George Lucas changed Return of the Jedi's finale with a new score

George Lucas has long been hailed as a sci‑fi visionary, but he has also faced criticism for altering his Star Wars films after their releases. Many of his most significant changes came years later and were not always visual. Return of the Jedi (1983) closes with an Ewok celebration backed by the song 'Yub Nub,' sung in Ewokese, a moment that invited ridicule from viewers who disliked the Ewoks.

For the 1997 re‑release Lucas removed 'Yub Nub' and commissioned John Williams to write 'Victory Celebration.' Williams added new melodies and soaring strings that give the scene more emotional weight; the vocal parts function as wordless chants and the percussion suggests instruments the Ewoks might have made.

'Victory Celebration' has remained on every subsequent remaster. Another notable alteration arrived with the 2004 DVD remaster, when Lucas replaced Sebastian Shaw's Force Ghost with Hayden Christensen's likeness.

george lucas, ewoks, yub nub, victory celebration, john williams, ewokese, hayden christensen, sebastian shaw, force ghost, 1997 re-release