Series: Kiber Crystals, the Bogon Force, and a Rebel Tarkin! Part: 1, 2
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yoda´s waiter has been doing a series on the 2nd draft of Star Wars Episode IV, so I figured I'd start up a series on the 3rd draft. It's much closer to the final film we know, but there are still many interesting differences.
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"THE STAR WARS"
From The
Adventures of Luke Starkiller
By
George Lucas

Third Draft
August 1, 1975
Lucasfilm Limited

((Notice there's no episode number unlike the previous draft which said it was episode 1.))

"... and in the time of greatest despair,
there shall come a savior, and he shall
be known as The Son of The Suns."


Journal of the Whills, 3:127

((There's those nasty little Whills always confusing us as to their place in the Star Wars universe, in this incarnation they seem like scribes of the Star Wars bible.))

"THE STAR WARS"

((By the time it hits film form it'll just be "Star Wars" as I'm sure you know))

FADE IN:

1. EXT. SPACE

A vast sea of star serves as the backdrop for the MAIN TITLE, which is followed by a ROLL UP:

The REPUBLIC GALACTICA is dead. Ruthless trader barons, driven by greed and the lust for power, have replaced enlightenment with oppression, and "rule by the people" with the FIRST GALACTIC EMPIRE.

((Well that's fairly consistent with the prequels, isn't it? Even down to it being called the "First" Galactic Empire))

For over a thousand years, generations of JEDI KNIGHTS were the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy. Now these legendary warriors are all but extinct. One by one they have been hunted down and destroyed by the sinister agents of the Emperor: the DARK LORDS OF THE SITH.

((A thousand years? That'll be turned into "Generations" by the final draft, giving us a much longer history for the Jedi, this is also our first indication of the Emperor and there being more than one Dark Lord of the Sith))

It is a period of civil wars. Rebel Armies, striking from fortresses hidden deep within the Great Rift, have won a crushing victory over the powerful Imperial Starfleet. The Emperor knows that one more such defeat will bring a thousand more solar systems into the rebellion, and Imperial control of the Outland systems could be lost forever. To crush the rebellion once and for all, the Emperor has sent one of his most ferocious Dark Lords to find the secret rebel strongholds and destroy them...

((the Great Rift? Perhaps that becomes what we now know as the core? It should also be noted it says "Civil Wars" plural similar to "Clone Wars" mind you.))

The awesome yellow planet of Utapau emerges from total eclipse. A tiny silver spacecraft races into view, followed by a giant Imperial stardestroyer. Hundreds of deadly laser bolts streak from the Imperial warship as it dives on the smaller craft. The overwhelming concentration of laser fire causes the main solar fin of the rebel craft to disintegrate, creating a spectacular heavenly display. The smoldering rebel ship is quickly overtaken by the giant Imperial warship.

((Well it seems like our current version except... Utapau?! That's right our beloved Tatooine was once known (along with other planets in previous drafts) as Utapau, now finally included in the Star Wars universe as an entirely different planet))

2. INT. REBEL SPACEFIGHTER - MAIN PASSAGEWAY

The chaos of battle echoes through the narrow, main corridor of the starfighter.


An explosion rocks the ship as two construction robots, ARTOO DETOO (R2-D2) and SEE THREEPIO (C-3PO) struggle to make their way through the shaking, bouncing passage- way. Both robots are old and battered. Artoo is a short (36 inches), claw-armed, triped. His face is a mass of computer lights, surrounding a radar eye. Threepio, on the other hand, is a tall, slender robot of human proportions. He has a gleaming bronze-like metallic surface of an "Art Deco" design.

((Construction robots? Well that's consistent with 3PO's first job being "Programming binary loadlifters at least. Also interesting to note R2 is still described as having arms in this draft, but has the "eye" and lights we're familiar with. C-3PO is described as bronze instead of gold.))

THREEPIO
Did you hear that? They've shut down the main reactor. We'll be destroyed for sure. This is madness!

((See, much of it is exactly the same.))

The little dwarf robot makes a series of electronic sounds that only another robot could understand. Rebel troops rush past the robots, and take up positions in the main passageway. Everything is suddenly still and quiet. Tension mounts as the rebels wait for the pending attack. Loud metallic footsteps are heard moving around on the outside the hull of the ship. The scraping screams of heavy equipment being dragged across the metal skin of the starship run chills up Threepio's bronze spine. He huddles in a small alcove with little Artoo watching the passageway ceiling.

((Not much different here except that they'll simply be standing in the middle of the hall when this all happens rather than hiding))

THREEPIO
There is no escape for the Captain this time...

((Well that's interesting! In this and in previous drafts (and the controversial 5th draft) 3PO says "Captain" rather than "Princess" this would have completely cleared up the current oddity of 3PO seemingly not knowing who Leia is at times. Instead of being worried for Leia's safety he worries for Captain Antillies, which makes more sense in context with Episode III anyway where we learn Antillies has been 3PO's master for the past 18 years.))
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