Return of the Jedi (also known as Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi) is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas. The sequel to The Empire Strikes Back (1980), it is the third installment in the original Star Wars trilogy and the sixth chronological film in the "Skywalker Saga". The film follows the ongoing struggle between the malevolent Galactic Empire and the freedom fighters of the Rebel Alliance. As the Rebels attempt to destroy the Empire's second Death Star, Luke Skywalker tries to bring his father, Darth Vader, back from the dark side of the Force.
Steven Spielberg, David Lynch, and David Cronenberg were considered to direct the film before Marquand signed on as director. The production team relied on Lucas' storyboards during pre-production. While writing the shooting script, Lucas, Kasdan, Marquand, and producer Howard Kazanjian spent two weeks in conference discussing ideas to construct it. Kazanjian's schedule pushed shooting to begin a few weeks early to allow Industrial Light & Magic more time to work on the film's effects in post-production. Filming took place in England, California, and Arizona from January to May 1982.
The film was released in theaters on May 25, 1983. It grossed $374 million worldwide during its initial theatrical run, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1983. The film was well received by critics, with strong praise going to the performances of the actors, John Williams' score, the special effects and the action sequences. Several re-releases and revisions to the film have followed over the decades, which have brought its total gross to $482 million. The United States Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2021. A prequel trilogy, released between 1999 and 2005, and a sequel trilogy, released between 2015 and 2019, followed.
Cast[]
| Character | Actor | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| File:Luke Skywalker (Return of the Jedi).png | Luke Skywalker
|
Mark Hamill | |
| File:Han Solo (Return of the Jedi).png | Han Solo
|
Harrison Ford | |
|
Princess Leia
|
Carrie Fisher | |
| File:Lando Calrissian (Return of the Jedi).png | Lando Calrissian
|
Billy Dee Williams | |
| File:C-3PO (Return of the Jedi).png | C-3PO
|
Anthony Daniels | |
| File:Darth Vader (Return of the Jedi).png | Darth Vader
|
James Earl Jones | |
| File:Master Yoda (Return of the Jedi).png | Master Yoda
|
Frank Oz | |
| File:Emperor (Return of the Jedi).png | Emperor
|
Ian McDiarmid | |
| File:Obi-Wan Kenobi (Return of the Jedi).png | Obi-Wan Kenobi
|
Alec Guinness | |
| File:Jabba the Hutt (Return of the Jedi).png | Jabba the Hutt
|
Larry Ward | |
International versions[]
| Language | Title | |
|---|---|---|
|
Basque | Izarretako Gerra VI: Jedi zaldunaren itzulera |
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Catalan | La guerra de les gàlaxies: El retorn del Jedi El retorn del Jedi Star Wars episodi VI: El retorn del Jedi |
|
Czech (Smrček Production, 1992) |
Návrat Jediho |
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Czech (Tvůrčí skupina Josefa Petráska, 1995) |
Hvězdné války: Epizoda VI – Návrat Jediho |
|
|
Czech (LS Productions, 2011) |
Star Wars: Epizoda VI – Návrat Jediů |
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French (Europe) | Le Retour du Jedi Star Wars, épisode VI : Le Retour du Jedi |
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Galician | A guerra das galaxias Episodio VI: O Retorno do Jedi |
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German | Die Rückkehr der Jedi-Ritter Star Wars: Episode VI – Die Rückkehr der Jedi-Ritter |
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Hindi | स्टार वॉर्स एपिसोड VI: रिटर्न ऑफ़ द जेडाई |
|
Hungarian (Mafilm Audio, 1993) |
Csillagok háborúja VI. – A Jedi visszatér |
|
|
Hungarian (Mafilm Audio, 1995) |
Csillagok háborúja VI. – A Jedi visszatér |
|
|
Hungarian (Mafilm Audio, 1997) |
Csillagok háborúja VI. – A Jedi visszatér Star Wars VI. rész – A Jedi visszatér |
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Italian | Il ritorno dello Jedi Star Wars: Episodio VI - Il ritorno dello Jedi |
