R2 degraded over time. I mean, hell, he was flying around kicking ass 60 years ago. 30 years ago, he was struggling to defeat Jawas, Ewoks, and a monkey lizard. I am sad when I consider what he might be like today.

spoiler space from the EW captions



















Boyega says soldiers raised from childhood to serve this remnant of the scattered Imperial forces are fed propaganda about the heroes of the Rebellion. Unlike Rey, he has learned a lot about Luke Skywalker but he has been taught he was a villain who destroyed the benevolent Empire.


The Knights of Ren in the rain scene was the last major day of shooting.

Rey, Finn, and Kylo, they all start off in a place where they have been led to feel like they're wanting," says Daisy Ridley. In this sequence, first seen in the Oct. 19 trailer, she is spelunking through the heart of a long-dead Star Destroyer. "She's never sat around a table and had a meal with someone else. She works to feed herself, and she goes to sleep, and she gets up again. It is a sad life," Ridley adds. "The film, for Rey, is a journey of finding out that no one is no one."

Some fans speculate that Rey's weapon of choice looks suspiciously like the staff lightsaber of Darth Plagueis, the Sith lord who served as master of Emperor Palpatine back in his Darth Sidious apprenticeship. Daisy Ridley has heard that guesswork, too. "I mean everyone is praying that it's Darth Plagueis's staff. But... it's just a staff," Ridley says. "She's a young woman in a galaxy by herself. It's not primarily a weapon, it's useful as well. It does all sorts of things roamin' around Jakku. She uses it to defend herself. That's really as far as it goes, unfortunately." Asked if it's electrified, like a cattle prod, and the actress tries and fails to stifle a laugh. "Cattle prod! No, she doesn't have a charger!" she says. "It's just a plain old staff!" (If it does turn out to have lightsaber capabilities, we'll be pleasantly surprised and forgive her for maintaining secrecy.)

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R2 degraded over time. I mean, hell, he was flying around kicking ass 60 years ago. 30 years ago, he was struggling to defeat Jawas, Ewoks, and a monkey lizard. I am sad when I consider what he might be like today.

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Blame Lucas for that. If he could have done that in the OT he would have. Hell, look at how lightsaber fights changed between the PT and OT.

LOVE the idea of Luke being taught as a villain to The First Order.

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Blame Lucas for that. If he could have done that in the OT he would have. Hell, look at how lightsaber fights changed between the PT and OT.

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I know. I was mostly being sarcastic. However, while the prequels were cartoony in nature, one could (and I'm sure has) argued that it's not ridiculous that the force was stronger and more prevalent in the prequels.

Looks like Vader climbing up the steps in the background... I guess that's Kylo and I can only guess this is the escape via Tie Fighter scene.





My biggest question is WHY is the mask off? The theory that he is a Solo and Rey is a Skywalker is a popular theory. So why is the mask off:

Han: You killed my son!
Kylo: No, I... am your son!
Han: That's not true, that's impossible!
Kylo: Search your feelings you know... eh screw it *takes off mask*, see dad, it's me.

SPOILER (maybe) based on the caption:















Based on the article and the discussion of Kylo Ren being "unloved" making him a more realistic villain, there is almost zero doubt he is a Skywalker. A 3rd generation of Skywalkers with daddy issues...

I think I said something similar to what Ridley said back when the final trailer came out.

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LOVE the idea of Luke being taught as a villain to The First Order.

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This.

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Blame Lucas for that. If he could have done that in the OT he would have. Hell, look at how lightsaber fights changed between the PT and OT.

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I know. I was mostly being sarcastic. However, while the prequels were cartoony in nature, one could (and I'm sure has) argued that it's not ridiculous that the force was stronger and more prevalent in the prequels.

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One could almost say the Force went dormant as has now...awakened?

Those pics and captions say a lot. But keep in mind it is still a controlled leak. For instance, Ridley was quoted as saying her staff was "just a staff". OK, and maybe it is, but let's say it really isn't just a staff, she would have given the same response regardless.

I think the bigger reveals are the subtle clues that have been given... what they said about Rey told too much:


Rey: Abandoned by "her family" when she was 5. She sorta remembers it, but not really and doesn't know why. My own opinion, which I guessed at weeks ago, has more chance now at being spot on:

Rey is Luke's daughter and was abandoned by Luke after her mother was killed (the First Order has made a villain out of Luke and his family and friends would never be safe). I think Von Sydow's character is who Luke leaves her with. I also believe his character's name happens to be Kanan (awesome!). I believe when the movie opens, "everybody" is on Jakku because they are either after Rey or after Luke himself (who is playing the Old Ben Kenobi role) who is watching his daughter from afar. Regardless, Rey really doesn't know who she is... in other words, she doesn't know "dad" is THE Luke Skywalker from the bed time stories.


