10 Absurd Star Wars Ideas We're So Glad George Lucas Cut

These 10 unused Star Wars ideas prove that not all of George Lucas’ plans were successes. There has been plenty of debate over Star Wars’ best movies, and many believe that the franchise hasn’t been the same since it was purchased by Disney. While newer additions to the Star Wars timeline may have been met with plenty of backlash, however, it’s clear that Star Wars was always experimental, arguably especially when George Lucas was at the helm.

There are also numerous examples of Lucas’ ideas being criticized, particularly when it comes to the prequel trilogy. While additions like midi-chlorians and a young, innocent Anakin Skywalker may have proven unpopular, though, Lucas had much more shocking ideas that never made it to the Star Wars screen. Of all George Lucas’ Star Wars ideas, these 10 unused concepts are the most absurd.

Jar Jar Binks Almost Had A Pet

Star Wars’ Most Unique Character Almost Had An Even Stranger Story

Jar Jar Binks is a famously controversial character in Star Wars. Although George Lucas intended Jar Jar to offer a bit of comic relief and specifically targeted him to children, there was plenty of backlash about the character, and his personality ended up being one of the biggest complaints about the prequel trilogy. It seems Lucas almost made Jar Jar Binks even more unusual, however, as Jar Jar originally had a pet sidekick in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.

The particular pet he was meant to have would have no doubt added to the oddities of the character. Jar Jar’s sidekick was going to be a blarth, a creature native to Naboo that would have been ‘dog-like’ despite being an amphibian. It was really to Star Wars’ benefit that Lucas changed his mind. For one, adding any other strange attributes to Jar Jar would have intensified the criticism of him. More importantly, this would have been overkill. Jar Jar Binks is a fun character, but his personality was plenty big enough; adding a sidekick would have been too much.

The Phantom Menace’s Alternate Ending Was Absolutely Wild

George Lucas Almost Introduced A Very Odd Name Change

Shockingly, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn’s names were nearly flipped in The Phantom Menace. In an earlier draft of the movie, Obi-Wan Kenobi was going to be the older Jedi Master, and Qui-Gon Jinn was going to be the younger apprentice. The Jedi Master was still fated to die at the hands of Darth Maul in the end, but Qui-Gon, the apprentice, would have taken on the name Obi-Wan Kenobi to honor his fallen Master.

Although this is fascinating to think about, it’s good that George Lucas didn’t follow through on this plan. Ultimately, it just wasn’t necessary. It would have shown how dedicated the young apprentice was to his Jedi Master, but that was clear enough anyway. Obi-Wan agreeing to train Anakin Skywalker against his better judgment simply because it was Qui-Gon’s dying wish communicated how much Qui-Gon meant to him, and this name swap would only have added a layer of confusion.

Boba Fett Was Going To Be Anakin’s Brother

The Skywalker Family Was Originally So Much More Complicated

One of the more bewildering Star Wars concepts that never came to be was Anakin Skywalker and Boba Fett’s biological connection. In earlier drafts of the prequel movies, Boba Fett and Anakin Skywalker were going to be brothers. It’s difficult to imagine what this would have meant for Star Wars, but it would have radically changed things, to say the least.

Star Wars is a franchise known for its familial twists—most notably Darth Vader being Luke Skywalker’s father and Luke and Leia being siblings—but Boba Fett and Anakin/Vader being brothers would have been incredibly odd. This is especially true because they spent so much time together in the original trilogy, and no familial connection (or all that much familiarity in general) seemed to be there whatsoever. Of course, Star Wars has overcome worse, given Luke and Leia kissed and then ended up being twins, but this would have been a bizarre revelation nonetheless.

It’s also unclear what this would have meant for other family dynamics revealed in the prequels. Would this have changed the Skywalker family tree in other ways? Would Boba Fett have been on Tatooine alongside Anakin and Shmi? With the prequels also needing to introduce Luke and Leia’s mother and reveal how Luke ended up with Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru and Leia ended up on Alderaan with Bail and Breha Organa, this would have been too much ground to cover.

Sifo-Dyas Was Going To Be An Alias For Darth Sidious

Initially, There Was No Jedi Named Sifo-Dyas After All

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones revealed that a mysterious clone army was being created on Kamino, commissioned by a Jedi named Sifo-Dyas. However, it was clear that all of this was news to the Jedi, including the Jedi Council members. Although they knew who Master Sifo-Dyas was, they had no awareness that such an army was being created for the Republic, much less that it was because of a Jedi.

Over time, Star Wars has revealed so much more about the clone troopers and their origins, but this story was initially quite different. Earlier on, George Lucas planned for Sifo-Dyas to be an alias for Darth Sidious, meaning ‘Sifo-Dyas’ would not have existed at all. The canon story that has since been revealed is so much better. Rather than simply Palpatine in disguise, Sifo-Dyas was a concerned Jedi who predicted the return of the Sith. Of course, he had no idea how this army would be weaponized.

