Lyra Erso Was Supposed to be a Real Jedi in Another Early Version of Rogue One

Entertainment Weekly’s daily article dedicated to the Rogue One home release is here. This time Anthony Breznican reveals that at some point Jyn’s mother Lyra Erso was a Jedi, which death was supposed to happen during the Prequel Trilogy.

 

 

From EW:

 

“The prologue, at one point a long time ago, was going to be the Empire coming to kill the Jedi,” says director Gareth Edwards. “And Jyn’s mom was going to be a Jedi. We were witnessing one of those kills and Krennic would be the person sent to do it.”

“Our instinct told us that we wanted a scene where Jyn is orphaned because of what Krennic does, which sets her on her path of being a child of war,” says Edwards. “The problem was that the second you make her mom a Jedi you spend the entire movie questioning whether Jyn is a Jedi or not. Eventually, we came up with the idea that her father should have designed the Death Star. That became a stronger way into the stealing of the Death Star plans. We let go of the mother being a Jedi, and she became just a rebellious mom.”

 

 

In the abandoned Jedi prologue, when Krennic and his Deathtroopers arrive at the Erso homestead, they would have ended up facing not a jittery Lyra Erso slinging a blaster, but a calm, collected fugitive Jedi, drawing her lightsaber to protect her daughter — and her husband.

“Her mother was a Jedi Knight who was hiding out. But her father was still the scientist,” said Gary Whitta. As the story developed, Galen Erso’s involvement in the Death Star and the manipulation of Kyber crystals, which are the key element in lightsabers and the Imperial battle station’s planet-killing laser, became Jyn’s other motivation.

 

 

This is another example that the director and the writers chose the correct way to develop the story. While having a Jedi in the movie sounds exciting, it wouldn’t have served the purpose of the story. Another great choice. With all these revelations, I am even more convinced that the theatrical version of Rogue One that we got is the best possible scenario. What do you think?

 

 

For the full article go to EW.

 

Tomorrow’s story from EW will be about Bodhi Rook, played by Riz Ahmed, who at some point was an entirely different character.

 

 

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Founder of SWNN, MNN and The Cantina forums.

Born on April 24, 1980.

Val Trichkov (Viral Hide)

Founder of SWNN, MNN and The Cantina forums.Born on April 24, 1980.

63 thoughts on “Lyra Erso Was Supposed to be a Real Jedi in Another Early Version of Rogue One

  • March 22, 2017 at 9:57 pm
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    Lyra didn’t need to be a Jedi. Her strong beliefs in the Force were enough

    • March 23, 2017 at 6:09 am
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      They could just send an Inquisitor or two.

  • March 22, 2017 at 10:15 pm
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    Was a good decision, as everyone can understand, it would have been awesome to see a Jedi, but it’s good to see they can make am ovie without a single Jedi and it will still be a smash hit.

  • March 22, 2017 at 10:44 pm
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    They trusted the Force with this decision.

  • March 22, 2017 at 11:08 pm
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    Wonder if we’ll see a rogue Jedi in the Solo film ?? Probably not, but an interesting thought.

    • March 23, 2017 at 6:08 am
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      With the size of the Han movie’s cast, I’m wondering if the plot might revolve around Han getting roped into a Bounty hunter plan. Maybe a Rogue Jedi could be part of the crew.

  • March 22, 2017 at 11:11 pm
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    I still think she’s a Jedi. The Kyber crustal. Her clothes. I thought she’s in hiding when I first saw the move and factored it into my head canon.

    • March 22, 2017 at 11:24 pm
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      In my head canon, Tarkin is a Jedi. He kept his abilities secret and was actually hoping to use the Death Star in order to defeat Palpatine and help to restore the Order.

      C’mon man…head canon?

      • March 22, 2017 at 11:28 pm
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        Yeah, head canon. As in fill in the blanks. She has no on screem back story, so why not?

        • March 23, 2017 at 12:06 am
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          Did you read Catalyst? It’s pretty good and you get quite a bit of backstory on Lyra. It’s not an incredible book, but it’s worth a quick read. It’s actually sort of interesting to see how much history Krennic and Galen Erso have. Those two go back a long way.

          • March 23, 2017 at 1:31 am
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            No. I don’t much follow the NuEU. Just don’t have the time. Bought Bloodlines but that’s it/

          • March 23, 2017 at 2:20 am
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            Bloodlines is good. You’ll probably enjoy it.

