The firstStar Warsmovie may be iconic, but so many details have been totally retconned over the last 47 years. There’s a sense in which that isn’t really much of a surprise;Star Warscanonhas been evolving ever since the first movie’s release, and even George Lucas changed his mind over a lot of the finer details. He even retconned this as Episode IV, officiallyretitlingStar Wars"A New Hope."
Sometimes these retcons add cool details, but on other occasions they create inconsistencies and complications that make them a frustrating rewatch. These retcons have only increased in number in recent years, with Disney hopping through the timeline. Here are some of the major retcons that are definitively part of the canon.
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10Leia Knew Who Obi-Wan Kenobi Was
The Obi-Wan Kenobi Series Confirmed They Met When She Was A Young Girl
When theObi-Wan Kenobiseries was finally released on Disney +, it came with its own list of changes and clarifications to canon. Focusing on the titular character of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Disney+ TV show follows the exiled Jedi as he goes on an adventure to save a veryyoung Leia Organaafter being kidnapped by the Empire. The two spend quite a bit of time together, certainly making it an unforgettable experience for Leia.
Because of this interaction, it makes the message that Leia sends to Obi-Wan a bit more confusing.Throughout the message, she speaks of him as though she has never met him before, whichObi-Wan Kenobihas shown is certainly not the case.Regardless, the series added a fun bit of history between the two, bringing new meaning to Obi-Wan’s mission to save her inA New Hope.
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9How The Empire Tracked The Tantive IV
The Damaged Ship Left A Unique Trail Behind
Princess Leia’s Tantive IVis a famous ship within theStar Warsfranchise, best known as the ship that Princess Leia was on when she placed her message to Obi-Wan inside R2-D2 and was then captured by Darth Vader.Rogue One: A Star Wars Storyshowed that the Empire tracked this ship through hyperspace, but if hyperspace tracking wasn’t really invented untilStar Wars: The Last Jedi,how did the Empire track the Tantive IV? As it turns out, the answer lies in the state of the ship at the time.
It was later revealed that prior to the Battle of Scarif, the Tantive IV was damaged while on another mission for the Rebellion.Because of the state of the ship, the hyperdrive left a trail behind that allowed the Empire to follow along and track them despite the fact they jumped into hyperspace.This brought them to Tatooine, kicking off the events ofA New Hope.
8The Death Star’s Weakness Was Deliberate Sabotage
Galen Erso Weakened The Death Star On Purpose
The main plot ofRogue Onerevolves around the Death Star, both its creation and the events that would eventually lead up to its destruction.The film also answered one ofStar Wars’oldest questions, that being how the Death Star could so easily be destroyed.After all, how could such an obvious flaw in the space station’s design be so easily overlooked?
The answer came in the form of Galen Erso, one of the main architects responsible for the creation of the Death Star. Knowing the danger that the Death Star could pose to the galaxy, Galen intentionally put this weakness into the design of the space station in the hopes that someone would uncover this weakness and destroy the Death Star. It was his daughter, Jyn Erso, who was responsible for spearheading the operation that would acquire the Death Star plans for the Rebellion.
7The High Republic Shows The Jedi’s Rule Was Not Always Peaceful
Obi-Wan Originally Implied The Jedi Kept The Peace
When Obi-Wan Kenobi first explains the concept of the Jedi to Luke Skywalker, he speaks as though they kept peace successfully for thousands of years. It almost sounded as if their reign was one without strife, a complete foil to times under the Empire’s thumb. However, with more stories now being told in these olderStar Warstime periods, viewers are now well aware that things were not always so easy.
TheHigh Republic Era, taking place directly before the prequel series, is one that is especially marked by strife. The Jedi face off against incredibly dangerous and destructive threats such as the Nihil marauders in a galaxy only just now beginning to expand.These Jedi were pioneers, facing threats that they were only just learning about on the fringes of the galaxy.
6The Age Of The Old Republic Has Bounced Back And Forth
It Is Now Officially 25,000 Years Old
When the Old Republic was originally mentioned by Obi-Wan inA New Hope,it was loosely stated that this era inStar Warshistory existed for a thousand generations.Star Wars Legendseventually took this line and clarified that this meant 25,000 years or so. Later on, Chancellor Palpatine claimed that the Republic had “stood for a thousand years,” further confusing when exactly the Old Republic Era took place.
