Star Wars: The Force Awakens Exhibit: 5 Questions and Answers

The Star Wars: The Force Awakens exhibit at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2015 is easily a highlight of the convention, and not just for the behind-the-scenes look at the most anticipated movie of the year. It also happened to reveal some of the film’s major new story points. Here are five things in particular that we found very interesting. Sorry, sneakerheads, but we aren’t including the fact that Finn’s costume apparently includes some fresh trainers. Call that the honorable mention.

The First Order

Remember that ominous-looking new symbol from that wasn’t quite Imperial, posted behind an army of Stormtroopers in the trailer? Apparently, it’s the symbol of an organization called The First Order.

The name, “The First Order” has a religious or cultish sound to it. It’s very definitive, and demands attention in its simplicity. We don’t know much about them, but at least we know their name.

But, we do know that they have Stormtroopers, who are apparently recruits (after all, Finn is one, at some point). And, if you look closely, there are several black-robed figures in the background that show the symbol, just under the giant banner. The Troopers use similarversions of TIE Fighters, V-Wings, and Star Destroyers, as well. It’s unclear, however, whether or not Kylo Ren is a member of this organization.

The Resistance

Speaking of learning names, we discoveerd that Poe Dameron, and presumably Princess Leia–since she gives order to Poe–are a part of an organization called The Resistance. They’re actively fighting against The First Order, as the  Resistance X-Wing’s plaque revealed.

It’s an interesting discovery, as this means the First Order has either already taken over portions of the galaxy, or is rapidly starting to. The word “resistance” implies they’re on the defensive, pushing back against a strong force like The First Order.

The question then, is why didn’t the Star Wars’ heroes build up a Force to protect the galaxy after Return of the Jedi’s events?

But hey, it is cool to see that BB-8 is in an X-Wing’s Astromech slot, presumably Poe’s. That droid is so hot right now.

What’s Up With Kylo Ren’s Lightsaber?

Kylo Ren’s lightsaber hilt: It emits three blades, the standard long blade and two shorter ones that form a crossguard. The blades seem somewhat…off…compared to a standard lightsaber. They’re red, like the synthetic crystal-powered blades of Sith Lords, but they seem almost on fire, unstable.

Taking a close look at his hilt, you can see that it has an opening cut, revealing additional exposed wires. This seems to imply that Ren, or someone he got the saber from, customized it to include the crossguard blades. It could also imply that he doesn’t actually have the training to use a saber, as some fans have already speculated. Is it an object he found, an object he created, or both? And does he really know enough about the Force to use it properly? An up-close look definitely makes the blade even more interesting, and another source of conversation and speculation. As if it wasn’t already.

Where Will We See Snowtroopers and Flametroopers?

Now that we know The Force Awakens will have Snow and Flame variants of Stormtroopers, it’s time to start guessing wherewe’ll find them. When a Star Wars fan sees a Snowtropper, they instantly think of Hoth. Then again, up until yesterday morning, when you saw a vast desert you only thought of Tattooine, too.

As for the Flametroopers, they’re usually used to clear out wide areas of vegetation, such as the forests of Endor or the Wookiee home of Kashyyk. The two new armors open up a myriad of traveling possibilities for the film. They also give 501st armor creators something new to work on for the next convention.

Um, Why Does Finn Have A Lightsaber?

In the concept art – but not the actual costume – for Finn, he clearly has a lightsaber attached to his hip. It’s right there, in those little ring-pouches on the left of his jacket.

So, why does he have a lightsaber? There are rumored spoilers out there that we won’t divulge, but eagle-eyed fans taking a close look should recognize that particular saber hilt. My father has it, I have it… Okay, okay, we’ll say it: It’s Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber, which Luke wielded in Empire Strikes Back before Darth Vader cut his hand off. That saber–and hand–were apparently lost forever.

So perhaps the real question isn’t why does Finn have a lightsaber, but why does he have Luke and Anakin’s freaking lightsaber?

What prevailing questions do you want The Force Awakens to answer? Sound off in the comments below!