It is generally match upon amongStar Warsfans that the ‘ Special Editions ’ are hot garbage . Intrusive CGI , unnecessary dialogue alterations , and entire plot threads that were slaughter beyond acknowledgment ( Han buck first , anyone ? ) have been the case of fan ire for over twenty yr . Yet , some of the changes were actually worthwhile . Most of these changes are small-scale , while some of them actually enhance the original pic . Here are ten changes that we recollect makeStar Warsbetter .

10. Stormtrooper clunk

InA New Hope , while Luke and the work party are stuck in the trash compactor , a squad of stormtroopers breaches the control room where C-3PO and R2 - D2 are blot out . When entering , one of the stormtroopers hits head on a low - hanging bulkhead .

An onset blooper that care to slip by into the concluding movie , the scene has become a running gag within theStar Warsfandom . The gaffe became so democratic that , during the Original Trilogy ’s first DVD liberation in 2004 , an hearable ‘ donk ’ was added as an easter orchis .

9. Ewok eyes

Among some of the more polarizing change made toReturn of the Jedifor its 2011 Blu - Ray release was the determination to give Wicket the Ewok a pair of functioning palpebra . for sure , it may not have had the same level of backlash that Darth Vader ’s “ Nooo ” had , but it was still a change that some incur unneeded . Still , giving Wicket eyelids is one of the few venial touches that does end up realise him more lifelike . Also , despite what some fans believe , the result is not most as creepy-crawly as it could ’ve been .

8. CGI Yoda inThe Phantom Menace

Of all the problem withThe Phantom Menace , the one affair most the great unwashed kvetch about the most is the CGI . The consensus is that so much campaign was put into crafting digital landscapes that the writing felt like an afterthought . But of all the things inEpisode Ithat should ’ve been make on a computer , Yoda should ’ve been an obvious choice .

Which is why it ’s stick to remember that they instead choose the tough looking Yoda puppet they could get their hand on . It looks terrible , like someone left him in a dryer for too long . When theStar Warssaga came out on Blu - Ray in 2011 , the puppet was covered up by a CGI mannikin that was very to the one understand in the balance of the prequels , gain it more coherent with its counterparts .

7. Cloud City enhancements

compare toEpisode IVandVI , the changes made toThe Empire Strikes Backwere the least intrusive . Most of them consist of continuity fixes and visual enhancements that many fans in reality appreciate . A utter example of this are the Cloud City fit . While there is plenty of unneeded CGI for fans to get tempestuous at , some of it actually boosts the ocular prayer . One such change was the addition of window in many of the midland jibe . These windows , which evince beautifully rendered scope of the Bespin Platforms , facilitate open up the scene up and make it less claustrophobic and stuffy .

6. Corrected colors/sound effects

Another change inEmpirewas the fixing of a slim persistence error that go on during a dogfight with the Millennium Falcon . In the pre - Special Edition cut , as Han and the crew endeavour to lose the Empire through an asteroid belt ammunition , some of the Tiefighters germinate pinkish lasers , rather than their typical immature ones .

In addition , the sounds of their gun resemble the cannons fire by star destroyers , instead of the now iconic bang and echo effect . While only the most eagle - eye viewers would ’ve noticed , or cared , the misplay was desexualise in the peculiar edition , along with other continuity errors that flew under the editor ' radio detection and ranging .

5. Enhanced explosions

There are a stack of thing in theStar Warsgalaxy that go ‘ bonanza ’ , and for the most part , Industrial Light and Magic ’s pyrotechnic in the original trilogy have hold up somewhat well . Still , though , there is always room for improvement , which is where innovative CGI comes in . The explosions in the exceptional edition were raise to be forte and large than before . ILM also added shockwaves , give rise a tintinnabulation effect that make the detonation grander in scale . This is particularly patent at the death ofJedi , when the 2nd Death Star is demolish and it looks like the Millennium Falcon is literally seek to outrun the ensue shockwave .

4. Darth Vader’s eyebrows

One would recall that after burning to a crisp on the shores of a lava river , Darth Vader would n’t have a corpuscle of pilus lead on his body . Yet , in the theatrical editions , when Luke removes Vader ’s helmet , he ’s greeted by a pair of braggart , bushy eyebrows that somehow wangle to grow back over clip . Maybe it was some kind of violence - power hair restoration ?

Either way , the eyebrows were removed in the 2004 DVD version , and actor Sebastian Shaw ’s features were commute to make him bet even more sickly .

3. It’s a celebration

While the special variant ofJedigot disembarrass of the “ Yub Nub ” call that hailed the fall of the Empire , it did give us a look at how the Galaxy responded to the 2d Death Star ’s destruction . Before Luke has his Kodak minute with the force ghostwriter on Endor , the camera cuts by to show a montage of anti - Imperial celebrations on Bespin , Tatooine , and Naboo . While the CGI does stick out a bit much , it help to show just how orotund theStar Warsgalaxy really is , and gives viewers an approximation of how much the Empire was hated . This collage also grade the first time Corsucant was ever prove on screen , two year before it appeared inThe Phantom Menace .

2. The wampa

One of the first terror Luke faces while on the frost major planet of Hoth is the wampa , an awful snowman - like puppet that knocks him out , eats his Tauntaun , and leaves him hanging like a side of beef . In the original cut ofEmpire , Luke ’s encounter with the wampa is abbreviated , finish with a quick showdown that is mostly made of parachuting cuts .

The Special Edition expand on this conflict scene , introducing a wider shot of the wampa chowing down on the tauntaun and its reaction to Luke ’s escape . Not only is the conception of the wampa more terrifying than it was in the original , but the build - up to the fighting panorama is much tenser and urgent .

1. The Emperor

The Empire Strikes Backis the first time fans ever got to see the malefic Emperor Sheev Palpatine , via a holographical Skype call between him and Darth Vader . In the original version , Palpatine was recreate by Clive Revill , romp a black hood and some gently convincing prosthetics . Revill did n’t return to play Palpatine inReturn of the Jedi , and was replaced by Ian McDiarmid . McDiarmid ’s role as the Emperor was lauded by fans and critics and has since become the actor ’s touch role .

ForEmpire’s2004 DVD waiver , Revill ’s holographical form was replace by McDiarmid in his Emperor makeup . Comparing the scenes side - by - side , there ’s no deny that McDiarmid ’s portrayal of Palpatine is ranking . No offence to Revill , but his endeavor to vocalize sinister comes across as unconvincing and forced . McDiarmid , however , manages to pull off Palpatine ’s evil nature seamlessly , rise that he was the adept option for the character all along .

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Din Djarin and Ahsoka-1

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