Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (novelization)

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, penned by James Kahn, serves as the official novel adaptation of the motion picture bearing the same title. The initial publication occurred on May 12, back in 1983.

Synopsis from the Publisher

The Rebel Alliance was facing immense difficulties... Han Solo, encased in carbonite, had fallen into the clutches of the infamous Jabba the Hutt. Driven by a determination to free him, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Lando Calrissian embarked on a perilous undertaking against Jabba's fortress on Tatooine.

The Rebel commanders amassed all of their starships into one massive fleet. Simultaneously, Darth Vader and the Emperor, who had initiated the construction of an even more formidable Death Star, were devising strategies to utterly destroy the Rebel Alliance.

Production Details

The original draft by author James Kahn featured a chapter detailing Leia Organa's past on Alderaan, but George Lucas opted to omit it because he had his own concepts for the character's development.

Canonical Status

Discrepancies Compared to the Film

  • In the novel, it's mentioned that the planet Endor suffered a devastating event long ago, leaving only its moon , whereas the film's opening scene depicts the planet Endor itself.
  • Extensive background information is provided for several characters, including the Emperor and Mon Mothma.
  • Some of the red-clad Royal Guards are already aboard the Death Star before the Emperor's arrival, although more arrive alongside him later.
  • Luke Skywalker assembles his new lightsaber within Obi-Wan Kenobi's dwelling .
  • Jabba engages in conversation with Leia (disguised as Boushh ) in Boushh's native language, Ubese. However, his command of Ubese is limited, necessitating Threepio 's translation. Interestingly, the novel previously states that Jabba speaks only Huttese "as a point of honor."
  • After Han Solo is freed from the carbonite , Leia, still in disguise, catches him instead of him simply falling.
  • When Leia is enslaved by Jabba, she is escorted to him by an Ishi Tib, described as a "Birdlizard," and the disguised Lando Calrissian, rather than a Gamorrean guard.
  • Jabba responds to Leia's threats with the line, "I'm sure, I'm sure. But in the meantime, I will enjoy the pleasure of your company." Instead of attempting to lick her, he kisses her on the lips.
  • Jabba boasts about having eliminated numerous Jedi before Luke.
  • Threepio is prevented from warning Luke about the trapdoor because a guard covers his mouth, rather than being interrupted mid-sentence by Jabba.
  • When Luke is dropped into the Rancor pit, the guard who falls in with him is the same one from whom he uses the Force to take a blaster, and his identity remains unknown (though it might be Nizuc Bek), instead of the Gamorrean Jubnuk. Inside the pit, the guard uses the blaster to shoot at the Rancor, which only angers the creature, leading to him being eaten.
  • Luke tries to escape the pit by leaping up and grabbing the bars of the viewing grate. Two Jawas attempt to dislodge him by striking his fingers with their blaster rifles, but he holds on. He eventually lets go on his own, striking the Rancor in the eye as he falls. The Rancor, in its frenzy, slams against the pit's side, giving Luke a chance to hide.
  • En route to the Pit of Carkoon, Ephant Mon engages in a brawl with Ree-Yees on board the sail barge. Threepio's attempts to intervene are unsuccessful.
  • Jabba compels Leia to consume a repulsive drink from a glass.
  • Hermi Odle sits upon Threepio while Salacious Crumb tries to remove Threepio's eyes. Artoo comes to Threepio's aid by shocking Hermi, causing him to fall out of a window on the sail barge.
  • Following Jabba's demise and the destruction of his sail barge, the Rebels must fight their way through a severe sandstorm to reach the Millennium Falcon and Luke's X-wing.
  • Kenobi's explanation of Luke's family history is more detailed; Obi-Wan claims that Owen Lars was his brother, and that Luke and Leia's mother passed away when they were four. He also recounts his final confrontation with Anakin before Anakin was consumed by the dark side of the Force: "When I saw what had become of him, I tried to dissuade him, to draw him back from the dark side. We fought…your father fell into a molten pit. When your father clawed his way out of that fiery pool, the change had been burned into him forever—he was Darth Vader, without a trace of Anakin Skywalker. Irredeemably dark. Scarred. Kept alive only by machinery and his own black will."
