Ralph McQuarrie Concept Art For Return Of The Jedi (1983)

Ralph McQuarrie’s Star Wars concepts

Star Wars: Rogue One Concept Art

Art by Ralph McQuarrie for the second Death Star. RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983).

Originally, the Rebel attack that’s the climax of the film was going to be on Had Abbadon, capital of the Empire. Hence those McQuarrie paintings of Coruscant I posted yesterday. If you read the story conferences for ROTJ, you can see it was a close call actually—the plan to use Had Abbadon comes back almost as often as it’s discarded—but eventually, to the others’ dismay, Lucas chose to go with a second Death Star. One of those What Ifs.

ROTJ was the first Star Wars film I saw, so for me it wasn’t a second Death Star: it was a rather eerie zombie construction that looked like the ghost of a dead moon. I thought it was a fascinating sight anyway.

A “winterized lizard”. Tauntaun art by Ralph McQuarrie.

Dave Filoni confirms that Ahsoka season 2 is in development with a sketch of Ahsoka and Sabine on Peridea, seemingly training atop the statue of The Father

Ralph McQuarrie concept art for Star Wars

Star Wars ➞ Recycled Concept Art

Satine Kryze, Rig Nema, Queen Apailana, Tiplar, Mother Talzin

Battle of Hoth - The Empire Strikes Back concept art by Ralph McQuarrie (1978)

Asajj Ventress Concept Art (originally Sith Villain from Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones)

Ralph McQuarrie’s original unused 1981 sketches for Emperor Palpatine’s throne room which is now featured in Star Wars Episode IX.