2019 4K Ultra HD release with the addition of a close-up shot of Greedo speaking (without subtitles),^[m] as well as the removal of a reverse shot of Greedo, and a re-rendering of the visual effects.^[29][49][n]

The original version of the Greedo scene is considered iconic,^[49][50] while the altered version is one of the most controversial changes to the film by some. Some fans have coined the phrase "Han shot first" to protest the change,^[51] which according to Polygon alters Han's moral ambiguity and his fundamental character.^[52] Lucas has stated that he always intended for Greedo to shoot first.^[53][54] In 2015, a copy of an early draft of the Star Wars screenplay was discovered in the archives of the University of New Brunswick library. In the script, dated March 15, 1976, only Han shoots.^[55] Greedo actor Paul Blake has also claimed that in the shooting script, Han fired the only shot.^[56] Lucas explained that he wanted Han to be a John Wayne-type character who allows his enemy to have the first shot before retaliating.^[53][o] He claims the original version of the scene portrayed Han as a "cold-blooded killer". Writing in Wired, Matt Blum claimed that Han shot in self-defense, and that it is therefore inaccurate to call him a cold-blooded killer.^[59]

The original script for Star Wars included a scene with Han and Jabba in a Mos Eisley docking bay. The scene was filmed by a second unit with Declan Mulholland wearing a furry vest as a stand-in for Jabba.^[39][60][61] Lucas intended to replace Mulholland in post-production with a stop-motion character, but due to time limitations and budget constraints, the entire scene was cut. In the 1997 Special Edition, the scene was reinserted with a CGI Jabba replacing Mulholland.^[39] This was an early example of a fully CGI, speaking character in a film. The character preceded Jar Jar Binks in The Phantom Menace by two years, who was a combination of CGI and motion capture.^[61][62] To explain Jabba's mobility despite his sluglike form, artist Claudia Mullaly conceived of repulsorlifts (one of which he sits upright in), but this concept was dropped.^[63]

In the original footage, Harrison Ford walked through the area where Jabba's tail would be. As a workaround, Han was digitally moved to appear as if he steps on Jabba's tail, with the Hutt squealing as a result.^[39] This part of the scene has been poorly received, including by its original animator Steve Williams.^[39][61] Boba Fett and several Rodians (at least one of whom is a look-alike of Greedo in the background) also appear in the scene, with Fett seeming to break the fourth wall.^[60][64][61]

The insertion of this scene was criticized for being superfluous and slowing down the pace of the narrative. Critics also claimed that it undermined the introduction of both the Millennium Falcon (in the following scene) and of Jabba (in Return of the Jedi).^{[12][39][60][65][66]} The 1997 CGI Jabba has been described as "atrocious",^[39] and for the 2004 DVD release was replaced with a higher-fidelity version resembling the one in The Phantom Menace.^[39][67][61] On the 2004 DVD audio commentary for A New Hope, Lucas said that while he did not mind cutting the scene when he was not sure if he could make sequels, he reintroduced it because Jabba is important to Han's larger story arc.^[68] ScreenCrush later reflected that the 2004 version "was an improvement, but only in the way that nausea is an improvement over vomit".^[69]

During the training scene aboard the Millennium Falcon, Luke's lightsaber—which in some releases had erroneously appeared green—was corrected to blue in the 2011 release.^[70][36]

For the Special Edition, a scene of Han chasing a squad of stormtroopers on the Death Star was altered to replace several stormtroopers at the end of the corridor with dozens in formation. Den of Geek criticized the change as being "too much" and making Han's shooting back at them less believable.^[60] Two Screen Rant writers call the updated version "utterly ridiculous" but "much funnier".^[71][72] Another shot of a stormtrooper hitting his head on a door had a sound effect added in 2004, making it seem like the goof was intentional.^[73][74]

In the original version of Obi-Wan and Darth Vader's duel, Obi-Wan's saber appeared to "short out" when foreshortened toward the camera (a result of the in-camera effects failing to account for this viewing angle).^[75] A glow was added in 2004, and a fully finished blade was added to these shots in 2019.^[76][77] Also in the 2019 version, Obi-Wan's lightsaber was adjusted to appear consistently blue, and the flash effects of the lightsabers clashing was redone.^[36][78]

Both the explosions of Alderaan and the Death Star had shockwaves added to them starting with the 1997 edition.^[12][72]

