Biggs Darklighter, Luke's childhood friend, suffered heavily at the mighty hand of George Lucas' editorial choices. There are two major deleted scenes involving Biggs. The second of these takes place a short time after the first one, after the scene where C-3PO starts waving and shouting at the Sandcrawler out in the Tatooine desert.

Luke and Biggs are walking outside in Anchorhead enjoying a beverage of some sort. As they are walking, they talk about old times and how quiet it's been without Biggs around. Biggs then decides to tell Luke about his plans to jump ship and join the Rebellion. Luke is very surprised.

The two then talk about Luke not getting his chance to leave for the Academy this season, Uncle Owen, the Sandpeople and the Empire. The two childhood friends share a bittersweet good-bye. Luke tells Biggs that he will always be the best friend he's ever had. Biggs turns and leaves. Luke remains for a few seconds then turns and leaves as well.

Here's the script passage from The Art of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope:

EXTERIOR: TATOOINE - ANCHORHEAD SETTLEMENT - POWER STATION - DAY

Luke and Biggs are walking and drinking a malt brew. Fixer and the others can be heard working inside.

LUKE
(Very animated)... so I cut off my power,
shut down the afterburners and came in
low on Deak's trail. I was so close I thought I
was going to fry my instruments. As it was I busted
up the Skyhopper pretty bad. Uncle Owen was
pretty upset. He grounded me for the rest
of the season. You should have been there...
it was fantastic.

BIGGS
You ought to take it a little easy Luke.
You may be the hottest bushpilot this side of
Mos Eisley, but those little skyhoppers are
dangerous. Keep it up, and one day whammo,
you're going to be nothing more than a dark
spot on the down side of a canyon wall.

LUKE
Look whose talking. Now that you've
been around those giant starships you're
beginning to sound like my uncle.
You've gotten soft in the city...

BIGGS
I've missed you kid.

LUKE
Well, things haven't been the same
since you left Biggs. It's been so... quiet.

Biggs looks around then leans close to Luke.

BIGGS
Luke, I didn't come back just to say good-bye...
I shouldn't tell you this but you're the only
one I can trust... and if I don't come back,
I want somebody to know.

Luke's eyes are wide with Biggs' seriousness and loyalty.

LUKE
What are you talking about?

BIGGS
I made some friends at the Academy.
(He whispers)
...when our frigate goes to one of the central systems,
we're going to jump ship and join the Alliance...

Luke, amazed and stunned, is almost speechless.

LUKE
Join the rebellion?! Are you kidding!
How?!?

BIGGS
Quiet down will ya!
You got a mouth bigger than
a meteor crater!

LUKE
I'm sorry. I'm quiet.
(He whispers)
Listen how quiet I am.
You can barely hear me...

Biggs shakes his head angrily and then continues.

BIGGS
My friend has a friend on Bestine
who might help us make contact.

LUKE
You're crazy! You could wander around
forever trying to find them.

BIGGS
I know it's a long shot, but if I don't find them
I'll do what I can on my own... It's what we
always talked about. Luke, I'm not going to wait
for the Empire to draft me into service.
The Rebellion is spreading and I want to be
on the right side - the side I believe in.

LUKE
And I'm stuck here...

BIGGS
I thought you were going to the academy
next term. You'll get your chance to get off
this rock.

LUKE
Not likely! I had to cancel my application.
There has been a lot of unrest among the sandpeople
since you left... they've even raided the outskirts
of Anchorhead.

BIGGS
Your uncle could hold off a whole colony
of sandpeople with one blaster.

LUKE
I know, but he's got enough vaporators going
to make the place pay off. He needs me for
just one more season. I can't leave him now.

BIGGS
I feel for you, Luke, you're going to have to
learn what seems to be important or what really is
important. What good is all your uncle's work
if its taken over by the Empire?...
You know they're starting to nationalize
commerce in the central systems...
it won't be long before your uncle is
merely a tenant, slaving for the greater
glory of the Empire.

LUKE
It couldn't happen here. You said it yourself.
The Empire won't bother with this rock.

BIGGS
Things always change.

LUKE
I wish I was going...
Are you going to be around long?

BIGGS
No, I'm leaving in the morning...

LUKE
Then I guess I won't see you.

BIGGS
Maybe someday... I'll keep a lookout.

LUKE
Well, I'll be at the Academy next season...
after that who knows. I won't be drafted into the
Imperial Starfleet that's for sure... Take care of
yourself, you'll always be the best friend I've got.

BIGGS
So long, Luke.

Biggs turns away from his old friend and heads back towards the power station.

You can download a clip of this scene below courtesy of my good friends at SithVids. I'm also including a clip that's been floating around the Internet for a long time. I am crediting Evan Reynolds with it because his site is where I originally found the file. It's taken from the old documentary, "The Making Of Star Wars." I suppose it could be from the famous "Lost Cut" as well, which is just an early rough cut of the film. It seems to fall right before the scene we're discussing here because you can see that funky droid rolling by at the end of this clip. That is the same droid as the one rolling by at the beginning of this scene we're talking about here where Luke and Biggs part ways.

	Description: Old Friends Part Ways Once More (From the BEHIND THE MAGIC CD-ROM, courtesy SithVids.)
	Description: Clip from "The Making of Star Wars" (courtesy Evan Reynolds.)

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