Why was the Force Ghost scene altered in the 2004 DVD version of Return of the Jedi?
In the 2004 DVD edition of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Sebastian Shaw is replaced by Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker's Force Ghost.
But why? The other Force Ghosts appear to be the same age as they were at their time of death, and the same was true for Anakin until the 2004 alteration. So why was this change made?
Best Answer
Because, as per Obi-Wan, that is what Anakin looked like when he died.
Obi-Wan makes sure to create a distinction between the Jedi Anakin Skywalker and the Sith Darth Vader, going so far as the claim that Darth Vader killed Anakin.
In reality, we know that
Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker are the same person
but the creation of this distinction answers your question - Anakin died when he was killed by Darth Vader, and as such his Force Ghost at the end of the film reflects what he looked like when he died.
Pictures about "Why was the Force Ghost scene altered in the 2004 DVD version of Return of the Jedi?"
Why did they change the Force ghost of Anakin?
In an interview event, Lucas did with none other than Hayden Christensen, he explained changing Anakin's Force ghost appearance in Return of the Jedi. For Lucas, it stemmed from the idea that Anakin died (metaphorically speaking) after he turned to the dark side and became Darth Vader.Why did they change the Return of the Jedi ending?
Well, George Lucas said in the 2004 DVD commentary this change happened because he wanted to revisit prequel-era planets, showing the Empire falling all across the galaxy. In that sort of sequence, \u201cYub Nub\u201d doesn't quite have the gravitas Lucas was looking for.Was the ghost of Anakin Skywalker in the original Return of the Jedi?
Sebastian Shaw portraying Anakin Skywalker as a Force ghost alongside Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi during the original final scene of Return of the Jedi.What changed in Return of the Jedi?
Return Of The Jedi's changes are quite substantial and at their most obvious with the band in Jabba's palace: the puppet version of singer Sy Snootles is replaced with a CGI version and now plays second fiddle to Joh Yowsa, while the band's song changes from 'Lapti Nek' to 'Jedi Rocks' (shudder).Why Anakin's Force Ghost is Young - Star Wars Explained
More answers regarding why was the Force Ghost scene altered in the 2004 DVD version of Return of the Jedi?
Answer 2
George Lucas has a history of constantly changing his past works, this is no exception.
Most of the changes are just for the sake of change (under guise of "improving" the older films). However, in cases such as this, it serves to add nothing additional to the movie (unlike improving special effects that were already present in the film).
In essence, George Lucas couldn't resist keeping his grubby hands off the film, leaving it "finished" as it were.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Mikhail Nilov, Dmitrii Fursov, Harrison Haines, Faruk Tokluoğlu