You may have heard that there’s some little, small-budget film called The Force Awakens coming out soon. The highly anticipated follow up to the original Star Wars trilogy has people buzzing all over the internet, as they look for any clues and hints about what the newest installment has to offer while crossing their fingers it won’t be nearly the letdown The Phantom Menace was.
Because we know you’re every bit the Star Wars fanboy as the rest of us, we decided to collect some of the best facts and rumors about the new film that we could find in one handy list.
12Rumor: The Main Protagonist is Han and Leia’s Kid
Family is at the center of the Star Wars saga, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that people have latched onto the idea of the dark-haired main character, Rey, a mysterious scavenger, being the long lost daughter of Han Solo and Princess Leia.
11Rumor: …And so is the Main Antagonist
This actually lines up with the general ages of Rey and Kylo Ren to support those first two rumors, since they’re both in their mid-20s. The events of the new trilogy kick off three decades after Luke and the gang defeated the Emperor.
10Fact: The Movie is Set 30 Years After the Fall of the Empire
This actually lines up with the general ages of Rey and Kylo Ren to support those first two rumors, since they’re both in their mid-20s. The events of the new trilogy kick off three decades after Luke and the gang defeated the Emperor.
9Fact: The Main Character is a Reformed Stormtrooper
Yes, even though the Empire fell, Stormtroopers are still kicking around, though now they’re no longer clones and as such, the character of Finn, a Stormtrooper, ultimately becomes one of the new heroes of the upcoming trilogy.
8Rumor: Luke Skywalker has Turned to the Dark Side
A lot has been made about the absence of Luke Skywalker from any of the promotional materials, including posters and trailers. Why would director JJ Abrams hide his most iconic hero? Well, because if the rumors are true, he’s keeping the reveal that Luke has finally turned to the dark side of the Force as this trilogy’s major twist.
7Rumor: Han Solo is Going to Bite the Dust
It’s never been much of a secret that Harrison Ford grew pretty bored with his famous character pretty early on. He actually pleaded with George Lucas to kill him off, and the character was frozen in carbonate as a “just in case” to give Ford an out. Well, Harrison may get his wish: rumors are swirling that everyone’s favorite smuggler will die in The Force Awakens.
6Fact: Ren Isn’t Actually The Villian’s Last Name
Just like Darth was a title and not a name, it appears Ren follows that same pattern. The new villain, Kylo Ren, is a member of the Knights of Ren, an evil group that sprang up shortly after the events in Return of the Jedi.
5Fact: Yes, Thankfully, John Williams is Doing The Score
It wouldn’t be a Star Wars film without John Williams writing and conducting the original score, and with the switch from Lucas to Abrams behind the scenes, folks weren’t sure that Williams would make the transition (after all, he got replaced in the Harry Potter series). Fortunately, that’s not the case here.
4Rumor: Luke Skywalker’s Hand Kicks The Whole Thing Off
Amazingly, one of the earliest plot rumors was that Luke’s hand, chopped off by his dear old dad while gripping a lightsaber underneath Cloud City, is going to be the catalyst that starts the new trilogy when Rey finds the fallen lightsaber among some other wreckage.
3Rumor: Darth Vader Will Rise From The Dead
This is one of the crazier rumors circulating, but believe it or not some super-fans out there are suggesting that Kylo Ren’s ultimate goal is to resurrect Darth Vader, a man from history who, judging by the trailers, Ren basically worships.
2Fact: The Empire Has Been Replaced by The First Order
What exactly is the First Order, and what is their ultimate goal? Well, they seem to simply have jumped into the power vacuum left by the destruction of the Empire and are picking up right where it left off, trying to rule the galaxy with an iron fist.
1Fact: Yes, There’s Basically Another Death Star
Only this time, they’re calling it Starkiller Base in a nod to the original character name for Luke Skywalker. Not much is known about what role the base will play, but it’s safe to say that it might kill a star or two. Just a hunch. Now…does the fact that the evil base is named kind of, sort of, in a roundabout way after Luke hint he might actually be evil after all?
