Movies - TV
12 Star Wars Plot Decisions That Were Smarter Than You Think
By BLAKE TAYLOR
Luke's arc
“The Last Jedi” brought a jaded Luke Skywalker to the sequels, seeing the once optimistic hero dismissively tossing his old lightsaber aside. However, after sacrificing his own life, Luke returns as a spirit to encourage a distraught Rey, preventing her from throwing her saber away in what Mark Hamill sees as the legendary Jedi’s redemption.
Vader's final scene
Darth Vader’s end scene in “Rogue One: A Story Wars Story” was one of the film’s highlights, but director Gareth Edwards revealed this scene was a last-minute addition. With Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy’s approval, Edwards scrambled to film the scene that transitions “Rogue One” right into the beginning of “A New Hope.”
"I Know"
Han Solo’s “I know” response to Leia’s declaration of love became one of the franchise’s most iconic moments; however, this line wasn’t in the original script. After trying the scene multiple times with Han saying, “I love you too,” director Irvin Kershner told Harrison Ford not to “think about it,” leading the actor to improvise the now-famous line.
Galaxy's Edge
Although the “Star Wars” franchise has many recognizable planets, the Disney Imagineers felt none of the worlds could live up to fans’ expectations when designing a new attraction at the theme parks. Their answer was to build a new world that wasn’t part of another story and allow the guests to become the heroes of their own adventure.
Darth Maul
“The Phantom Menace” had a difficult challenge: How could Darth Vader be topped? The solution was the terrifying, double-bladed lightsaber-wielding Darth Maul, who did more than serve as an antagonist. The character helped explore the mythology of the prequels and what it meant to be an apprentice, giving hints about Anakin’s fall to the Dark Side.