Star Wars fans on Reddit have overwhelmingly identified the “Jedi Rocks” musical number added to Return of the Jedi as the most despised change made to the Original Trilogy in George Lucas’s Special Editions. In a thread asking fans to name their favorite and least favorite CGI additions, the extended musical sequence in Jabba’s Palace emerged as the clear loser, with fans expressing how the scene disrupted the film’s pacing and tone. Released in 1997 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the original movie, the original trilogy’s Special Editions featured numerous digital enhancements, added scenes, and altered effects that significantly changed the theatrical versions that fans had known for decades. The fan discussion, which gained significant traction on the r/StarWars subreddit, also highlighted several other controversial alterations.
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The “Jedi Rocks” musical number, which replaced the original “Lapti Nek” song performed by the Max Rebo Band, stands out as particularly reviled among fans. Reddit user u/Abbithedog stated the musical number was so off-putting that it prompted them to purchase the original version, writing, “The weird ass music video in Jedi caused me to buy the original version on dvd.” User u/DerivitivFilms described it as “embarrassing to watch,” while u/praise_mudkipz declared it “the worst scene in Star Wars and NOBODY can convince me otherwise.” User u/Whompa02 called it “an obnoxious tech demo at best” that “should never have left the studio.” The extended sequence features computer-generated singers and dancers performing a lengthy, tonally jarring musical number that many fans feel entirely interrupts the flow of the film’s Jabba’s Palace sequence.
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Another widely criticized addition was the Jabba the Hutt scene in A New Hope, with numerous commenters pointing out how it undermines Jabba’s menacing introduction in Return of the Jedi. User u/NerdHistorian called it their “least favorite change overall, since it largely just repeats information, often verbatim, from the Greedo scene and so accomplishes nothing but slowing down the film.” User u/Lee_Troyer added that “it also completely undermines Jabba’s ‘legend’ to have Han disrespect him and walk on his tail with no consequences.” Fans noted that the scene portrays an unconvincing CGI Jabba that looks different from his puppet counterpart in the later film, with u/EuterpeZonker pointing out that “Jabba is also like noticeably smaller than he is in RotJ or Phantom Menace.” The awkward moment where Han walks behind Jabba and steps on his tail was singled out as particularly problematic, with u/mitchbrenner describing it as “deeply cringey” and noting that “no version of that has looked remotely good.”
How the Special Editions Continue to Divide the Star Wars Fandom
Despite Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm and the production of new Star Wars content, the ongoing debate over George Lucas’ Special Edition changes highlights the tension between a creator’s right to revise their work and fans’ attachment to their original viewing experiences. Some additions have been largely accepted or even praised, such as the enhanced Battle of Yavin in A New Hope and the addition of windows to Cloud City in The Empire Strikes Back, which better showcase Ralph McQuarrie’s iconic designs. Yet, the Reddit thread reveals some choices continue to frustrate fans nearly three decades after their introduction.
Among the more subtly disruptive changes, fans pointed to altered dialogue and extended scenes that impact the emotional weight of key moments. One frequently mentioned example was the replacement of Darth Vader’s terse “Bring my shuttle” line in The Empire Strikes Back with the more verbose “Alert my star destroyer to prepare for my arrival.” Reddit user u/RightHandWolf criticized this change for removing the intimidating urgency of the original line, writing: “Vader’s rhythm and pacing of his words sounds like he’s asking the barista for a little extra milk in his frappucino while deciding between the blueberry scones or the cranberry corn muffins.” User u/Isnotanumber added that “Vader sounded PISSED when he said ‘Bring my shuttle.’ And no wonder. He no doubt played out telling Luke he was his dad for a while, and when he finally does, Luke chooses near-suicide rather than join him.”
Similarly, the addition of Vader shouting “No!” before throwing Emperor Palpatine down the shaft in Return of the Jedi was criticized for undermining what many considered a powerful silent moment of decision. As user u/East-Cat1532 explained: “My favourite part was always Vader’s total silence as he looks back and forth, from Luke to Palpatine, and silently makes his choice. Somehow, you could almost see the conflicting emotions behind his mask! The ‘nooooo!’ cheapens it.” User u/Brendanlendan added, “I was able to understand the conflict when I was 8. I didn’t need the ‘Noooooo.’”
The theatrical version of Star Wars’s original trilogy is surprisingly hard to watch legally, with only A New Hope currently streaming (and we don’t know for how long). The Special Editions are available on Disney+.
In your opinion, what’s the worst change the Special Editions made to the original Star Wars trilogy? Let us know in the comments!
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