Journal of the Whills, Part I

The original handwritten document, known as Journal of the Whills, [Part] I or Journal of the Whills (Part) I, consisted of two pages and served as a preliminary outline for the narrative that would eventually evolve, through numerous revisions and conceptual explorations, into Star Wars (1977). George Lucas penned this initial draft, commencing around January of 1973.

Plot summary

The outline commences with the following: "This is the story of Mace Windy, a revered Jedi-bendu of Ophuchi, as related to us by C.J. Thorpe, padawaan learner to the famed Jedi." This Thorpe character, sometimes referred to as C.J. and other times as C.2. (the document is inconsistent), represents "Chuiee Two Thorpe of Kissel. My father is Han Dardell Thorpe, chief pilot of the renown galactic cruiser Tarnack."

Upon reaching the age of sixteen, Chuiee enrolls in the Intersystems Academy with the aspiration of becoming a Jedi-Templer. During his time there, he becomes the padawaan learner of Mace Windy, a Warlord serving the Chairman of the Alliance of Independent Systems. Windy falls prey to a conspiracy within the court: individuals who are fearful of Windy's potential power exceeding that of the Imperial leader of the Galactic Empire, including some of his own allies, orchestrate his removal and dismissal from the royal forces. Despite Windy's dismissal, Chuiee implores to remain in his service.

This situation then transitions into the even more incomplete narrative of Journal of the Whills, Part II. After a period of four years, Windy and Chuiee embark on their most significant adventure. They are tasked with guarding a shipment of fusion portables destined for Yavin, where they receive a summons to the desolate planet Yoshiro from a mysterious messenger dispatched by the Alliance chairman himself. The story abruptly concludes at this juncture.

Legacy

When George Lucas initiated development on Episode I, he retrieved the Journal of the Whills from the Lucasfilm archives for review. It remained on his desk throughout the writing process of the initial handwritten script for the first prequel.

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Appearances