Kylo: I feel stronger than ever that he is a Solo (him and Rey are cousins, both with the blood of Anakin Skywalker). He too was abandoned, but not by choice. He is older than Rey... perhaps he was even being trained by Luke. The attack that kills Luke's wife was also believed to have killed the Solo child... Luke escaped into exile with his daughter and the grief splits Han / Leia. The attack was orchestrated by Snoke with the intent on acquiring the descendants of Anakin. He managed to get Kylo. Kylo was old enough to know what was going on... old enough to know who his parents were and his fear and hatred (hatred that his father never came for him) turned him to the Dark Side. What will his hatred drive him to do when he meets his father face to face?


Edit: This is also why his mask is off at the end. He knows who Rey is and he knows who Han is... Kylo reveals himself to them (and the audience).


I think a major theme of this trilogy will be the redemption of Kylo Ren. It's not a lazy repeating story, but this has always been the burden of every Skywalker we've ever known.

Wouldn't Kanan be way too old by now, given his age in Rebels?

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Wouldn't Kanan be way too old by now, given his age in Rebels?

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Wouldn't he about 70-75 in episode 7? Max von Sydow is 86.

I just looked it up on wookipedia, Kanan is 33 at battle of Yavin.

I'm feeling pretty confident on them being cousins. I'm personally doubting that Von Sydow is Kanan though. I haven't read anything on that theory. I also kind of doubt that Luke would be watching from afar if Rey was left with Sydow's character.

The trilogy films have always been about the Skywalker clan. First it was Anakin, then it was Luke and Leia, and now it is the newest of the clan.

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Wouldn't Kanan be way too old by now, given his age in Rebels?

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Wouldn't he about 70-75 in episode 7? Max von Sydon is 86.

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Per wookiepedia, Kanan was born 33 years Before Battle of Yavin. So yeah by the time that TFA roles around he'd be like late 60's early 70's.

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Does this lead to Finn being the one Rey is crying over?

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I think Finn loses a hand, arm, leg, etc. after his lightsaber "duel" with Kylo. Maybe this is why she is crying in the trailer scene.

It's Star Wars. Someone has to have an appendage severed by lightsaber, right?

Expanding on jr15aggie's post, here's my official guess as to how this movie sets up (which will no doubt be wrong)...

In the immediate years following ROTJ:

- Luke falls in love, has a daughter (Rey).

- Han and Leia have a son (Kylo).

- Luke may or may not set up a Jedi Academy. If he does, Rey is not a part of it (or she would have remembered), but Kylo may very well be (I'm guessing Kylo's at least a couple years older than her, regardless).

- Luke is hunted down by Snoke, but barely escapes/survives the attack (as does Rey, but his wife, however, dies). If Kylo is part of the Academy, he is captured by Snoke (Snoke's goal could potentially be to kill Luke, his biggest threat, but capture/raise/train Kylo, who is obviously strong in the Force but still young enough to be swayed).

- Luke, now fearing for his life and the safety of his daughter, drops Rey off on Jakku, in much the same way he was left on Tattooine. This is chronicled in a heartbreaking flashback scene. Luke then disappears forever.

- Han and Leia's relationship can't withstand the loss of their son, and they split. They may even partially blame Luke for the loss of Kylo.

All that said, given the above scenario, if Rey was left on Jakku when she was five (as we learned today), she would definitely have memories of Luke, and possibly the existence of an Academy as well (which we know she doesn't). The only other option would be that Luke potentially goes by a different name/identity around the time she's born (so even Rey doesn't know who he really is), and has already begun secluding himself somewhat. If so, that would mean no Academy, and thus Kylo ending up with Snoke would have had to happen another way, separate of Snoke attacking Luke (right???).

Again, there's absolutely no way Finn dies in this movie, so the loses-an-appendage scenario is way more likely.

I think he might be force pushed against a tree? Maybe while she's crying over his unconscious body Kylo starts walking over to make the killing move but Rey taps into her force sensitivity for the first time and pushes him back (or force chokes Kylo?). End scene, credits roll. How badass of an ending would that be?

