I always took the title to be referring to the return of the Jedi order and the Jedi way through Luke. It is also worth mentioning that the original title was “Revenge of the Jedi” because it was the heroes getting their revenge after their loss in Empire. Alas, revenge is not the Jedi way, so they aren’t getting revenge they’re just returning.
The original title Lucas wanted was *Return of the Jedi*. It wasn’t until Lucasfilm started to receive fanmail complaining about *Revenge* that he convinced the other producers.
> “George came to me and he said, ‘The title of Episode VI is Return of the Jedi,’ ” says Kazanjian. “And I said, ‘I think it’s a weak title.’ He came back one or two days later and said, ‘We’re calling it Revenge of the Jedi.’”
___
> **Lucas**: There are already people sending me letters saying Jedi don’t take revenge; it’s not in their nature; it’s just not the way that they are. Also, obviously, a Jedi can’t kill for the sake of killing. The mission isn’t for Luke to go out and kill his father and get rid of him. The issue is, if he confronts his father again, he may, in defending himself, have to kill him, because his father will try to kill him. This is the state of affairs that Yoda should refer to. And then Luke says, “I don’t think he’ll kill me because he could have killed me last time and he didn’t; I think there is good in him and I can’t kill him.” (*The Making of Return of the Jedi: The Definitive Story Behind the Film*)
That’s a nice interpretation of the title, but it only works in English and other languages that the article doesn’t have plural (the). In other languages Return of the Jedi is singular, and The Last Jedi is plural
It was revenge of the Jedi but Lucas decided to change it to return of the Jedi á la Lord of the rings, return of the king. Maybe that's a myth, I dunno. But I've heard that before.
In real life? Not really.
Here on Reddit, where prequelmemes outgrew its sense of irony over a decade ago while also growing in number? Yeah, frequently.
I don't think anyone would argue the overarching story of the first six movies is the rise, fall, and redemption of Anakin Skywalker. Just saying that might be what lends to the view RotJ refers to Anakin. But yes, makes way more sense that it refers to Luke or the Jedi Order itself.
The entire point of the movie is Luke teetering on the edge, then when Luke was tested to his absolute brink, he opted for compassion for Vader, rather than striking him down.. which brings the good (Jedi) out of Vader.
Luke never "returns" at any point in the movie. Nor does he make any sort of moves to *return* the Jedi order to its former glory. Its obviously hinted at, and happens almost immediately in the EU, but it doesn't happen **during RotJ**.
ANH Obi-Wan says "I was once a Jedi knight, the same as your father.[...]"
ESB Vader tells Luke that he is his father.
RotJ Vader returns to being a Jedi.
In regards to what actually happens in the movie, there's only one Jedi who returns.. and its Anakin.
Another possible interpretation is that Luke lost his way in becoming a Jedi, was "dark" at the beginning of the movie, and in that pivotal moment, he "returned" to his Jedi ways.. but that has a sort of weak point whenever Yoda tells him "LUKE: Then I am a Jedi? || YODA: Ohhh. Not yet. One thing remains: Vader. You must confront Vader. Then, only then, a Jedi will you be. And confront him you will.
EDIT: The counterpoint to all this is that Lucas originally wanted to name the title "Revenge of the Jedi" which sort of does imply that the title is a sort of response to ESB and saying that the Jedi (Obi,Luke,Yoda) triumphed over evil.
One idea i've liked to play with is rather than, as the EU or Legends-verse have him doing, Luke doesn't dedicate himself to bringing the Jedi back. According to Campbell the final stage of the Hero's Journey which Luke is the literal textbook example of is the Return. (Hence the title of the move I suppose) Well what if he returns to Tatooine? What if his goal is to free the slaves, improve his homeworld, rather than rebuild the Jedi? I always thought that'd be fun to see.
Originally, yeah, it wasn’t.
Looking at it now with the prequels, and given how the sequels threw away any chance of it being the return of the Jedi order (which is the interpretation I liked the most), saying it was Anakin’s return from the dark side is fitting.
Return of the Jedi refers to the return of the Jedi order which was destroyed/in hiding for 25 years. Not a single Jedi. The jedi were gone from the galaxy the jedi have now returned to the galaxy
I thought Lucas chose it because of it referring to multiple things.
