I grew up on the vhs releases in the early 90s and the episode numbers were confusing to me. Eventually I learned about Lucas’s plans to make prequels and it made a little more sense.

Sometimes I wish there was a version of the trilogy with no episode numbers. I’m not really opposed to the idea of prequels (I just wish they had been good) but I don’t like the idea of labeling the first movie in a franchise episode 4, even if it’s the 4th episode chronologically. I like the idea of Star Wars being the name of the saga, and I don’t mind the title A New Hope. So I kinda wish the original trilogy was episodes 1-3, and then the prequels had a different trilogy name. For example, they could be called the Clone Wars trilogy, or the Old Republic trilogy, or something. ANH and TPM could each be episode 1, but of two separate but related trilogies.