“Star Wars” fans amongst the BYUH faculty and student body share what makes “Return of the Jedi” special
“Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi” reached its 40-year anniversary on May 25, 2023. BYU–Hawaii alumni and faculty said even four decades later, the third and final film in the original “Star Wars” trilogy taught them powerful lessons about morality.
Revelations
Since the end of “Empire Strikes Back,” Christopher Jaros, an alumnus from California who graduated in 2001 with a degree in information systems, said fans had wondered if Darth Vader was telling the truth about being Luke’s father, and additionally, if he had been telling the truth, why Obi-Wan Kenobi told Luke that Vader betrayed and murdered his father. In the final film, “Return of the Jedi,” Obi-Wan’s spirit then sits with Luke and tells him that his father was seduced by the dark side of the Force. When this happened, the good man who was Anakin Skywalker, Luke and Leia’s father, was destroyed. Obi-Wan explains this by saying what he told Luke was true, from a certain point of view.
Jaros offered his interpretation of this scene, asking, “What are the harsh and dangerous realities that you will keep from your kids? How will you choose to protect them in their youth? There are times in our lives when we are just not ready for the whole truth. … As a parent, you will want to protect your children from horrible truths so you will tell them things ‘from a certain point of view’ until they are ready for the whole reality.”
As a professor of English, in the Faculty of Arts and Letters, Dr. Stephen Hancock shared his thoughts on the reveal, saying “Star Wars” fans sometimes try too hard to explain everything that happens. He saw Obi-Wan as being unsure of how to explain to a vulnerable young man about his father who fell to the dark side and became a murderer.
Liza Simmons, an alumna from California who graduated in 1986 with a business degree, added, “Obi-Wan keeping the secret was also for us so we could understand Anakin later on. He was complicated and angry, and we needed to see why he became [Darth] Vader later. We needed to understand how anger works on our minds and hearts and destroys relationships and hurts others.”
She said thanks to the Atonement of Jesus Christ, redemption was available for everyone, even someone who had fallen so far as Darth Vader. “Our understanding of it is crucial to move forward through eternity. Anakin is a man who thinks that he needs to do life on his own when in reality if he just put ego aside and asked for help, he would have been better. … We all are never alone and we forget that sometimes. Obi-Wan gave Luke exactly the amount of information he needed to be successful to rescue his father.”
When Deelyn Serabian, an alumna from California who graduated in 2005 with a political science degree, reflected on Obi-Wan’s revelations, she said “I was trying to figure out, ‘Why would he do that?’” When she and her husband talked about the subject, she said she considered the whole premise of the Jedi Order to be one that focused on controlling one’s emotions to avoid the dark side. “I guess people have their reasons for withholding important information, but I guess I always think and hope people have good intentions even though me personally I would prefer the truth.”
Lessons Learned
On a shelf above Hancock’s desk sits a Lego set depicting the final duel between Darth Vader and Luke in the throne room of the Emperor. Hancock said the set, which was a gift from his wife, is a recreation of his favorite scene in the movie. He commented that while many would say “Empire Strikes Back” is their favorite, his favorite in the series was “Return of the Jedi,” specifically because of the moment where Luke stands up to the Emperor and refuses to kill his father. He said it reminded him of the importance of restraining oneself from taking the easy way out and choosing to do the right thing.
Simmons said the greatest lesson the film taught her was “there are people in the world who will tear you down if they can. She said being resilient and loving yourself will help out of awkward phases in life.
“I think ‘[Return of the] Jedi’ comes full circle where Luke finally learns his own self-worth. He is now able to fight for what is right.” She explained Luke fighting his father brought everything full circle because he was not so much fighting evil as he was saving a family member from the dark side.
Serabian said she loved the theme of teamwork present throughout the movie, where the heroes travel to the forest moon of Endor and join forces with a tribe of diminutive, furry aliens called Ewoks. The main characters are able to explain their struggle and become adopted into the tribe, with the common goal of beating the Empire.
“It’s interesting because you would think [the Ewoks] are an inferior species, but they’re actually pretty smart. …They make an actual contribution to winning the battle on the moon. … They’re not just there for comic relief,” said Serabian.
Jaros said the story of a son and father reconciling strongly resonated with him at the age of 9. “No matter how far down you fall ,not only can you find forgiveness in life, [but] your family would also accept you and try to save you. It’s something we all hope for.”
Reactions
The final chapter of the original trilogy and the sixth out of the nine-episode Skywalker Saga, “Return of the Jedi” tells the story of Luke Skywalker as he prepares to confront his father and help the rebels defeat the evil Empire.
