A little speculation but I think we may even see similarities between episode V and episode VII. Rey will obviously have to convince a reluctant jedi master to train her. Eventually he gives in even though he feels bad about his past failure. But she cant train the whole movie, she eventually finds herself crossing sabers with Ren who sports his new scar on his cheek.

This one is out there but I think we will see Luke in combat eventually.

Btw, who is the guy on the left? He looks awesome and cool at once. Would like to see him as the new scum villain (such as Jabba in OT).

First Order replaced the Empire and is now ready to strike the Republic with a super weapon they have built.

Overheard at the First Order Strategic Planning Symposium:

Commander Snoke: So, we're going to create a new Empire, but we're going to do everything better this time around. What should we do?

Capt Phasma: Teach our Stormtroopers to shoot straight. And get them something to deal with lightsabers.

Snoke: OK, get someone on that.

General Mux: We should put shields and armor on the TIE Fighters, so they are harder to kill.

Snoke: Sounds good. Get the engineers working.

Capt Phasma: How about cleaning up our image? You know, give us a brand makeover. Not the New Order, but maybe something like that. We'll get new paint jobs, and some new symbols.

Snoke: I like it. We'll be the First Order. And we'll get some more red into our color scheme. What else.

Kylo Ren: We should build a super weapon, one that blows up planets. No one takes you seriously in this universe unless you have a super weapon.

Mux: *rolls eyes* Oh, like that totally worked out the last two times. Where will you put the fatal flaw this time, the sewage system?

Ren: *waves hand* You fully support my project.

Mux: I fully support Kylo Ren's project.

Snoke: OK, a superweapon it is. Mux, since you're such a fan, you're in charge of that one.

I don't count Maul getting cut in half as losing a limb. I count it as being cut in half, which is a lot more fatal than losing an arm or a leg. If the cut had gone lower and sent both of his legs spinning off separately then maybe, but the cut was almost under his chest. Forgot about that guy that was harassing Luke in the cantina, though.

Starting with Aftermath everything is canon now.

Actually Rebel Dawn was the first of the canon, Aftermath is just the first post Endor. And the Shattered Empire comic series is also post Endor. Lost Stars goes from before the movies to during the movies to battle of Jakku.

I'll probably try to pick up some of these books. I'd heard Aftermath was dreadful, though, and the "young adult" lines put me off a bit!

Lost Stars is young adult and is amazing.

I liked Aftermath. Plenty of others did too. Make up your own mind. It gives a very large glimpse of a lot of things going on all at once.

I couldn't finish Aftermath. It had such a horrible writing style that I just couldn't stand it any longer. I'm really sad about that. I wanted to get into it. I wanted to embrace all the new canon, but I just couldn't.

That may be part of the reason I enjoyed TFA so much. After the let-down that was Aftermath, TFA seemed to do everything right! I really enjoyed it. The repeated themes from the OT felt like poetry to me, rather than unoriginal rehashing.

I'm listening to the audio book of Aftermath with my son. It's enjoyable. Not the best fiction in the world, but better than the one with Luke in it. I couldn't stand that one.

I couldn't finish Aftermath. It had such a horrible writing style that I just couldn't stand it any longer. I'm really sad about that. I wanted to get into it. I wanted to embrace all the new canon, but I just couldn't.

I hear you, the weird present-perfect tense of the prose writing was an unusual choice. I almost bailed on it too, (I was listening to the audiobook on my drive to and from work), but I kept at it because the reader was an old acquaintance from some years ago, and I thought he did a great job reading it all things considered.

That was my motivation to hang in there, and the story did eventually sink its claws into me... after a couple of chapters it got to the point where I was basically sprinting to my car so I could hear more.

In the end, I quite liked it, but I can fully understand why some people didn't

Dead in the middle for me. Better than I-III, not better than IV-VI. It is basically a retelling of a new hope. Still enjoyed it.

Really enjoyed it myself. Let's say 4 out of 5 because it's likely my opinion will change with time. (Chances are it'll go up.)

All I really wanted out of the movie was to have fun watching it, and to have some reason to care about what the characters were doing on screen. The prequels had a bit of a problem with giving depth and context to characters and some reason to be emotionally invested in what happened to them.

My complaints are minimal. The pacing was a little breakneck near the end I didn't fully absorb what was all happening at the time, although it became clear in retrospect. Guess I didn't really NEED a massive super-weapon with a critical weak point, but I must admit it made for a great set piece and that it was pretty amazing to see in action. As far as re-hashing old material in general goes, well... this is a little hard to explain, but the relationship between Force Awakens and the movies that came before it feels a lot like the relationship between Mad Max and Road Warrior or Evil Dead and Evil Dead II. For the first time, Star Wars really feels like it's a fully-grown Paracosm. Oh, and last complaint: I wanted to see Captain Phasma do some more amazing stuff. (Loved her attitude toward the heroes when they were making their demands, though. Her cool head the different way she looks through people makes her a great foil to Kylo Ren.)