The Special Edition of A New Hope incorporated a deleted scene on Yavin 4, in which Luke is briefly reunited with his childhood friend Biggs Darklighter. This was felt by some to strengthen the relationship of the characters during the climactic Death Star attack run.^[79][80][p] The scene also included the appearance of Red X-Wing Squadron Leader Garven Dreis, an addition that pleased his actor Drewe Henley although his credit remained not corrected.^[81]

The original film includes a two-shot sequence of X-wing fighters flying past Yavin towards the Death Star (showing the fighters from behind, then the front). For the 1997 edition, these were replaced with a 180° turn of CGI X-wings (seen from the front, then the back). Wired points out that the addition of the moon (Yavin 4) in the background places it "very clearly in range of the Death Star from the very beginning of the battle."^[18] Additionally, engine sounds were added to the battle scene which make parts of the musical score difficult to hear.^[60]

According to Lucas, The Empire Strikes Back contains the most changes, although are mostly limited to compositing (e.g. during the Hoth battle), with only a few scenes being significantly altered.^[12] Christopher Miller, who later worked on Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), claimed that he played a stormtrooper added to the film's Special Edition while an intern at Lucasfilm.^[82][83]

Close-up shots of the wampa that captures Luke on Hoth were inserted.^[18][q]

For his appearance as a hologram in The Empire Strikes Back, the Emperor was originally portrayed by masked actress Marjorie Eaton and voice actor Clive Revill. For the 2004 DVD edition and subsequent releases, this was replaced by new footage of Ian McDiarmid, who plays the character in later films.^[85][86][r] The dialogue was changed in the new version, making Vader seem to have been unaware of Luke's paternity despite knowing his last name.^[89]

ScreenCrush argues that this change is the worst to any Star Wars film, owing to the altered dialogue.^[89] Wired writes that it is unclear whether the new dialogue is meant to portray Vader and the Emperor "deliberately testing one another", and also that McDiarmid "looks more like he did 20 years before in the timeline than he does a year later in Return of the Jedi".^[18] Sources such as Polygon and io9 regard the actor replacement itself as logical,^[52][80] and Screen Rant praises it as "a change that blends seamlessly with the original film, due in large part to the relative ease of swapping one holographic image for another".^[71]

Boba Fett's dialogue in the film was originally recorded by Jason Wingreen.^[32][90] Subsequently, Attack of the Clones revealed Boba to be a clone of Jango Fett, played by Temuera Morrison.^[91] To reflect this, Morrison re-recorded Wingreen's lines for the 2004 edition of the film.^{[32][90][92][s]}

In the shot when the Millennium Falcon detaches from the Star Destroyer, Boba Fett's ship, the Slave I, was replaced with a CGI version following the Falcon more closely.^[18] Both WhatCulture and Wired opine that the change makes it hard to believe that Han could not see Fett.^[95][18]

New establishing shots were added to Cloud City, which according to Lucas were added partially because director Irvin Kershner was dissatisfied with the limitations of the location's set.^[96] The additions create some inconsistencies with later shots. Another shot has a railing added to it, which does not reflect properly.^[18] New shots of Cloud City's citizens reacting to Lando Calrissian's evacuation orders were also added.^[18][t]

In the 1997 edition, the scene of Luke dropping down the chute to escape Vader was modified to include an audible scream—created using the sound of the Emperor screaming as he falls down the shaft in Return of the Jedi; this received criticism and was removed in later releases.^[18]

Following the initial limited theatrical release, Lucas added three exterior shots to the denouement to clarify that Lando and Chewbacca are on the Falcon, not the Rebel frigate that Luke, Leia, and the droids are on.^[10]

In the 1997 edition, a line of Vader's dialogue was replaced and a shot of his shuttle landing in his Star Destroyer (using stock footage of the second Death Star from Return of the Jedi in which Moff Jerjerrod appears)^{[citation needed]} was inserted into the sequence in which Luke uses the Force to contact Leia.^[18][97] Wired calls this "Yet another addition that answers a question no one had."^[18]

With the Blu-ray release, the Ewoks now blink. This detail was hoped for during the original production, but was abandoned due to practical limitations of the costumes.^{[14]: 1:03:00}

In the Special Edition, an establishing shot of a bantha herd was inserted,^[97] and a CGI beak and extra tentacles were added to the sarlacc.^[18][98][99] Jabba's dialogue was given subtitles, although C-3PO translates most of his lines.^[100] The 2011 edition extends the front door of Jabba's palace as seen from the outside to make it appear about three times wider.^[101] The Blu-ray also added a Dug to the inside of the palace, which was criticized as standing out from puppet aliens in the same scene.^[65][102]

