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00:00After previously taking a closer look at 10 other times that Star Wars nearly unleashed some rather strange and shocking
00:08moments on screen,
00:10from gruesome fates to bizarre conversations, it's time to have a look at another collection of weird and wonderful scenes
00:17that almost popped up in your favourite films and TV shows set in this iconic galaxy far, far away.
00:25Because I am Gareth, this is WhatCultureStarWars, and here are 10 more deleted Star Wars moments you won't believe nearly
00:33happened.
00:3510. Ponda Baba Loses His Head Episode 4 A New Hope
00:39Swiftly making an impact following on from his introduction in 1977's Star Wars,
00:45the furry thug known as Ponda Baba alongside his pal Dr. Cornelius Everzan
00:50picked a fight with the wrong folks within Mos Eisley's cantina.
00:55Sure enough, his attempts to bully young Luke Skywalker resulted in his arm meeting the business end of a lightsaber.
01:01However, had the original version of this scene survived when putting the picture together,
01:07then things could have been a whole lot worse for old Baba.
01:09You see, according to behind-the-scenes images doing the rounds online,
01:13there appeared to be plans at one point to have Obi-Wan Kenobi cut off the aqualicious head during their
01:19scuffle.
01:20Probably feeling that this gory moment would have been a little too grim for a movie primarily aimed at kids,
01:26though.
01:27The call was soon made to just have the space wizard slice off the bully's arm instead.
01:32It was likely the right move, yeah?
01:33With the visual of Baba's bloody limb definitely being enough to sell the idea of lightsabers being a rather effective
01:40and dangerous weapon.
01:41Also, slicing the head off a punter is probably not the best way to avoid unnecessary attention in a busy
01:47bar, right?
01:48Still, though, those images show just how close fans really were to seeing Ponda's head shockingly roll in Episode 4,
01:56A New Hope.
01:57Ah, we would have been traumatized.
01:59Number 9, Kelnaka vs. The Stranger, The Acolyte
02:02Though not the first of this species to hold a lightsaber in the galaxy far, far away,
02:08Gungi has also been doing his thing in the animated Star Wars The Clone Wars and The Bad Batch shows
02:13over the years,
02:14but Kelnaka did become the first live-action Wookiee Jedi during The Acolyte's first season, for a bit.
02:21In the end, the towering Jedi Master was suddenly murdered by The Stranger during Episode 4, Day.
02:28However, viewers never actually got to see the duel which led to Kelnaka's demise,
02:32with May simply finding the dead Wookiee with a lightsaber slash across his chest.
02:37And that was that.
02:38But that wasn't actually the original plan, though.
02:41At one point, fans were actually going to see a full Kelnaka vs. The Stranger Showdown on screen,
02:47but according to one of the episode's writers, Claire Keischel on X,
02:51This early draft idea was ultimately sliced out of the series because it, in her words,
02:57broke the POV of the episode in a way that I think wouldn't have worked as well.
03:02Admittedly, having The Stranger show up and cross lightsabers with the mighty Wookiee here
03:06would have probably undermined his epic reveal from the perspective of Osha and the Jedi a little later on in
03:13the episode.
03:14But while we would at least see Kelnaka waving his lightsaber around in later episodes,
03:19you'd still be lying if you said you didn't want to see what a big furry Jedi fighting a powerful
03:24masked Darkseid user looked like on your screen.
03:27As noted by this writer, there was very much a time there when this on-screen fight was being considered.
03:33Number 8, The Bad Batch's Padme Art, Star Wars The Clone Wars
03:37In the wake of their Star Wars debut in the animated The Clone Wars series,
03:42The Bad Batch quickly went on to become one of the most beloved groups of characters in this galaxy far,
03:48far away.
03:48Their unique mixture of personalities and abilities made Clone Force 99 a real highlight of the final season of the
03:55show.
03:56And whenever they interacted with franchise icons like Anakin Skywalker and Captain Rex,
04:01you were almost always guaranteed a memorable moment.
04:05There was one specific and rather cheeky conversation between this Bad Batch and The Chosen One,
04:11which didn't actually make it into the series, however.
04:13With Skywalker noticing a bit of nose art on the front of the Gang of Clones ship,
04:19he's soon informed that this is none other than the Naboo senator that the squad check out on the holoscans.
04:25Unsurprisingly, he doesn't take this or Wrecker saying that she could negotiate with him any time very well,
04:32telling Rex that the art would not be staying there.
04:34If you're wondering why this surprisingly provocative moment from the unfinished The Clone Wars story reel
04:40didn't make it into the finished episode,
04:42one of the show's creators, Dave Filoni, had the answer.
04:45According to a fan on X,
04:46Filoni eventually explained in a screening of this Distant Echo episode
04:50that, with Padme not being in this season that much,
04:54having this be one of the few ways she was depicted was not something they wanted to do to her.
04:59So, this brief exchange was ultimately replaced with a far more compelling secret holocall conversation
05:05between the lovebirds.
05:07All while Rex keeps watch.
05:09And while we're talking about the animated Clone Wars series,
05:11I want to know right now what is your favourite animated Star Wars episode ever?
