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| Unused but effective Ralph McQuarrie logo idea. |
Enjoy a full synopsis to the original Star Wars II script written by Leigh Brackett, from the story by George Lucas. Draft dated February 17th, 1978, completed by February 23rd.
To give readers a visual flavour of how the film might have looked based on the script, we have included concept art and other production pieces from around 1978 and into early 1979.
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| A Rebel (presumably Luke) atop a 'snow-lizard'. Art by Joe Johnston. |
On a then unnamed ice world, amidst a planetary environment seemingly far more alien, Luke Skywalker, whilst on patrol atop his lizard beast, is attacked by a snow creature. Han Solo, completing his survey mission, returns to the Rebels' base-housed in a natural ice castle-like formation- and is soon drafted into a risky mission by Princess Leia to contact his Stepfather, Oven Marakal of the Transport Guild, in order to aid the Rebels. Han comes on to the Princess after his agreement to go on the mission, but she gets so riled by his behaviour and attitude that she gives him a firm whack in the face!
Meanwhile, Luke (not hung up) recovers to find himself in a cave and confronts the snow creature. With help from an overheard Ben Kenobi he attacks the beast with his saber and escapes into the wilderness, where he is very quickly discovered by Han, Leia and a rescue party quickly dispatched to find him when he hadn’t reported back.
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| Joe Johnston's early designs for Darth Vader's new Imperial Star Destroyer. |
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| Vader as seen on his Star Destroyer bridge. Art by Ralph McQuarrie. |
Far across the universe, on the Imperial administration planet Ton Muund, Darth Vader receives information that an alien smuggler has seen the Rebel forces in the unusual Granida Cluster, which houses a system with the ice planet.
Back at the Rebel base, Luke recovers from his injuries and finds a crystal with info on an alien planet buried in the hilt of his saber, the co-ordinates uncovered by Artoo. The snow creatures enter the base through natural means and attack en masse whilst the Rebels are continuing their ice cave drilling operations. As our heroes go to the main hangar to help they are all attacked by the creatures, who are determined to remove the humans from the planet. Luke, still untrained in the Force, takes on a Wampa but is saved by Han, whilst Chewbacca takes another beast on in hand-to-hand combat, and Leia’s exceptional blaster skills come to the fore once again.
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| Imperial tanks and ground forces prepare to attack the Rebels. Two art pieces by Joe Johnston. |
Vader’s fleet arrives in the system holding the Rebels, and he uses the Force to pinpoint their location-the Imperial war machines quickly dispatched to the ice planet. As the snow creature attacks begin to die down, the Rebels, warned by the Force sensitive Luke, now have to frantically hurry into a new offensive with the arrival of Imperial forces, with many Rebel soldiers buying time for their colleagues to escape in numerous flyers and vehicles. Imperial tanks attack the city/base and Rebel tanks and heavy ground fire are soon retaliating. A young Rebel pilot named 'Sedge' (who may have been a mistakenly mis-spelled Wedge) helps our heroes to escape but he is sadly killed when an ice pipe fractures and bursts onto him. The result of the disintegrating base begins to collapse around the Rebels in the face of the snow creatures and Imperial attacks. Separated from Leia, Luke and Artoo take off in the Princess’s spacer, whilst the Princess, cut off from her own escape ship has to depart with Han and Chewie (the latter carrying the now pipe-ruptured, frozen form of Threepio) to a secret rendezvous.
Now at the base, realizing Luke has escaped, Vader searches for him through the Forces and attacks him in his ship with a Force choke. Artoo, also on board the ship, retrieves the information crystal and attaches it to the ship's controls, sending the vessel into Hyperspace -which Vader’s powers cannot penetrate- to its new destination of the alien Bog Planet. Vader believes that Luke is dead. The Millennium Falcon, under constant attack from chasing Imperials, manages to get into hyperspace after Han makes some internal repairs- it’s a close call.
