<P> Star Wars was released on May 25, 1977 . It was followed by The Empire Strikes Back, released on May 21, 1980; the opening crawl of the sequel disclosed it numbered as "Episode V". Though the first film in the series was simply titled Star Wars, with its 1981 re-release it had the subtitle Episode IV: A New Hope added to remain consistent with its sequel, and to establish it as the middle chapter of a continuing saga . Return of the Jedi, the final film in the original trilogy, was numbered as "Episode VI", and released on May 25, 1983 . The sequels were all self - financed by Lucasfilm, and generally advertised solely under their subtitles . The plot of the original trilogy centers on the Galactic Civil War of the Rebel Alliance trying to free the galaxy from the clutches of the Galactic Empire, as well as on Luke Skywalker's quest to become a Jedi . </P> <P> Near the orbit of the desert planet Tatooine, a Rebel spaceship is intercepted by the Empire . Aboard, the deadliest Imperial agent Darth Vader and his stormtroopers capture Princess Leia Organa, a secret member of the rebellion . Before her capture, Leia makes sure the astromech R2 - D2, along with the protocol droid C - 3PO, escapes with stolen Imperial blueprints stored inside and a holographic message for the retired Jedi Knight Obi - Wan Kenobi, who has been living in exile on Tatooine . The droids fall under the ownership of Luke Skywalker, an orphan farm boy raised by his step - uncle and aunt . Luke helps the droids locate Obi - Wan, now a solitary old hermit known as Ben Kenobi, who reveals himself as a friend of Luke's absent father, the Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker . Obi - Wan confides to Luke that Anakin was "betrayed and murdered" by Vader (who was Obi - Wan's former Jedi apprentice) years ago, and he gives Luke his father's former lightsaber to keep . After viewing Leia's message, they both hire the smuggler Han Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot Chewbacca to, aboard their space freighter the Millennium Falcon, help them deliver the stolen blueprints inside R2 - D2 to the Rebel Alliance with the hope of finding a weakness to the Empire's planet - destroying space station: the Death Star . </P> <P> For The Star Wars second draft, Lucas made heavy simplifications . It added a mystical energy field known as "the Force" and introduced the young hero on a farm as Luke Starkiller . Annikin became Luke's father, a wise Jedi knight . The third draft killed the father Annikin, replacing him with mentor figure Ben Kenobi . Later, Lucas felt the film would not in fact be the first in the sequence, but a film in the second trilogy in the saga . The draft contained a sub-plot leading to a sequel about "The Princess of Ondos", and by that time some months later Lucas had negotiated a contract that gave him rights to make two sequels . Not long after, Lucas hired author Alan Dean Foster, to write two sequel novels, with the main creative restriction of plots that could be filmed on a low budget . In 1976, a fourth draft had been prepared for principal photography . The film was titled Adventures of Luke Starkiller, as taken from the Journal of the Whills, Saga I: The Star Wars . During production, Lucas changed Luke's name to Skywalker and altered the title to simply The Star Wars and finally Star Wars . At that point, Lucas was not expecting the film to have sequels . The fourth draft of the script underwent subtle changes it discarded "the Princess of Ondos" sub-plot, to become a self - contained film, that ended with the destruction of the Galactic Empire itself by way of destroying the Death Star . However, Lucas previously conceived of the film as the first of a series . The intention was that if Star Wars was successful, Lucas could adapt Dean Foster's novels into low - budget sequels . By that point, Lucas had developed an elaborate backstory to aid his writing process . </P> <P> Before its release, Lucas considered walking away from Star Wars sequels, thinking the film would be a flop . However the film exceeded all expectations . The success of the film as well as its merchandise sales both led Lucas to make Star Wars the basis of an elaborate film serial, and use the profits to finance his film - making center, Skywalker Ranch . </P>

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