20 Things You Didn't Know About Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

9. The Force Could Originally Be Harnessed By Ancient Relics

Star Wars New Hope
Lucasfilm

If the Star Wars prequels' decision to explain the Force as midi-chlorians proved that George Lucas' handle on his own lore was questionable at best, he didn't fare much better during the scripting stages of A New Hope.

Though he eventually settled on the Force as a physically intangible object, earlier drafts of the script included a "Kyber crystal," a Holy Grail-esque artefact capable of harnessing and manipulating the Force.

This is of course before Kyber crystals went on to the become the power source for lightsabers.

The idea of the Force having a physical presence wasn't thrown out entirely, though, being recycled for the 1978 Star Wars novel "Splinter of the Mind's Eye," where "Kaiburr crystals" are ancient Force relics which grant the wearer immeasurable control of the force.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.