What do we know about the new faces in Star Wars?

 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is going to hit cinema screens in December this year. It is an early Christmas present for all fans of the intergalactic epic series. We’ve already been treated to a couple of official teasers and have been given some info on some of the new characters by the actors who are playing the roles, but the details have been scant to say the least.

So what do we know?

In the last Star Wars film, Episode VI, we all saw the evil Emperor Palpatine being sent to meet his maker down the Death Star shaft. The surprise was that it was Darth Vader who actually threw him down there, in a rush of paternal affection set off by seeing the Emperor try to kill his son, Luke Skywalker. This cost Darth Vader his life, and meant that two of the main villains of the whole Star Wars story have now gone. It was an unlikely turn of events – and even got Darth Vader a mention on gaming site bgo’s list of cult film heroes who stood up to their unreasonable bosses.

So who’s going to fill the role of villain in the next Star Wars film? In the trailer, we’ve seen a dark cloaked figure wielding a lightsaber with a laser crossguard over the handle. This, we assume, is Kylo Ren – a character who is so shrouded in mystery that it wasn’t even confirmed which actor is playing him for a long time, though we now know it’s Adam Driver, thanks to a photo shoot with Vanity Fair. As for any details about his character, we’ve seen him with a red lightsaber, so it’s reasonable to assume he’s either a Sith Lord or a Dark Jedi.

We’ve also been introduced to Poe Dameron, played by actor Oscar Isaac. The actor has revealed that his character had been given a mission by a ‘certain princess’ and that, in carrying out this mission, his fate will become inextricably linked with that of another of the main new characters, Finn.

Finn is played by John Boyega and featured on the first official trailer, in a Stormtrooper uniform. Boyega has explained that his character faces a situation of serious danger at the beginning of the movie, which leads him to a huge change in his life.

Rey is another new character who will make their debut in The Force Awakens, played by Daisy Ridley. Rey is a scavenger who’s used to looking after herself and comes from a planet called Jakku. Her character lives in a ship graveyard. Rey’s adventures in the story are paired with those of another character she meets, and although we haven’t been told who that is (officially), the rumours are that it will be Finn.

Daisy in Vanity Fair #daisyridley #StarWars #TheForceAwakens @VanityFair pic.twitter.com/1xfYSpUYaD

— Daisy Ridley News (@DaisyRidleyNews) May 11, 2015

With a good few months between now and the movie release date of 18 December, there’s plenty of time for more information to be leaked out – officially or not – about the story and what will happen to the new characters, as well as how their stories will link with the Star Wars’ old-timers such as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia. But the only way to get the full story will be to book your ticket for the release date asap!