Danger Gal Friday: The Starkiller Who Could Have Been
Recently quite a bit of discussion has been going on in the comments of my Princess Leia Danger Gal post, and then I chimed in on some ruminating on the hero’s journey of Han Solo over at the io9 blog.
Then my hubby, and avid Star Wars figure collector (you are surprised by this?), pointed out to me the new Signature Series Concept figures based on early Star Wars art drawn by Ralph McQuarrie.
Evidently, Luke was supposed to be a girl.
Talk about a paradigm shift. How would this saga have been different if Luke Skywalker would have been Luka Starkiller? Evidently, Han Solo was also supposed to be a Jedi.
Admittedly, there are some facets of the saga we likely would have lost if the story had unfurled this way, namely Princess Leia, but how might it have influenced Hollywood if the most popular sci-fi adventure flick ever had starred a kick-arse female protagonist? Here’s a bit more background on this early Star Wars concept.
What do you think? What would you have missed about the version we know now and what would you have liked if this early concept had come to fruition.
Update:
- Rebel Scum: Concept Starkiller Hero (McQuarrie Signature Series)
- Adventures of the Starkiller, Episode I: The Star Wars
- Starkiller Hero, McQuarrie Concept Series, 30th Anniversary Collection #37
- How original Ralph McQuarrie concept art inspired Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- Star Wars unseen: How the galaxy’s entire cast changed from concept to screen
I guess it goes without saying that it wouldn’t have been the same story with a female lead. Well, I guess it could’ve been. But it probably wouldn’t have been made into a movie.
That synopsis from Adventures of the Starkiller shows many of the same problems that plagued the prequel trilogy: too many characters, tangled plotting, confusion as to whose story it was. Reading that, I’m amazed that Star Wars: A New Hope managed to arise in any comprehensible form. It’s like he was shuffling a deck of story elements and laying them out like tarot cards.
Mostly I’m just grateful that they changed the name from “Starkiller” to “Skywalker.” Starkiller is sinister and aggressive and suggests a not-too-bright thug trying to make himself sound impressive. Skywalker suggests a seeker of truth and wisdom, which is what Luke turned out to be.
Notice the reference to Akira Kurosawa? I said the Jedi were patterned off of Samurai, didn’t I?