2023 marks the 40th anniversary of Return of the Jedi, the movie which ended the original Star Wars trilogy.
In that, the Rebellion finally managed to overcome the evil Empire, and Darth Vader finally found a measure of redemption after killing Emperor Palpatine in an effort to save Luke Skywalker. The Sith Lord died in his son's arms, and we got a happy ending to the trilogy.
However, some recently resurfaced details (via SFFGazette.com) about George Lucas' early plans for Return of the Jedi reveal a much darker ending. In fact, it's one that would have changed the entire franchise as we know it!
While the movie would have played out in very much the same way leading into the final battle and Vader's sacrifice, it was then Luke would have done the unthinkable. Yes, he turned to the Dark Side!
In a transcript of a story session with Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan, the former says: "Luke takes his mask off. The mask is the very last thing - and then Luke puts it on and says, 'Now I am Vader.' Surprise! The ultimate twist. 'Now I will go and kill the [Rebel] fleet and I will rule the universe.'"
Kasdan supposedly responded, "That's what I think should happen," but acknowledged Lucas chose not to head down such a dark path due to the Star Wars franchise being "for kids."
It's fascinating to think about how different everything would have been had Luke fallen from the way of the Jedi like this, and there were definitely hints in the movie that he might have begun being influenced by darker forces. It would have been a grim and depressing note to end on, though, and it being scrapped was likely for the best.
In 2017, The Last Jedi would revisit the idea of Luke succumbing to his darker impulses, much to the chagrin of many Star Wars fans!
How would you feel about this alternate ending to Return of the Jedi?