History Radio / StarWarsRadioDramas

** When Motti is trying to convince Trakin to use the Death Star to leverage power from Palpatine:

* FantasticRacism: Hints of this from Luke Skywalker, of all people. When Luke sees the hologram game on board the ''Millenium Falcon'', he assumes Han has to play the ship's computer. Obi-wan has to explain to him that Chewbacca is an intelligent being who can play games of strategy with Han.

Creator/MarkHamill reprised his role of Luke Skywalker for both ''Star Wars'' and ''The Empire Strikes Back'', before being recast by Joshua Fardon for ''Return of the Jedi'' after the 13-year delay. Creator/AnthonyDaniels voiced C-3PO in all three dramas. Creator/BillyDeeWilliams played Lando in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' but was replaced by Arye Gross in ''Return of the Jedi''. All of the other roles were recast, with Perry King playing Han Solo, Ann Sachs as Leia, and Creator/BrockPeters (Admiral Cartwright in the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' films) as Darth Vader. Some of the more well-known actors in the production include Creator/EdAsner as Jabba the Hutt, Creator/JohnLithgow as Yoda, Creator/YeardleySmith ([[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Lisa Simpson]]) as a robot in Jabba's palace, Creator/AdamArkin as Fixer (one of Luke's acquaintances on Tatooine, not included in the films), Creator/KeeneCurtis as Grand Moff Tarkin, and Creator/DavidAlanGrier as a supporting player.

** Throughout the drama, Vader shows respect towards legal procedures, at least as long as his mission doesn't start slipping out of his grip; Leia is able to get away from Ralltiir with the information that leads to the capture of the Death Star plans is because he decides to make sure that his detaining her is completely legal and she bluffs Tion into letting them leave the planet without inspecting the ''Tantive IV''. Later on, he raises objections concerning picking Alderaan as the Death Star's target without consulting the Emperor first, although it doesn't take Tarkin long to convince him.

** In ''Return of the Jedi'' C-3PO narrates Leia releasing Han from the carbonite, and many characters narrate the Rancor fight. Later, Luke's fight with the rancor is narrated by himself, Leia, and 3PO, particularly including a bit where Luke tries to get the Gamorrean who fell down into the pit with him to help so that they can both get out alive and then to not try climbing out because it will only make him an easy target, which it does.

* TheStarscream: In [[EditedForSyndication some cuts]] of the ''Star Wars'' play there's a scene where Tarkin and Admiral Motti are plotting to overthrow the Emperor. Nothing ever comes of it.

* {{Squick}}: Jabba having Leia brought to him and attempting to lick her was repulsive enough in the movie, but the radio drama makes it even worse. Threepio is forced to translate Jabba's comment about Leia looking "good enough to eat," which is immediately followed by Jabba slobbering Leia's face while she groans in disgust, accompanied by suitably grotesque sound effects.

* JerkassHasAPoint: When Commander Willard goes to congratulate and thank Solo for his part in rescuing Leia, Han brusquely demands payment. When Willard balks, Leia has to point out that jerkass he may be, but Han's ''right'': both Luke ''and'' Leia promised Han payment.

** Throughout the drama, Vader shows respect towards legal procedures, at least as long as his mission doesn't start slipping out of his grip; Leia is able to get away from Ralltir with the information that leads to the capture of the Death Star plans is because he decides to make sure that his detaining her is completely legal and she bluffs Tion into letting them leave the planet without inspecting the ''Tantive IV''. Later on, he raises objections concerning picking Alderaan as the Death Star's target without consulting the Emperor first, although it doesn't take Tarkin long to convince him.

** We are given a somewhat detailed description of the Empire's merciless crush of the Ralltir uprising, with random killings of civilians and concentration camps to hold real and alleged rebels. Lord Tion in particular is a 100% bastard with no redeeming traits who even has the nerve to [[ReminiscingAboutYourVictims boast about how skillfully the Imperials managed to torch alive a group of unarmed rebel leaders who thought they were going to negotiate a ceasefire]] in front of Bail Organa and his daughter Leia, known for their pacifistic views. Tion goes on to offer to participate in the planned culling of sickly animals in Alderaan's nature reserves not because he's concerned for the wellbeing of the others, as Bail is, but because he enjoys hunting for the fun of it, which Leia calls him out on.

* Squick: Jabba having Leia brought to him and attempting to lick her was repulsive enough in the movie, but the radio drama makes it even worse. Threepio is forced to translate Jabba's comment about Leia looking "good enough to eat," which is immediately followed by Jabba slobbering Leia's face while she groans in disgust, accompanied by suitably grotesque sound effects.

Creator/MarkHamill reprised his role of Luke Skywalker for both ''Star Wars'' and ''The Empire Strikes Back'', before being recast by Joshua Fardon for ''Return of the Jedi'' after the 13-year delay. Creator/AnthonyDaniels voiced C-3PO in all three dramas. Creator/BillyDeeWilliams played Lando in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' but was replaced by Arye Gross in ''Return of the Jedi''. All of the other roles were recast, with Perry King playing Han Solo, Ann Sachs as Leia, and Creator/BrockPeters (Admiral Cartwright in the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' films) as Darth Vader. Some of the more well-known actors in the production include Creator/EdAsner as Jabba the Hutt, Creator/JohnLithgow as Yoda, Creator/YeardleySmith ([[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Lisa Simpson]]) as a robot in Jabba's palace, Creator/AdamArkin as Fixer (one of Luke's acquaintances on Tatooine, not included in the films), and Creator/DavidAlanGrier as a supporting player.

AdaptationalJerkass: Harrison Ford's Han was mercernary, sure, and he could get on Leia's nerves on occasion. Perry King's Han is outright ''mean'' at times. A great comparison is the scene in ''A New Hope'' when Han tries to convince Luke not to fly the Death Star mission. Film Han makes his argument calmly once, and then backs off immediately when Luke refuses. Radio Han devolves into ''screaming'' at Luke.

* JerkassHasAPoint: Perry King's Han Solo is a much more aggressive and abrasive take than Harrison Fords. When Commander Willard goes to congratulate and thank Solo for his part in rescuing Leia, Han brusquely demands payment. When Willard balks, Leia has to point out that jerkass he may be, but Han's ''right'': both Luke ''and'' Leia promised Han payment.

* BigYes: In the original version of ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', Darth Vader's HeelFaceTurn is done without any dialogue. In the [[invoked]]GeorgeLucasAlteredVersion, Vader gets a BigNo. Silence was not an option for the radio drama, so instead Vader gets a LargeHam BigYes as he responds to Luke's screams for help.
-->'''Vader''': YES, MY SOOOOOOOOOOON!

The radio plays were formerly considered to be "G-Canon", which, by the Holocron's canon hierarchy, placed it in the same tier as the movies, but not as high as the movies themselves, and even below the scripts and novelizations. This became a moot point when they were thrown out with the rest of the EU by the 2014 "Legends" rebranding. Despite this, material from the dramatization for the original ''Star Wars'' (''A New Hope'') was adapted into the 2015 novelization ''A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel and the Farm Boy'', particularly the torture sequence with Leia and Darth Vader.