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Dec 2020 Update:
This Edit is now available as two parts, because 5 hours is asking a lot. Also all edits have been updated with a “show, don’t tell” focus in the storytelling whenever possible.
3-in-1 Edit - Running Time 5h7m (recommended)
Episode 7 - Running Time 2h2m
Episode 8-9 - Running Time 3h20m
Overall Synopsis: Episodes 7-9, restructured to unify the trilogy plotlines to feel cohesive.
7+ hours has been cut down to 5 hours, 7 minutes. Hopefully there are very few times in the 5+ hours that you notice this is a fan edit. My editing source for the first two movies are the amazing Hal9000 Edits. The last movie edits were was only assisted by user “jonH” and “poppasketti” (Thanks jonh and poppasketti, your work is amazing!) for a couple shots, which really helped nail what I was going for.
Main overall changes:
Kylo’s character arc is pretty well fleshed out already, the most cohesive character arc of the ST, imo. But lines about his parentage cut until Han tells Leia he saw their son.
Rey stays a nobody. And she slowly discovers her powers - she does not hit a stormtrooper with her first shot with a blaster, and she has been de-powered along the way as much as possible for a slower gain of force strength. Eventually, Ren reveals she has power like Palpatine, but that is the most that is alluded to. She is just a special “nobody.”
Poe’s character arc is nowhere near as complex as Kylo, but pretty much laid out for us. Cocky pilot to selfless leader.
Admittedly, Finn kinda disappears in the final fight – too many absurd parts to leave him in (no horses on spaceships in this cut.) Overall he now is NOT force sensitive, This means he does not ever make and successful attacks with the lightsaber as well. Never once does he ask Rey about a boyfriend, he keeps their friendship plutonic.
Characters like Hux and Rose have been severely sidelined as they just do not have satisfying character arcs. Both simply fade out of importance in the final movie, but I hope I have not made it too obvious. Hux is no spy, simply muscled out by other power hungry commanders. I loved Rose in TLJ, but without adequate character development in TROS, it was best to minimize her to simply a person helping Finn on HIS character arc. Consequently, the scenes at Canto Bight are greatly reduced, and Rose and Finn simply do not pilot speeders at the battle of Crait.
Many adjusted (trunkated) major storylines and removal of small details I (personally) felt weren’t needed over the course of the epic, but also made SO MANY minor edits to dialogue timing or audio that it would be crazy to list them all. Full cut list available with link.
Video specs: H.264, 1920x1080, 23.976 fps.
Audio specs: Stereo (Using 5.1 as source but too many silent center channel moments.)
PM me for a link!
May the force be with you all, always!
NEW OPENING CRAWL:
After the fall of Emperor Palpatine, the New Republic achieved many humanitarian successes. There was peace… for a while.
But after the mysterious disappearance of the last of the Jedi, the Dark Side has regenerated in the shadows. Defeated but not eliminated, new leaders took control of the disabled Empire. The re-branded FIRST ORDER arose again as a seemingly invincible authoritarian regime spreading across the galaxy.
Many veterans have again stepped up with General Leia Organa leading the way. They believe Luke can unite the Galaxy to resist this new threat, and her best pilot Poe has discovered a clue to his location. But the FIRST ORDER has caught up to him…
THE ADDITIONAL EDITS: (In addition to Hal’s edits. PM me for a link to the comprehensive list)
Episode VII:
• Removed Poe’s map discussion with old man cut (to remove needless exposition.)
• Shortened Kylo’s discussion with old man about where he comes. (all mentions of Kylo’s parentage removed until Han reveal to Leia to add mystery)
• Reduced Captain Phaser where possible (not a real character arc). Stormtroopers fire on villagers sooner. She doesn’t question Finn about helmet removal. Removed her discussion with Hux.
• Removed Rey’s first trip to the junk outpost, removed for pacing.
• Moved any visual reveal of Starkiller base to right before the Resistance is looking at diagrams, replacing them with other First Order fleet shots.
• Removed mention of the Knights of Ren.
• Removed Snoke’s mention that Han was Kylo’s Dad.
• Removed Han’s mention that BB8’s map is not complete.
• Re-editted Finn’s confession to Rey to reduce romantic affection.
• Removed Han’s line about liking Chewie’s gun (they’ve known each other for decades, only now he tries the bowcaster?)
• Depowered Finn for lightsaber fight with stormtrooper. He does not land any attacks.
• Re-editted to Han now reveals Kylo’s parentage for the first time when he first speaks with Leia.
• Reduced Han and Leia’s discussion about Kylo to make Leia seem more focused, and somewhat implies Han was more of an absent dad. (Not great for Han, but needed for Kylo’s character arc)
• Re-edited “Oh Really, you’re cold?” by Han to leave “the force doesn’t work like that! Oh really?”
• Depowered Finn for the lightsaber fight with Kylo. He is seen only defending, he does not land a strike on Kylo.
• Removed Hux’s plea to Snoke to leave Starkiller base as well as Snoke’s mention of completing Kylo’s training.
• BB-8 immediately fills R2-D2s map with the missing piece, not needing Poe to give it the chip.
