"Her Apprentice and Lover, Luke Skywalker": Star Wars Nearly Made Luke & Leia a Couple AFTER Fans Knew They Were Related

Summary Star Wars: Infinities reimagines the original trilogy with a 'What If?' twist, creating an entirely new storyline with a single detail change.

Peter David's alternate universe Star Wars story idea involves Leia as a Sith Lord, with Luke as her secret lover and apprentice.

Despite being an interesting concept, the idea of Luke and Leia as lovers was too taboo for even a non-canon Star Wars storyline to explore.

One of the most uncomfortable aspects of rewatching the Star Wars original trilogy (more specifically Episodes IV and V) is the sexual tension between Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. At the time, no one - Star Wars fans and in-universe characters alike - knew that Luke and Leia were siblings, as that wouldn’t be revealed until Episode VI. However, that didn’t stop one Star Wars storyline from nearly making them a couple after the release of Return of the Jedi, despite the fact that everyone knew they were related.

In an article published by CBR as a part of the site’s Nothing Was Delivered series, CBR delved into the Dark Horse Comics miniseries Star Wars: Infinities. The article explains the ‘What If?’ nature of the comic, while also exploring the original alternate version of A New Hope in the Infinities series that never got published - and it’s easy to see why.

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Enjoy these covers of Dark Horse Comics’ Star Wars: Infinities!

Star Wars: Infinities retells the original trilogy in a ‘What If?’ style. One detail from the OT is changed, which alters the entire storyline drastically, making it an entirely new Star Wars story.

It’s a fun idea that came together beautifully, making Star Wars: Infinities one of the most beloved Star Wars comic book storylines to date. However, that may not have been the case if writer Peter David got his alt-universe A New Hope published, as it would have ended with Luke becoming Leia’s lover.

Peter David describes this decidedly uncomfortable Star Wars story idea on his personal website, PeterDavid.net:

I went to that moment when the droid that Uncle Owen was originally going to go with blows, and I had it not blow up. That simple. The robot managed to hold itself together long enough for the Jawas to make tracks, and then it blows up. But that sent everything off in a different direction. Because if that droid doesn’t blow up at that particular moment, they don’t acquire R2-D2. Without R2-D2, the story doesn’t go the way it’s supposed to go… the story ended with Leia, now the ruler of the Empire, a Sith Lord and her apprentice and lover, Luke Skywalker. They didn’t know!

Related 10 Biggest Changes To Star Wars Canon Made Possible by Star Wars: INFINITIES Star Wars: Infinities is essentially a Star Wars 'What If?', as it reimagines the events of the original trilogy. Here are 10 of the wildest changes!

Luke & Leia Becoming a Couple Would Have Upset Every Star Wars Fan

Throughout the Star Wars fandom, there are a number of fans who wish things could have been a bit different. What if Darth Vader actually wasn’t Luke’s father, and did kill Anakin during the Clone Wars as Obi-Wan Kenobi first said? What if Boba Fett didn’t end up in the Sarlacc Pit for the sake of a cheap laugh? What if Jar-Jar Binks didn’t exist? These are ‘What If?’ changes fans have explored. But one thing that no self-respecting Star Wars fan has said out loud is, “What if Luke and Leia got together after it was revealed they were siblings?”.

Incest would not be a great way to continue the Star Wars legacy, even in a storyline that’s self-proclaimed non-canon. Luke and Leia may not have known what they were doing in Peter David’s pitched script, but fans would have known, and that is way too taboo for a family-friendly franchise.

There Is 1 Redeemable Aspect of Peter David’s Star Wars Story: Sith Lord Leia

Aside from the incest, one thing that really stood out from Peter David’s pitched story was Leia becoming a Sith Lord. A version of that was included in the published version of Star Wars: Infinities - A New Hope, but Leia ultimately found redemption in the end, where it seems she wouldn’t have in Peter David’s version. Not only that, but Peter David also states that Leia would have trained Luke Skywalker as her apprentice, meaning he’d also become a Sith. Take out the ‘lovers’ part, and that’s an exciting story any Star Wars fan would love to see.

While everything except for the part where Luke and Leia become lovers is interesting, and puts a darker spin on the Star Wars universe that stems from a seemingly innocuous moment in the original trilogy, the idea of Luke and Leia becoming Sith Lords is utterly overshadowed by them becoming a couple. Luke and Leia are brother and sister, and even though the original trilogy alluded to/teased a potential romantic relationship, that became an impossibility after Return of the Jedi, which is why Peter David’s Star Wars ‘What If?’ never got published.

Source: CBR

Source: PeterDavid.net