  • Threepio's narrative alone is not enough to convince the Ewoks to assist the Rebels. Han attempts to persuade them by explaining that the Empire is depleting Endor's resources, but he also fails. Luke gains their support by speaking of the stars being extinguished if the Death Star is completed, and Wicket delivers an inspiring speech in their defense (translated for the reader by Threepio).
  • After sensing Luke, Darth Vader tries to see the Emperor but is stopped at the door by an Imperial officer who denies him entry. Vader attempts to force his way in using the Force to choke the officer, but the officer manages to say "It is the Emperor's command!" A reluctant Vader releases him and agrees to return at a more convenient time.
  • When the captured Luke is handed over to Vader, a stormtrooper (referred to as a "stormtrooper captain") addresses Vader and gives him the young Jedi's confiscated lightsaber, instead of an Imperial officer.
  • The initial conversation between the Emperor and Luke is expanded. The Emperor questions Luke about his training after Obi-Wan's death; upon learning that it was Yoda, the Emperor mocks the late Jedi Master by imitating his unique speech pattern.
  • An extended sequence depicts the Rebel strike team entering the shield generator bunker and exchanging fire with stormtroopers. Also, Han Solo does not kill an officer by pushing him over a railing.
  • The AT-ST walkers are piloted by stormtroopers. Han is still described as dressing in the outfit of an "AT-ST pilot" to deceive the Imperials inside the bunker, even though since the novel establishes that stormtroopers pilot the walkers, Han could just be described as dressing as a stormtrooper.
  • To provoke Luke, the Emperor instructs Moff Jerjerrod to use the Death Star to destroy the moon of Endor if the Rebel strike force succeeds in disabling the shield generator.
  • Vader engages in an internal monologue about whether to kill the Emperor or let Luke die, a decision not explicitly voiced in the film (although his hesitation was evident).
  • When the order is given to cease the initial attack due to the Death Star's shield being active, several X-wings fail to avoid the shield and are destroyed upon impact.
  • Green Leader does not destroy the Super Star Destroyer by crashing into its bridge. Instead, he destroys it with proton torpedoes. Unable to escape, he dies when his starfighter is caught in the resulting explosion. Although the Super Star Destroyer crashes into the Death Star, Admiral Piett's death is not explicitly described.
  • As the battle shifts against the Empire, a disillusioned Jerjerrod orders his aide to rotate the battle station and destroy Endor, but the battle station is destroyed before he can complete his task.

Divergences from Subsequent Works

  • The Ishi Tib is portrayed as an individual rather than a species.
  • The Rancor is specifically identified as a mutant.
  • Obi-Wan describes Owen Lars as his brother, and says that Luke and Leia's mother passed away when Luke and Leia were four. He also tells Luke that Anakin fell into lava, clawing his way out as Darth Vader. All of these details would be retconned by the prequel trilogy.
  • Sullust is described as "blue" and "cerulean", but starting with The Star Wars Sourcebook, Sullust has been depicted as a volcanic world.
  • Vader, while contemplating whether to kill the Emperor or let Luke die, reflects that the Emperor was admired by most of the galaxy, and that his death would likely plunge the galaxy into chaos. This was supported in Coruscant and the Core Worlds, which mentions that the people of Coruscant had immense loyalty to the Emperor and even considered him to be a demigod, although this is contradicted in the Special Edition of the film, with the montage depicting various worlds celebrating in addition to Endor, including Coruscant.
  • Anakin is described as elderly and resembling Obi-Wan, but the prequel trilogy established that he was approximately forty-six years old during the film's events.

Available Formats

Published Versions

International Editions

Image Gallery

Appearances

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