• The end of Episode VII cuts into Episode VIII, so the transitions in meeting Luke are different.
Episode VIII:
• Moved as many scenes as possible with Luke and Rey on Ach-To to BEFORE the Rebel base evac.
• Moved ‘Luke Has a Moment’ deleted scene to right after he is told about Han’s death (sorry Hal)
• Removed all mention of Leia and Rey’s beacons. (seems silly that they would assume the “impossible light speed tracking” and not suspect someone cracked the silly beacons, which seems simpler)
• Re-edited Ma’z codebreaker info to make more sense, removed the line about the high roller tables.
• Removed even more from Canto Bright casino room shots
• Removed the side plot of Rose’s necklace needed by the codebreaker (felt hollow, this is more about Finn learning)
• Added Leia’s jedi training sequence as a memory as she is drifting in space.
• Removed Poe’s “A what now?”
• Removed Finn and Rose from Speeders (extensive cuts) and streamlined story here.
• Removed any shots of Physical Luke after he disappears from Crait – he simply disappears from Ach-To too, just leaving the robe shots.
• Removed Hux’s extended glare at Kylo in the evacuated rebel base on Crait, as he is now being sidelined.
• Removed Broom kid scene unfortunately, as we cut directly to Episode IX with Kylo hacking people up on Mustafar.
Episode IX:
Many ideas here came from all over the Internet after we all saw the film. Numerous people at OriginalTrilogy.com suggested ideas immediately after release. Big thanks to user “jonH” who submitted amazing edited clips, two of which were used in my edit.
• Recut Kylo on Mustafar to seem like the wayfinder was ahead of him, inciting the battle with the defenders of the wayfinder (not simply murdering for murdering sake, with the wayfinder behind him when he was done and everyone was dead)
• Replaced footage of Snoke in the cloning tanks with Palpatine in the cloning tanks (thanks poppasketti)
• Removed Palpatine’s line about creating snoke and being all the voices in his head.
• Removed his promise of a fleet. The motivation for Kylo to align is simply vanity, about truly becoming the next Vader.
• Removed plotline about Rey connecting with all the past Jedi.
• Edited down Rey’s training, removing Leia training her all altogether.
• Added future Palpatine shots to Rey’s vision during training
• Removed the notorious ‘lightskipping” scenes all together
• Edited Rebels discussion to remove mention of a Sith fleet and to lean into the cloning angle.
• Removed Rey and Leia’s discussion about leaving. (too forced, sorry Leia. You do best when you just die in this one, you kinda gave Poe command at the Battle of Crait)
• Removed lines with Hux and Kylo about the Mask.
• Removed General Pryde’s defense of the sith cult.
• Removed some of the Pasaana scenes and removed the child asking Rey’s name. (we get it!)
• Removed Pasaana Storm trooper chase
• Removed Worm Force Healing
• Removed Kylo’s ship exploding.
• Removed reveal of Chewbacca on another transport.
• Removed mention that R2 units can restore C3PO’s memory
• Removed Zorii storyline.
• Removed Rey’s mention to shoot the cameras on the star destroyer (really? Only now, after 2 movies?)
• Removed Hux spy plotline.
• Reduced Kylo and Rey’s Force discussion and battle.
• Re-edited Rey to say she only sees herself on the Sith Throne
• Reduced almost all of the Jannah storyline
• Removed Finn and Jannah chasing Rey onto the Death Star
• Re-edited Leia to simply be dying, and to calling out to Kylo as her last effort – not the intent to stop Kylo in order to let Rey kill him, Leia never gave up hope.
• Re-edited Kylo and Rey Death star fight to remove Rey stopping Kylo’s lightsaber with the force
• Re-edited Kylo hearing Leia, dropping his saber and Rey stabbing him to be quicker and to feel like Rey quickly took advantage of the situation before realizing how dark that was.
• Removed Kijimi PLANET exploding, implied that only the city was destroyed.
• Re-edit Rebel discussion to remove “planet-killing star destroyers”
• Removed force ghost Luke catching lightsaber.
• Moved Leia Jedi training montage to previous movie.
• Removed force ghost Luke straining to raise his X-Wing.
• Added subtitle to cult chants “Assembled flesh, rise again!” (my most questionable of all edit choices, imo)
• Removed all mention of Rey being a Palpatine again
• Removed Ben being tossed down the hole.
• Reordered to have Ben save Rey after they are both struck down by Palpatine. Used 4k footage to crop out the lightsabers in the shot that would affect continuity. Added lightning flashes and sith cult chants in the background.
• All Finn and Jannah storylines in the final fight have been removed (no horses on spaceships)
• Removed “I am all the sith” and “I am all the jedi” chat, its really as simple as a revived Rey kicks a weak Palpatine’s ass, with a few force ghosts helping her.
• Added Ben to final force ghost vision (thanks jonH)
• Removed Rey’s new lightsaber reveal, and the interaction with the old woman on tatooine.
o Hopefully this leave an ambiguous ending that can be debated about what the ending means – is she ending the jedi for good? Or is she simply closing the Skywalker saga?
