THE BEST STAR WARS CURIOSITIES

Canal Cultura POP
Jun 5
5 min read

Updated: Jun 6

Star Wars is the greatest saga in pop culture, with over 40 years of history. Over the years, there have been hundreds of interesting facts behind the scenes, and today, we'll list the most legendary ones. If you know of any that we missed here, be sure to leave a comment!

(THE BEST STAR WARS CURIOSITIES)

"I Love You" Was Improvised

The relationship between Han and Leia is the perfect "Beauty and the Scoundrel" trope in Star Wars. Right before being frozen in carbonite, Leia finally confesses her love. According to the script, Han was supposed to reply with, "I love you too."

But Harrison Ford knew Han Solo better than anyone — that line wasn’t him. So he changed it on the spot to the iconic, roguish: "I know." A legendary line was born, marking one of the most unforgettable moments in cinema.

O Verdadeiro Início de Star Wars

The development of Star Wars was chaotic. Early drafts had wild titles like "The Adventures of Luke Starkiller," with concept art that looked nothing like what we know today. Fun fact: the name Starkiller was later reused for Galen Marek in The Force Unleashed games.

Even crazier — before the movie even came out, Star Wars was already released… as a novel! "Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker" hit bookstores in November 1976, a full year before A New Hope premiered. It even featured the original concept designs for characters like Luke, Vader, and the stormtroopers.

Boba Fett... Luke's Mother?!

The Empire Strikes Back delivered the greatest plot twist in movie history — Darth Vader is Luke’s father. But believe it or not, George Lucas once considered adding another insane twist: revealing Boba Fett... as Luke’s mother.

Just like Vader, Fett always wore a mask with a modulated voice. Since fans only speculated about Luke’s father, George briefly floated the idea that Fett could remove the helmet... revealing Luke’s long-lost mother.

Yeah… it sounded just as ridiculous back then. Even Mark Hamill thought it was absurd. Thankfully, that idea stayed in the trash compactor.

Monkey Yoda

This one’s wild. Yoda, one of the most beloved characters in Star Wars, was famously brought to life with puppetry and voiced by Frank Oz.

But originally... George Lucas wanted Yoda to be played by a monkey wearing a costume and holding a cane.

Seriously. There are even behind-the-scenes photos of the monkey wearing the costume. Unsurprisingly, that idea was quickly scrapped — thank the Force.

The Sounds of Star Wars

The galaxy far, far away is full of iconic sounds — all made from real-world objects.

The hum of lightsabers? A mix of projector motors and old CRT TV feedback.
Chewbacca’s voice? A mashup of animal sounds — bears, lions, walruses, and dogs.
TIE Fighters? Believe it or not — an elephant scream mixed with car tires screeching on wet pavement.
X-Wings? Artillery cannon blasts.
AT-AT walkers? Industrial machinery and steam engines.
Darth Vader’s breathing? Scuba gear recorded and distorted.

The sound design is pure genius — bringing the Star Wars universe to life in a way no other franchise had ever done.

Forgotten Games

Star Wars has tons of games beyond Battlefront, Lego Star Wars, and Fallen Order. But many awesome titles were forgotten over time. Check these out:

Star Wars: Republic Commando (2005)A tactical FPS where you lead an elite clone squad. No Jedi — just pure, gritty military action. A hidden gem.
Star Wars: Bounty Hunter (2002)Play as Jango Fett in a bounty hunting adventure full of jetpacks, blasters, and crime syndicates. Underrated and pure Mandalorian vibes.
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (1996)A Nintendo 64 classic starring Dash Rendar, created just for this game. A mix of ship battles, platforming, and third-person shooting.
Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi (1997)Yep... Star Wars once made a fighting game where Luke, Leia, and Vader literally throw hands. It was terrible, but it's a cult classic because of how bizarre it is.
Star Wars: Jedi Power Battles (2000)A co-op beat ‘em up where you play as Jedi like Mace Windu and Obi-Wan, slicing through droids. Fun, hard, and super nostalgic.
Star Wars: Starfighter (2001)A space combat game set during The Phantom Menace. Great mechanics, but sadly overshadowed.
Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds (2001)It’s literally Age of Empires, but in Star Wars! Built on the same game engine, featuring battles between the Rebels, Empire, Wookiees, and even Gungans.

The Infamous Holiday Special

The Star Wars Holiday Special is... legendary for all the wrong reasons. Aired only once in 1978, even the cast pretends it doesn’t exist.

The plot? Chewbacca tries to get home to celebrate Life Day with his family, alongside Luke, Leia, and Han. It features weird musical numbers, surreal animated segments, and the introduction of Boba Fett.

It disappeared for years — until YouTube resurrected it for curious (and brave) fans.

The $2.8 Million Boba Fett Toy

The original Kenner Boba Fett action figure from the late '70s was pulled from shelves because the spring-loaded rocket was a choking hazard.

That made it incredibly rare — so rare that in 2024, one of these toys sold for $2.8 million at an auction in Dallas. It’s one of the most expensive nerd collectibles ever sold.

Star Wars Rip-offs & Parodies

Just like any pop culture phenomenon, Star Wars got both knock-offs and hilarious parodies. Here are two legendary examples:

The Humanoid (1979)Italy’s shameless attempt to copy Star Wars. It’s so blatant it’s hilarious — cheap knock-off spaceships, costumes, and even a villain that’s basically Darth Vader meets The Hulk. It’s terrible... but also kinda amazing in its own weird way.
Spaceballs (1987)A comedy masterpiece directed by Mel Brooks. Spaceballs hilariously spoofs Star Wars (and a bit of Star Trek and Alien). With characters like Dark Helmet (a short, pathetic version of Vader) and Lone Starr (a Han/Luke mashup), it’s full of absurd jokes, fourth-wall breaks, and gags about merchandising. An absolute cult classic.

The Real Star Wars Chronology

When George Lucas created Star Wars, he always imagined it as a massive, epic saga — like a space opera.

Originally, the prequel stories (Episodes I, II, and III) were already mapped out — telling the fall of the Republic, Anakin’s descent into Darth Vader, and Palpatine’s rise. But Lucas realized those were too political and complex for a 1970s audience.

So instead, he started right in the middle — with the rebellion against the Empire. That’s how Episode IV: A New Hope came first, back in 1977. At the time, it wasn’t even called Episode IV — that was added later after the movie became a massive success.

Only after the original trilogy’s worldwide success did Lucas return to tell the backstory in the prequels — explaining how everything began.

This decision ended up making Star Wars even more mysterious and captivating — with characters referencing a rich history that fans wouldn’t fully see for decades. And you, what did you think of the best Star Wars curiosities? Comment!