George Lucas' original plans for the Jedi, the concept of the "Jedi Bendu," could be incorporated into James Mangold's upcoming Star Wars movie. George Lucas has a reputation as a visionary world-builder, but the Star Wars galaxy didn't emerge instantly in his mind. The script for the first Star Wars movie, later retitled A New Hope, changed many times before production.
Lucas originally envisioned the Jedi as the "Jedi Bendu," the protectors of the Emperor, some of the most feared beings in the galaxy. While the final Jedi turned out very differently, some aspects of Lucas' original iteration have persisted. Jedi were indeed some of the most feared and respected beings, especially during the prequels, where over 10,000 well-trained Jedi scouted the galaxy. A creature called Bendu appeared in Star Wars Rebels, helping Jedi Kanan Jarrus reconnect to the Force after he was blinded by Darth Maul.