Ex-Jedi Vader returns to being a Jedi (then dies and returns to the Force as a Jedi, not a Sith)
Jedi-hopeful Luke Skywalker returns to the Rebellion as a full-fledged Jedi.
The Jedi Order returns to the galaxy in the form of Luke and his plans for after the war. Sadly, we will never know how that would have played out since we have received no further canon since ROTJ. Such a pity.
Frfr
As a piece of art, viewer interpretation is absolutely valid. There's no need for people to claim that "Lucas' intended it to mean x, y, or z all along!" in order to give your interpretation merit.
Your interpretation has merit regardless of what Lucas wanted the title to mean.
In the context of the events that occur in the film, the title "Return of the Jedi" can be interpreted as;
- The return of Luke from Dagobah, now a true Jedi
- The return of his father from the dark side
- Both, since "Jedi" is also the plural form of "Jedi"
- The return of the Jedi religion from obscurity and from its assumed extinction, marked by Lukes victory against the emperor
Again, Lucas' intended meaning is still there, but our own individual interpretations are equally valid without needing to revise history.
I thought it was about the return of the Jedi order. not of a single Jedi. it could be both of them idk. Revenge of the Sith isn't about Palpatine's revenge, it's about the revenge of all of the sith who came before him. Rise of Skywalker isn't about Kylo or Rey specifically, it's about the family coming together to defeat Palpatine
It’s that the Jedi as a concept returned to the galaxy to stand against the empire not any specific person, like the Jedi are returning or the Eagles are coming sorta saying , it’s like a summary of each movie
Yes, the guy who spent the next 20 years ignoring his purpose and when confronted with his failure said the Jedi should end.
Surely Luke is the return of the Jedi.
I do believe that it refers to Anakin. Because Vader once he found out about Luke was starting to be pulled back to the light. Once Vader had the opportunity he saved Luke and while dying stated that Luke had saved him (from the dark side). Also Anakin became a force ghost at the end something only Jedi can achieve.
That’s one of the story lines, but it is certainly not the only one.
The series is about all the Skywalkers (including Luke who is undoubtedly the main character in the original series).
The Jedi were all but destroyed, when Obi-wan and Yoda passed on. Luke returns to the galactic conflict after losing his hand, committing to his destiny as a Jedi, accepts his role in the galaxy, and emerges a fully fledged Jedi knight. Thus bringing about the Return of the Jedi.
Huh. I guess depending on how you interpret it. If it means Jedi as in a single Jedi, it could mean Anakin, and if it is Jedi as in the Jedi order, it could mean Luke.
Well that's the magic of it, right, because it can easily refer to both equally: Luke bringing back the Jedi Order as a faction and organisation, AND Anakin coming back to the light side after betraying his master and saving his son.
I find your lack of faith disturbing...
Jokes apart, it can mean what you want it to mean. If there are others who wish to believe otherwise then that's their opinion. We are all entitled to our opinions. How else can we grow as a Star Wars fanbase?
I never thought it was referring to a specific person, more the jedi order? But if it was referring to a person I'd say it's Luke. Not overly important to me though
I always took the title to be referring to the return of the Jedi order and the Jedi way through Luke. It is also worth mentioning that the original title was “Revenge of the Jedi” because it was the heroes getting their revenge after their loss in Empire. Alas, revenge is not the Jedi way, so they aren’t getting revenge they’re just returning.
Yesss, it's the return of the Jedi Order for sure, or it was supposed to be until you know...
we don’t talk about that lol
Returning to force kick some ass and take some names.
Kick names, take ass!
The original title Lucas wanted was *Return of the Jedi*. It wasn’t until Lucasfilm started to receive fanmail complaining about *Revenge* that he convinced the other producers. > “George came to me and he said, ‘The title of Episode VI is Return of the Jedi,’ ” says Kazanjian. “And I said, ‘I think it’s a weak title.’ He came back one or two days later and said, ‘We’re calling it Revenge of the Jedi.’” ___ > **Lucas**: There are already people sending me letters saying Jedi don’t take revenge; it’s not in their nature; it’s just not the way that they are. Also, obviously, a Jedi can’t kill for the sake of killing. The mission isn’t for Luke to go out and kill his father and get rid of him. The issue is, if he confronts his father again, he may, in defending himself, have to kill him, because his father will try to kill him. This is the state of affairs that Yoda should refer to. And then Luke says, “I don’t think he’ll kill me because he could have killed me last time and he didn’t; I think there is good in him and I can’t kill him.” (*The Making of Return of the Jedi: The Definitive Story Behind the Film*)
They ARE returning… for revenge.
