Movie Mystery: Why 'Star Wars' Had A Satan Cameo

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Movie Mystery: Why 'Star Wars' Had A Satan Cameo

One of the most iconic Star Wars scenes that doesn't involve lightsabers, space battles, or Wookie VR porn is the Cantina scene from A New Hope. Sure, it's kind of weird that we're asked to root for the eccentric desert hermit luring a minor to a filthy dive bar -- but look at all of those wacky aliens!

One thing that's always seemed weird about this scene is that one of the mysterious bar patrons appears to be ... the literal goddamn Devil.

So why is Satan on Tatooine chilling out with Greedo and Hammerhead? Lucasfilm later explained that this guy is a Devaronian, a race of aliens that just so happen to look exactly like Lucifer. But the real reason is because of movie make-up legend Rick Baker. 

Six months after shooting Star Wars, George Lucas still wasn't satisfied with the number of freaky characters in the cantina scene, so Baker was hired to make another 30 creatures for reshoots -- but they were only given a fifth of the budget Lucas asked the studio for. So while Baker was able to create a lot of unique new aliens (including the Cantina band), he was also forced to utilize a bunch of masks he already had. One of which was a Devil mask, created for a movie that "never happened."

Baker also brought in a werewolf mask that he had created years earlier and had even marketed to the public as a Halloween mask -- although sadly, Werewolf Guy (AKA Lak Sivrak) was cut-out of the movie in subsequent special editions.

But since Hell also exists in the Star Wars-verse, feel free to go on pretending that it really is a lycanthrope and the Prince of Darkness getting drunk together in a children's adventure movie.

You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter! And check out the podcast Rewatchability.

Top Image: Lucasfilm

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