• Lots of matte lines removed. The space under Luke’s speeder looks much more realistic.
• R2D2’s blue parts are much cleaner and more consistent.
• The 1997 animation added to the entrance to Mos Eisley is much smoother.
• Greedo and Han shoot at the same time, and Han’s dodge is far more realistic.
• Jabba has been retexturized and looks considerably better. Han still walks on his tail, but it’s much smoother.
• The lettering on various Death Star panels are written in Aurebesh rather than English.
• The matte-painted hall in Leia’s detention block looks much more realistic.
• Lightsabers look much better. Colors are brighter and the blades are more defined. The one exception is Luke’s. His white bladed saber, seen when practicing on the Falcon, looks the same.

Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

• Ian McDiarmid has refilmed scenes as the Emperor instead of that near-fossil they had.
• The conversations between Vader and Palpatine has a few new lines. Palpatine knows that Luke is Vader’s son.
• Light sabers are again fixed, making them more consistent.
• Temuera Morrison does the voice of Boba Fett
• Luke’s inane scream when he jumps to escape Vader on Cloud City is gone. And there was much rejoicing.

Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

• Like the other two, the light sabers are fixed.
• The Rancor looks considerably better, with its matte lines removed.
• When Vader’s helmet is removed, his eyebrows are gone and his eyes are recolored to match Hayden’s.
• Celebrations on Naboo, Coruscant and one other planet, where a statue is toppled right before we see the celebration with the ewoks.
• Perhaps this was in the 1997 special editions, but in the various background shots of the new Death Star, its appearance changes and you can see progress as the station takes shape.
• Hayden Christensen replaces Sebastian Shaw as Anakin’s ghost. Lucas explains this in the commentary, which is spoilerish for Episode III.