The scene in which Jabba feeds the dancer Oola to his rancor opens with a performance by the Max Rebo Band and its lead singer, Sy Snootles. In the original theatrical release, the song is "Lapti Nek", sung in the fictional language Huttese. The Special Edition changed the performance to the new song "Jedi Rocks",^[103] which mostly received negative criticism.^{[52][104][105]} Polygon's Owen Good describes the new vocals as difficult to listen to and having "the volume and vocal fry of a higher pitched Tina Turner but none of the soul".^[52][u] The puppet used for Snootles was also replaced with CGI. According to Special Edition producer Rick McCallum, this change was made because Lucas could not originally achieve the "large musical number" he envisioned because characters could not move in certain ways; Snootles could not open her mouth to lip sync correctly, and her eyes did not move. The Special Edition increased the size of the Max Rebo Band from three members to twelve.^[103] Additional footage was filmed of Boba Fett flirting with one of the dancers;^[106] original Fett actor Jeremy Bulloch thought this was somewhat contrary to the character's nature.^[107]

In the theatrical release of the film, Oola's death is filmed from outside the rancor pit: she falls into the pit, and her scream is heard from off-screen. In the 1997 edition, extra shots were inserted depicting her in the pit, including shots where she looks up to the crowd, the pit door being raised, and a shot of her terror. The rancor and Oola as she screams remain off-screen.^[80] Femi Taylor, who played Oola, impressed critics with her ability to reprise the role over a decade later without visible difference.^[80][60] Wired notes that "they put a different eyeshadow color on her, so she's not exactly seamless."^[18] James Whitbrook at io9 praised the additions to the scene, writing that it teased the rancor well while still keeping the monster a surprise for Luke's later battle with it.^[80] Conversely, Den of Geek UK criticized the additions as unnecessary and felt that they made the audience familiar with the pit, weakening Luke's scene.^[60]

In 2004, Lucas revealed that he had considered adding a shot of Fett escaping the sarlacc, but decided against it because it would have detracted from the scene's focus: Jabba's death.^[108] Fett's survival was eventually depicted in the Disney+ live-action streaming series The Mandalorian (2019–present) and The Book of Boba Fett (2021–2022).^[93][94]

At the climax of the film, the Emperor tortures Luke with Force lightning, prompting Vader to throw the Emperor down a chasm. In the original version of the scene, Vader has no dialogue.^[109] Starting with the 2011 edition, Vader mutters "No" and then yells a drawn-out "No!", creating a parallel with his near-identical cry at the end of Revenge of the Sith.^[110] This addition was described as being unnecessary at best, and at worst being clumsy, sounding terrible, and seeming to mock the scene in the prequel.^{[109][110][12]} A Polygon writer argues that the change displays a distrust in the audience's ability to interpret Vader's emotions and further that it made the emotional scene "laughable".^[52]

In the scene where Anakin Skywalker is unmasked, the 2004 edition digitally removed his eyebrows to reflect Anakin burning on Mustafar at the end of Revenge of the Sith.^[92] Actor Sebastian Shaw's brown eyes were also digitally changed to blue to match Hayden Christensen's eye color.^[111]

The film ends with a scene of the Rebel Alliance and a village of Ewoks on Endor celebrating the death of the Emperor and victory over the Empire. The original theatrical release of the film features the song "Ewok Celebration", also known as "Yub Nub", playing over the celebration.^[12][104] The 1997 edition release of the film replaced "Ewok Celebration" with score composed by John Williams titled "Victory Celebration",^[12] and the scene was lengthened to include shots of celebration on the planets Coruscant,^[12][112] Bespin, and Tatooine.^[113] The 2004 edition further added a shot set on Naboo, in which a Gungan is given a line of dialogue,^[12] and added the Senate building and Jedi Temple to Coruscant.^[114] The concept for the interplanetary montage was discussed during the film's pre-production.^[115]

Near the end of the film, Vader kills the Emperor to save Luke's life, then dies of his injuries. He later appears to Luke as the Force spirit of Anakin, alongside Yoda and Obi-Wan. In the original version, Sebastian Shaw plays the spirit, as well as the unmasked Vader. Because Hayden Christensen played Anakin in the prequel films Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, the 2004 DVD edition of Return of the Jedi features Christensen as the spirit, replacing Shaw. In a 2005 conversation with Christensen, Lucas explained the change in this way: "When you come back to the good side of the Force, it's your former persona that survives, not the Darth Vader persona."^[116] The alteration was ranked as the worst change to the original trilogy by Den of Geek.^[60] The Digital Bits notes that the 2019 restoration made it more obvious where Anakin's head was replaced.^[114]

