Fans had to wait two years for it. The eighth Star Wars episode hits movie theaters right on time for Christmas. This much can be said, without spoilers: It is already celebrated as the very best one.
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The First Order has become too powerful and wants to dominate the galaxy under the leadership of villain Supreme Leader Snoke.
The group of rebels around General Leia Organa is desperately trying to flee, but Snoke's General Hux and his fleet are very close on their heels. He doesn't manage to catch them, however, thanks to the gutsy pilot Poe.
General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) sets out to destroy the rebelsImage: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Lucasfilm/D. James
The space chase nevertheless remains a dangerous and costly endeavor. The First Order keeps the upper hand — until two of the rebels secretly go on their own special mission.
Meanwhile, the young Rey, who hangs out on the barren island of Ahch-To, tries to persuade the last remaining Jedi, Luke Skywalker, to help her and thus the rebels as well. In the process, she is also searching for her own identity. Over and over again, she mentally connects with another vassal of the evil Snoke, namely Kylo Ren, a former Jedi student. He has turned to the dark side of the Force, inspired by Darth Vader. But Rey still believes in his goodness.
A splendid work by director Rian Johnson
For more than 40 years, every new Star Wars film has been celebrated by fans as though this were prescribed by law. To keep it this way, the genre's top filmmakers have been assigned to the task. This time, director and screenwriter Rian Johnson signed the last episode.
Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) in actionImage: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Lucasfilm/D. James
The film's world premiere on December 9 in Los Angeles thrilled fans and film critics alike.
Star Wars fans can look forward to spectacular and amazing action and battle scenes set in space as well as on a planet with a unique and highly impressive landscape.
Once again, witty dialogues and references to previous sequels will delight fans.
Yet "Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi" has more depth than the last film. Even the quiet moments are thrilling, as the Force plays a big role once again, adding emotion and drama to the story.
The porgs are as cute as they are funnyImage: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Lucasfilm
Some truly entertaining little animals make their appearance; Disney, who has been producing the Star Wars series since 2012, has left its mark.
Stronger characters
The main characters of "Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens" have been given a stronger profile — especially Rey (Daisy Ridley), who feels the pull of the Force, and even dares search for her roots on the dark side.
Who is Rey — and where will the eighth Star Wars adventure lead her? Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Pilot Poe (Oscar Isaac) has developed into a central rebel figure, whereas former stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega) is now accompanied by a strong woman named Rose (Kelly Marie Tran).
In this latest episode, strong women have been given more presence than was the case in earlier films. Rebel leader Leia (the late Carrie Fisher, who died in 2016) is accompanied by Laura Dern's strong performance in the role of Vice Admiral Holdo.
The film's most important male character is however Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), who has become a lot older. He lives as a hermit on a rugged island, and has turned his back to the rest of the galaxy. He's therefore unsurprisingly not too keen on helping out Rey.
Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) has become a bit peculiar, to put it mildlyImage: 017 Lucasfilm Ltd.
There isn't a single boring moment during the 2.5 hours of the film. The plot contains numerous surprising turns, never letting off viewers. Many questions are left open towards the end of the film. Obviously, a new episode is already in the planning.
J.J. Abrams back on board
It's J.J. Abrams who will direct Star Wars IX. After the science fiction and action specialist served as executive producer of the eighth episode, he will not only direct the next film, but also write the screenplay.
Abrams has already directed the seventh episode, in which he built the rhythm and feel of the original films.
Abrams told Rolling Stone magazine that he saw Star Wars IX as a wonderful opportunity to conclude the stories of the newer characters, Rey, Poe and Finn. That end will probably be presented in two years. The premiere of the ninth episode of the Star Wars saga has been planned for December 2019.
Brief guide to the Star Wars universe
The Star Wars universe just keeps getting bigger with spin-offs focusing on different aspects of the space saga. Consult this guide to get the background story straight.
Image: 2018 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.
The new spin-off: Solo: A Star Wars Story
The latest film tells the story of a young Han Solo. Actor Alen Ehrenreich plays the renegade space pilot with humor and respect for the original character, portrayed by Harrison Ford. Taking place before Episode IV, the film explains how Solo got to know his Wookie pal Chewbacca.
Image: 2018 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.
The dream team from the original trilogy
In 1977, the smuggler Han Solo, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker appeared for the first time on the silver screen. The trio was central to episodes IV-VI, (Star Wars, 1977; The Empire Strikes Back, 1980; Return of the Jedi, 1983), and met again decades later in Episode VII - The Force Awakens, from 2015.
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Traveling in time
Since 1977, Star Wars enthusiasts have been regularly celebrating the release of a new episode. They don't mind the jumps in the timeline. A real Star Wars fan knows exactly "when" each episode is set. The events in Rogue One take place between Episode III - Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV - A New Hope, the new title for the original Star Wars movie.
Image: Lucasfilm 2016/J. Olley
The Jedi Knights
In the Star Wars universe, members of the Jedi Order use their power to do good. The Force gives them superhuman abilities. For example, they can move objects using their mind. Their strongest weapon is the lightsaber. The most famous Jedi Knights are Luke and Anakin Skywalker (the latter is shown right in the picture), Obi-Wan Kenobi (left) and Master Yoda.