Stuff I liked? The biggest thing was the '30s pulp adventure feel and aesthetic. Wow. The First Order and its pantheon of aces has more in common with the old-fashoned bad guys that inspired the Empire than it does with the Empire itself, and I really like that. Poe Dameron is the quintessential Pulp Hero, and he was used very well. He easily could've overshadowed the other three heroes with his confidence and poise, but now that they've all come into their own right, they shouldn't step on each others' toes in subsequent installments. Along with the new villains, I like these people a lot and I want to see them all fail and succeed at things spectacularly. Another really interesting quality of the story is the way the events and personalities of the previous films have faded into the fabric of the universe and become legend. I like the way people have forgotten about Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader as people, and made them into symbols to be used as they see fit. That's fascinating, and it speaks a lot more to classical myth than it does to fandom and nostalgia, while being very much a shadow of the world we live in.

So, there. Looking forward to more. If there's anything I'd like to see in the future, it would be really nice if Rey isn't related to anyone important. In the tradition of martial arts heroes, Rey had always been brimming with a potent internal power and the self-control to utilise it- she just needed to discover it. If it turns out she's just so **** good at everything by virtue of being a Skywalker or something, it would diminish her character somewhat in my opinion.

I thought it was basically confirmed she's Luke's daughter after that flashback she had when touching the lightsaber

plus the final scene

Starting with Aftermath everything is canon now.

Actually Rebel Dawn was the first of the canon, Aftermath is just the first post Endor. And the Shattered Empire comic series is also post Endor. Lost Stars goes from before the movies to during the movies to battle of Jakku.

I'll probably try to pick up some of these books. I'd heard Aftermath was dreadful, though, and the "young adult" lines put me off a bit!

Lost Stars is young adult and is amazing.

I liked Aftermath. Plenty of others did too. Make up your own mind. It gives a very large glimpse of a lot of things going on all at once.

I thought Lost Stars was one of the better Star Wars books I've ever read.

I thought it was basically confirmed she's Luke's daughter after that flashback she had when touching the lightsaber

Not really. That could have simply been a Force vision because her destiny was tied to Luke. There was nothing there that really said she was related to Luke. Maybe she has Psychometry thought he force and touching the saber somehow gave her a vision of Luke.

If she is Luke's daughter, where is her mother? Why did he drop her off on Jakku?

I thought it was basically confirmed she's Luke's daughter after that flashback she had when touching the lightsaber

Not really. That could have simply been a Force vision because her destiny was tied to Luke. There was nothing there that really said she was related to Luke. Maybe she has Psychometry thought he force and touching the saber somehow gave her a vision of Luke.

If she is Luke's daughter, where is her mother? Why did he drop her off on Jakku?

Could have been the mother that dropped her off.

I don't think it's clear that she's Luke's daughter but it's certainly possible. The future, clouded, is.

I thought it was basically confirmed she's Luke's daughter after that flashback she had when touching the lightsaber

Not really. That could have simply been a Force vision because her destiny was tied to Luke. There was nothing there that really said she was related to Luke. Maybe she has Psychometry thought he force and touching the saber somehow gave her a vision of Luke.If she is Luke's daughter, where is her mother? Why did he drop her off on Jakku?

Exact same reason he upped and vanished entirely

Force powers make you quite a target

I'm hoping she's not related to Luke. Unfortunately, I think I'm hoping against hope because it's likely Abrams will want to continue the Skywalker line. I just really don't like it. She thought Luke was a legend and was thrilled to see Han Solo. You would think she would at least know the legends were true if she were family.

Also, Luke never knew his father as a child. I would think he would not want to make the same mistake with his child. He would want to be there and be a nurturing figure.

I normally accept the fact that everyone has an opinion on everything. And that's fine. Different perspectives make the world interesting. However, after 1 prescreening, and two more viewings, I've made my final decision. Anyone who doesnt agree this movie is amazing is either simply not a Star Wars fan, or they love being the voice of opposition, aka trolls and hipsters. The door is over there.

I normally accept the fact that everyone has an opinion on everything. And that's fine. Different perspectives make the world interesting. However, after 1 prescreening, and two more viewings, I've made my final decision. Anyone who doesnt agree this movie is amazing is either simply not a Star Wars fan, or they love being the voice of opposition, aka trolls and hipsters. The door is over there.

I understand your opinion (I loved the movie as well), but I just can't get behind this attitude. For far too many years have I put up with people telling me that I'm not a "true Star Wars fan" because I like the prequels. I don't think it's ever anyone's place to tell someone else whether they are or are not a true Star Wars fan.

But I'm glad you enjoyed it on your subsequent viewings. I'm seeing it a second time tonight and I hope I love it just as much as the first time.

I normally accept the fact that everyone has an opinion on everything. And that's fine. Different perspectives make the world interesting. However, after 1 prescreening, and two more viewings, I've made my final decision. Anyone who doesnt agree this movie is amazing is either simply not a Star Wars fan, or they love being the voice of opposition, aka trolls and hipsters. The door is over there.

I don't think it's that black and white. I think everyone agrees it's a good film. I think it's just that a lot of people think the creators feel too afraid to depart from the formula of A New Hope. Many people wanted a continuation of the saga with new content and ideas.