|
Japanese (Nippon TV, 1988) |
スター・ウォーズ/ジェダイの復讐 |
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Japanese (home video) |
スター・ウォーズ/ジェダイの復讐 スター・ウォーズ エピソード6/ジェダイの帰還 |
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Korean (KBS2) |
unknown |
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Korean (MBC, 1990) |
unknown |
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|
Korean (MBC, 2003) |
unknown |
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Korean (Disney+) |
스타워즈: 제다이의 귀환 |
|
Mandarin (China) | 星球大战：绝地归来 |
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Polish | Gwiezdne wojny: część VI – Powrót Jedi |
|
Portuguese (Brazil) (Herbert Richers, S.A., 1988) |
Star Wars Episódio VI: O Retorno de Jedi |
|
|
Portuguese (Brazil) (Delart, 1997) |
Star Wars Episódio VI: O Retorno de Jedi |
|
|
Portuguese (Brazil) (Delart, 2015) |
Star Wars Episódio VI: O Retorno de Jedi |
| File:Star Wars Episode VI logo (Russian).png | Russian (AB-Video, 2005) |
Звёздные войны. Эпизод VI: Возвращение джедая |
| File:Star Wars Episode VI logo (Russian).png | Russian (CPIG, 2010) |
Звёздные войны. Эпизод VI: Возвращение джедая |
|
Slovak (LENOX, 2002) |
Hviezdne vojny: Epizóda VI – Návrat Jediho |
|
|
Slovak (Saturn Postproduction, 2015) |
Hviezdne vojny: Epizóda VI – Návrat Jediho |
|
Spanish (Latin America) (1983) |
La Guerra de las Galaxias: El retorno del Jedi |
|
|
Spanish (Latin America) (Ultra Video, 1997) |
Star Wars Episodio VI: El regreso del Jedi |
|
Spanish (Spain) | Star Wars: Episodio VI - El retorno del Jedi |
|
|
Thai | สตาร์ วอร์ส 3 ชัยชนะของเจได |
|
Turkish | Yıldız Savaşları: Bölüm VI - Jedi'ın Dönüşü Star Wars: Jedi'ın Dönüşü |
| File:Star Wars Episode VI logo (Ukrainian).png | Ukrainian | Зоряні війни: Повернення джедая |
| Language | Title | |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Hungarian (József Pozsgay) |
Csillagok háborúja VI. – A Jedi visszatér |
|
|
Polish (AXN, 2015) |
Gwiezdne wojny: część VI – Powrót Jedi |
|
|
Polish (Stanisław Olejniczak) |
Gwiezdne wojny: część VI – Powrót Jedi |
|
|
Polish (Imperial Entertainment, 1995) |
Gwiezdne wojny: część VI – Powrót Jedi |
| File:Star Wars Episode VI logo (Russian).png | Russian (Tycoon) |
Звёздные войны. Эпизод VI: Возвращение джедая |
| File:Star Wars Episode VI logo (Russian).png | Russian (Glanz) |
Звёздные войны. Эпизод VI: Возвращение джедая |
| File:Star Wars Episode VI logo (Russian).png | Russian (Kinomania) |
Звёздные войны. Эпизод VI: Возвращение джедая |
| File:Star Wars Episode VI logo (Russian).png | Russian (Laser Video/RTR) |
Звёздные войны. Эпизод VI: Возвращение джедая |
| File:Star Wars Episode VI logo (Russian).png | Russian (Andrey Dolskiy) |
Звёздные войны. Эпизод VI: Возвращение джедая |
| File:Star Wars Episode VI logo (Russian).png | Russian (Yuriy Zhivov) |
Звёздные войны. Эпизод VI: Возвращение джедая |
| File:Star Wars Episode VI logo (Russian).png | Russian (Maxim Latyshev) |
Звёздные войны. Эпизод VI: Возвращение джедая |
| File:Star Wars Episode VI logo (Russian).png | Russian (Andrey Gavrilov, original) |
Звёздные войны. Эпизод VI: Возвращение джедая |
| File:Star Wars Episode VI logo (Russian).png | Russian (Andrey Gavrilov, second) |
Звёздные войны. Эпизод VI: Возвращение джедая |
| File:Star Wars Episode VI logo (Russian).png | Russian (Yuri Serbin) |
Звёздные войны. Эпизод VI: Возвращение джедая |
| File:Star Wars Episode VI logo (Russian).png | Russian (Leonid Volodarsky) |
Звёздные войны. Эпизод VI: Возвращение джедая |
| File:Star Wars Episode VI logo (Russian).png | Russian (Lyosha Praporshchik) |
Звёздные войны. Эпизод VI: Возвращение джедая |
| File:Star Wars Episode VI logo (Russian).png | Russian (V. Zuchkov) |
Звёздные войны. Эпизод VI: Возвращение джедая |
| File:Star Wars Episode VI logo (Russian).png | Russian (Vadim Belov) |
Звёздные войны. Эпизод VI: Возвращение джедая |
| File:Star Wars Episode VI logo (English).png | Ukrainian (1+1) |
Зоряні війни: Повернення джедая |
| File:Star Wars Episode VI logo (English).png | Ukrainian (ICTV) |
Зоряні війни: Повернення джедая |
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