The original Star Wars trilogy holds such a special place in the hearts of fans who know the three movies inside out and will never get sick of them. For many who rewatch them often, it is hard to a time when the film surprised them, but those times did exist, and the original trilogy definitely surprised fans a bunch of times throughout each film.
Between introducing concepts such as The Force, plot twists, developing characters, and special edition changes, the three movies have some unexpected components that, for better or worse, shocked fans upon first viewing.
Lando's Betrayal & The Hero's Capture - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Lando Calrissian's betrayal of Han, Leia, and Chewbacca is one of many plot twists in the original trilogy, but what puts it ahead of events like Yoda revealing himself is its aftermath.
A New Hope, a dark ending like this came as a surprise to many. It is done so brilliantly, though, and is a big reason for Empire's critical acclaim.
A Musical Number At Jabba's Palace - Return Of The Jedi (1983)
Thanks to the special editions, there have been so many minor tweaks and additions to the original trilogy over the years, but one that never fails to surprise first-time viewers of Return Of The Jedi is Sy Snootles.
A musical number has always taken place at Jabba's Palace, but the addition of Snootles is so painfully jarring. Nobody expects her computer-generated face to pop up and start dancing around the screen as she sings in the way she does. Even original trilogy fans watching the edition for the first time get surprised.
A Second Death Star - Return Of The Jedi (1983)
The Death Star is an incredible aspect of Star Wars, and it helped make A New Hope such a resounding success with its terror and imagination. It surprised many when the concept was reintroduced in Return Of The Jedi.
When fans watch the movie for the first time now, without knowing anything, they will get struck by the amount of planet-killing weapons there are in the Skywalker saga. Two in the original trilogy and one in the sequels are too much. One of the few criticisms people have of Return of the Jedi is its lazy writing, which primarily stems from this rehashing, making it bigger, more lethal, and more nonsensical.
Vader's Master - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
In A New Hope, there is so much mystique surrounding Vader. Nobody quite knows his role in the Empire nor even his species when they first watch the film -- only that he is one of the scariest villains to grace their screens.
As is revealed shockingly in The Empire Strikes Back, Vader obeys a Master of his own, the Emperor, who is not mentioned in the trilogy's first film. Having him only appear in a hologram was a genius move, getting fans anxious in anticipation for his physical debut in Return Of The Jedi.
The Ewoks - Return Of The Jedi (1983)
Having an adorable alien species appear in the original trilogy was no surprise. What did and continues to come as a bit of a shock to audiences is the role they play in Return Of The Jedi.
The Ewoks are one of the most beloved species in Star Wars, but the fact they help take on legions of stormtroopers, without losing that many from their village, and play such an integral part in the Battle of Endor, is pretty surprising.
Leia & Luke Are Revealed To Be Siblings - Return Of The Jedi (1983)
The dynamic between Luke and Leia slowly evolves through each trilogy movie until, finally, it is revealed in Return Of The Jedi that the two are actually siblings, something no one could have expected.
Even if the two were simply friends throughout their adventures, this would have been a shock. But what really pushes it to be one of Star Wars' wildest reveals is the fact that they share a pretty hefty kiss in The Empire Strikes Back, and Luke has a clear crush on Leia throughout A New Hope.
Maclunkey & Han Not Shooting First - A New Hope (1977)
Arguably, the most egregious of changes made to the original trilogy was altering the famous Han shooting Greedo scene in Chalmun's Cantina. It has been changed multiple times, none of them as good as the original.
Han shooting first makes complete sense and is an amazing little character moment. Changing it to Greedo shooting first with an awful CGI head movement was criminal, as was making them shoot simultaneously. Every time it is changed from the original, fans are shocked. More recently, A New Hope and this scene have been given perhaps the most pointless change to a film ever, as Greedo shouts "Maclunkey" before getting shocked, becoming a meme, and shocking fans in hilarious fashion.
Darth Vader's Humanity Is Revealed - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
To this day, and likely for the rest of Star Wars' existence, Darth Vader's redemption is the best the franchise has produced, surprising, exhilarating, and drawing emotion from fans every step of the way.
The small reveals of Vader's humanity building up to his fist-pump moment of redemption amazed fans. From Vader's removed helmet and his "It is too late for me, son" to his final unmasking to Luke, all were significant moments that left fans both surprised and curious to know more.
Force Spirits & The Acceptance Of Death - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) & Return Of The Jedi (1983)
The first major death in Star Wars is staggering, as Obi-Wan Kenobi happily accepts his death. What made it even more astonishing was the fact he returned as a voice at the end of the film and a Force Ghost in the next.
The concept is wild when thought about in-depth but fits so well in the galaxy far, far away. Yoda then does the same thing, peacefully accepting death and returning as a Force Spirit on Endor alongside Obi-Wan and, rather shockingly, Anakin Skywalker.
"No, I Am Your Father." - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
When talking about twists, shocks, surprises, and unexpected elements of Star Wars, in general, the first thought fans have will most likely be of Vader revealing to Luke Skywalker that he is the young hero's father.
It is widely regarded as one of the best twists in cinema history, and absolutely nobody expected it back in 1977 or 1980, nor do young fans expect to hear it when they experience Star Wars for the first time now. The moment is terrifically crafted, full of tension and emotion, and will remain in the minds and hearts of fans for generations to come.
