Star Wars: The Force Awakens director JJ Abrams went old-school to reveal some of the Star Wars Episode 7 character names this week. Fans of the original 1977 Star Wars movie, Episode 4: A New Hope, will remember a series of Topps trading cards that hit stores to drum-up excitement for the film. Abrams took the same tack this week with Entertainment Weekly.
Revealing the Star Wars Episode 7 character names to EW this week shed light on only five characters. The remaining three trading cards highlighted the X-Wing Fighters, Millennium Falcon and stormtroopers. It’s unclear whether Abrams plans to release more trading cards with even more Star Wars Episode 7 character names; this first round used images specifically from the new Star Wars movie trailer released earlier this month.
If future Star Wars Episode 7 trading cards are released online like this, they’d presumably be tied to future trailers.
The most important of the Star Wars Episode 7 character names revealed this week are Poe Dameron, Kylo Ren, Rey and Finn. Poe Dameron is the pilot shown in the X-Wing fighter in the 88-second trailer and is played by Oscar Isaac. You can see his card here.
Remember the trailer’s intro, in which a stormtrooper (sans mask) pops his head up from the desert and runs off screen? That actor, John Boyega, is revealed to be a character named Finn. It’s unclear whether Finn is a real stormtrooper or a Rebel spy in disguise, but our money’s on the latter. View his card at this link.
Third up in the Star Wars Episode 7 character names revealed this week is Daisy Ridley’s character. Ridley, shown speeding away toward a town of some sort on a large speeder bike-like vehicle, plays a character named Rey. Although no other details are revealed about her character, there may be some significance in her trading card not revealing a last name. Judging by her age, she could be Han Solo’s and Leia’s daughter. Remember, Star Wars: The Force Awakens takes place 30 years after Return of the Jedi. Take a gander here.
The half-soccer-ball droid shown tumbling over a prop was revealed this week as being BB-8. But that revelation pales in comparison to the name of the final Star Wars Episode 7 character shown in the trailer. Remember the snowy forest scene in which a cloaked figure hunches over before activating a broadsword-like light saber? That guy (or gal?) is named Kylo Ren. Though the tweet below labels Kylo Ren as a Sith lord, don’t most true “lords” have “Darth” in the name? Maybe this is some henchman. See his/her card here.
There are definitely more Star Wars Episode 7 character names to learn. For instance, Abrams has already shared his full Star Wars: The Force Awakens cast names, and we haven’t heard a thing about the characters played by Lupita Nyong’o, Max von Sydow, Adam Driver, Gwendoline Christie or Domhnall Gleeson.
If future trading cards are revealed, either by EW or some other entity, they won’t likely bother with Han Solo, Luke Skywalker or Leia Organa, since we know their names already.
If you click over to the EW story, you’ll see that each of the trading cards has a specific number. Apparently Abrams said those numbers are significant, but it may just be their scene number in the movie. If so, that would imply the X-Wing and Millennium Falcon scenes from the trailer come from the film’s later stages, much like the trench run scenes from A New Hope. But that’s just a stab in the dark; Abrams hasn’t divulged their significance, and he may not.
What do you think of these Star Wars Episode 7 character names so far? Are they “Star Wars-y” enough for you? Is there something to Rey not having her last name shared? Share your thoughts in the comments below.