Reflecting on Return of the Jedi

By: Jake Rajala

The Return of the Jedi was a master piece. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that it shined, as it built off the best Star Wars film, “The Empire Strikes Back”. It also had a potent Rotten Tomatoes score of 83%.

With that said, I’m going to discuss the film and lay out five reflections from the movie.

and happy anniversary to return of the jedi 🫶🏽 it used to occupy my no.1 spot in my sw film ranking so it holds a very special place in my heart. Here's a thread of the legend's, Ralph McQuarrie, concept art done for the film 🪡 pic.twitter.com/plC0VKvNXe

— Athena • THE DARK LORD 🥀 (@Dreamingastrid) May 25, 2026

• Redwoods

It was clever to use the mythical Redwoods has a setting. They have the tallest trees in the world. There is a lot of space to move around. We aren’t talking about the Amazon. Star Wars and hippies often co-exist. This creates a lot of new fans.

• Ending

Let’s be straight forward: the film has the best ending of all the Star Wars movies. It may even be one of the best endings of all movies. Luke shows that he won’t commit to the dark side. This results in the emperor trying to kill Luke. Of course, Vader intervenes and kills the Emperor. I don’t believe this is a spoiler.

STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI was released 43 years ago today.

George Lucas originally considered ending with Luke putting on Vader’s helmet & taking his father’s place, pushing the saga toward a darker conclusion before choosing redemption instead. pic.twitter.com/SolOzUro2f

— cinesthetic. (@TheCinesthetic) May 25, 2026

• Ewoks

If you watched the “The Mandalorian and Grogu”, you know there’s “cute” creatures in Star Wars. The most friendly of them all has to be “Grogu”. He can even use the force. This would make the Ewoks treat him like royalty. Ewoks use spears and throw rocks to harm the enemy.

• Jabba’s Palace

The setting for Jabba’s palace is in none other than Death Valley National Park. “A New Hope” also has locations in Death Valley. It seems like a waste land in the movie, yet it’s appealing. The inside of Jabba’s is quite diverse. There’s bounty hunters, singers, and dancers.

• Yoda

We witness the going out party for Yoda. At 900 years old, he dies peacefully. His training for Luke is complete. Yoda was once of the most powerful Jedi. He wasn’t able to kill Darth Sidious, but he did have unique insight. He was skeptical of making Anakin a jedi.

The Star Wars: Return of the Jedi is a classic that should be watched to the very end. I promise you will get goosebumps if you commit to the film.