Credit: LucasfilmFor more than four decades, the original Star Wars films have stood as the heart of one of the most influential franchises in movie history.
For more than four decades, the original Star Wars films have stood as the heart of one of the most influential franchises in movie history. When audiences first watched Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), followed by Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983), few could have predicted just how massive the galaxy far, far away would become.
Those three films launched what is now known as the Skywalker Saga, a nine-film narrative spanning generations of characters and decades of storytelling. At the center of it all were Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo—heroes who helped define science fiction cinema and shaped pop culture for generations.
Now, more than 40 years later, Lucasfilm has made a surprising move that quietly changes how those original movies are categorized within the saga. It isn’t a new scene or a major plot alteration, but the change still represents a subtle retcon that repositions the trilogy inside the broader Star Wars timeline.
And for longtime fans who have spent decades referring to the films a certain way, it may take some getting used to.
Lucasfilm Quietly Renames the Original Trilogy
According to reports from The Direct, Lucasfilm recently made a move to change the name “original trilogy” to the “center trilogy.”
The updated label appeared in promotional descriptions for an upcoming three-disc Blu-ray set scheduled for release on April 7. Instead of referring to A New Hope (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983) as the “original trilogy,” the company now groups them under the new designation.
The reasoning behind the name is tied directly to the structure of the Skywalker Saga. Because the films technically occupy Episodes IV, V, and VI, Lucasfilm appears to be emphasizing their narrative position as the middle chapter of the nine-movie storyline.
In other words, the trilogy that launched the franchise is now officially being framed as the saga’s midpoint rather than its beginning.
From a storytelling perspective, the logic makes sense. The prequel trilogy — Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999), Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (2002), and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005) — established the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker. Meanwhile, Disney’s sequel trilogy — Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) — explored the legacy of the Skywalker family generations later.
By calling the original films the “center trilogy,” Lucasfilm is essentially redefining them as the pivotal turning point of the entire saga.
Still, for fans who grew up with the franchise long before prequels or sequels existed, the terminology feels like a retroactive adjustment to history.
Why the Original Trilogy Still Defines Star Wars
Regardless of what name Lucasfilm gives it, the trio of films released between 1977 and 1983 remains the creative foundation of Star Wars.
Along the way, the trilogy delivered moments that are now permanently embedded in movie history.
The reveal that Darth Vader is Luke’s father in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) remains one of the most famous plot twists ever filmed. The destruction of the Death Star in A New Hope (1977) defined blockbuster spectacle. And the redemption of Vader in Return of the Jedi (1983) closed the original arc with emotional weight.
The chemistry between Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford also proved difficult for later installments to replicate. For many fans, their dynamic continues to represent the franchise at its best.
That’s why even today, when new shows and films are constantly expanding the universe, creators often look back to those original movies as the storytelling blueprint.
Disney’s Complicated Relationship With Star Wars
The slight rebranding of the trilogy arrives after more than a decade of Disney controlling the franchise.
When Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012 for $4 billion, the move launched a new era of Star Wars storytelling. New films arrived quickly, beginning with The Force Awakens (2015), which reintroduced audiences to the saga and broke box office records.
But the years that followed were far more divisive.
Perhaps the most controversial moment came with The Last Jedi (2017). The film took bold creative risks with established characters, particularly Luke Skywalker, whose portrayal sparked intense debate among fans. Some praised the movie for pushing the franchise in new directions. Others argued that it fundamentally misunderstood the character who had once symbolized hope in the original trilogy.
The sequel era concluded with The Rise of Skywalker (2019), a film that attempted to tie together multiple story threads while reversing some of the previous installment’s choices. While the movie performed well financially, it also left parts of the fandom feeling unsatisfied.
Beyond the films, Disney also made another controversial decision early on: declaring most of the expanded universe stories “non-canon.” Decades of novels, comics, and games were reclassified under the “Legends” banner, allowing the studio to create new storylines without being restricted by existing lore.
For longtime fans who had followed those stories for years, the reset felt like losing a huge piece of Star Wars history.
Why the “Center Trilogy” Label Matters
On the surface, renaming the original films may seem like a minor branding decision tied to a Blu-ray release.
But for a franchise as culturally significant as Star Wars, even small changes can carry symbolic weight.
The term “original trilogy” has been used by fans, critics, and Lucasfilm itself for decades. It represents the era that started everything and shaped the identity of the saga long before prequels or sequels existed.
By shifting to “center trilogy,” at least for the Blu-ray release, Lucasfilm is subtly reframing the narrative structure of the Skywalker Saga as a whole.
Instead of viewing the franchise as beginning with Luke’s story, the saga is now officially positioned as a nine-chapter epic with the original films acting as the midpoint between Anakin’s rise and the next generation’s battle against the First Order.
Whether fans embrace the terminology remains to be seen, and it also remains to be seen if Disney will change the verbiage other places, as well.
But one thing is certain: no matter what Lucasfilm calls it, the trilogy that started with A New Hope (1977) will always remain the core of Star Wars storytelling.
After all, without those three movies, the galaxy far, far away likely would have ended a long time ago.