I think there is a happy medium of keeping the feeling and tones of the original trilogy and the colour and energy of the prequels.

I'm hoping she's not related to Luke. Unfortunately, I think I'm hoping against hope because it's likely Abrams will want to continue the Skywalker line. I just really don't like it. She thought Luke was a legend and was thrilled to see Han Solo. You would think she would at least know the legends were true if she were family.

Also, Luke never knew his father as a child. I would think he would not want to make the same mistake with his child. He would want to be there and be a nurturing figure.

Going against that theory, no one seems to imply Luke had any family when he disappeared. There's only talk of Kylo Ren destroying his academy and students, nothing about loss of any family. It seems highly unlikely that Luke's sister and best friend didn't know he had a kid, or that Leia wouldn't sense some sort of connection through the Force when they meet face to face(and we know she's still got some degree of Force ability; she clearly senses when Han dies).

There's a ton going for it though. While the visions themselves don't directly tie Rey to Luke(the Cloud City bit would have been lingering from Luke's duel with Vader), the fact she sees bits of Kylo Ren destroying the Jedi Academy is a bit suspect. If the Cloud City bit was with the saber, and her childhood obviously comes from here, where is the Kylo vision in the middle coming from if she wasn't somehow connected to the event? Most tellingly for me though, aside from the look they exchange at the end, comes during Rey's interrogation by Kylo. At one point he mentions seeing an island in the ocean in her dreams, tied into the family/people who left her on Jakku. And where does she find Luke? Granted, those two things combined could just mean that Rey was a student at the academy... but the time scale seems off for that to be the case; Kylo in the flashback is clearly at least a teenager, and they appear to be the same age... or was the bit with Kylo and the other Knights of Ren not a flashback? Hmm...

Fun Fact: The voices that Rey hears during her visions from the lightsaber are Ewan McGregor, Alec Guiness(they got "Rey" from him saying "afraid" at some point in the OT) and Frank Oz, so Yoda and Obi-Wan's force ghosts are still puttering along in some manner. Wonder how prominent a role they'll play going forward.

Could have been the mother that dropped her off.

I can't imagine anything that would cause a mother to drop her 5-8 year old daughter off on a strange and hostile world and leave without her.

Exact same reason he upped and vanished entirely

But again where's her mother? Unless we are going to go with the theory that Rey is the product of a one night stand and Luke knows nothing about her... The idea that she's his daughter just doesn't seem likely.

Although I did see something from Disney saying that all 3 movies would focus on the Skywalker line so maybe. I mean it's possible that both her parents abandoned her there for some reason... Perhaps her mother was killed or something. But it would take something really serious for a set of parents to do what they did to Rey...

But I did see something suggesting that Rey was supposed to be killed when Kylo attacked Luke in the vision and as far as Luke was considered she was dead. I'm not sure I buy it, but it's no less feasible than other theories I've heard.

It would explain why Luke left, if he thought his family was killed in that attack... Would also explain the final scene a bit. Rey may not even remember who Luke was, or had her memories removed. She clearly doesn't know who Luke is, other than being a myth.

Kylo in the flashback is clearly at least a teenager, and they appear to be the same age...

I wouldn't put too much stock in how old they seem to be. Rey seems to be 18-21 or so, but given how she sat outside against the AT-AT and put on that helmet made her seem like she might be younger.

For what it's worth... Daisy Ridley is 23 and Adam Driver is 32.

Kylo in the flashback is clearly at least a teenager, and they appear to be the same age...

I wouldn't put too much stock in how old they seem to be. Rey seems to be 18-21 or so, but given how she sat outside against the AT-AT and put on that helmet made her seem like she might be younger.

For what it's worth... Daisy Ridley is 23 and Adam Driver is 32.

Huh, wouldn't have guessed he was that old. Well I guess that's back in the viable pool then assuming character ages should roughly match. They never give a clear idea of how long Luke has been gone, or in other words how long since the incident, do they?

They never give a clear idea of how long Luke has been gone, or in other words how long since the incident, do they?

No they don't. They don't even really say how long after Endor TFA takes place. Everything says 'around 30 years' but nothing in the movie really clarified that. Could be as many as 35 or even 38 years after.

But unless Leia was pregnant at Endor, I can't see Ben going into training until at least 6-8 years after Endor. Then it's a question of how long after he started training that he fell to the dark side. In the force vision Rey has, he's at least physically mature, so I'd guess he's got to be 16+. That means Luke could of left at soonest as 17 or so years after Endor.

That would mean he'd been gone for 15 or so years, at the most I think.

Edit: In Aftermath they don't mention a word about Han and Leia's kid, but IIRC they don't mention them hardly at all so that doesn't mean much.

The 3 young adult books the ones about Luke, Han & Chewie and Leia all take place between either ANH and ESB or ESB and Jedi so those don't help.

Rey is Kylo's sister, abandoned by Daicun when the Falcon got stolen.

Does anyone know what exactly happened at the end of the Rey/Kylo fight? Does she cut his hand off or destroy his saber? Couldn't really tell...