8 People More Important Than George Lucas In Making Star Wars Great

2. Ralph McQuarrie's Artwork Got The First Movie Green-Lit

Without Ralph McQuarrie, Star Wars would look very different. Working with George Lucas from early on in the first film's production and translating his incomprehensible into beautiful art pieces, McQuarrie's designs informed every visual aspect of the original trilogy. X-Wings, Taun-Tauns, Jabba? Conceived by Lucas, but given a physical look by McQuarrie. Who knows what this forward-thinking saga would have been without him. Well, it wouldn't have had the big twist in the sequel, that's for sure. Darth Vader was originally meant to be a more standard villain, conceived wearing conventional battle armour without a mask; the breathing apparatus only added to the concept art of the opening sequence when McQuarrie pointed out he was jumping from one ship to another. George Lucas loved the look so much he made it a part of the character, allowing for the later twist Vader was Luke's father to actually make sense. But, beyond just giving Lucas' ideas life, McQuarrie's artworks were actually integral to the movies existing in the first place; his paintings were what sold the idea of the movie to 20th Century Fox. Without McQuarrie, it's quite likely there'd be no Star Wars. The artist also has a more tangible fingerprint on the series too, providing several background matte paintings for the original trilogy (some of which have sadly been altered for the Special Editions).