The Star Wars universe is a rich tapestry, but there are times when it could have been
even richer. From deleted subplots to abandoned action sequences, these are the Star Wars
deleted scenes that could have had a big impact on the franchise.
In A New Hope, we meet Luke Skywalker when he and his Uncle Owen purchase C-3PO and R2-D2
from a group of Jawas. It's a fine introduction, and it allows the narrative spine of the film
to carry through the two droids. However, deleted scenes from the film reveal that we
were originally going to get to know Luke in a different way.
George Lucas shot several minutes of scenes on Tatooine that were later cut from the film,
which would have shown Luke doing much more than farming. In the scene, Luke sees the
space battle that opens the film through binoculars, and goes to show his friends what he'd seen.
These scenes also introduced Luke's friend, Biggs Darklighter.
"Oh, Biggs is right. I'm never gonna get out of here!"
During their brief interaction, Biggs explains his plans to sneak away and join the Rebel
Alliance. While the scenes would have slowed down the film a little if they'd stayed in,
they would have also added a large amount of world-building... and helped explain some
of Luke's whinier tendencies.
The Empire Strikes Back features a famous moment in which Leia plants a big kiss on
Luke Skywalker to make Han Solo jealous.
"Take it easy."
It works, but the moment is later undercut by the revelation that Luke and Leia are brother
and sister. As it turns out, things could have been much more awkward.
A deleted portion of the kissing scene takes place before Han enters the room, as Luke
and Leia talk alone about his recovery. With his near-death experience on his mind, Luke
begins to tell Leia how he feels about her. They almost share a more intimate kiss, but
they're interrupted by C-3PO, because that's just what Threepio was born to do. The sequence
would have also featured Luke revealing his plan to go to Dagobah to Leia, adding even
more color to his inner life.
Greedo was first introduced in what has become
one of the most infamous scenes in Star Wars history, as a bounty hunter confronting Han
Solo… but Greedo has a history. In The Phantom Menace, one of Anakin Skywalker's friends
turns out to be a younger version of Greedo. In a deleted scene, we see that the kid was
nasty from the start.
George Lucas shot a lot of additional footage for Phantom Menace's podrace sequence, including
more of the race itself and another scene set right after the race. The deleted scene
shows Anakin and Greedo getting into a fight because Greedo accused Anakin of cheating.
Their fight is broken up by Qui-Gon, who tries to explain to Anakin that he doesn't need
to argue if he knows the truth himself. The scene underlines the anger within Anakin,
and also lets us know that Greedo has always been a jerk.
For much of Attack of the Clones, Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala are on her home planet of
Naboo. They're supposed to be there for security reasons, but all that time alone together
creates a romance.
Deleted scenes from the film reveal that the Naboo trip included an extended sequence in
which Padme discusses her political career. There's also an even longer scene in which
Anakin meets Padme's parents. The sequence may have slowed the final film down a bit,
but it adds a lot of depth to Padme. We learn that she wasn't raised as royalty, she loves
quiet family life, and she's passionate about helping around the galaxy. We also see Anakin
get grumpy when she tells her parents that he's not her boyfriend.
One of the best things about the prequels is seeing the Jedi Order during their greatest
days. That meant we got to see lots of Jedi beyond the few we'd met already. Sadly, the
films have to cover so much ground that we don't get a chance to get to know most of
these other Jedi. They're mostly supporting characters who barely get a word in.
A deleted scene from the final battle in Attack of the Clones gave some of these supporting
Jedi more to do. The missing scene is an action sequence in which Jedi Masters Ki-Adi-Mundi
and Plo Koon stage a raid on a droid control ship. The scene was never finished, but at
least we got The Clone Wars.
There's a lot going on in Revenge of the Sith.
That means several deleted scenes fell by the wayside, and some of them follow the rise
of what would become the Rebel Alliance.
These deleted scenes paint a clear picture of a small group of worried senators discussing
how to make a move against Palpatine. The stronger Palpatine gets, the closer they get
to Rebellion. It's an intriguing subplot, and would have added quite a bit more context
for the future of the Rebellion if it stayed in the final film.
The Force Awakens has to carry on a story that ended on the big screen more than 30
years earlier, and set up a new story with a new cast of characters. That's a lot of
ground to cover, and that means some aspects of the world-building are left to the imagination.
One of these has to do with the Resistance, the Republic, and how General Leia Organa
factors into both.
Leia played a key role in the formation of the New Republic, but when the First Order
rose, many people in the Republic leadership wouldn't believe her when she said it was
a major threat to their future. So Leia founded the Resistance, determined to stop the First
Order before they destroyed the Republic.
In a deleted scene from The Force Awakens, this is given a touch more detail, as Leia
sends Resistance member Korr Sella to ask the Republic for help. Sadly, the scene was
cut, and we only see Korr Sella in one shot, just before her death as the First Order destroys
the Republic.
The Last Jedi is the second film in the sequel trilogy, but the first in that trilogy to
really deal with Luke Skywalker in a major way. Director Rian Johnson had to not just
introduce this new version of Luke, but also explain the complex emotions that led him
to abandon his friends and the Force. It's one of the most important parts of the movie,
but some things still had to be cut.
One of the most powerful Last Jedi deleted scenes comes shortly after Luke figures out
Han is dead. We don't get to see Rey and Chewie tell him that his brother-in-law and friend
is dead, but one deleted scene shows us the aftermath. Silent and shaken, Luke sits down
in his hut and tries to deal with the loss of Han. You can see the despair on his face,
along with the guilt as he wonders if things might have been different if he'd stayed.
It's a wonderful performance from Mark Hamill, but it wound up on the cutting room floor.
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more Looper videos about Star Wars
are coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss
a single one.