The ongoing piling of RETroactiv CONtinuity by the Special Editions, PT, ST and any Star Wars TV series, did more damage to the OUT than George Lucas’ refusal to release the Theatrical Cuts.
I don’t know if that’s an unpopular opinion, it’s pretty common to complain about retcons in Star Wars.
Which leads me to my next unpopular opinion: Retcons aren’t actually as bad as people make them out to be. When done poorly, they can just seem shoehorned and forced. But when done well, they can actually enhance the work they’re retconning.