Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, fans complained that George Lucas had damaged their beloved original trilogy by bringing a series of changes on the films and then adding in the prequels to alter their perceptions of their original characters.

Regardless of their opinions, the original films retained their splendor within the mythos, ultimately carrying a weight and importance that remained untouched.

Now Disney seems to be the one creating the havoc with its new canon of films. No movie is being harmed more than "Episode VI: Return of the Jedi."

Arguably the weakest film of the original trilogy, the film was actually improved significantly by the arrival of the prequels. Emperor Palpatine was a more prominent figure in "Episodes I-III" and thus his arrival in "Return of the Jedi" was long-awaited; without the prequels his arrival suddenly dwarfed Darth Vader, who loomed large in the first two films. Moreover, the prequels elevated Vader's importance in this final episode, bringing his prequel journey full circle.

The other important factor regarding "Jedi" was that in the original trilogy or with the full saga, it felt like a culmination. The new Death Star and Ewoks were justified by the fact that there was a sense of arrival and closure for the heroes. After so much strife, the great empire was defeated and the balance restored to the force.

We all know that new movies means new problems, but the way that such novels and books have posited it, the Battle of Endor was but a blip on the map. In fact, the big victory at the end of "Jedi" did nothing in the grand scope of things, escalating the war until the true defining fight of Jakku came into view.

And now, "Return of the Jedi" is an emptier film than it ever has been. Rumor has it that the Emperor might not be dead, thus making Darth Vader's redemption a Pyrrhic victory.

"Episode VII: The Force Awakens" seems to have taken the story in a differing direction -- to this point at least -- but the Disney canon of novels and comics has decimated the importance of "Episode VI," making it arguably the most meaningless of the original saga.

"Episode I" might make a similar claim, but it establishes worlds and brings us Anakin. "Episode II" starts the Clone Wars and establishes the romance that will alter the universe. "Episode III" has the turn of Darth Vader, the destruction of the Jedi and the rise of the empire. "Episode IV" starts the cycle anew and is the most self-contained story in the saga ("Episode I" is also self-contained) and "Episode V" has the earth-shattering plot twist for audience and characters.

"Episode VI" was the climax of it all, an apex that had admittedly lost some power with the announcement of a continuation of a story. Now it has completely been undermined by a new canon that ultimately insists that its events had no transcendence in the grand scheme of things.

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