Maclunkey

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About

Maclunkey is a memorable quote uttered by the character Greedo in the version of the film Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope edited for the Disney+ streaming platform. Fans first noticed the phrase in a newly edited version of the infamous Han Shot First scene from the film. It's inclusion inspired a series of memes, mocking the word and the edit.

Origin

On November 12th, 2019, Disney+ launched in the United States. Disney included the film Star Wars: A New Hope as one of the titles available on launch day. Shortly after the launch, Twitter user Star Wars Visual Comparisons tweeted a video of the standoff between the characters Han Solo and Greedo (portrayed by Harrison Ford and Paul Blake, respectively), an infamous scene that has been re-edited by Star Wars-creator numerous times in the past. The video showed another version of the scene, in which the two characters fire their guns at the same time. Greedo loses the showdown, screaming "maclunkey" before he first his gun (shown below).

Shortly after Twitter user @ericfell tweeted a video highlighting the line. They wrote, "In the Disney+ version of Star Wars Greedo now shouts "MACLUNKEY" before getting shot. This is now my favorite version because why the hell not? MACLUNKEY! #starwars #maclunkey." The post received more than 8,700 likes and 2,300 retweets in 24 hours (shown below).

In the Disney+ version of Star Wars Greedo now shouts "MACLUNKEY" before getting shot. This is now my favorite version because why the hell not? MACLUNKEY! #starwars #maclunkey pic.twitter.com/k1XmP8wAZT

— Eric Fell (@ericfell) November 12, 2019

Spread

Later that morning, @ericfell posted a video adding the line into a fight scene between the two characters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader. the post received more than 126,000 views, 4,900 likes and 1,400 retweets in 24 hours (shown below).

BREAKING: Greedo shouting "Maclunkey" isn't the only major change to the Original #starwars trilogy on #DisneyPlus pic.twitter.com/7HMRKGQkc0

— Eric Fell (@ericfell) November 12, 2019

Throughout the day, people on Twitter continued to add the line to scenes from other cultural properties and memes (shown below).

That day, some noted that the word had been part of the Star Wars films in the past. Twitter^[1] user @swankmotron tweeted that the line had been used by the character Sebulba in the film Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace. That day, Twitter user @seaniccus tweeted a video of the line.

There's more to #maclunkey than you think: @swankmotron remembered Sebulba using the word as a threat in Episode 1, so I did the homework -- he was right. The pronunciation is different, but Greedo's new last words were already established in Star Wars. That means a lot. https://t.co/pNwWPEqsiY pic.twitter.com/t2aJYzUT9V

— Sean Buckley (@seaniccus) November 12, 2019

Twitter^[9] user @MExasperated elaborated on the word, explaining that "ma klounkee," as it is spelled in the universe of the films, means "This is the end of you" (shown below).

That day, the Verge^[2] confirmed that the change was made by Star Wars creator George Lucas before the Disney acquisition of the franchise.

Several media outlets covered the edit and the addition, inlcuding Uproxx,^[3] Mashable, ^[4] The Daily Dot, ^[5] Vulture,^[6] NME,^[7] Gizmodo^[8] and more.