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Grand master Yoda
Yoda is the most powerful Jedi Knight of all time; he knows how to use the Force like no other. For over 800 years, he has been training young disciples, known as Padawan learners, to become Jedi Knights. His language is strange; his words are wise. He is only 66 cm (26 inches) tall, but even his largest opponents know the Jedi Master should not be judged by his size.
In Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda trains the young Luke Skywalker. Luke is very insecure and does not believe in his powers. Yoda teaches him the Jedi philosophy and new mental skills. He also warns him not to let negative feelings take over: "Anger, fear, aggression. The dark side are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny."
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The Sith
The Sith are an Order on the dark side of the Force. Sith are mostly former Jedi Knights who have left the light side hoping to obtain more power. Famous Siths include Darth Vader, Darth Maul and Darth Sidious. Pictured here is Darth Tyranus, who was known as Count Dooku when he was a Jedi.
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'Luke, I am your father'
Darth Vader used to be Jedi Anakin Skywalker. Wanting to save the life of his wife and unborn children, he was pulled into the dark force by the Galactic Emperor himself. Anakin then became Darth Vader, while his children Luke and Leia were rescued and hidden. Twenty years later, Luke and Vader met again in a climatic confrontation, where the son discovered that the grim figure was his father.
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Emperor of the Galactic Empire
He is actually a charismatic member of the Senate governing a large planetary republic. But secretly, Sheev Palpatine is a Sith Lord named Darth Sidious. He calls for an uprising against the Republic. He rises to the position of Supreme Chancellor and then Emperor, aiming to rule on the entire universe. He is responsible for the worst of all weapons...
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The Death Star
The Death Star is the Imperial super-weapon. It's the size of the moon and is devastatingly destructive. Princess Leia witnessed a cruel demonstration of its power, as a blast from its superlaser destroyed her home planet, Alderaan. The Death Star had a weak point, allowing the rebels to strike back and destroy it — but the next Death Star was already under construction.
Controlled by the dark side of the Force, hundreds of thousands of soldiers — the stormtroopers — are the main ground force of the Galactic Empire. They have always been loyal to the supreme commander, the Galactic Emperor, and follow their superiors — such as here, Kylo Ren — without questioning them. In Episode VII, stormtrooper Finn breaks with this tradition and joins the good guys.
Along with humanoids, the Star Wars universe features a few inhuman creatures, such as the powerful criminal Jabba the Hutt, a disgusting monster who has unfinished business with the ex-smuggler Han Solo. In order to reinforce his demands, he enslaves Princess Leia. The bikini worn by actress Carrie Fischer in that scene has become legendary.
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All Terrain Armored Transport (AT-AT)
The Imperial weapons' massive size alone is already meant to frighten opponents. The four-legged AT-AT walkers are combat vehicles that can move quickly on any terrain while transporting troops. Their heads contain tons of the destructive projectiles. A similarly evil combat device is the two-legged All Terrain Scout Transport, or AT-ST.
While the Death Star was still being built, the ships of the Imperial fleet were holding the fort. Pictured here is a gigantic Star Destroyer, flanked by small and maneuverable starfighters that combat the Rebels in their own rapid ships, leading to fast-paced duels. In 1977, Star Wars creator George Lucas established new standards in special effects with these spectacular scenes.
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The music
Composer John Williams wrote the soundtrack to all Star Wars films. The main theme and the dark march accompanying Darth Vader are world famous. The song "Cantina Song" from Episode IV also became instantly cult. It is played by the alien band Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes in the original 1977 film.
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Han Solo's sidekick: Chewbacca
Smuggling belongs to Han Solo's past by Episode VII, and his relation with Princess Leia is also over — even though they are married. After many years, they meet again, and once again, their goal is to fight against the Empire. They're all older — except Han Solo's loyal friend, the Wookie Chewbacca, who accompanies Han until the end. His growl is legendary.
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The droids
Already present in the first films, the golden know-it-all droid C3PO and his small beeping counterpart, R2D2, make up one of the most iconic twosome of film history. In Episode VII, another cute robot joined them: BB-8 (left). These three droids are loyal to the main characters and have already saved them from perilous situations.
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A new heroine
Introduced in Episode VII, Rey is a new heroine whose origin still hasn't been explained. Is she the daughter of Leia and Han Solo? Or Luke Skywalker's? No one knows what happened in the 30 years after Episode VI - Return of the Jedi. Rogue One invited audiences to go back in time to find out.
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Rogue One
This stand-alone spin-off movie is set in the period between Episode III and IV. The Empire is building its first Death Star and wants to test its destructive power. As Star Wars fans know, it can destroy a whole planet with a single blast. The Rebels want to steal the design plans for the weapon. The whole story runs parallel to the original Star Wars narrative.
Rey's journey continues in Star Wars: The last Jedi
Just before Christmas 2017, the eighth part of the Star Wars saga was released. In Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, Rey tries to win over Jedi recluse Luke Skywalker and bring him back into the Resistance. Meanwhile, the "First Order" wants to completely annihilate the rebel army led by Leia Organa. Poe and Finn do their best to prevent this.