The DVD released in 2001 features a longer version of the podrace sequence,^[20] as well as a brief scene on Coruscant focusing on Anakin and Jar Jar Binks.^[117] The 2011 Blu-ray incorporates a CGI Yoda.^[118] For the 2012 3D re-release, the end of Anakin's magnetic wand was redesigned in one shot of the podrace.^[28]

The extended podrace includes a longer introduction of the racers and the second lap of the race,^[119] which Screen Rant says does not contribute to the story, and potentially negatively affects the film's pacing. Additionally, shots including Watto cheering for Anakin's rival Sebulba were removed for home media releases.^[117][119]

In the original version of The Phantom Menace, a puppet was used to portray Yoda except in two wide shots which required CGI.^[120][121] This was changed for the 2011 release, with the puppet being replaced with a CGI model, similar to those used for the film's sequels, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.^[118]

A few special effects which were not ready for the initial wide release were completed for release in digital-projection theaters.^[d] The DVD features the digital version^[22] with some extended lines of dialogue.^[23][24] The 2011 edition features a small editing change to the Coruscant speeder chase, adds a voiceover to Anakin's vision of Shmi,^[12] and changes the order of shots depicting Count Dooku's escape.^[122]

The theatrical release had a diagonal wipe from Obi-Wan leaving Mustafar to Anakin using his hand to crawl from the lava. The DVD changed this to a direct cut, which was reverted on the Blu-ray.^[27] The latter release also has additional clone trooper dialogue^[12] as they land on Utapau, and added moss to the treehouse on Kashyyyk.^[123]

The filmmakers had discussions of what further changes could be done to past films or in revisions of this film; Lucas was impressed enough with the Creature Shop's radio-controlled mask for the background character of Senator Meena Tills that he briefly considered replacing the footage containing Admiral Ackbar's mask in Return of the Jedi with Meena's one due to always feeling that Ackbar's was compromised despite being done with the latest puppetry technology available back then,^[124] while McCallum expressed his hopes in the film's audio commentary that, as part of a hypothetical six-episode DVD box set, Lucas would restore a deleted scene of Yoda arriving at Dagobah to begin his self-imposed exile, which was cut as Lucas felt the film would have had "too many endings".^[125]

Various media outlets have cited certain changes to the original trilogy as being particularly egregious. These include: in A New Hope, making Greedo shoot first (which has been especially criticized for playing tricks with viewers' minds and memories) and the restored Jabba scene;^[60][39][18] in The Empire Strikes Back, changes to the Emperor's dialogue (and appearance);^[60][18] in Return of the Jedi, the new song in Jabba's palace, Vader yelling "No!" at the climax, and Christensen replacing Shaw as Anakin's spirit.^{[60][39][12][18]}

In 2015, Lance Ulanoff of Mashable viewed the original theatrical print of Star Wars submitted to the Library of Congress, and noted merit to Lucas's belief that technology did not allow him to achieve his vision, citing a visible marquee around Leia's ship "so jarring that it temporarily pulls me out of the film" because the original print is "lack[ing] the seamless quality [he has] come to expect from sci-fi and fantasy". Despite this, Ulanoff wrote that he "hate[s] each and every one" of the later added CGI effects.^[30] In 2017, a writer argued that the Special Edition changes to the original Star Wars "stripped the film of every aspect that it had won its Academy Awards for", including those for Best Visual Effects, Best Production Design, and Best Original Score.^[33]

A smaller number of changes have been cited as improving the films or not harming them.^[80] A 2015 Polygon article claimed there was "solid logic" behind a number of the minor changes, such as adding windows to Cloud City or sparks to Jango Fett's jetpack, saying these "angered, to a close approximation, nobody".^[52] A New Hope's restored Biggs scene has garnered mostly favorable feedback.^{[79][80][72][18]} In 2021, Screen Rant praised special effects additions to A New Hope, including the CGI Dewback replacement, the Mos Eisley establishing shots, and the explosions of Alderaan and the Death Star.^[72] A consistent minority viewpoint has held that the net total of changes improves the films more than it detracts from them.^[126]