05:16It doesn't just have to be the Clone Wars, it could be Rebels, it could be whatever you want,
05:20you pop it in that comment section down below.
05:22Number 7, the extended version of Palpatine vs. the Jedi Masters,
05:26Episode 3, Revenge of the Sith.
05:29Now, while the scene itself may have eventually made its way into the dramatic final chapter
05:34in the prequel trilogy,
05:35the original version of Sheev Palpatine's lightsaber battle against members of the Jedi Council
05:40was reportedly scrapped.
05:42Before George Lucas eventually felt that viewers needed to see a closer look
05:46of the eventual Emperor's face during that fight within his office,
05:50the idea was to apparently have Ian McDiarmid's stunt double do pretty much all of the dueling.
05:55And the test footage eventually revealed on the AtGillardStunts YouTube channel revealed
06:00a version of this fight that was far more gripping and impressive than the occasionally
06:05quite jarring one that fans eventually got in Episode 3, Revenge of the Sith.
06:09With McDiarmid only having five days to learn his choreography and admitting himself that
06:15he isn't a master swordsman, the eventual combination of CGI, stunt double work and
06:20rather plodding close-up shots of the actor didn't really gel together well.
06:25The whole sequence was a bit underwhelming to be honest.
06:27Just fully committing to digitally slapping McDiarmid's face onto his stunt double for this
06:32electrifying showdown definitely would have been the better call in hindsight,
06:37with even these rough test clips feeling far more intense and captivating than the cartoonish
06:42end product that Lucas pushed for.
06:44If only the director had stuck to the plan, eh?
06:47Number 6.
06:47Ahsoka Speaks With The Bendu Before Facing Vader, Star Wars Rebels
06:52While the name itself would actually first show up in the first draft for the original
06:57Star Wars movie, with those pages mentioning the Jedi Bendu, the small-screen debut of it
07:02actually occurred during the Star Wars Rebels animated series.
07:06Voiced by Doctor Who's Tom Baker and appearing in the first episode of Season 3, the Bendu,
07:12a being that represented the center of the Force, would cross paths with the likes of Ezra
07:17Bridger and Kanan Jarrus in the show.
07:20One character who didn't get to share the screen with this wise, force-sensitive being,
07:25however, was the legendary Ahsoka Tano.
07:28But that's not to say that she didn't meet Bendu at all.
07:31In fact, according to Rebels creator Dave Filoni, a scene which saw the two talking was
07:36actually written and went down during the Mystery of Chopper Base episode.
07:41But while the moment did actually happen within the universe, it didn't quite make it into
07:46the finished episode.
07:47Filoni would ultimately reveal some of the dialogue from and the artwork for that scene
07:52which never ended up on the screen on X.
07:54Tano's conversation with the powerful and wise creature involved the Bendu telling her
08:00that a lot was about to change, including Ahsoka, due to her then-upcoming encounter with
08:05her former master Anakin Skywalker slash Darth Vader on Malachor.
08:10And by change, he meant death.
08:12There is no such thing as too much Bendu.
08:15So getting to see Tano interact with the huge, captivating entity would have no doubt been
08:20a delight.
08:20Instead, fans were left to simply imagine what this exchange would have looked or sounded
08:25like based on Filoni's revealing tweet.
08:27Thanks for stopping by to watch this WhatCultureStarWars video today, ya legend.
08:32Now go and hit that subscribe button down below and you'll get more of this WhatCultureStarWars
08:36stuff in your corner of the galaxy.
08:38Number 5, A Portals Moment, Episode 9, The Rise of Skywalker
08:43Even possibly the worst episode in the Skywalker saga still has the odd, rather awesome moment.
08:50And one scene that definitely falls into that category in Episode 9, The Rise of Skywalker
08:56is the sequence which sees Rey hearing the voices of some of the most famous Jedi in Star
09:01Wars history, as their words give her the strength to take down the Emperor, who somehow
09:06returned.
09:07That rather nostalgic collection of voices pales in comparison to a version of this scene
09:12that reportedly nearly happened instead though.
09:15According to a source who worked closely on the production of the film, with this information
09:19later popping up on Reddit, that sequence originally was supposed to involve the likes of Hayden
09:24Christensen, Ewan McGregor, Samuel L. Jackson and any other actor who didn't play an animated
09:30Jedi appearing in live action.
09:32A moment later referred to as an endgame portal scene by X-user at BSK The King.
09:38It was even reportedly shot with the actors in full costumes, and these forced ghosts serving
09:44as sort of a barrier between her and the Sith surrounding them.
09:48Now it is tough to know for sure whether this Jedi assembling moment was officially put in
09:53front of a camera, but if this source is to be believed, then arguably The Rise of Skywalker's
09:58best moment was almost infinitely better.
10:00Number 4, A Dark Conversation with Jar Jar Binks
10:04Episode 3, Revenge of the Sith
10:06Following on from his incredibly divisive arrival in Episode 1, The Phantom Menace, Jar Jar
10:13Binks' role in the subsequent two prequel trilogy films was massively reduced.
10:17No longer was the silly Gungan helping out our heroes during their many missions.
