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George Lucas Original Version of Lando Calrissian Was Very, Very Different


Star Wars fans might know Lando Calrissian as the suave and charming smuggler-slash-gambler-slash-scoundrel introduced as the Baron Administrator of Cloud City first introduced in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, however, it seems like George Lucas had a very different original concept for the character.

According to Comic Book Resources, George Lucas had a very different Lando Calrissian in mind for Star Wars. In earlier drafts of The Empire Strikes Back, Lucas wanted to introduce a character from Han Solo's past that would help reveal more of the smuggler's background. This character would be Lando Kadar, a trader on a Wookie planet.

While Wookie planet trader does have its merits, Lucas realized that he wanted Lando to contrast Han Solo's character. Crude, sarcastic, and rough-and-tumble, Han had his fans because of his course and practical demeanor. Lucas then decided to focus on Bond's charms – he wanted Lando to ooze with swagger and charisma.

Then after giving it more thought, Lucas wanted Lando Kadar to be a clone who had survived the Clone Wars. He also toyed with the idea of Lando looking human, though not entirely human at all.

Apparently, George Lucas' early drafts revealed Lando's great-grandfather wanting many sons, thus producing them using cells from his own body. The sister of Lando's great-grandfather did the same thing to produce daughters from her own body.

It was a strange backstory for Lando, and eventually, Lucas scrapped the idea, simplifying Lando into Lando Calrissian, the Baron Administrator of Cloud City.

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