Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Darth Vader is back, and may the Force be with Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and her band of rebels (Diego Luna, Riz Ahmed, Donnie Yen, and Jiang Wen) if he catches up with them.
You think that reveal would be enough to keep fans going until December 16, but the good folks at Lucasfilm weren’t done with us yet. A few weeks ago, they released a third trailer for the upcoming film that was packed with revelations, surprises, and one hell of a shot of everyone’s favorite Sith lord.
We finally got a glimpse of Mads Mikkelson’s character Galen Erso (or, as I’ve been calling him, Hannidad), the father of spunky heroine Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones). While spoiler hounds have known what his role is thanks to Mikkelson’s loose lips at conventions, it’s still awesome to see Galen in action, promising to protect his daughter at all costs.
We also saw the origin of the title, as pilot Bodhi Rook (played by your new crush Riz Ahmed) gives Rogue One as the call sign for their mission. It’s a little cheesy but admit it, who doesn’t love a good title drop?
And of course, the Big Bad himself makes an appearance, reminding everyone why you shouldn’t mess with the Dark Side. Vader gets a few cool shots in the trailer, most noticeably striding out of the smoke looking super badass. Look me in the eyes and tell me you didn’t get chills.
The secrets and Easter Eggs are almost too good to be true so let’s count down the top six things we picked up from the latest trailer.
Family drama isn’t just a Skywalker exclusive
And you thought Luke and Leia had problems when they found out their dad was Darth Vader (and that they were siblings after that kiss). Turns out the Erso family is full of drama as well.
Jyn’s been on her own since she was about eight years old, and when we first see her, she’s locked up by the Empire. Turns out the reason she became a criminal was because her dad went missing years before, thanks to the Empire who needed him to help complete the Death Star. And now the Rebels need her help to find Galen and get the plans before the Empire uses their weapon to crush the Rebellion. And that’s what you missed this episode.
Star Wars would hardly be what it is today without a healthy helping of family drama, so I’m glad to see director Gareth Edwards is keeping the tradition alive and well. The family plotline also adds some much needed emotional resonance for Jyn’s journey from cynic to hero, and promises us all the angsty goodness we could hope for from a film finally featuring Mikkelson as a good guy.
Baze and Chirrut might steal the show
Sorry, Finn and Poe, there’s a new pair of space husbands in town: Baze (Jiang Wen) and Chirrut (Donnie Yen).
It’s already hard to beat a dynamic duo made up of an assassin and a blind monk who believes in the Force. Already the pair are scene stealers on their own – we see Chirrut take down a whole squadron of troopers, and Baze practically knocks out an AT-AT on his own in trailer #2. But here we get to see them as a partnership, with Baze knocking out some stormtroopers that pose a threat to his friend. They also get a thrilling shot of them fleeing some AT-ATs on their own to close out the trailer, showing that they’re the definition of Battle Couple.
Will Baze and Chirrut unseat current popular Star Wars pairings when the film drops? Only time will tell, but count me as a shipper already.
Bodhi Rook finally speaks
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of The Night Of and it’s stellar star, Riz Ahmed. Ahmed’s work on that show is downright cinematic, so it’s hard not to be excited when thinking about him stepping into the Star Wars universe to play pilot Bodhi Rook, who finally gets a line after three trailers – to name drop the title!
The trailer also highlights him more than previous ones, which is great considering how fascinating his character is. Bodhi might just be the most interesting member of the Rebel team, which is definitely saying something. A former Imperial from an occupied planet, Bodhi defects from the Empire to help the Rebellion, yet continues to wear the patch to remind himself of where he’s come from.
The character’s dark past only exemplifies the kind of complex characters that this film is pushing front and center. And after seven films of clear cut heroes and villains, Bodhi and the rest of the team promise to bring something new to the Star Wars cinematic canon.
Expect an unexpected crossover
Fans of animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars are in for a treat. Academy award winner Forest Whitaker is bringing revolutionary Saw Gerrera to life on the big screen. As a long time fan of the Star Wars cartoons, I’ve got to say this is something I never saw happening.
The Clone Wars first introduced Saw in season five as a young man trying to free his planet from Separatist Rule alongside his sister. While ultimately victorious, Saw suffers an immense tragedy along the way that changes him. Unfortunately, the show ended before Saw could make a return, but fans now get to see how he’s changed and grown on the big screen.
This also opens the door to other possible crossovers. Might we see the crew of the Ghost from Star Wars Rebels on the big screen someday? Or even fan favorite Ahsoka Tano? Only time will tell, but for now fans get to enjoy an immensely talented actor bringing this character to life.
The stakes have never been higher
The galaxy has always been in danger in the Star Wars films, but there’s always been the reassurance that our heroes will make it out and alive. And even though I personally don’t think Rogue One will end with a total bloodbath, it’s hard not to worry about these characters.
After all, they’re not in the episodes. It would be an easy (albeit cheap) way to explain their absence by having them go out in a blaze of glory. The trailer ever teases Bodhi’s death by showing him running onto a ship we know later explodes. Talk about yikes, for a number of reasons.
Rogue One will feature tie-in merch such as toys and sticker books, so it’s hard to imagine they plan on killing everyone off. But the trailer hypes up the potential threats to the characters, which in a way makes us care more. After all, who wants to lose their newest fan favorite or latest OTP? Certainly not me.
But there’s a lot of heart too
Even though this trailer amps up the danger for the characters, there’s also more hope than in prior trailers. It’s still a war film, but it’s a war film where the characters have heart and soul.
Jyn is set to go through a journey of faith, but her comrades also display similar hope in the face of insurmountable odds. Both Chirrut and Cassian (Diego Luna) get quotable moments as they lead their forces into battle. It’s enough to reassure viewers that even with some pretty high stakes, the film is still a Star Wars story: one of hope and optimism even in the face of evil like the Empire.
“Take hold of this moment,” Chirrut says at one point. “The Force is strong.” And the Force is most definitely strong with this film.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will be released nationwide on December 16
Written by Kate
Current obsessions: Star Wars, the Star Wars cast, Shondaland, any and all sci-fi TV shows, diversity in YA novels, yoga, red lipstick, female characters, coffee, sloths, my cat, having too many opinions about pop culture.
Kate grew up along with the rise of the internet and as a result spends way too much time having lots of opinions and picking fights about female characters. She saw Star Wars when she was six and has been ruined ever since. Her bylines have appeared on Women & Hollywood and AfterEllen.com, and she one day hopes to write and direct professionally. Until then, she spends her free time geeking out about pop culture from a feminist perspective and playing with her cat, Poe Dameron
