[Update: Reposted from January 10th for #StarWarsDay 2018. May the 4th be with you!]

With the Star Wars sequel trilogy speeding towards its conclusion, details about George Lucas' vision for the series have come to light over the past few years. Lucas, of course, spearheaded the first six episodes of the Skywalker saga, watching his creation grow from a strange Flash Gordon homage to the most popular film series on the planet. In 2012, he shocked the entertainment industry by selling Lucasfilm to Disney, passing the torch over to a new generation of creatives so they could add to the galaxy's legacy. So far, three movies in this era have been released with at least five more on the way (as of this writing). In addition to spinoff Solo and Episode IX, Last Jedi director Rian Johnson is developing an all-new trilogy.

Well before what would become The Force Awakens was an inkling in anyone's mind, Lucas spent a year sketching an outline for the sequels he would later share with Disney. It's no secret Lucasfilm and the Mouse House opted to go in a different direction, discarding many of Lucas' ideas (a fact that upset Mark Hamill), and many are wondering what he had in mind. We may never get to read the full story, but some information has been unveiled since the Star Wars renaissance began. Here's everything we know about Lucas' sequel trilogy so far.

Disney's 'Retro Movie'

Star Wars The Force Awakens Poster

There's no denying The Force Awakens was an overwhelming success, grossing $2 billion at the global box office and earning widely positive reviews from critics. That said, there was a vocal group of detractors who bemoaned Episode VII for a perceived lack of vision. There were a number of surface similarities to the original film (which was intentional on J.J. Abrams' part), such as the cute droid with top secret information and a planet-killing weapon. Even the general conflict was highly reminiscent of the original trilogy - with a well-resourced First Order waging battle against the scrappy Resistance. Force Awakens was very much an exercise of nostalgia, and Lucas wasn't particularly thrilled about that.

Related: George Lucas Thought Last Jedi Was 'Beautifully Made'

While Star Wars 7 was rewriting the box office record book, Lucas was doing interviews about his feelings on the picture. His thoughts were quite clear, as he criticized Disney for wanting to "make something for the fans," which he qualified as a "retro movie." This approach greatly differed from Lucas, who had something "completely different" in mind. The specifics of his treatment have not publicly been revealed, but it stands reason to believe the story would have gone in some new directions instead of retreading familiar ground. Even the ships of the sequels (the Millennium Falcon, X-wings, TIE fighters) were carried over from the classic films. Eventually, the saga did get turned on its head, with Last Jedi becoming the most divisive entry in the franchise.

Teenage Heroes

One aspect of Lucas' sequel that has become public knowledge is his proposed age for the new heroes that would carry the series forward. Months before The Force Awakens was released, it was stated the protagonists were teenagers, which called to mind the young Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala from The Phantom Menace. Given how maligned the prequel trilogy was at the time, it's understandable why Lucasfilm would want to go in a different direction. Studio president Kathleen Kennedy admitted they made "some departures" from Lucas' treatment, but said it was just like any other process she experienced.

In Episode I, Padmé proved a 14-year old queen could lead her people to victory, but it's hard to fault Lucasfilm for deviating from Lucas' intentions here. The new characters rank among the sequel trilogy's strongest assets, as the likes of Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron have endeared themselves to generations of fans in a quick period of time. Just because children make up a significant portion of Star Wars' target audience doesn't mean the movies need child stars in order to resonate. The original trilogy is living proof of that, and the sequels simply followed their lead by revolving around a group of people in their 20s and 30s.

Luke In Exile

There were some Lucas concepts that did find their way in the official sequels. Chief among them was the state of Luke Skywalker. The films reveal that after the fall of the Galactic Empire, Luke started to train a new generation of Jedi, only to go in self-imposed exile after one apprentice (Ben Solo) turned to the dark side and destroyed it all. Making refuge on the remote planet Ahch-To (home to the first Jedi Temple), Skywalker hoped to live out the rest of his days in isolation, taking the last reminders of the Jedi religion down with him in death. That is, of course, until Rey finds him and tries to spark a change-of-heart in the old hero.

Related: George Lucas Still Offers Jedi Insight On Star Wars Films

This idea was one of the first discussed at the initial Episode VII meeting in January 2013. Lucas himself showcased art of where the first Temple (and Luke) was located. His plan was for Luke to slowly regain his faith by training a new pupil, Kira (who would later become Rey), meaning Skywalker factored in Lucas' sequel trilogy much earlier than in actuality. For Episode VII, Abrams made the tough call to sideline Luke until the very end, allowing the spotlight to shine on the new characters before Luke had more to do in the followup. It would have been interesting to see Skywalker with a more substantial part from the get-go, but his presence arguably would have overshadowed the youngsters.

Leia Uses the Force

One of Last Jedi's most shocking moments came when Leia demonstrated her Force powers to survive being blasted into space following a First Order attack. Dubbed "Leia Poppins" by the Internet, the scene proved to be highly-controversial, even though it's widely known Leia is Force sensitive. Return of the Jedi revealed Leia is Luke's twin sister, and many fans had long hoped she would overtly use the Force onscreen. The previous films provided more subtle instances of her abilities, but this was the first time Leia's full-fledged potential was on display. It may not have worked for everyone, but it was great to see.

Shortly after Episode VIII premiered, Hamill shared that Leia's Force sensitivity was a plot point in Lucas' outlines for the sequels. He did not state specifics of how exactly that would manifest, but said it would be a "waste of innate talent" if Leia never tapped into that side of her. Apparently, Johnson agreed with him and made sure to include one sequence where Leia used the Force when she was pushed to the brink.

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So far, these are the biggest revelations that have been revealed about Lucas' sequel trilogy in interviews and publications. If anything new comes to light, we'll be sure to update this post with the latest information!

MORE: Star Wars Things George Lucas Wants To Forget

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