This Deleted Scene Completely Changes ROTJ

Return of the Jedi had a big task in wrapping up the original Star Wars trilogy, and as such was full of scenes that didn't make the cut. Return of the Jedi is still a classic movie that does an excellent job of wrapping up the story that first sent us to a galaxy far, far away, but this one scene left on the cutting room floor actually helped make even more sense of the opening and even the ending of the film.

The scene, which can now be found on Disney+, shows us a few things. The scene starts with an Imperial admiral being reprimanded by Darth Vader, who criticizes his lack of competence and threatens him with the rage of the Emperor, who is on his way. We then cut to the dark lord in his chamber, like how he is seen in The Empire Strikes Back, where he tries calling to Luke through the Force. This would have been the first mention of Vader and Luke's Force connection within this film (it is shown when Luke leaves Bespin in the previous film) and over an hour before we actually see it in the final film.

The scene then moves to Luke with his faithful droid, R2-D2, with his gold protocol droid C-3PO waiting outside the cave, unaware of what they're doing within it. Inside the cave, Luke is constructing his new lightsaber, the first time we'd have ever gotten to see this in any Star Wars media, had the scene not been cut. Rather than answer Vader's calls, Luke simply runs his hand along Artoo, looking for the spot he'll eventually use to conceal his new lightsaber on Tatooine. He ignites the newly minted green blade. While this scene contains no dialogue from Luke, it does show that the rescue plan is well thought out and planned meticulously before the film opens. In the background you can see the Millennium Falcon and an X-Wing sitting by, showing that the whole gang, C-3PO withstanding, is in on the plan and ready to spring Han from Jabba's palace.

This film acts like a mirror to the first, opening with the two droids walking along the desert of Tatooine once again. The biggest change is in Luke himself. When we meet him, he's just a stir crazy farmhand, itching to get away from his uncle's farm in search of adventure and glory. When we see him in the third film, there is a purposefully built mystery around him, with the black robe concealing most of him and black attire beneath aiding the mystery more. The opening of the film we do end up seeing shows a very stoic and much more aggressive nature than expected when it comes to the Gamorean guards, possibly attempting to tease the audience into believing Luke has gone to the dark side.

The meaning behind the black clothes is up for debate. Whether it was intentionally showing Luke's connection to the dark side or a subtle tease for viewers only to misdirect them from the actual truth is still contested. By the time we actually get a few good looks at our young Jedi Knight in the sarlacc pit scene, it's evident that he has stayed with the light in our absence, and by the end, the white inside on his dark tunic has been there to show his loyalty to the light.

The deleted scene would've only helped reinforce all the themes of the film and made the clothing connection even stronger. Reportedly, it was cut for time and to improve pacing, but a scene like this could've aided the viewers even more. At least the scene is now viewable on Disney+ for subscribers.

Written By Tristen Brooks

Source(s): CBR

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