Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (novel)

The Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi novelization, written by James Kahn, is the official novelization of the film of the same name. Its first edition was published on May 12, 1983.

Editions

 * ISBN 0-345-30767-4, May 1983, First Edition, Del Rey, 181-page Mass-market Paperback
 * ISBN 2144; 1983, Book Club Del Rey, 184-page Hardcover
 * ISBN 0-345-40079-8; September1995,Del Rey, 229-page Hardcover

Foreign

 * ISBN 0-316-88204-6; 1996 British Little Brown Publishing, 211-page Hardcover
 * ISBN 1-85723-944-X; 1999 British Orbit Publishing, 211-page Hardcover
 * ISBN 9545289228; 2009, Trud, 200-page Bulgarian paperback (Завръщането на Джедаите)
 * ISBN 9789545289231; 2009,Trud, 200-page Bulgarian hardcover (Завръщането на Джедаите)

Publisher's summary
''It was a dark time for the Rebel Alliance&hellip; Han Solo, frozen in carbonite, had been delivered into the hands of the vile gangster Jabba the Hutt. Determined to rescue him, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Lando Calrissian launched a hazardous mission against Jabba's Tatooine stronghold.''

''The Rebel commanders gathered all the warships of the Rebel fleet into a single giant armada. And Darth Vader and the Emperor, who had ordered construction to begin on a new and even more powerful Death Star, were making plans to crush the Rebel Alliance once and for all.''

Differences from the film

 * When Leia is captured by Jabba, instead of him saying "I'm sure" to her warning of her powerful friends, he says, "I'm sure, but in the meantime, I shall thoroughly enjoy the pleasure of your company." Additionally, instead of simply licking his lips as seen in the movie, he is described as planting "a beastly kiss squarely on the Princess's lips."
 * A deleted scene of Vader trying to get into the Emperor's throne room and being stopped by an officer is included.
 * Obi-Wan Kenobi's account of Luke's parental history is expanded; Obi-Wan states that Owen Lars was his brother, and that Luke and Leia's mother died when they were four (a premise later overwritten by the Prequel Trilogy, in which Owen Lars is seen to be Anakin Skywalker's stepbrother and Padmé dies as soon as both twins are born). Obi-Wan further recounts his battle with Anakin, stating that Anakin "fell into a molten pit," a point of detail which differs somewhat from the battle as shown in Revenge of the Sith. Obi-Wan further tells Luke that Anakin did not know that Amidala was pregnant, while in Revenge of the Sith he is well aware of the pregnancy.
 * C-3PO's story alone does not convince the Ewoks to help the Rebels. Han attempts to persuade them by telling them the Empire is draining Endor's resources, but also fails. Luke succeeds in acquiring their aid when he talks about the stars above being vanquished if the Death Star is finished.
 * There is an expanded version of the initial conversation between Palpatine and Luke. It includes Palpatine questioning Luke about who instructed him after Kenobi's death; upon discovering that it was Yoda, Palpatine proceeds to mock the late Jedi Master by mimicking his object–subject–verb style of speech.
 * The battle in space above Endor is given an expanded treatment. The text describes a much larger Rebel fleet than what is seen on film.
 * Moff Jerjerrod, acting on orders given to him by Emperor Palpatine, orders the Death Star to turn and fire on the Sanctuary Moon of Endor, but is killed when the Death Star's reactor is destroyed before the station can complete its final task.

Cover gallery
This is a gallery of the different cover variations of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

Behind the scenes
"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."
 * Bizarrely, many parts of the book refer in a very specific manner to the events that took place in the prequel trilogy, which was not even in the conceptual stage by 1983. The most notable example is Ben's detailed recollection of his duel with Vader on Mustafar:
 * The novel was written with elements from the third draft of the movie's screenplay.

Differences from the film

 * Tatooine is called "Tattoine" in a spelling error.
 * Jabba is said to converse with Leia (who is in disguise as Boushh) in Boushh's native tongue of Ubese. If this were so in the film, Threepio would not need to translate.
 * When Leia is captured by Jabba, instead of him saying "I'm sure" to her warning of her powerful friends, he says, "I'm sure, but in the meantime, I shall thoroughly enjoy the pleasure of your company." Additionally, instead of simply licking his lips as seen in the movie, he is described as planting "a beastly kiss squarely on the Princess's lips".

Ironically, in the prequels where the relationship is overruled, Owen was played by Joel Edgerton and Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan stunt double was Nash Edgerton, and they are brothers.
 * As Obi-Wan Kenobi explains how Luke and Leia were separated at birth, he refers to Owen Lars as his brother and that Luke and Leia's mother died when they were four.
 * The deleted scene of Vader trying to get into the throne room and being stopped by an officer is included.
 * C-3PO's story alone does not convince the Ewoks to help the rebels. Han attempts to persuade them by telling them the Empire is draining Endor's resources, but also fails. Luke succeeds in acquiring their aid when he talks about the stars above being vanquished if the Death Star is finished.
 * In the opening stages of the Battle of Endor, three of the Red Squadron X-wings are destroyed after hitting the shield.
 * Moff Tiaan Jerjerrod, acting on orders given to him by Emperor Palpatine, orders the Death Star to turn and fire on the sanctuary moon of Endor but is killed when the Death Star's reactor is destroyed before the station can complete its final task.
 * The Battle of Endor is expanded significantly, both in space and on the ground. The text describes a much larger Rebel fleet than what is seen on film.
 * At the beginning of the confrontation in Palpatine's throne room, the Emperor questions Luke about who instructed him after Kenobi's death; reads Luke's mind and discovers that Yoda completed Luke's Jedi training, and that Yoda is now dead. He does maintain some memory of him, mentioning almost offhandedly an aged Jedi Master. Darth Vader gives no indication of having memory of Yoda.
 * While Luke is hiding from Vader in the throne room, he offers Vader a chance to talk to him, but rejects it saying he won't give him that kind of advantage, then Luke throws his lightsaber to him, and Vader realizes he is protecting Leia, then Luke uses the Force to get his saber.
 * When Palpatine starts using Force lightning against Luke, the latter initially attempts to deflect it in the same manner as Yoda in Episode II.
 * Green Leader destroys the Executor's bridge with Proton Torpedoes, rather than ramming it, although he still perishes in the subsequent explosion.

Collected in

 * Star Wars Trilogy