When you mention "Star Wars: A New Hope" to anyone, usually the first scene that comes to mind is the iconic duel between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader. The two Jedi Masters trade blows before Obi-Wan eventually allows himself to be defeated. But, as it turns out, that wasn't always the plan.
Actor Peter Mayhew, who portrayed Chewbacca in the original trilogy and in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," has revealed that Obi-Wan wasn't originally supposed to die. Mayhew tweeted out pictures of the original "Star Wars" script, which had Obi-Wan surviving his brush with Darth Vader and escaping the Death Star with our other heroes.
#chewscript 027 Obi-wan lives through his fight with Vader. Check it out. @starwars pic.twitter.com/Mrt7SaT3Qc
— Peter Mayhew (@TheWookieeRoars) April 13, 2016
Originally, writer/director George Lucas had planned for Obi-Wan to escape but to be wounded in the process. This would have given Luke the opportunity to save him and provided our central character with another hero moment.
Instead, audiences received perhaps a more poignant scene, with Obi-Wan famously declaring, "If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possible imagine," before dying.
Obi-Wan's death provide to be a crucial moment in the series and, specifically, in Luke's character arc. The death weighs heavily on our protagonist and pushes him further down the path to becoming a Jedi Knight.
It's unknown how Lucas would have accomplished this effect had the original story been carried out as planned. Harrison Ford famously blasted the series over the years for its lack of dramatic stakes, so Obi-Wan's death has proven to be even more significant over time.
Though it's not as if the character is truly gone. Actor Alec Guinness (fun fact: the only actor to be nominated for an Academy Award for his work in the "Star Wars" franchise) appeared as a Force ghost in the ensuing features, with Ewan McGregor taking on the role in the prequels. The voices of both actors were also used in "The Force Awakens" during Rey's vision. McGregor has also been rumored to be in talks for an Obi-Wan spinoff and/or a cameo in "Star Wars: Episode VIII."
This isn't the first time that Mayhew has revealed some insider information, as he has tweeted out several images of the original script over the last few months. Other details include deleted scenes and confirmation that Han Solo did indeed shoot first during his encounter with the bounty hunter Greedo in "A New Hope."
Follow Brandon Katz at @Great_Katzby
