There is no shortage of stories, myths and fables when it comes to Star Wars. In fact, there’s even a new book that chronicles the fables told across the galaxy far, far away. We’re not talking about those stories today, however. No, we’re talking about the Star Wars myths that arise from behind the scenes. Recently, a Lucasfilm executive took to Twitter to debunk some of those myths… and confirm others.
Have you ever wondered where the title “Darth Vader” came from? Did it really come from German origins? Or were you curious about how the visual effects artists painted the giant backgrounds of the original trilogy? Rumor has it that they did so on glass shower doors. Phil Szostak, a creative art manager at Lucasfilm, tackled these Star Wars myths among others in a lengthy twitter feed that began earlier this month. You can see the feed below.
Lucasfilm exec busts Star Wars myths, confirms others
One subject on fans’ minds for decades has been the origin of Darth Vader’s name/title. The leading theory was that it was a German or Dutch derivative, meaning “dark father.” This Star Wars myth tells us that George Lucas hinted at Darth Vader’s true roll as Luke Skywalker’s father way back in the original Star Wars in 1977. This myth simply isn’t true, it seems, according to Szostak. Back then, Lucas only referred to Vader as a “tall, grim-looking general”. He wasn’t Luke’s father until the second draft of the script for The Empire Strikes Back. And oh, yeah: “Darth” means nothing in German, or Dutch.
Szostak discusses Vader, the origins of the Millennium Falcon, and more in the Twitter feed. The revelations, debunking some long-believed Star Wars myths, do make it feel a bit like he’s revealed the man behind the proverbial curtain. Notwithstanding, it’s still fun to get this kind of direct insight into Star Wars and its creation. At least we know conclusively that R2-D2 was indeed named after sound mixing tracks from Lucas’s THX 1138.
Some Star Wars myths, however, regardless of whether Szostak claims to prove or dismiss them, rage on. Want to know the real truth behind Luke Skywalker’s appearance in Empire, for example? You might want to check with Mark Hamill on that one directly.
Are there any Star Wars myths you want That Hashtag Show to investigate? Let us know in the comments below!
(Thanks to geektyrant.com for alerting us to Szostak’s Twitter feed.)
