Princess Leia is almost unrecognisable in the concept art. The film originally detailed how Luke Skywalker had to rescue his brother from the Empire, before the character of Princess Leia was fully developed. McQaurrie drew the character as being an almost female version of Luke Skywalker – predicting a future plot detail that wouldn’t be conceived of until the production of the second film! McQaurrie’s Leia is much more of a tomboy, highlighting Leia’s warrior capabilities. That said, Leia’s famous twin-bun hairstyle is also a reflection of her fighting attitude. The ‘squash blossom’ hairstyle is inspired by revolutionary Pancho Villa women in turn of the century Mexico.
Han Solo was originally conceived as a mentor-type character, before that role evolved into Obi-Wan Kenobi. Even as a wise Jedi figure, Han Solo still has something of the reckless swashbuckler about him – there’s little of the peace and serenity of Obi-Wan about him. After a short stint as a nefarious alien, Solo was tooled into a space cowboy. His costume is simple and says nothing about his true allegiances or intents. That’s the perfect cover for the best smuggler in the galaxy.