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| An early 'Minch Yoda' art piece by Joe Johnston. |
With Luke still unconscious from Vader’s assault, Artoo crash-lands their ship into one of the Bog Planet’s swampy ponds. Artoo and Luke reach shore but Luke collapses unconscious again, waking up to the sight of the frog-like creature Minch (Yoda) now looking down on him- he knows Skywalker’s name and reveals that he once served the Jedi, and that this planet was a training centre for them, including Obi-Wan.
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| Evading closing-in Imperials, the Millennium Falcon hides in an asteroid field. Art by Ralph McQuarrie. |
Arriving at the Rebels pre-determined rendezvous point in deep space, the Falcon runs into a Star Destroyer and TIEs, and has to escape their clutches yet again, with Leia manning the gun turret as it withdraws into a nearby asteroid field.
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| Luke continues his training on the Bog Planet, under the guidance of Minch Yoda. Art by Ralph McQuarrie. |
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| Luke encounters one of the strange creatures on that world. Art: Ralph McQuarrie. |
Not finding what he’s after, and not believing that Minch trained Obi-Wan/Ben, Luke wants to leave the Bog Planet. With a little “help” from his own Force abilities, Minch persuades Luke to use his growing powers to lift the trapped spacer from the swamp so it can be repaired.
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| The TIE Bomber and escorts. Art by Joe Johnston. |
Hidden inside an asteroid cave, Han and Leia begin their romance whilst TIE Bombers begin strafing runs above. On the Bog Planet, Minch reveals himself fully as a Jedi, using Luke’s lightsaber to demonstrate his finely tuned swordplay with the newly arrived shimmering form of Obi-Wan. Obi warns Luke that, as his Force powers further develop, Vader will realize that his attempt to kill him has failed. At Minch’s tiny house, Luke begins his first mental disciplines.
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| Darth Vader's castle exterior. Art by Ralph McQuarrie. |
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| Darth Vader's castle interior. Art by Ralph McQuarrie. |
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| Vader communicates with the gold robed Emperor. Art by Ralph McQuarrie. |
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| Further Ralph McQuarrie concept ideas for the scene. |
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| Original script scene for The Emperor talking to Vader at his castle. |
Within his castle of black iron located on a rock above a crimson sea, Vader, feeding his pet gargoyles, discovers Luke is still alive in the Force and makes a telepathic attack on the boy, who uses his own power against the Dark Lord. Vader laughs when he realizes how afraid the boy is, yet Minch knows that Luke is even more powerful than he or Obi-Wan could have predicted, yet he may also be too dangerous to train, and could be lured to the Dark Side. Vader talks to a gold robed Emperor, who has also detected Luke’s Force presence, and demands Vader find and destroy him.
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| A visual idea for Lando Kadar by Ralph McQuarrie, who looks very much like American character actor Yaphet Kotto, who ultimately turned down the role due to his work on the other sci-fi movie, Alien. |
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| Lando Kadar and a female aide welcome the new arrivals at Hoth (later named Bespin). Art: Ralph McQuarrie. This art is not linked to the Star Wars II script but used here as potential scene indication. |
As Luke’s training continues for several days, the Falcon leaves the asteroid cave, though it’s still pursued by fighters, and leaps to hyperspace, traveling to see the rogue business entrepreneur, Baron Lando Kadar, who may be able to protect them for a while. Kadar, whose family were refugees from the Clone Wars, was a business associate of Solo’s who has now gone respectable on the planet Hoth, a green world with a ruined city, with one of the buildings turned into a traders compound. Departing the landed Falcon, the group are attacked from the sky by tall warrior-like beings riding manta ray flying creatures. The Falcon departs back into the air where it is surrounded by scout ships, then taken peaceably to an orbital city, landing on a concourse of watchful native inhabitants.
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| Lando Kadar with 'Ethania Eredith' (aka Leia) on a tour of Hoth. |
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| Early costume ideas for Bespin inhabitants, by Ralph McQuarrie. |
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| A Cloud City guard design by John Mollo. |
Lando Kadar, a suave, Valentino-esque figure, greets the newly arrived Rebels, and introduces them to Bahiri, chief of the White Bird clan of the Cloud People. With Lando’s people now fixing the damaged Falcon, the gang are taken on a tour into the heart of the city, and Threepio stumbles into the wrong area whilst trying to fetch a wrap for the Princess (who is now known under the disguise name of Ethania Eredith).