5Han Solo Shot First, And Then Greedo Shot First
The Debate Over Who Shot First Has Gone On For Years
One debate that has been raging on ever sinceA New Hopestarted being re-released is the debate over who shot at who first, Han Solo or Greedo.When the original movie was released, Han Solo prematurely shot at Greedo and killed him.George Lucas changed this in theStar WarsSpecial Editions, with Greedo shooting and missing and Han shooting afterward.
George Lucas has even commented on this little debate, claiming that despite the original shot of the film, Greedo was always intended to shoot first. This has caused quite a stir with fans, with many still claiming that Han shot first. Depending on which person shot first, this could possibly change the characterization of Han Solo, changing what he is willing or not willing to do when faced with trouble.
4Obi-Wan Kenobi Knew R2-D2 Before A New Hope
The Two Went On Many Adventures Together In The Prequels
WhenA New Hopeoriginally released, all the characters in the film were brand new as well. All the relationships between the characters had yet to be developed, with many of their histories not being explored until later films in the series. One character that received this treatment was Obi-Wan Kenobi, who had his backstory more fully explored in the prequel trilogy.
TheStar Warsprequel trilogy also elaborated on his relationship with R2-D2, who he seemed to meet for the very first time inA New Hope.However, the prequel trilogy showed that the two have a very long history of adventures together. This history makes their interactions in the original film a bit awkward, with Obi-Wan refusing to acknowledge an old friend that he knew many years ago.
3Han Solo’s Last Name Gained New Meaning
He Gained The Surname When Joining The Empire
Solo: A Star Wars Storywas a film that was derisive among fans, but it introduced a great deal of backstory for one of the series' most popular characters, Han Solo. One added detail involves his last name, Solo. Prior to joining the Empire, he did not have a surname, but it was added to the end of his name upon being conscripted.
Prior to the film, Solo was just a cool last name for a smuggler character. There was no specific story to it as there was not much to Han’s background aside from the fact that he owed money to Jabba the Hutt.However,Solorevealed that this name was chosen because of the fact he was on his own with no family to speak of.
2Darth Vader Didn’t Kill Luke’s Father, He Was His Father
Whether This Is Actually A Retcon Or Not Is Debated
The Empire Strikes Backis a film with one of the best and most well known reveals in all of cinematic history. In this film, it is eventually revealed that Darth Vader is the father of Luke Skywalker. While not necessarily a retcon in the traditional sense, this revelation changes the context of something said by Obi-Wan in the first film drastically.
InA New Hope,Obi-Wan initially tells Luke that Darth Vader was the one to kill his father.Once it is revealed that Darth Vader is Luke’s father, it is clear that Obi-Wan had lied to him. TheObi-Wan Kenobiseries later changed the context of this point again, as when Obi-Wan meets Darth Vader in battle, Darth Vader is clear that he has killed any part of Anakin that was left inside of him.
1Luke Skywalker And Leia Organa Became Siblings
This Made Their Kiss In The Empire Strikes Back Much More Awkward
WhenA New Hopeinitially released, Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Han Solo were all strangers. The three were unrelated with no connection whatsoever, brought together by the message that Leia relayed to Obi-Wan Kenobi.It wouldn’t be untilReturn of the Jedithat the sibling connection between Luke and Leia would eventually be revealed- and then it was mainly because George Lucas wanted to tie all the plot threads together, making this an easy fix.
This decision would, unfortunately, have a huge impact onA New Hope- where Luke is quite clearly crushing on the princess (they would even share a now-very-awkward kiss inThe Empire Strikes Back). Lucas only has himself to blame; even John Williams gave Luke and Leia a romantic soundtrack inA New Hope, believing they were the principal love interests. It just goes to show thatStar Warsreally is ever-changing.
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
Cast
Star Wars is a seminal science fiction film released in 1977 that follows the quest of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo to rescue Princess Leia from the oppressive Imperial forces. They are aided by the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, as they strive to restore peace to the galaxy.