Padmé, Anakin Skywalker, And Obi-Wan Kenobi Were Going To Have A Love Triangle

Padmé And Anakin’s Relationship Was Almost Even More Complicated

Shockingly, George Lucas also considered making Anakin and Padmé’s relationship a love triangle with Obi-Wan Kenobi. Anakin and Padmé make up one of Star Wars’ best relationships despite how dark their love story becomes, but adding Obi-Wan to the equation would have made things so much worse. Interestingly, this has become a common joke in the fanbase, particularly following Obi-Wan’s comments in Obi-Wan Kenobi that he wished he could tell Leia he was her father (which was clearly not about feelings for Padmé).

This love triangle was almost a reality, however, and it would have been detrimental in numerous ways. On the one hand, this would have made the love between Anakin and Padmé seem less sincere, which would have been a true shame. It was perhaps only the genuine feelings they had for each other that made their relationship so compelling in spite of all the issues it clearly had. This also would have thrown Obi-Wan’s character into question, though, and would also likely have meant an entirely different approach to attachments for the Jedi.

50-100 Jedi Would Have Survived Order 66

There Would Have Been Many More Jedi Survivors In George Lucas’ Original Plan

In the years since Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars has revealed many more Jedi survivors of Order 66, and shows such as Star Wars Rebels have depicted what the lives of some of those survivors looked like. These additional survivors are nothing compared to George Lucas’ original plan, however. In his earlier prequel trilogy plans, George Lucas considered having 50-100 Jedi survive Order 66.

Order 66 is a tragedy in Star Wars, and it was awful to see so many Jedi quite literally gunned down. In terms of the narrative, though, it is so much more profound to know that this really was almost the end of the Jedi, and it was only with the hope and strength of the Rebellion that the Jedi were able to survive the Dark Times and come back once again. Had there been nearly 100 remaining Jedi, this story would have changed significantly, and it would not have seemed as hopeless as A New Hope suggested it was.

Lightsabers Were Originally Called Laser Swords

This Name Change For The Iconic Jedi Weapon Was So Much Better

Lightsabers are easily the most iconic weapon in Star Wars, if not the most easily identifiable iconography in the entire franchise. The term lightsaber was not Lucas’ original name for the Jedi weapon, though. Originally, lightsabers were called ‘laser swords.’ This only changed when Alan Dean Foster, ghostwriter of A New Hope’s novelization, decided to instead refer to them as lightsabers. While it might be shocking to discover George Lucas didn’t create the name lightsaber, it’s good news that Lucas’ first name for the weapons changed.

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Although there are still several mentions of ‘laser swords’ in Star Wars movies and TV shows, the term is almost always used jokingly or by someone who is unfamiliar with the Jedi. This is so much better than laser sword being the canon name of the weapon. While a lightsaber would be cool no matter its name, there is something about the term laser sword that doesn’t have the same impact.

Luke Skywalker Was Almost Named Luke Starkiller

Luke’s Original Name Would Have Made No Sense

Although it’s well-known that Luke Skywalker was almost named Luke Starkiller, it doesn’t make this fact any less surprising. Knowing the story Luke Skywalker represents in Star Wars, it’s now impossible to imagine Luke’s last name being Starkiller, as it is entirely contrary to who Luke was. Like all Jedi, Luke was intended to be a peacekeeper and protect others. The idea that he would have a name such as Starkiller suggests a completely different type of character.

In terms of the names’ meanings, Skywalker simply makes so much more sense than Starkiller when it comes not only to Luke but also to the entire Skywalker bloodline. Interestingly, this name did make a comeback much later on. Starkiller, a Legends character, was a Force-sensitive assassin who worked directly for Darth Vader.

Han Solo Was Going To Be An Alien

Han Solo’s Entire Character Arc Would Have Been Different

In an earlier draft of the original Star Wars trilogy, Han Solo was going to be a large green alien. This would obviously have changed Han Solo’s character drastically, both in the original trilogy and far beyond it. Not only did Han Solo end up being known for his devil-may-care attitude and suave exterior, but also, Han Solo was the love interest of Leia Organa, and this original plan would have completely done away with that.

It’s difficult to even imagine what Star Wars would be without Leia and Han Solo’s charmingly antagonistic dynamic and eventual love affair. This also would have meant that Ben Solo would never come to be (although, some may argue this would have been the better outcome, based on Ben Solo becoming Kylo Ren). Even without Leia and Han’s relationship, though, this would have completely changed Han’s character in Star Wars, undoubtedly for the worse.

Return Of The Jedi Almost Included Multiple Death Stars

Star Wars Almost Had Even More Death Stars

Star Wars already receives plenty of criticism for repeatedly trying to get a Death Star to work (not only with two Death Stars in the original trilogy but also with Starkiller Base in Star Wars: The Force Awakens), but it seems the franchise almost incorporated even more Death Stars. Originally, George Lucas wanted Return of the Jedi to include multiple Death Stars. While there may have been elements of this plan that would have been cool, it’s certainly for the best that this did not come to pass.

It’s true that Star Wars has struggled over the years to break away from the franchise’s traditions and do something truly original, and this would have been a prime example of that. A second Death Star was already plenty, so having multiple would not have done the movie any favors. While this isn’t the most absurd inclusion on this list, it is a reminder that many of the original plans for Star Wars suggest plenty of George Lucas-led ideas may also have proven unpopular.