Love Triangles existed before they became a staple part of cinema. Whether it is Gone with the Wind or the Twilight saga, the classic trope has been a fan favorite, before Zendaya’s Challengers came around and made the trope even more pristine, to some extent at least.
While some might call it toxic, others outrageous, that is the turn that George Lucas’ Star Wars nearly took before Lucas went on to change it. If you remember the incest kiss between Luke and Leia and the horror that every fan faced after it was revealed they were siblings, it would be shocking yet somewhat calming to know that the duo weren’t supposed to be siblings originally.
Star Wars Luke and Leia Weren’t Supposed to be Siblings
Challengers features Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor in an unlikely love trio, that is both very endearing yet not as cliche as one would have imagined. While Zendaya’s Tashi’s two romantic interests are fueled by her, her own interest lies solely in achieving greatness: greatness in the sport of tennis. While why or why does not she end up achieving it and why she ends up marrying Faist’s character is a different story, the love triangle still is as important a part of the tale as Tashi’s love for tennis.
And so, while Star Wars doesn’t have tennis, it does have Princess Leia as an unapologetically ambitious character who would have ended up being in a love triangle with Luke Skywalker and Han Solo had the original draft of the Star Wars sequel been adopted faithfully.
As per Slash Film, George Lucas had originally hired Leigh Brackett to develop the script of a sequel to his 1977 film, which can be found online. As per Brackett’s script, Luke, Leia, and Han Solo were supposed to be in a cliche love triangle, with Leia revealing in the end that she was in love with Solo. Equally shocking is that Luke was supposed to have a long-lost sister, named Nellith.
Luke and Leia’s Incest Kiss in Empire Strikes Back
Among the many great mysterious plotholes of the Star Wars franchise, Luke and Leia’s incest kiss in Empire Strikes Back sits at the top. While we know that had the original script for the Star Wars sequel been adapted faithfully, Luke and Leia’s kiss would have made sense, however, the duo seemed to be a romantic trope since the very first movie.
While it can be attributed to the background theme (see Variety), an equally plausible theory is that George Lucas had no idea how far the tale would go, for he had no inclination that the movie would even be successful (see Business Insider).
Although fans have been forgiving, the revelation that Leia is Luke’s sister in Return of the Jedi makes the kiss even more incest since the princess always somehow knew Luke was her brother. As no explanation for this particular plot has ever been offered, Star Wars fans have somehow made their peace.
And with series like Game of Thrones existing Luke and Leia’s controversial kiss seems more like a sweet peck on the cheek.
The Star Wars franchise can be streamed on Disney+, while Challengers is in theatres now.
