10 More Star Wars Changes George Lucas Made That Were Completely Justified
2. Replacing Sebastian Shaw With Hayden Christensen - Return Of The Jedi
Take a deep breath as we make an argument for what's easily one of the most contentious and controversial changes in the history of Star Wars.
In Return of the Jedi's original final celebration scene, Luke (Mark Hamill) sees the Force ghosts of Anakin, Yoda, and Obi-Wan, with Anakin of course being played by Sebastian Shaw at that time.
But with Anakin being played by Hayden Christensen in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, Lucas opted to replace Shaw's Force ghost with a new Christensen version for Return of the Jedi's 2004 DVD release.
Many objected to the sheer notion of the prequels creeping into the "sacred" originals in such an overt way, while some suggested it also didn't make much sense for Anakin's Force ghost to resemble his decades-younger self.
Yet the fan consensus has become murkier in recent years as the prequels have grown more popular, with many coming to defend the change.
First and foremost, it can be said that Anakin "died" when he became Darth Vader, so it's certainly emotionally fitting that his Force ghost looks like his uncorrupted, pre-Vader self.
And beyond that, it provides a neat circling back to the prequels in the final moments of the original trilogy.
Sure, digitally superimposing Christensen's head on top of Shaw's doesn't look perfect, but it's ultimately easy to appreciate why Lucas did it, and in the scheme of things it's not nearly as objectionable as some fans insist it is.