A leitmotif originally written by John Williams and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra first appeared in the 1983 film Return of the Jedi. The leitmotif represents traps, with the musical figure playing in Return of the Jedi in the lead-up to the Battle of Endor, as well as when the Alliance Fleet rallies to face the second Death Star in the Endor system. The track is featured prominently in the Return of the Jedi track "Into the Trap."
The Return of the Jedi motif is played during approach on Jabba's Palace and the Millennium Falcon's battle against TIE fighters in the Endor system during the Battle of Endor, level of the 1995 video game Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. The motif is also played during the Liberation of Gerrard V and the Blockade on Chandrila in Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, composed by Chris Hülsbeck and released in 1998. The motif is afforded its own track, titled "Into the Trap II," in the game's Concert Hall feature.
A rendition of the motif was composed by Kevin Kiner as the Rebels main theme. The theme is played throughout Star Wars Rebels representing the Spectres, and is usually featured in the end credits of each episode. The motif is also featured in the loading screens of the game Star Wars Rebels: Strike Missions.
The Return of the Jedi track "Into the Trap" is reused in the LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens video game for the lead-up to the Battle of Endor. It is also used in the lead-up to the First Order assault on Arthon, including scenes of the Resistance Admiral Ackbar assisting the Ottegan populace to evacuate Arthon as well as scenes of First Order forces making their way on to the world's surface.
The trap leitmotif reappears in the track "Rogue One" played in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, a 2016 anthology film composed by Michael Giacchino. The track features the theme for the squad Rogue One, with the trap motif in turn making up much of the theme, which accompanies the sequence of rebels readying to sacrifice themselves on the Imperial world of Scarif.
The trap leitmotif is also featured in the 2018 film Solo: A Star Wars Story, scored by John Powell, as L3-37's motif. A full statement of the motif is played in the track titled "Mine Mission" that accompanies scenes of the Millennium Falcon's crew raiding the Pyke Syndicate's Spice Mines of Kessel. The motif is also played in the deluxe end credits suite featured in the film's Deluxe Edition soundtrack.
Sources[]
- Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
- Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi soundtrack
- Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
- Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
- Star Wars Rebels
- Star Wars Rebels: Season One (Original Soundtrack)
- LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story soundtrack
- Solo: A Star Wars Story
- Solo