      • March 23, 2017 at 12:18 am
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        “Head-cannon” was Lyra’s nickname for Orson, as he spits all over himself while “speaking”.

        She’d need Jedi mind-reading powers to comprehend just what those two marble-mouths are saying in that scene.

        • March 23, 2017 at 2:19 am
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          “She’d need Jedi mind-reading powers to comprehend just what those two marble-mouths are saying in that scene.”

          Hahaha!

      • March 23, 2017 at 2:48 am
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        In my head canon, Tarkin is actually Palpatine’s lover, and Darth Vader is their gimp. That’s why Leia says ‘I should’ve known you’d be holding Vader’s leash’ (or words to that effect). It is a literal leash.

        • March 23, 2017 at 5:18 am
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          That’s just sounds like bad fanfiction cringe x1000000 lol

        • March 23, 2017 at 6:07 am
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          I would L O V E to read a fanfic of that.

        • March 23, 2017 at 2:22 pm
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          Wow. I’m changing my head-canon.

  • March 22, 2017 at 11:26 pm
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    Death Troopers as specialised Jedi hunters might of been interesting, but I agree with others below there was no need for her to be shown as a Jedi and there is still a level of ambiguity on what her background is with the passing on of the Kyber Crystal.

    • March 23, 2017 at 12:09 am
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      Read Catalyst. The novel does a pretty good job of explaining the Ersos’ interest in the crystals and Lyra’s reverence for the Jedi. One doesn’t need to be a Force-user in the Star Wars galaxy to appreciate the Force and respect the Jedi.

      • March 23, 2017 at 12:22 am
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        To be honest I’ve not invested in the novel as yet. I totally agree one doesn’t need to be a force-user to appreciate the force, but from a filmgoers perspective I think the ambiguity portrayed in the film is perfect in leaving the audience guessing.

        • March 23, 2017 at 9:43 am
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          It’s a good book. Fleshes out the story of R1 better than the movie itself did.

          • March 23, 2017 at 2:11 pm
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            The backstory.

          • March 24, 2017 at 2:27 am
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            Yes..but to me, and this is my opinion and only mine I speak for no other Star Wars fan but myself; R1’s story was fairly shallow. I felt like the book itself was the lead up to the story’s climax rather than just a filler accompaniment.

          • March 24, 2017 at 2:29 pm
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            I disagree. Nothing in Catalyst, while a great book, was important to the story of Rogue One, which was about a daughter looking for her father and a suicide mission. It adds depth, but, as seen, you can enjoy Rogue One without reading that book.

          • March 23, 2017 at 6:55 pm
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            ok – sold me on it, will get it for the release on blu-ray

          • March 24, 2017 at 2:25 am
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            Hooray!

    • March 23, 2017 at 2:43 am
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      I actually wondered if the Death Troopers are supposed to be women. They all look thinner than regular stormies, and I couldn’t think of a reason to make their speech unintelligible unless the Empire- not being an equal opportunities employer- didn’t want it known they had female elite troopers.

      • March 23, 2017 at 6:06 am
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        I don’t believe that the Empire is sexist, just speciesist. There are actually quite a few female Moffs, Advisers, and stormtroopers, so I doubt that the Empire would try to hide them. Plus, the FO is modeled after the Empire, so i doubt they would have allowed Captain Phasma to be a thing if the Empire wouldn’t have.

        • March 23, 2017 at 9:42 am
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          That’s a retcon. The Empire used to be sexist prior to the Legends nerf.

          • March 23, 2017 at 2:11 pm
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            That’s not a retcon. It’s just new canon.

          • March 24, 2017 at 2:28 am
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            I would argue it’s a retcon, since the original films do not show any Imperial officers who are women nor being stormtroopers.

            Where as in VII they are in abundance, and in the new expanded universe material material, too. Women are now included in all aspects of the Imperial hierachy during the TOS.

            But not seeing any of them in the movies still leaves a disconnect that I consider to be glaring.

            But that’s just me.

  • March 22, 2017 at 11:45 pm
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    she was great in catalyst. i wish she was in R1 more.

