When it comes to the Star Wars prequel films, Revenge of the Sith is still probably the most loved of the three. It’s the film that showcased the tragic fall of Anakin Skywalker, the demise of Padmé, and the exile of Master Yoda. The movie also introduced — and promptly killed off — fan-favorite villain General Grievous.
According to a recent /Film interview, things coul
d have turned out very differently for Grievous — actually, he could have technically been a completely different character.
Henry Gilroy, who served as a writer on The Clone Wars TV series and an executive producer and writer on Star Wars: Rebels, recalls that George Lucas originally had a very different plan for the alien-droid hybrid antagonist. It involved Darth Maul.
“George was considering that Grievous was Maul behind the armor plate. It made sense. He’s cut in half, and he’s in this robot body or whatever.”
But inserting Maul into that film wouldn’t have made much sense — and it made his surprise reappearance in The Clone Wars even more special. It also allowed for his story to take an important turn in the final episodes of the show, pick back up in Rebels, and end as tragically as it began.
Gilroy is glad Grievous got to develop into his own character, however. Even after his death in Revenge of the Sith, he got to live on in The Clone Wars since it took place before his death, ensuring that no matter where he showed up in the show, he could never be killed off.
“I’m glad that Grievous is his own thing anyway,” Gilroy said, “:but I thought it was interesting that the concept guys almost talked George into that.”
Grievous has also appeared in several comics, and most recently appeared on the small screen once again in LEGO Star Wars: Terrifying Tales on Disney+. The character pretty much fits into any future project that requires a villain fans can take a little less seriously (no matter how cool he looks).
Revenge of the Sith and other Star Wars films, TV shows, and shorts are all available to stream on Disney+ now.
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