New “Star Wars” films always generate a tidal wave of excitement not only for the stories but also for the incredible designs and concept art that come with them. For “The Force Awakens,” many designs didn’t make it to the final cut, and fans can only imagine what could have been. Here are the eight best designs from “The Force Awakens” that painfully went unused:

1. Darth Talon’s Influence: Originally conceived as an influence on Kylo Ren, Darth Talon’s striking appearance from the “Legacy” comics was used as a baseline for some early concepts, showcasing a Sith with lethal allure and tattoos indicative of her dark side allegiance.

2. Ancient Fear: Initially named “Ancient Fear”, Supreme Leader Snoke had an even more spectral and weathered look compared to his final theatrical presence, exuding a sense of historical dread that would have added depth to his character.

3. Underwater X-Wings: In some concept art, X-wings were shown in submerged environments, pointing towards an aquatic evolution of battles, conjuring an image of dogfights amidst undersea ruins or coral formations.

4. Kira (Rey) The Scavenger: Before Rey was Rey, she was Kira – a character who lived in a repurposed AT-AT on Jakku. Early designs had her with a more rugged, sci-fi salvager aesthetic that emphasized her resourcefulness in a harsh desert world.

5. Speeder Chase on Coruscant: Imagined as a chase sequence through the neon-lit lower levels of Coruscant for Finn and the character that became known as Rey, the early concept art promised high-speed action in intricate urban canyons far below the city’s surface.

6. Alien Jakku VillagersInhabitants of Jakku were originally drawn with richly detailed cultural garb and diverse alien designs that would have brought an even more vivid sense of life and history to the desolate planet.

7. Killer Droids: One set of early concepts depicted ‘abandoned’ yet still functioning killer droids – relics from older wars turned scavengers themselves – haunting the landscapes like twisted metal ghosts of a bygone era.

8. The Graveyard: An even bleaker version of Jakku’s Star Destroyer graveyard was imagined – full of half-buried imperial relics and dark scavenging communities living under their hulking shadows – giving stark visual context to the consequences of war.

Each design holds within it a story untold and contributes to the sense of wonder about what could have been part of the Star Wars universe lore if these unused concepts had made their way into “The Force Awakens.”