The movie reveals Luke had a twin sister all along, who Yoda, a legendary Jedi master, refers to as “another Skywalker,” before he passes away. Luke learns the sister is Princess Leia, who was separated from Luke at birth, to protect them from the Emperor.
Simmons said she always felt like Leia was meant to be with Han Solo. “It seemed more of a real family-type love between Luke and Leia to me. Like a kid brother-sister team. So I wasn't shocked when I learned Leia loved Luke as her brother.”
In “The Empire Strikes Back,” the second film of the trilogy, there is a moment where Leia kisses Luke, which for Jaros, made the revelation a bit odd. “I have to admit, it was a little creepy. Luke and Leia being brother and sister was … weird. I have to admit that one was hard to swallow at first,” Jaros said.
When she found out Luke and Leia were brother and sister, Serabian said she remembered feeling shocked but not surprised, since Leia was the only main female character in the trilogy. It was admittedly still strange Serabian said, since Leia kisses Luke in the previous movie to make Han Solo jealous, not knowing she and Luke are related. She jokingly said it reminded her of the importance of doing family history.
Favorite Moments
Simmons said 40 years ago, movies like “Star Wars” were not normal but an event for everyone. The cliffhanger ending from the second in the trilogy, “The Empire Strikes Back,” left her and audiences wondering what would happen next. “So the hype was really amazing because we knew nothing about what could or would happen. Everything in ‘Star Wars’ was completely new and wonderful.”
Simmons said one of her favorite parts was the romance between Han Solo and Princess Leia, and how their characters develop and end up together in the end.
“I also loved the time Luke turned the heart of his father to consider doing the right thing by him. You could see even behind the mask the confusion and dilemma [Darth] Vader was experiencing. I feel totally saturated with the brilliant storyline. I love each character for what they do and how they treat each other.”
Hancock is a lifelong “Star Wars” fan, and said he remembered waiting in a crowd to see “Return of the Jedi” in 1983. He said he remembered feeling a strong sense of community among the audience, as they all took part in something special to them. “It was this sense of culmination of something that had been part of our lives for a long time. I don’t know that I’ve ever been to a movie like that, even going to see the other movies was great, … but ‘Return of the Jedi’ was an event.”
During the time he was growing up, Hancock said he found a strong sense of spirituality in the movies. “There’s a sense of looking inside yourself to find what’s right and where to go with your life. That had a really big impact on my life.”
Serabian said the movie never got old for her, even if she had seen it dozens of times. “It’s always exciting and captivating and even though I know exactly what’s gonna happen. It’s almost like watching it for the first time every single time.
Serabian said it was fun for her to revisit the movie around its 40-year anniversary, to see how it had influenced her throughout her life. Out of the three originals, she said “Return of the Jedi” was her favorite, because “it’s an epic culmination of the story.” She said, “Now there’s more, but when you’re just looking at the three, that’s how it all comes together,” referring to how the characters of Luke, Han, Leia and Lando learn to depend on each other as they fight for what they believe in.
Serabian said it was hard to choose a favorite part of the movie but settled on a scene towards the end where Luke removes the dying Darth Vader’s mask, allowing his father to look at his son with his own eyes. Darth Vader tells Luke he was right to believe there was still good in him, even when he himself had stopped believing long ago. “I think it’s amazing because Darth Vader is the ultimate bad guy in the universe with the Emperor. So, to have only one person in the entire universe to believe there’s still good is amazing.”
Sitting in the theater in 1983 at the age of 9, Jaros said the hype for “Return of the Jedi” was huge. For him, the movie “was such a heroic, incredibly real story to me. I was nine years old and watching cinematic history in the making. However, I didn’t care about that part at the time. All I knew was that I was seeing one of the greatest adventures of my imagination, and all I wanted was to see more.”
Movie facts
“Return of the Jedi” was produced by “Star Wars” creator George Lucas and written by himself and Lawrence Kasdan, who also helped write the middle chapter, “The Empire Strikes Back” and the screenplay for “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” according to IMDb.
“The Empire Strikes Back” was directed by Irvin Kershner, Lucas’ former film professor. When Kershner turned down directing another installment, Lucas selected Welsh director Richard Marquand to direct “Return of the Jedi.” According to IMDb, this was due to Lucas being impressed with his World War II spy film “Eye of the Needle,” and seeing he could finish a film on time and under budget.
Released on May 25, 1983, “Return of the Jedi” earned over $309 million at the domestic box office alone, according to Box Office Mojo; which adjusted for inflation, is the equivalent of over $930 million in 2023, with millions more made internationally.