To download Harmy's Despecialized Edition of the original Star Wars trilogy, you need a BitTorrent client and access to a private tracker, though a direct download alternative exists for those who prefer it. This guide explains how to download despecialized edition files safely and assemble them for playback.
What is the despecialized edition and is it legal to download?
Harmy's Despecialized Edition is a fan-created project that restores the original Star Wars trilogy to its theatrical versions, removing the changes George Lucas made in the 1997 Special Edition and later releases. The project was led by Petr Harmáček (known as Harmy) and a team of fans, who used sources like the 2011 Blu-ray releases, 1993 LaserDisc releases, and older film scans. This edition is not an official release and cannot be legally bought or sold. The creators state these edits are intended "for culturally historical and educational purposes" and "to be shared among legal owners of the officially available releases only." Despite this intent, downloading and watching the Despecialized Edition is technically illegal due to copyright infringement, even if you own the original films. The original theatrical releases are not commercially available in high definition as of 2026, which is why you might want to experience the films as they originally appeared in theaters without the unpopular digital additions. If you ever plan to distribute your own creative work legally, learning how to make a digital download to sell will help you navigate proper licensing and delivery, and you can download and use sublime text to efficiently edit any accompanying code or documentation.
What you need before you download
The creators state that these edits are intended to be shared among legal owners of the officially available releases only, but downloading and watching the Despecialized Edition is technically illegal due to copyright infringement, even if you own the original films. The Despecialized Edition files are typically 720p (1280x720) resolution and can be around 20GB each after assembly, so you will need sufficient storage space on your device. As of the latest available information, the most recent versions of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi are v2.7, v2.0, and v3.1, respectively. Harmy's Despecialized Edition is a reconstruction using digital effects and upscaling, which differs from other fan projects like 4K77, 4K80, and 4K83 that are direct scans of original 35mm film prints.
Method 1: downloading via private tracker (myspleen)
This is the primary, verified method for obtaining official, trusted releases. You will need a BitTorrent client that can handle torrent downloads; qBittorrent is recommended.
- Install a BitTorrent client, such as qBittorrent.
- Obtain an invite to a private torrent tracker, specifically MySpleen. This is often the hardest step, as finding an invite requires resourcefulness and internet searches.
- Log into your MySpleen account.
- Navigate to the "Torrents" page and search for "Harmy" to find a list of available versions of Harmy's projects.
- Select and download the .torrent file for the desired version of Harmy's Despecialized Edition and open it with your BitTorrent client to begin the download.
Downloads may take a long time depending on the number of "seeds" (people hosting the file) and your internet connection. Private trackers have specific community guidelines that must be met. Copies obtained through public torrents may be modified from the officially released versions, so using MySpleen ensures you get authentic files.
Method 2: direct download with a download manager
This alternative method is described as a bit complicated but the best solution for official, trusted releases without torrents. You will need a download manager app and a tool to combine multiple RAR parts.
- Install FreeRapid (which requires Java) as your download manager.
- Install The Unarchiver to combine the multiple RAR parts you will download.
- Use FreeRapid to download the files from the provided links. The files are typically hosted on servers that limit free accounts to 5GB of downloads every six hours.
- If you encounter an "ERROR - Error starting download" message, it is due to bandwidth limits, and you must wait or pay for an upgraded account.
- After downloading all parts, use The Unarchiver to combine and extract the RAR files into the complete video file.
How to verify and assemble the downloaded files
To verify the integrity of downloaded movies, you can use the shasum command in Terminal. Run shasum name.of.movie.mkv and compare the output string to the value provided on the relevant site. This ensures your files are complete and uncorrupted. If the files are in ISO format, disk image mounting software like Daemon Tools is also required to mount them as virtual drives before you can access the video content. Assembling multi-part files typically involves using The Unarchiver or similar software to join RAR archives into a single playable file.
How to play the despecialized edition
Once your files are verified and assembled, you have several playback options. For direct playback, use media players like VLC or MPC-HC to open the extracted video files. To stream to other devices, add the files to a media server such as Plex. If you need to convert the files to a compatible format, use tools like HandBrake. For a traditional viewing experience, burn the files to a DVD or Blu-ray using disc burning software. You can also use video file conversion tools if your device requires a specific format, allowing you to watch the Despecialized Edition on virtually any screen.