The master negatives of the original trilogy were reportedly dismantled in order to create the Special Editions, although high-quality duplicates known as separation masters exist (also used as a source for the 1997 versions).^[127] In 1997, Lucas stated, "There will only be one [version of each film] ... The [original] will be some sort of interesting artifact ... [that] will disappear. ... A hundred years from now, the only version of the movie that anyone will remember will be the DVD version."^[128] Asked why he was opposed to releasing the original versions of the films alongside the modified versions, Lucas stated in 2004: "To me, [the original movie] doesn't really exist anymore. ... I'm sorry you saw half a completed film and fell in love with it. But I want it to be the way I want it to be."^[129] Lucas has said the Special Edition of a A New Hope brought the film from representing 60% of his vision to 80%.^[130]

Gary Kurtz, producer of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, spoke against changing films retroactively in a 2002 interview. He stated, "I'm just not a great believer in messing with what is done. It may not be perfect, and as I said a long time ago, there's nothing that is." Addressing the Special Editions, he said,

... fixing a few matte lines and adding a couple of spaceships into shots is fine. I don't think anybody would notice that. But actually adding scenes that don't make any difference ... and all of those digitally enhanced shots of robots floating around and creatures walking through the frame ... call attention to themselves. Are much worse, actually, I think. Primarily because CGI work ... done by ILM, which is the best there is ... does not fit in with the mechanical style of the original film.^[131]

Lucas's name is sometimes used as a shorthand verb for the act of retroactively altering a film.^[132][133] In early 2002, filmmaker (and friend of Lucas) Steven Spielberg re-released E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in a digitally altered 20th-anniversary Special Edition, which notably replaced guns carried by federal agents with walkie-talkies.^{[134][135][v]} This prompted the creators of South Park to parody both Spielberg and Lucas's changes to their films in an episode of their show.^[137] In 2007, Family Guy lampooned Christensen's appearance as a spirit, and in 2017 comedian Brian Posehn stated that the original trilogy "already was special".^[138][139] Lucas's changes have become a primary point of reference for retroactive changes to other films.^[140][141] By contrast, some media outlets positively reviewed the 2020 4K release of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which was remastered and adjusted for color consistency with The Hobbit trilogy, but not otherwise significantly altered.^{[142][143][144]}

A number of errors remain in the latest version of the Star Wars films.^[145] For instance, Sebulba is unrendered in a brief shot in The Phantom Menace, which special-effects supervisor John Knoll called attention to in the film's 2001 DVD commentary. Craig Elvy of Screen Rant said, "This highlights how George Lucas' motivations for tweaking the Star Wars movies are more about improving and updating than removing imperfections".^[146]

In 2019, Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm since the 2012 acquisition of the company by Disney, stated that she would not make alterations to Lucas's original trilogy, because "those will always remain his."^[147] While promoting The Rise of Skywalker, director J. J. Abrams expressed his hopes that the original versions of the trilogy would be officially released, but said that the powers that be had told him "that that's not necessarily possible".^[148][w] On whether he thought the sequel trilogy should be altered at some point, Abrams stated, "I respect anyone who feels like they want to go back and adjust and add; I get that. But I also feel like ... [when] you're done with a thing, ... that's what it is."^[149] Contrarily, some media outlets have called for the climax of The Rise of Skywalker to be altered to show the Force ghosts of the Jedi who aid Rey.^[150][151] Fan pleas for a director's cut of the film trended on social media following the release of Zack Snyder's Justice League.^[152][x]

In 2023, when asked if he had the clout to influence Lucasfilm to release the original cuts of the original trilogy, The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau answered, "Do you think anybody but ... the people who grew up with it ... would care?" He went on to explain his view that "younger people have a whole different perception of what Star Wars is."^[155]

At the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, Lucas again refused to allow the release of the original cuts, repeating his previous statements with, "I'm a firm believer that the director or the writer or the filmmaker should have a right to have his movie be the way he wants it."^[156]

• Kaminski, Michael (2009). "Saving Star Wars: The Special Edition Restoration Process and its Changing Physicality". The Secret History of Star Wars.
• Miller, Leon (October 8, 2019). "Star Wars: 5 Special Edition Changes That Should Be Reversed (& 5 We'd Keep)". Screen Rant.
• List of changes in Star Wars re-releases on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki
• Online archive of Star Wars coverage at American Cinematographer, including interviews regarding the 1997 edition