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| Luke meets the Force spirit of his father, not yet named Anakin. |
On the Bog Planet, Luke calls to Obi-Wan who appears in ghostly form and tells him that he has moved to a new realm of existence. Obi then introduces Luke to his father (referred to just as Skywalker),who also appears to tell his eager son that he has a sister whose location is secret-the pair being split up and sent to different corners of the universe at their fathers request with the birth of the evil Empire. Skywalker can’t reveal her location to Luke yet in case Vader were to find out. In a scenario like Camelot/King Arthur, the four Jedi all raise their lightsabers and Luke takes the Jedi Oath. Obi-Wan and Skywalker depart, and a slightly fearful Luke knows that his next true test will be to go against Vader.
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| Vader in flames! Art by Ralph McQuarrie. |
Uncomfortable in the eerie world, Artoo is later looking into Minch’s hut as Luke is faced with the inevitable. With Minch’s help, he opens his mind to the Dark Side of the Force, to conjure up a phantom-like version of Vader, which a spirit version of Luke then communicates with. Vader reveals he wants Luke as an ally to rule the Empire with, and offers him great power. Sensing weakness, Vader then taunts Luke about the Princess, saying he will lose her to Han Solo if he fails to show the courage and power to have her. Luke refuses Vader’s lures, but only just, as his ghostly hand, reached out to the stars, now burns as he runs from the still taunting Dark Lord, warns the boy that he can’t escape the power of the Dark Side forever-a power, Luke tells a concerned Minch, that, for a few seconds, he wanted!
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| The wrecked Threepio is discovered. Art by Ralph McQuarrie. |
Back on Cloud City, the remains of Threepio are found chucked in a recycling chute, with Chewie beginning his repair work, determined to get it speaking. Leia senses deceit from Lando- that the Falcon’s repairs are being stalled- and asks Han if his friend is a Clone.
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| A dinner date with a difference. In the Star Wars II script by Leigh Brackett, there is no Boba Fett. Art by Ralph McQuarrie. |
With his spacer restored and his training seemingly complete, an uneasy of his powers Luke departs Minch and the Bog Planet. On Hoth, Lando invites his guests to dinner and reveals to Leia that he is indeed a clone of the Ashardi family. As the dining room doors open, the shocking visage of Vader appears and the Rebel group are captured-open prisoners at the city. At dinner, Han wants to kill Lando, who reveals that he is a citizen of the Empire and instantly recognized Leia. Vader tells them that they are nothing but bait to trap Luke, especially Leia, whom the boy loves.
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| Flying whales and their alien pilots, in art by Ralph McQuarrie. |
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| The flying whales watched by Twin Pod Cloud Car pilots. Concept painting by Ralph McQuarrie. |
In his spacer, Luke uses the Force to try and pinpoint Leia’s whereabouts. He does so but is also aware of Vader’s presence too, whom he has no choice but to confront. Vader has the city cleared of traffic as he awaits the incoming Luke. Luke arrives on Hoth-at the ground ruin site previously touched down by the Falcon. He sees the gathered clans of the Cloud People and is attacked, where he retreats to the protection of his ship. Having given a gesture of peace, Luke then meets with Bahiri, who confirms that the Imperials are on Cloud City with his captured friends. Sensing Luke as a powerful Shaman, the two hatch a plan where they will take the Jedi up as a prisoner whilst Bahiri tries to win over his foster-son Lando. As Luke is handed over, the Cloud People attack the Stormtroopers but they, including Bahiri, are gunned down. Han. Chewie and Leia, with Threepio still damaged, break out from their confines and search for Luke. Luke is saved, however, by Lando, who rebels against the Imperials now that Bahiri is dead.
