5 Possible Plots for Episode VII
The latest installment of Star Wars is set to premiere at the end of the year, but there’s still a lot unknown about the movie. What role will the previous characters play? What is anybody after in this movie? Is Po Dameron the only new good guy in the movie with a last name? There’s a chance we can learn some of these answers as the movie draws closer, but, for now, it’s just guessing. With what we do know, here are five possible directions the movie can go.
Awakening Force
The film is called The Force Awakens for a reason, right? Obviously, it alludes to the role of the Jedis and the Siths which were both featured in the footage we’ve seen, but there has to be a balance. A new character, Kylo Ren, is obviously a new Sith, so, by logic, there should probably be a new Jedi somewhere in the galaxy. That’s where the new characters come in.
No one has outright said whether or not any of the new protagonists have a connection to the Force, but none of those things have been outright denied. Plus, with an emphasis on the Force in both trailers, it would be a bummer if none of the new generation of good guys come out as a possible budding Jedi. In any case, Finn, Rey, or even Po Dameron emerging with some connection to the Force could easily bridge the gap of the old and new characters as the new Jedi would obviously need a trainer. He or she will go on a journey to find young (now old) Skywalker and probably face the inevitable threat of destruction by the Siths and growing Empire threat. Hey, someone else needs to hold that cross-guard lightsaber.
Finding the Lightsaber
Speaking of lightsabers, another less drastic plot could just revolve around finding Luke Skywalker to return his fabled weapon and stop the growing Empire. Rey’s character is confirmed to be a kind of scavenger on the graveyard planet Jakku, so her finding a tossed Jedi weapon could be possible. Upon finding said lightsaber, she could cross paths with the (former?) Stormtrooper Finn as the Empire attacks, and the adventure can begin. It’s pretty much the same as the previous one except with less dependency on a future Jedi. Then again, it could also bring about the resurgence of the Millennium Falcon in a pile of wounded ships.
The Hunt
In an effort to put Finn closer to the center of this movie, this theory’s all about him. Finn’s confirmed to be a stormtrooper from the First Order, a new gathering of Empire forces with stormtroopers that will hopefully not be just cannon fodder. Many characters such as Captain Phasma, General Hux, even Po Dameron have been revealed to cross paths with him, so obviously he ends up being important. While ignoring the possibility that he could be a new Jedi, the film could just focus on the growth of a new hero at the bottom of his life.
Picture this. Finn is a stormtrooper who, for whatever reason be it cowardice or Force-tapping, abandons his post on where else but Jakku where he meets Rey. The First Order, being like most bad guys, don’t take kindly to deserters, so they, led by General Hux and Captain Phasma, seek to capture and eliminate Finn. The new Rebel Alliance represented by their expert pilot Po Dameron crosses paths with the former stormtrooper as they also apprehend the Empire, leading to Finn’s journey into the rebellion. There obviously needs to be a lot more conflict and saber-swiping to be an interesting Star Wars film, but the story could just boil down to that.
Legacy of the Force
Right off the back, I am perfectly aware that Episode VII will have no connection to the Expanded Universe except maybe Star Wars Rebels because of the Disney label. They won’t use any of the characters, especially those related to the Luke, Leia, or Han Solo, and the story will revolve around something other than family drama. That being said, that doesn’t mean that the movie couldn’t take a thing or two from the extensive story that takes place after Return of the Jedi.
By that, I mean someone could stand to be related to one of the original characters from Star Wars. There’s probably a good reason why some characters lack a last name, and goodness knows the series is known for surprise familiar relationships. Plus, some inspirations in the extended series could dive into interesting developments such as Han’s son Jacen Solo joining the Dark Side and the civil war within the new Galactic Alliance. Neither Jacen nor the Galactic Alliance will be in the movie, but it could be interesting to see those things on the big screen.
All of the Above
This is the first Star Wars film in a decade. There’s no reason for them not to go all out. We’ll follow Rey, who turns out to be the daughter of Han and Leia, as she scavenges lost ships on Jakku and finds Luke’s lightsaber. On the planet, Finn discovers his connection to the Force and abandons his role as a stormtrooper to join Rey and find Luke to train as a Jedi. From this point, the First Order seek to hunt down Finn while the Rebellion, lead by expert pilot Po Dameron, take on the growing Empire. That should be enough for two hours.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is months away, so there’s still a chance for more to be revealed later. There’s still half a cast with unknown roles, and none of these theories have a clue as to where Episode VIII would go. Then again, this is the series that famously revealed Darth Vader to be Luke’s father, so they’re not new to random surprises.