    • March 23, 2017 at 2:53 am
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      I know, right? She was Laura Croft in SWs. I could honestly have followed an entire book/ comic based on her. And her relationship with Galen, one of the best romances in SWs. Yeah, Lost Stars was good, but I liked seeing these two together.

  • March 23, 2017 at 12:36 am
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    totally agree with the non Jedi answers.. we NEEDED a SW movie with no Jedi.. to prove to anyone i can be done and that the SW universe is big place and Jedi are not everywhere.

  • March 23, 2017 at 12:57 am
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    The Rogue One team was excellent and made the right calls. They love Star Wars and understand what that movie needed to be.

    That said, a Jedi mother being hunted down and defending her family from Death Troopers sounds like an amazingly dark and awesome story to tell…

    • March 23, 2017 at 6:04 am
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      I agree. I’d love to see them do something with that premise someday.

  • March 23, 2017 at 2:51 am
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    I still think the Jedi mom would be cool but I get they were trying to stay focused on the Death Star and Jyns rebellion

  • March 23, 2017 at 2:52 am
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    The Rogue One team did a great job in not making Lyra that. Honestly, I felt like if that was the case, it would have cheapened the point of the movie: to showcase the galaxy at its absolute lowest point and there being no Jedi, no gods to help it. Rather, it is the power of hope and belief that carried our heroes through.

    And really, when you consider Lyra’s character from Catalyst, I do love that moment. Because, (SPOILERS FOR BOOK), Lyra was Laura Croft SWs edition in her adventurous mindset. Though, less academic as she was more spiritual(END SPOILERS FOR BOOK). Which if I had to gripe about one thing about RO; I wished we could have had more connections with Catalyst.

    It was truly an excellent book and I highly recommend all those people read it. Normally, I am very much against people needing to read canon material to make better sense of movies, because I believe both casual and hardcore fans shouldn’t have to do that. BUT, Catalyst truly makes one appreciate Rogue One a lot more.

    It also helps that I do think Rogue One does stand on its own very well. But if anyone disagrees, that’s cool. 🙂

    • March 23, 2017 at 10:49 am
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      My personal recommendation would be to watch ‘Rogue One’, read ‘Catalyst’, re-watch the film and then reading the novelisation.

      And if ‘Inferno Squad’ turns out to be on the same level, we could have a great trilogy of books on our hands.

      • March 23, 2017 at 3:40 pm
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        I can see that. Honestly, a part of me hates how LucasFilm is leaving out a lot of relevant details from their movies and relegating it to canon. I say this because it would be hypocritical of me to endorse this, when I was so against this during TFA and how basic world building facts, introduced in say, Bloodline and Aftermath were very relevant to the franchise.

        But yes, I do agree that people should read RO novelization. Done, by the same author who did Twilight Company which I loved.. But overall, I still find RO a much better movie than TFA. It finally told people that you can do a SWs movie without the Skywalkers and have it be reasonably good.

        But then again, most hardcore fans of the Legends/ EU know this. But still, this franchise is for everyone after all. 🙂

  • March 23, 2017 at 4:02 am
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    It really is amazing how many terrible ideas are coming out about R1 that never made it to screen. I hope none of them make it into Han Solo.

    • March 23, 2017 at 9:41 am
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      I know, right?

      It’s like they hired you onto their writing team or something. Awful. Bad. Bigly!

  • March 23, 2017 at 5:15 am
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    Mixed feelings about this..would have been a cool thing to see the “keepers of the peace” and heroes we know as the Jedi become this broken version of themselves. Having the death troopers execute a Jedi could have cemented the hopelessness of the galaxy during the empire. But what we got was just as good..idk idk

  • March 23, 2017 at 12:33 pm
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    No, just no way in hell. Jedis do not get married. They take vows to remain celibate and devoted to the order. Anakin betrayed that vow and changed the balance of the galaxy.

    Plus, makes no sense. A jedi family with Jedi dad dealing with the jedi kid’s hijinks. Come on, that would just be awful!

    • March 23, 2017 at 1:08 pm
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      She could have become a wife and mother after the fall of the Jedi. When her world came crashing down around her and everything she knew was gone – it might have changed her perspective on attachments. It’s not like those feelings and temptations are never there. After all, Obi-Wan himself nearly left the order for the woman he loved. If Satine would have still been alive after Order 66, there’s not a doubt in my mind Obi-Wan would have reunited with her at some point. I don’t think the idea of a fugitive Jedi finding love and clinging to it in the wake of her entire life being upended is that far-fetched. That being said, I like the route they took in the film even better though – still giving her a connection to the Force without making her a Jedi had more of an impact I think.

