Buzz
The conclusion of the Skywalker saga has finally arrived. The nine films were neatly concluded with the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in theaters globally in December 2019.
Now that the saga has wrapped up (or at least the main episodes), let’s take a look back at some of the exciting and intriguing ideas that didn't make it into The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, or The Rise of Skywalker. Here are the top 10 unused ideas from the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
10. Han Solo: The Drunk
Although Han Solo is undeniably the most charming rogue in the galaxy, his role in The Force Awakens would have been dramatically different in this alternate storyline. Instead of returning to his smuggler lifestyle after parting ways with Leia (following their son's fall to the dark side of the Force), Han would have turned to alcohol.
A concept piece posted by Lucasfilm artist Christian Alzmann on Instagram depicts Solo drowning his sorrows in a rundown bar, outlasting all the exotic patrons around him.
While this could have been an interesting and engaging idea, adding depth to Han's character, it would have been a bit too heavy and ‘realistic’ for a film that is essentially intended to be light-hearted and fun.
9. Kylo Ren Without Hair
The Last Jedi was truly a cinematic rollercoaster. While it divided the Star Wars fandom, it's undeniable that director Rian Johnson made some daring choices regarding the film's direction and its characters.
Speaking of bold choices… early concept art for the intense Kylo Ren showed him completely bald. Johnson envisioned Kylo as a character embodying both light and dark, and the harsh bald appearance would have contrasted with his sleeker, more refined outfit.
Ultimately, it was decided that the most charismatic villain in Star Wars still needed his signature, flowing hair. The bald look would have strayed too far from the Kylo we saw in The Force Awakens.
8. The Alternate Opening Scene of The Last Jedi
The crawl would appear and fade into the vastness of space. The camera would then pan down to reveal a planet... but wait... it’s not a planet. The audience's expectations are turned on their head when it’s revealed that this “planet” is actually the domed top of the medical capsule where Finn is recovering after being injured in the previous film.
This intriguing idea was filmed and even made its way into the deleted scenes of the home release. However, it didn’t make the final version of the movie. Instead, The Last Jedi kicks off with a more action-packed sequence featuring the Resistance's base evacuation and a First Order assault.
7. Rey Was Originally Going to Be Named Keera
When J.J. Abrams first got the ball rolling on what would become The Force Awakens, he only knew that he wanted a female lead. But according to Daisy Ridley, who played this Star Wars heroine, the undefined character did have a name attached to her: Keera (or Kira, depending on whom you ask).
The name seemed to be an almost sure thing. However, when filming for Episode VII began in the Abu Dhabi desert in 2014, Abrams changed the character’s name at the last minute to Rey.
The name Keera wasn’t completely abandoned, though. It was repurposed and changed to the slightly more exotic-looking Qi’ra for Emilia Clarke’s character in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
6. The Underwater Millennium Falcon
The Millennium Falcon is widely known as the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy. But did you know that there was an early concept where the Falcon was shown traveling beneath the ocean?
Clearly, the idea of underwater exploration was abandoned early in the trilogy's production. However, the thought of the Millennium Falcon being both watertight and airtight is pretty amazing!
5. The Warhammer
The bad guys always seem to have the coolest stuff—awesome armor, intimidating masks, and even terrifying superweapons!
In The Force Awakens, the newly formed Resistance needed a weapon to take down the First Order’s destructive Starkiller Base (pictured above). Enter The Warhammer. This superweapon was designed to create a rift between the New Republic and General Leia Organa, but she took immense pride in this secret weapon.
Sadly, The Warhammer would have been destroyed in the assault on Starkiller Base, rendering it irrelevant to the plot of the movie. Still, it’s pretty cool to know the good guys almost had their own superweapon, too.
4. Force Ghost Anakin... And Darth Vader
The Skywalker saga undeniably revolves around Anakin Skywalker. The prequel trilogy shows his rise, the original trilogy shows his fall, and the sequel trilogy reflects his legacy. Despite his dominant presence in the first two trilogies, Anakin is largely absent from the sequels. However, this wasn’t always the plan.
Anakin Skywalker's Force ghost was initially intended to appear to either Rey or Kylo Ren, shifting between his former self as Anakin and his dark persona as Darth Vader. Iain McCaig, the artist behind this idea, shared in *The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens* that the character would fluctuate between these two identities.
Lighting a candle also creates a shadow, which sparked the idea of Anakin's ghost returning. If we see Anakin Skywalker, it would be intriguing to witness him transitioning between Darth Vader and Anakin, showing both his light and dark sides.
While the concept didn't go far, it was an exciting concept that emphasized Anakin Skywalker's ongoing narrative. Fortunately, he did return—though only through voice—in *The Rise of Skywalker*.
3. The Whills of the Force
Until recently, the concept of midichlorians was an idea that had only existed in the mind of *Star Wars* creator George Lucas. Had he retained the rights to the franchise and made the sequels himself, his vision would have centered on the midichlorians—tiny life-forms residing within Force-sensitive beings.
Lucas sought to tie the Force more closely to the biological world. Although this would have stripped some of the mystical quality from the Force, it would have presented a fascinating new perspective on the saga. As Lucas put it:
In the past, I would say… we were just vehicles, mere cars for the Whills to travel in. We’re just vessels, and the conduit for them is the midichlorians. These life-forms communicate with the Whills. And in a broad sense, the Whills are the Force itself.
Unfortunately, in 2012, Lucas sold his company Lucasfilm, along with the rights to the *Star Wars* franchise, to Disney for $4.05 billion. He also provided Disney with a blueprint for a sequel trilogy. However, Disney largely disregarded Lucas’s ideas and steered the franchise in a completely different direction.
2. The Eye of Webbish Bog
The Rise of Skywalker begins with Supreme Leader Kylo Ren rampaging through the desolate forests of Mustafar, searching for a mysterious wayfinder. However, Ren’s encounter with a creature known as the Eye of Webbish Bog never made it into the final version of the film.
The creature was designed as a pale-skinned entity that fused with a tentacled parasite living in a foul lake near the ruins of Darth Vader’s castle (featured in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story). This abomination was meant to guide Ren toward the elusive wayfinder that would help him navigate the unknown regions of the galaxy.
Though the Eye of Webbish Bog didn’t make it onto the big screen (likely due to the potential confusion it could have caused in Ren’s quest), it remains one of the few concepts from this list that was included in the novelization of the movie.
1. The Floating Hand
We've previously discussed the alternate opening of *The Last Jedi*, but there was also a different opening planned for *The Force Awakens*. Instead of a planet, the camera would have descended from the iconic opening crawl to reveal... a hand!
This hand belonged to Luke Skywalker, severed by Darth Vader in *The Empire Strikes Back* during their intense confrontation on Cloud City. Still gripping the lightsaber, the hand floats through space before plummeting toward Jakku. The lightsaber—sans hand, which burns up on entering the atmosphere—lands on Jakku and is eventually discovered by Rey or another heroic figure.
Though the movie ultimately went with a more conventional opening, Mark Hamill confirmed that this macabre alternate version was part of an early rough cut of the film.
