According to the Star Wars Insider’s “The Ultimate Return of the Jedi Guide” (published in 2003 to commemorate the film’s 20th anniversary), there was a scene in which Darth Vader was indeed forced to choke some fools.

This was supposed to occur when two royal guards attempt to block Lord Vader from entering the Emperor’s throne room. This ticks off the eminently tick-off-able Vader, who promptly deprives the guards of the ability to breathe, which does not go well for their continued existence in the “Star Wars” universe. The scene was reportedly shot on February 18, 1982 and later excised from the final cut. No explanation is given for Lucas’s decision, but given the uptick in Force-choking on display in “Revenge of the Sith” over 20 years later, one can only conclude that Lucas grievously regretted the omission.

Despite the return of Force-choking in the prequel trilogy, as far as the series’ Generation X fans were concerned, the damage was done. You couldn’t make Hayden Christensen’s whiny portrayal of Anakin Skywalker more menacing simply by reintroducing everyone’s favorite form of murder in that galaxy far, far away. There are those that say the franchise never recovered. Even though talented filmmakers like Rian Johnson, Gareth Edwards and Tony Gilroy have sought to breathe new life back into the series, the sinister joy got Force-choked out of the series 41 years ago.