10 Star Wars Moments That Were Almost WAY Darker

4. Ponda Baba Was Going To Lose A Head

Star Wars Ponda Baba
Lucasfilm

In A New Hope, when Luke and Obi-Wan arrive in Mos Eisley, they are quickly drawn into an altercation in the Cantina. Luke is threatened by noted Ballsack Walrus, Dr. Cornelius Evazan, who tells him in no uncertain terms that his companion, the pictured Ponda Baba, doesn't like him. Oh and, while they're at it, Evazan doesn't like him either.

For his troubles, Ponda Baba loses an arm in a flash as Obi-Wan draws his lightsaber. However, originally he was to be decapitated in the middle of the bar, with his head then bobbing away across the floor.

This was cut as it was deemed too violent for what was, in Lucas's mind at least, a child-friendly movie, but it also seems rather harsh for Obi-Wan to kill him for just talking smack to his ward.

These two characters, in the extended universe, were far worse than their appearance here. Evazan was a mad scientist, guilty of horrific crimes, with Baba as his assistant. Giving the old guy the benefit of the doubt here, perhaps Obi-Wan sensed this, in which case Baba should be grateful he only lost the arm in the end.

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"