10:22Instead, he was largely left on Coruscant and off-camera, only showing up for the odd scene
10:27in the movies. However, one of said scenes ultimately contained quite a crucial moment
10:32in Star Wars history. Standing in for Senator Padme Amidala after she decided to go into hiding
10:38in the wake of a number of attempts on her life, an easily manipulated
10:42Binks, now a junior representative, ultimately convinced the Galactic Senate to give emergency
10:48powers to the Supreme Chancellor, Sheev Palpatine. And we all know how that turned out.
10:54Binks doesn't really do that much from that point on, but he did almost show up in a scene
10:58that eventually got cut out of Episode 3, Revenge of the Sith. According to Best via Entertainment
11:04Weekly, he remembered a conversation between Binks and Palpatine that was deleted in the end.
11:09The scene would have seen the latter thanking the former for putting him in power, with Best adding
11:14that the scene really showed the evolution of Jar Jar from this fun-loving kid's character
11:19into this manipulated politician, and was really dark in his words. But Lucas clearly didn't feel it
11:26worked in the movie he was trying to make, so Best was left with just the two words in that
11:30last
11:31prequel instead.
11:32Number 3, Anakin Skywalker Speaking Droid, Episode 3, Revenge of the Sith.
11:37Where to even begin with this one? It's always important to remember whenever you're left
11:41rolling your eyes at some of the goofier moments found in the prequels in particular, that George
11:46Lucas created his galaxy far, far away for children to enjoy. And that's what likely led to him
11:52waking up one morning, and deciding to create and eventually shoot a scene which saw Anakin
11:57Skywalker speaking binary during his and Obi-Wan Kenobi's Palpatine rescue mission.
12:03Yep, that's right, the awesome opening sequence involving the Chosen One and his master fighting
12:08their way onto the invisible hand Dreadnaught very nearly had the future Darth Vader speaking
12:13like a droid. The deleted scene is as ridiculous as it sounds, with Hayden Christensen and Ewan
12:19McGregor trying their best to keep a straight face, as they power through Anakin's surreal attempts
12:24to understand and copy what R2-D2 is beeping to him after their translator breaks. Sure, it probably
12:30would have made the odd kid chuckle watching Skywalker talk like a droid before becoming
12:35more machine than man, but Lucas definitely made the correct call when he opted to chop
12:40this weird moment out of the rescue.
12:432. A Recast Luke Skywalker Fighting His Father Episode 7 The Force Awakens
12:49Remember that exciting sequence during Episode 7 The Force Awakens when Rey experiences a Force
12:55vision after touching the legendary Skywalker lightsaber, Daisy Ridley's scavenger is thrust
13:00into important moments from the past and future, hearing Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi's voices, and
13:07even seeing a cloaked Luke Skywalker kneeling next to his burning temple. And this is also
13:13a scene which almost included an unexpected return to one of the most famous moments in the franchise's
13:19history too. As noted by The Guardian, reports from Making Star Wars and The Star Wars The Force Awakens
13:26Rey's storybook both suggested that Rey was originally supposed to see the moment when Darth
13:31Vader and Luke Skywalker fought in Episode 5 The Empire Strikes Back in her vision. Not only that,
13:38but different actors were also apparently cast to play the iconic roles for this moment that saw Rey
13:44watching the action from a new vantage point in Cloud City. Images would then later pop up online
13:50of actor Robert Bolter dressed as Luke for the fight, which was sadly scrapped from the final
13:55sequence. Imagine being cast to play Luke Skywalker and not getting to see yourself battle it out with
14:01Darth Vader. Poor Bolter, man.
14:031. No High Ground on Mustafar Episode 3 Revenge of the Sith
14:08As difficult as it may be to believe, easily one of the most memorable moments in all of Star Wars
14:14was once not even a part of a rather famous duel. After aggressively swinging their lightsabers at each
14:21other in one of the most emotional clashes the franchise has ever produced, Anakin Skywalker stupidly
14:26attempts to get the better of an Obi-Wan Kenobi who had the high ground. Silly boy. Sure enough,
14:32the soon-to-be cyborg was sliced up by his one-time master and brother. However, it was recently revealed
14:37in Empire Magazine that this all-important fight initially didn't even boast any high ground drama.
14:44Instead, as stunt coordinator Nick Gillard would explain in an interview for the magazine,
14:49as it saluted 25 years of the prequels, Kenobi and Skywalker just both landed on the side of the
14:56lava flow at first, before then proceeding to fight right away. From here in this original version,
15:01the chosen one would disarm his former master and grip his throat. And then, right when Anakin was on
15:07the verge of slicing off Kenobi's head, Obi-Wan used the force to grab his lightsaber and defend
15:13the attack. But in the process of pulling his weapon to his hand to protect himself,
15:17he also ends up chopping through his old padawan's arms and legs. Lucas ultimately got rid of that
15:23late struggle as he felt he wanted something different though. And that's what led to the
15:27legendary high ground exchange being born. A world without Anakin being cut down after arrogantly
15:34trying it. According to Gillard, it was a whole lot closer than most fans realize.
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