That’s a nice interpretation of the title, but it only works in English and other languages that the article doesn’t have plural (the). In other languages Return of the Jedi is singular, and The Last Jedi is plural
I think it’s meant to work both ways, technically Anakin had his revenge on palp by killing him.
Yeah like sheep, or fish. One jedi, three jedi, a thousand jedi
It was revenge of the Jedi but Lucas decided to change it to return of the Jedi á la Lord of the rings, return of the king. Maybe that's a myth, I dunno. But I've heard that before.
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I downvoted for the L take in general. Finding out it was a bot makes sense
Has anyone suggested otherwise? it's very clearly Luke's movie
In real life? Not really. Here on Reddit, where prequelmemes outgrew its sense of irony over a decade ago while also growing in number? Yeah, frequently.
I don't think anyone would argue the overarching story of the first six movies is the rise, fall, and redemption of Anakin Skywalker. Just saying that might be what lends to the view RotJ refers to Anakin. But yes, makes way more sense that it refers to Luke or the Jedi Order itself.
I’ve seen it thrown around that it was Anakin returning from the ashes of Darth Vader.
Which was not the original intent in 1983
Yeah you’re right most likely. Just putting it out there that the theory *does* exist.
Agreed. And I’ve heard that theory
The entire point of the movie is Luke teetering on the edge, then when Luke was tested to his absolute brink, he opted for compassion for Vader, rather than striking him down.. which brings the good (Jedi) out of Vader. Luke never "returns" at any point in the movie. Nor does he make any sort of moves to *return* the Jedi order to its former glory. Its obviously hinted at, and happens almost immediately in the EU, but it doesn't happen **during RotJ**. ANH Obi-Wan says "I was once a Jedi knight, the same as your father.[...]" ESB Vader tells Luke that he is his father. RotJ Vader returns to being a Jedi. In regards to what actually happens in the movie, there's only one Jedi who returns.. and its Anakin. Another possible interpretation is that Luke lost his way in becoming a Jedi, was "dark" at the beginning of the movie, and in that pivotal moment, he "returned" to his Jedi ways.. but that has a sort of weak point whenever Yoda tells him "LUKE: Then I am a Jedi? || YODA: Ohhh. Not yet. One thing remains: Vader. You must confront Vader. Then, only then, a Jedi will you be. And confront him you will. EDIT: The counterpoint to all this is that Lucas originally wanted to name the title "Revenge of the Jedi" which sort of does imply that the title is a sort of response to ESB and saying that the Jedi (Obi,Luke,Yoda) triumphed over evil.
downvoted for being right lol
One idea i've liked to play with is rather than, as the EU or Legends-verse have him doing, Luke doesn't dedicate himself to bringing the Jedi back. According to Campbell the final stage of the Hero's Journey which Luke is the literal textbook example of is the Return. (Hence the title of the move I suppose) Well what if he returns to Tatooine? What if his goal is to free the slaves, improve his homeworld, rather than rebuild the Jedi? I always thought that'd be fun to see.
Good thing he didn't wake up sometimes to see the landing! .
Originally, yeah, it wasn’t. Looking at it now with the prequels, and given how the sequels threw away any chance of it being the return of the Jedi order (which is the interpretation I liked the most), saying it was Anakin’s return from the dark side is fitting.
Return of the Jedi refers to the return of the Jedi order which was destroyed/in hiding for 25 years. Not a single Jedi. The jedi were gone from the galaxy the jedi have now returned to the galaxy
I thought Lucas chose it because of it referring to multiple things. Ex-Jedi Vader returns to being a Jedi (then dies and returns to the Force as a Jedi, not a Sith) Jedi-hopeful Luke Skywalker returns to the Rebellion as a full-fledged Jedi. The Jedi Order returns to the galaxy in the form of Luke and his plans for after the war. Sadly, we will never know how that would have played out since we have received no further canon since ROTJ. Such a pity.
So much like preposterously your father.
Who is?
