From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A poster for the 1997 Special Edition of the Star Wars Trilogy.

The original trilogy (often abbreviated OT by fans), also known as The Star Wars Trilogy, is a term used to describe the first three films released in the Star Wars saga. It is also sometimes referred to as the Classic Trilogy. The Original Trilogy is also sometimes used to describe the original versions of the first three Star Wars films released as opposed to the versions released on theaters in 1997 or on DVD in 2004 with some changes made. In 2006, Lucasfilm released the original unaltered versions of the films, following the release of the 2004 remastered edition of the trilogy several months before. They are:

• Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
• Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
• Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

The three films, which pick up 19 years after the events of the prequel trilogy, appear to center around Luke Skywalker, a farmboy of the planet Tatooine. Luke, restless for adventure, joins the ragtag Rebel Alliance in its struggle to overthrow the evil Galactic Empire. He trains to become a Jedi Knight like his father, whom he believes to have been killed by the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader. He is profoundly shaken upon learning that his father is actually Darth Vader himself.

Luke successfully resists the efforts of Vader and Emperor Palpatine to turn him to the dark side of the Force; instead, he turns his father away from the dark side, while the Rebel fleet scores a decisive victory against the Empire to end the Galactic Civil War. Moments from death, Vader begs his son to take off his breath-mask so he can look at Luke "with his own eyes". Luke complies and for the first time, father and son truly see each other. In his dying breaths, Anakin Skywalker is redeemed, finally admitting to Luke that the good within him was not destroyed after all.

• Prequel trilogy
• Sequel trilogy