      • March 23, 2017 at 7:26 pm
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        exactly!

    • March 23, 2017 at 2:09 pm
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      Tell that to Anakin.

    • March 23, 2017 at 2:26 pm
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      They are allowed to leave the order………. Ahsoka did, Obi-Wan almost did.. Anakin had a choice to. You can still be a force wielder, dark or light, and lightsaber wielder and not be a Jedi or a Sith.. You just no longer benefit from their teachings.

    • March 23, 2017 at 7:25 pm
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      But, the galaxy changed and the Jedi were gone. So, I could see any remnant of Jedi changing.

  • March 23, 2017 at 2:08 pm
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    I still think it was strange to kill her so fast in RO. What was the reason for Galen to go work for the empire after her death?

    • March 23, 2017 at 5:37 pm
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      From Galen’s perspective, it was to put a huge flaw in the Death Star.

      From Krennic’s perspective, he thought he would be able to find Jyn and use her life to blackmail Galen.

      • March 23, 2017 at 8:17 pm
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        Galen was the only one who could finish the superlaser project. So why help the empire to complete it after they murdered Lyra. To blackmail him with Jynn? Jynn lived with Saw for many years so we can assure she was not captured by the empire for a long time.If the empire would have captured Lyra it makes more sense to blackmail him.

        • March 23, 2017 at 9:40 pm
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          Galen knew that eventually the Empire would finish the Death Star without him, even if it took them longer to do it. He says as much in the movie.

  • March 23, 2017 at 7:24 pm
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    It would have been a great idea to have her as a Jedi in hiding and still use Galen exactly as they did…regardless, still one of THE best of all the SW movies.

    • March 23, 2017 at 9:45 pm
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      I agree. Top 8, at least. 😉

  • March 23, 2017 at 8:48 pm
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    So glad they did not go that route. I loved her character in Catalyst — a smart, strong, adventurous, protective woman. Which is what her daughter became.

  • March 24, 2017 at 12:56 am
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    I still can’t understand why she was so stupid to let herself killed. Why she did not stay with Jyn, why she returned to Krennick, and why she didn’t shoot him from cover….

    • March 24, 2017 at 1:22 am
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      I think it’s because she was tired of running and was trying to make a final stand. If you read catalyst, it becomes that much more believable.

      Short answer: She was pissed off and didn’t give a shit anymore.

      • March 24, 2017 at 12:54 pm
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        TUD, I believe you don´t have children. Because no mother would leave a child just like that. “pissed off and didn´t give a shit anymore is a fantasy that would never happend” – the screenwriters just needed the mother die and this was not a believable form to do that. She would prefer to stay with her kid, watch it grow up, help her. But in your eyes the best thing she could do for Jyn was make herself killed, right? And in the worst way, with no point whatsoever. If I´m the mother, if I say to myself Fuck the kid, I just don´t care what happened to Jyn, (how that sounds?) I would just shoot first Krennick and then as many soldiers as possible…..She prefered just to die…..OK. I´m sorry but that is just one of many non logical things in this movie…you have a team and lot of time and the only thing you can imagine to ged rid off the mother was this?

        • March 24, 2017 at 4:19 pm
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          I didn’t say that she WANTED to die, I said that she was tired of running. She was hoping to get Krennic to leave them alone. Alternatively, she could have done that to buy time for Jyn to escape. I haven’t read the novelization in while, so I can’t tell you for sure, but I think it makes sense.

  • April 1, 2017 at 1:39 am
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    How is this the correct decision for the sake of the story? What purpose did it serve for her to pretty much be that stupid? She sees that she is outnumbered, she knows she has no chance of stopping them from taking her Husband, even if she kills Krennic, she will be gunned down and the troopers still take her Husband. With her being a Jedi, at least her move to try and stop them seems more based on her knowing she has some ability to actually try and stop them or at least give her Husband a chance to run.

    Whether or not Jyn is a Jedi is an easy thing to answer. Never show her use the Force or a lightsaber. Easy, she isn’t a Jedi, wasn’t trained… Just seemed they overthought it for the sake of overthinking…

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