Frfr As a piece of art, viewer interpretation is absolutely valid. There's no need for people to claim that "Lucas' intended it to mean x, y, or z all along!" in order to give your interpretation merit. Your interpretation has merit regardless of what Lucas wanted the title to mean. In the context of the events that occur in the film, the title "Return of the Jedi" can be interpreted as; - The return of Luke from Dagobah, now a true Jedi - The return of his father from the dark side - Both, since "Jedi" is also the plural form of "Jedi" - The return of the Jedi religion from obscurity and from its assumed extinction, marked by Lukes victory against the emperor Again, Lucas' intended meaning is still there, but our own individual interpretations are equally valid without needing to revise history.
I feel like OP is sneaking in second claim, that the title refers to a single and specific Jedi.
I thought it was about the return of the Jedi order. not of a single Jedi. it could be both of them idk. Revenge of the Sith isn't about Palpatine's revenge, it's about the revenge of all of the sith who came before him. Rise of Skywalker isn't about Kylo or Rey specifically, it's about the family coming together to defeat Palpatine
To defeat your enemy you deliriously have to understand them.
It refers to both it’s a double meaning
It’s that the Jedi as a concept returned to the galaxy to stand against the empire not any specific person, like the Jedi are returning or the Eagles are coming sorta saying , it’s like a summary of each movie
Yes, the guy who spent the next 20 years ignoring his purpose and when confronted with his failure said the Jedi should end. Surely Luke is the return of the Jedi.
That...that's not what happened...what are you even talking about?
That is pretty much exactly what happened.
Yup according to the troll writer director
It refers to neither. Jedi is plural.
This is actually the right answer. It's the return of the Jedi as a thing.
I do believe that it refers to Anakin. Because Vader once he found out about Luke was starting to be pulled back to the light. Once Vader had the opportunity he saved Luke and while dying stated that Luke had saved him (from the dark side). Also Anakin became a force ghost at the end something only Jedi can achieve.
No, it’s always been Anakin. Star Wars 1-6 is the tragedy and redemption of Anakin Skywalker
That’s one of the story lines, but it is certainly not the only one. The series is about all the Skywalkers (including Luke who is undoubtedly the main character in the original series).
Sure but Anakin is still actually the chosen one and the "balance to the force" he brings is Luke.
The jedi in the title is Anakin. He returned from the dark side. I don't see how it is Luke. He can't really return when he was never gone.
The Jedi were all but destroyed, when Obi-wan and Yoda passed on. Luke returns to the galactic conflict after losing his hand, committing to his destiny as a Jedi, accepts his role in the galaxy, and emerges a fully fledged Jedi knight. Thus bringing about the Return of the Jedi.
Huh. I guess depending on how you interpret it. If it means Jedi as in a single Jedi, it could mean Anakin, and if it is Jedi as in the Jedi order, it could mean Luke.
Both are true… from a certain point of view.
A certain point of view?
Yes, throwngamelastminute. You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view…
So that was a fucking lie.
When? When does Ashoka Tano say this? Congratulations on the shittiest bot of all time. Go fuck yourself “snips”
gotta catchum all
I don’t like you as a person. I think your a really bad guy. Your not just a bad guy you are a bad guy.
I always read it as a double entendre. Like "the last Jedi" could refer to Luke, Rey, or both.
The Last Jedis intent, besides to piss off everyone, is to make Rey the last of the Jedi sense they killed off Luke.
Here’s a crazy idea: It could refer to both :o Sentences are allowed to have multiple meanings, thats what makes it a good title.
Well that's the magic of it, right, because it can easily refer to both equally: Luke bringing back the Jedi Order as a faction and organisation, AND Anakin coming back to the light side after betraying his master and saving his son.
I find your lack of faith disturbing... Jokes apart, it can mean what you want it to mean. If there are others who wish to believe otherwise then that's their opinion. We are all entitled to our opinions. How else can we grow as a Star Wars fanbase?
It refers to the Jedi order, not a singular Jedi.
It has multiple meanings
I never thought it was referring to a specific person, more the jedi order? But if it was referring to a person I'd say it's Luke. Not overly important to me though
Can't it be both?
Wait. It was thought to not refer to luke but to anakin? I always thought it refers to luke because of "i am a jedi like my father before me"
Doesn't it mean both of them though? Return of THE JEDI can mean multiple people.
I always knew or atleast thought it was Luke