Revealing mistake: Two mistakes here: Before Darth Vader cuts Luke's hand, he cuts in half three columns. In the close-up, one can see that what held them together was a piece of wrinkled duct tape. In further shots, the tape disappears and only the scorched part of the column is visible.
Visible crew/equipment: A boom microphone is reflected in Luke's goggles when he says "Hey, what's the matter? You smell something?"
Continuity mistake: In the original 1980 version, in the first wideshot of Darth Vader's Star Destroyer, the light of a Star Destroyer can be seen on the right side just flying through space. This is fixed in the 2004 DVD release.
Continuity mistake: When one of the stormtroopers unties Han Solo before he is put into the carbonite, watch his wardrobe - he has a disappearing / reappearing jacket on. This is fixed to an extent on the DVD - the jacket is now lightened to almost match his shirt, but it's still shiny like leather. (01:32:05)
Suggested correction: It just looks like a jacket because it's a shadow.
Continuity mistake: After Luke says to Yoda, "You want the impossible," Yoda's position jumps from the ground to a rocky boulder, where he then lifts Luke's X-Wing fighter from the swamp. (01:11:30 - 01:13:05)
Visible crew/equipment: This can only be seen in the widescreen version. When Han, Leia and Chewie venture out of the Falcon to investigate the cave they're hiding in on the asteroid, as they walk towards the left of the screen you can see the edge of the tarpaulin sheet they're standing on as well as the faint outline of a crew member trying to get out of the camera shot. (00:58:40)
Visible crew/equipment: When the Wampa (ice creature) kills Luke's Tauntaun, the end of the "glove" used as the Wampa's arm can be seen in the bottom left corner, as well as the arm of the crew member wearing it. Widescreen only. Note that this has been fixed on the 2011 Blu-ray release. (00:03:55)
Revealing mistake: After the headless AT-AT begins to fall over, watch its back leg on the right side of the screen. You can see a broomstick being pushed up from under the set. It raises that foot up in order to ensure that the AT-AT falls to the left side of the screen. (00:33:00)
Continuity mistake: When Han first walks into the command center on Hoth, there's a shot of Leia looking at him. The shot has been flipped. This can be seen, for example, from that the men on either side of her have switched sides. (00:04:50)
Continuity mistake: After Han is frozen in carbonite, the outline of his shirt indicates that he is wearing a different shirt from when he was frozen. It isn't the shirt he's wearing after being unfrozen in "Return of the Jedi", it looks more like the shirt he was wearing in "Star Wars". (01:36:00 - 01:37:10)
Continuity mistake: When Vader cuts through three poles at the end of the lightsaber duel, there are different poles in the shot where he cuts through them and the next shot where they fall. The poles that are cut have a white color, while the ones that fall are dark grey. (01:45:50)
Revealing mistake: In Cloud City, Lando, Leia and Chewbacca are running to the Millennium Falcon, and when then they run into a door after Leia shoots a stormtrooper, a white rubber sole can be seen under one of Chewie's feet. (01:42:40)
Continuity mistake: When Han and Leia kiss in the Millennium Falcon, Leia's arms are around Han's head in the wideshot, but not in the close-up. (00:49:55)
Revealing mistake: Vader cuts off Luke's hand at the wrist. When Luke is holding on to the antennae-like assembly underneath Cloud City, in one shot, Mark Hamill bends his wrist, revealing the gimmick. (01:52:55)
Continuity mistake: Special edition only: Viewed from inside, the hotel where Leia, Han and Chewbacca are in Cloud City has a flat glass roof, but viewed from outside, it is flat with sloped edges. (01:22:25)
Continuity mistake: When Vader is seen in Cloud City, Lando says, "I had no choice, they arrived right before you did" and two of the stormtroopers on the lowest step are standing about a metre apart. In the following close-up of Lando, they are standing so close together that their ankles are touching. This can only be seen in the widescreen version. (01:25:05)
Continuity mistake: When Han is trying to keep Luke warm, his rank insignia badge alternates between being on the right and left side of his chest. The amount of snow on Han and Luke's clothes also changes repeatedly, especially Luke's. (00:14:15)
Continuity mistake: When Luke is hanging upside down from the roof of the ice creature's cave, his legs are apart. But in the close-up of his feet, his legs are together. (00:08:40)
Visible crew/equipment: When the Snow Speeders are looking for Luke and Han, you can see the blue screen reflected on the angled side of the pilots' goggles. (00:16:00)
Continuity mistake: When the stormtroopers push Leia into the cell in Cloud City, she is wearing a completely different outfit from when she was taken captive. (01:25:20 - 01:28:35)
