<P> Changes in Star Wars re-releases vary from minor differences in color timing, audio mixing, and take choices to major insertions of new visual effects, additions of characters and dialogue, scene expansions, and replacement of original cast members with newer ones . Though changes were also made to the prequel trilogy, the original trilogy saw the most alteration . Dissatisfied with the original theatrical cuts of the original Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi, creator George Lucas altered the films in an attempt to achieve the ideal versions that he could not initially due to limitations of time, budget, and technology . </P> <P> The first significant changes were made in 1997 with the release of a Special Edition remaster in commemoration of the franchise's twentieth anniversary . These changes were intended to modernize the films and create consistency with the forthcoming prequel trilogy . Additional significant changes were made when the original trilogy was released on DVD in 2004, and such changes tried to further create consistency with the prequel trilogy after the release of The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones and in anticipation of Revenge of the Sith . Further changes were made to the films for their Blu - ray release in 2011 . </P> <P> Many changes met criticism and outrage from fans and critics, and many believed that Lucas degraded the original films with the additions . Most controversial is the decision to have Greedo shoot before Han Solo does, which sparked wide usage of the phrase "Han shot first". Other controversial changes include replacing the "Lapti Nek" performance by a puppet Sy Snootles with a longer "Jedi Rocks" performance by a CGI Snootles, having Darth Vader yell "No!" as he kills the Emperor, and replacing Sebastian Shaw as the Force ghost of Anakin Skywalker with Hayden Christensen, who was cast to play Anakin in the prequel films . It was also felt that subsequent changes stripped the Star Wars film of the qualities for which it won Academy Awards . Despite the negative response to many significant changes, critics also felt that many smaller changes were improvements, innocuous, or understandable . </P>

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