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| Luke Skywalker confronts the man who killed his father! |
Meeting up with the gang, Luke and Lando join them in a bid for the Falcon. They run into Stormtroopers and Luke gets to show his incredible new fighting skills with a lightsaber (which especially impress Solo). The young Jedi then decides to confront Vader in the Dark Lord’s apartment. Vader is soon impressed with Luke’s abilities during the start of their epic duel. After a firefight, Han and his group get to the Falcon and take off before the enemy can send rocket launchers at them- he and Chewie turn the ship facing towards the enemy as its engines blow out the blast door shielding behind them.
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| Luke Skywalker in one of the underground parts of Cloud City. Art by Ralph McQuarrie. |
In a ventilator shaft near the city’s main reactor, Vader is now winning the fight against Luke, who has worn himself out after being taunted by his opponent into using unfocused Dark Side energies against him. Trapped by the shaft, and narrowly avoiding Vader’s ‘saber death stroke, Luke leaps off the protective rails and descends into the seemingly bottomless shaft, only just catching a protruding metal bar on his way down, and swinging his body into a vent hole. Now at the Cloud City’s underside, Luke sees the Falcon, which has travelled down to his location so as to evade Imperial firepower, and uses his lightsaber to cut through the vents mesh protection. He then leaps onto the Falcon’s hull and is rescued by Chewbacca. Now happily re-united, the ship and its crew escape Hoth.
In retreat on the beautiful planet of Besspin Kaalida, old friends soon say goodbye, as Han and Chewie depart on their dangerous mission to help win the allegiance of Han’s step-father, Ovan Marekal, to the Rebels.
Final scene:
INT-CORRIDOR-BUILDING
A lift opens. Leia, Luke, Lando, Threepio and Artoo get out and walk onto a garden balcony rich with flowers. They stand waiting. The Falcon takes off, rising into the starry sky on a plume of flame. They watch it diminishing against the starry sky. We see their faces. The ‘droids. Leia, with all heart and soul in her eyes, watching the man she loves vanish into unknown dangers. And Luke…older, wiser, and more humble abut his shortcomings, still loving Leia but in a different way. Abruptly he unsheathes his lightsaber and activates, holding it in a position of salute for the departing Falcon.
THE END
SCRIPT NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS: All of the film's characters, including some nice support cameos (like General Willard), are, for the most part, still in their personality modes from
the original Star Wars -until his confrontation with Vader at the script’s end, Luke is still very much the gosh and golly child of the first film, whilst the Han and Leia relationship/love affair is not exactly subtle in its handling. Additionally, Luke doesn’t lose his lightsaber hand, Boba Fett does not yet appear in the story, Minch (Yoda) is not fully formed as a character, there is the introduction of both Luke’s father and the mention of his sister (not yet Leia) which would be held over and changed for Return of the Jedi, and the sad departure of Han Solo at the story’s end on a dangerous mission he may not return from (a deliberate move by Lucas as he was unsure whether he wanted the character back, or, even more importantly, whether Ford would actually return for a third film). The key “I am your Father” revelation by Vader, who is just as vicious and taunting in this script as he would be in the filmed version of TESB, would still be locked away in George Lucas’s 'TOP SECRET' mind at that point, still likely being researched for its potential psychological impact on young viewers', and not yet ready for unleashing.
This early script feels very old school sci-fi, of which Brackett was one of the key writers of that genre’s classic 'golden age', a factor that proved both a good and bad thing. Despite some strong dialogue and nicely described ideas (the intriguing Cloud People of Hoth have similarities to an alien race (the S'kitri) that appeared a year later in MARVEL's 1979 Star Wars Annual One - The Long Hunt, written by Chris Claremont), there’s also lots of unnecessary exposition, with scenes that would need to be compressed or cut in order to give the film a more visual dynamic and a greater sense of urgency. Larry Kasdan’s later complete script overhaul, alongside Lucas, proves more filmic-lean and mean and not overly expositional.
https://www.starwars.com/news/7-little-known-facts-about-the-making-of-star-wars-the-empire-strikes-back
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