From a farm kid whiner to galactic rescuer, Luke Skywalker of Star Wars is a legend. It’s a great time to look at some of the lesser known aspects of the character’s history. Here are nine things you might not have known about Luke Skywalker!
1. A Darker Finale
While we know that Luke got a happy ending towards the end of the original trilogy, complete with dancing Ewoks, Lucas and co-writer Lawrence Kasdan additionally thought of some darker finales. One saw Luke dying and Leia assuming control over his Jedi mission, while another was significantly more unusual. Upon Vader’s death, Luke would then put on his dad’s helmet and state that he would now crush the Rebel fleet and assume control over the galaxy.
2. From General to Holy Man to Farmer
In early drafts of George Lucas’ Star Wars script, Luke was not a farm kid. Rather, he was a seasoned Jedi general, who was an advisor to a king. In the second draft, he turned into a short and rotund 18-year-old called Luke Starkiller, while a holy man many years prior was known as “the Skywalker.” It was this mysterious figure who had discovered the Force and helped found the Republic. However, in the long run Lucas settled on the farmer version.