Probably works better in my head than on screen though

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C-3PO and R2-D2 are both 60+ years old in this movie. Doesn't it seem kind of odd that they are still using 60 year old technology? It's like instead of using a PC, you and your co-workers would have an ENIAC to crunch numbers in your office.

I mean how many of us are still using, not just 60 year old technology, but using an electronic item built more than 60 years ago?

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not odd at all. New technology requires investment. It requires money. It requires a logistical path to move from R&D to production and finally to the consumer. In a galaxy far, far, away, ravaged by decades of war and interplanetary strife, economies get ruined. Manufacturing capabilities crippled. New technology is lost among some worlds and races who are forced to make due with what is available and within their means. In other areas technological advancement could be way ahead and flourishing.

Also, don't forget that the US military still fields billions of dollars worth of equipment that manufactured decades ago. B52's were dropping bombs on Astan and Iraq 10 years ago. The Marines still fly the Cobra. The Army still flies the UH1 is some capacity. And so on.

And, I actually have a lamp over my head right now that my dad took to TAMC in the fall of 1962. And....he could remember that lamp on his dad's drafting table back in the early 50's.

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The B-52 first flew in the early 50s and was used extensively in SE Asia.

Cool idea, and I could actually see something like that happening, but the actual final scene is already WAY more of an "Oh, sh*t!" moment. I won't spoil it here, but audiences are absolutely going to lose their minds.

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I'm personally doubting that Von Sydow is Kanan though. I haven't read anything on that theory.

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There is nothing to read... no solid hints given to this. This is just my educated guess and right now I think it's a pretty good one. We know that Disney has a plan (road map) for all this stuff. We know Rebels is BIG TIME cannon like anything else that is put to screen. Kanan also has his own comic book(s) (called "Last Padawan" or something like that... I don't read much of the EU stuff). I'm also almost dead positive that like a year ago Von Sydow's character was described as someone from the past, but nothing more was said about him.

I think it's a very easy character reveal that many kids will instantly understand as well as adults (like me) who have seen Rebels. It isn't a speed bump for anybody who doesn't watch Rebels, but for those of us that do, what little screen time he gets will be that much more enjoyable knowing who this guy is. Plus, it will only further enhance future seasons of Rebels. Like Vader in the prequels, we will ultimately know where Kanan ends up and it will only enhance the story of how he got there. Talk about a great way to end the Rebels TV show, with Luke handing Kanan Rey in the same way Obi-Wan handed off Luke. Awesome!

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I won't spoil it here, but audiences are absolutely going to lose their minds.

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Like OMG what is Jar Jar doing to that Ewok ????



Or maybe Ackbar goes It's a Trap and then credits roll

Says who?

Abrams has said multiple times that they cast Boyega, Ridley, and Driver for three movies. They're the core three of the new trilogy. They're not going to off one of them in the first movie. That, and with the casting of Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Episode VIII, she's rumored to be Finn's love interest going forward.

Making Star Wars basically confirmed the final scene. They've been spot-on with most of their spoilers, and I have no reason to doubt them now. I wouldn't even consider it a huge spoiler, actually, since it's kind of a no-brainer, but I won't elaborate here.

Well of course JJ would say that. Don't you think he'd say everything he can to throw you off if that's really what happens?

Not saying it will, but knowing JJ, it wouldn't surprise me all that much.

Either way, it's just common sense. Based on what we know of Boyega's arc in this movie, there's still so much of his story left to tell.

I am extremely dubious about this. This thing is so secretive, I bet they put out a fake spoiler on purpose like Lucas did with ESB.

It's not quite as secretive as you think. And this info isn't stuff that Making Star Wars posts. It's stuff they discuss in their podcasts. Sure, Luscasfilm is no doubt putting false information out there, but certain scenes late in the movie are absolutely known, at least vaguely. Again, Making Star Wars has been spot-on time and time again with the vast majority of their spoilers. Plus, like I said, the final scene is pretty much a no-brainer.

I'm pretty sure I know what you are referencing have read a good few spoilers and stuff from MSW. I agree that if it is the way that if it happens that way, it's pretty much a no brainer.

Speaking of MSW, Lawrence Kasdan will retire from Star Wars after the Han Solo anthology film.

If Luke's wife dies, maybe he is so overcome by his grief that he draws on the dark side to do something destructive. Or, perhaps he is just worried by how much grief he has that he fears he may turn to the dark side unless he secludes himself away from all of his attachments, daughter included.