George Lucas captured the imagination of millions when he debuted the first Star Wars film back in 1977. The film introduced viewers to the otherworldly power of The Force, which has become an integral part of the franchise as it has continued to expand over the years. While The Force has etched itself into the modern pop culture lexicon, it originally had a much different name.
In his initial drafts for the first film in the Star Wars franchise, Lucas had opted for a much longer name for the mystical power source the Jedi harness to bring peace to a galaxy far far away. However, the name was considerably less effective and might make some fans of the franchise scoff at its unpleasant sound. Here is what George Lucas originally planned to call The Force.
George Lucas Originally Planned to Have a Much Longer Name For The Force in Star Wars
The Force was first introduced as a concept in 1977’s Star Wars (later retitled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope). It is primarily described as a metaphysical and ubiquitous power that can be harnessed by certain individuals. The Force has been extremely popular with the fans of the franchise especially because of its mystical nature that makes it mysterious and elusive.
However, in his earlier drafts of the film, George Lucas had opted for a drastically different name for the power source. According to reports, the original rough draft for the first Star Wars film referred to The Force as The Force of the Others. The earlier drafts also included a much more complex explanation for The Force.
The second draft in particular introduced Ashla, the light side, and Bogan, the dark side of The Force of Others. However, Lucas likely realized that The Force did not need an extensive explanation and later drafts resorted to referring to the power source as simply The Force. The influence of The Force on pop culture is evidence that Lucas made the right choice by avoiding the longer and barf-worthy alternative name for it.
George Lucas’ Explains Why He Created The Force For Star Wars Universe
Despite going back and forth about how to introduce The Force, Lucas was adamant about including it in his script for Star Wars. In the behind-the-scenes interview titled The Mythology of Star Wars with George Lucas, the filmmaker explained his reasoning behind creating The Force.
“I put the Force into the movies in order to try to awaken a certain kind of spirituality in young people. More a belief in God than a belief in any particular, you know, religious system.”
Lucas made the above statement explaining the primary motivation behind including a mystical element such as The Force in his film, which is essentially a story of good vs evil.
Given the simple motivation behind The Force’s creation, it is easy to understand why Lucas might have abandoned the more complex name and explanation for the power source. However, some aspects of the earlier incarnation of The Force such as the Ashla and Bogan representing the light and dark sides were later incorporated into the canon through Star Wars Rebels.
The Star Wars films are streaming on Disney+.
