Mark Hamill Confirms Iconic 'Star Wars' Scenes Filmed as "Luke Starkiller"

Of the many iconic introductions in sci-fi cinema, few are as memorable as Luke Skywalker meeting [...]

Of the many iconic introductions in sci-fi cinema, few are as memorable as Luke Skywalker meeting his sibling Leia Organa in Star Wars, rushing into her prison cell on the Death Star to proclaim, "I'm Luke Skywalker, I'm here to rescue you." Fans may have this moment burned into their brains, but star Mark Hamill confirmed that the finished scene was a reshoot, as his original delivery of the line included the alternate name "Luke Starkiller."

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On Twitter, Hamill confirmed, "FUN FACT- The name change to Skywalker came late enough in production that we had to re-shoot the scene where I liberated the Princess from her cell. We had already shot it using the original line: 'I'm Luke Starkiller, I'm here to rescue you!'"

Revealing the original name of Luke's character isn't a surprise, yet not all fans knew that the moniker stuck with the character long enough to shoot one of the film's most iconic scenes.

The actor then went on to confirm how reluctant he was to use this new name, as he had grown accustomed to being called "Starkiller."

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When discussing how the name change came about, Hamill specified, "It was George's idea. I was so used to Starkiller, I didn't like the new name & complained: 'Skywalker?! It's awful. Sounds like Luke Flyswatter!'"

Skywalker has become a well-recognized surname, yet whether the more violent "Starkiller" would have had an impact on the character or the saga's influence on cinema is a mystery we'll never know the answer to.

The name change is only one of many tweaks to the story from the original incarnation of the overall narrative, with the character originally imagined as a female.

To help convey the otherworldly feeling of the film in ways words couldn't, George Lucas asked artist Ralph McQuarrie to create concept art to help pitch the story to executives. They might be merely aesthetic changes, but Han Solo was originally imagined with a beard while Chewbacca looked like a completely different creature in early designs.

Additionally, the original idea included Stormtroopers wielding lightsabers, making them much more common weapons than those only used by Jedi.

Do you prefer the name "Skywalker" or "Starkiller"? Let us know in the comments below!

[H/T Twitter, HamillHimself]

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