George Lucas could never have known that his space opera would turn into one of the most
well-known and profitable movie franchises in history.
If he had, the director might have spent a bit more time filming the original series
to make sure some of the more entertaining mistakes were left on the cutting room floor.
Luckily, that wasn’t the case, which means fans can spot each and every obvious or hard-to-miss
error.
Even after all these years, Luke Skywalker’s big screen adventure still has a few surprises.
Here are Screenrant’s 10 Star Wars Movie Mistakes You Missed.
Luke’s Ghost
It’s no secret that some of George Lucas’s “improvements” on the original film weren’t
popular with fans, but just as many new mistakes seemed to slip into new editions.
When Luke’s aunt and uncle wake up to find him already out searching for R2-D2, there’s
something off about the shot of the empty homestead.
What looks like rolling film is actually a still image, with a ghostly image of Luke
visible in one of the doorways.
Was Skywalker a Force ghost the entire time, and fans just never knew?
Creepy.
Wired Lightsabers
The weapons of the Jedi Knights were more than cutting edge, but on set, they’re was
actually a clever use of old-fashioned tech.
The swords had three sides covered in reflective tape, which would rotate to give off a shimmering
effect.
It worked wonders at the time – except when Obi-Wan and Darth Vader first face off, and
the white power cord is clearly visible running from the Jedi’s saber up his sleeve.
Rebel Editing
George Lucas didn’t have every detail of his story down pat before filming, which meant
a few scenes had to be edited out or trimmed down in post-production.
When Luke is reunited with his friend Biggs before the attack on the Death Star, their
commanding officer shows up to meet his newest pilot.
The man originally made an offhand comment about knowing Luke’s father, but knowing
what problems that would cause, Lucas decided to edit it out, obscuring the cut with an
unknown person walking in front of the camera.
Unfortunately, R2-D2’s sudden jump in the background made sure the cut would stand out
for all time.
Dusty Saber
The swordfighting choreography improved over the course of the series, but in the first
movie, actors Alec Guinness and David Prowse took their duel as seriously as possible.
Even though they were constantly told to NOT slam their stunt swords together for fear
of breaking them, they couldn’t hold back.
They’re supposed to be beams of energy in the movie, but with every hit, it’s easy
to see the clouds of dust flying off.
These days, it hopefully just adds to the tension.
Colorless Droids
The special effects team basically created the entire industry with Star Wars, so some
mistakes can be forgiven.
These days we know that if a character is dressed in blue, a green backdrop will be
needed to add in effects.
In the first movie, that fact slipped by.
So with every shot of R2-D2 riding aboard Luke’s X-Wing, it’s hard to miss his blue
paint job suddenly turned black, effectively rendered see-through thanks to the blue screen
used by the crew.
Luke’s Lips
George Lucas may add in aliens or boulders wherever he chooses, but what happens if you
want to add a line of dialogue that an actor never spoke?
That’s the problem with Luke’s arrival on the planet Dagobah.
When he explains that he’s there to search for Yoda, his extra line – “if he even
exists” – wasn’t spoken by actor Mark Hamill.
The special effects team tried to cheat by altering the darkness of the actor’s mouth,
but there was just no way to fake it.
Jedi Knights are apparently gifted ventriloquists.
Tipping Walkers
No Star Wars fan will forget the adrenaline rush, or the laughter of seeing a massive
Imperial Walker brought down with a single rope in the Battle of Hoth.
But Luke proves he doesn’t need anything but a lightsaber and a thermal detonator to
bring one to its knees.
It’s an impressive stunt, but a little less fantastic when you notice the stick being
used to simply push up one of the walker’s back feet to tip it to one side (Episode V
33:04 on the back left foot)
Familiar Asteroid
Every director knows the value of using old or unused footage to make a different scene
pop, and the asteroid field of the Empire Strikes Back is famous for including everything
from potatoes to old running shoes.
But one asteroid is a bit more familiar.
Apparently, the effects team decided to re-purpose a shot of the Millenium Falcon flying through
the field, applying the view from inside the ship’s cockpit.
But keep an eye on the asteroid flying in from the bottom corner (bottom left, as soon
as Han comes to the cockpit), and you’ll notice the unmistakable shape of Han Solo’s
ship flying by.
The effects team managed to blur out details of the hull, but its barrel roll makes it
impossible to miss.
What’s My Line?
When the Falcon finds a home in a massive space worm, a tremor sends Princess Leia into
the captain’s arms.
It’s hard to know how many times the actors had to perform the scene, but Harrison Ford
clearly got bored first.
When Carrie Fisher tells her co-star that she’s less than excited, Ford silently mouths
her entire line along with her.
Watch Your Head
These days it’s rare to see a CG effect or object actually pop through or on top of
an actor’s performance, since attention to detail has never been higher.
But back in the early days, layering one effect onto another shot was a time-consuming process.
So when Darth Vader’s shuttle was rendered a little too low on the landing pad of Endor’s
moon, the mistake was left in.
Audiences now get to enjoy seeing Vader’s black helmet passing through the nose of his
ship on every viewing.
So what do you think of our list?
Did we miss any of your favorite errors, goofs, or mistakes in the Star Wars series?
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