SPECULATION How Do You Think Rogue One Will Impact or Enhance the Star Wars Saga?

Rogue One is the first of a new series of Star Wars Anthology films.

Set before Episode IV: A New Hope, this film will provide us with new information through

• new characters
• new events
• new locations
• and more

So the question I would like to pose to my fellow forum members is:

How do you think Rogue One will impact or enhance the Original Trilogy and overall Star Wars saga?

I'll start this conversation off with this general consideration:

As the events in this film happen just before A New Hope, I believe the most immediate impact will be on that film, of course, but I also sense Rogue One has the potential to carry with it information or implications which might improve or alter our understanding or perceptions of things beyond Episode IV.

One more thing I think which could be helpful to keep in mind: this movie, now inserted at a certain point within the overall Star Wars timeline, places it after Revenge of the Sith:

• Episode I: The Phantom Menace
• Episode II: Attack of the Clones
• Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
• Rogue One
• Episode IV: A New Hope
• Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
• Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
• Episode VII: The Force Awakens

JediMasterRobert

 

I haven't heard anything about that yet, but I do remember being impressed back during the Original Trilogy (Episodes IV - VI) in how many Stormtrooper variants there eventually were:

• classic Stormtroopers
• Desert Stormtroopers
  
• TIE fighter pilots
  
• AT-AT drivers
• Snowtroopers
• Scout troopers

and then the Clone Troopers were introduced in the Prequel Trilogy.

In the Sequel Trilogy (Episodes VII - ) we now have:

• First Order Stormtroopers
• First Order Snowtroopers
• First Order Flametroopers
• Captain Phasma ("chrometrooper")
• others TBA?

Ralph McQuarrie had a variety of designs that served as the basis or inspiration for a lot of these designs.

Given the likely ground-battle-oriented nature of Rogue One, it might be likely the Empire had different Stormtrooper outfits, armors, and divisions developed for a variety of combat situations.

JediMasterRobert

 

I completely agree, Light Savior_47.

I think this is going to add at least another layer of meaning excitement on top of what we already have.

Thanks for your informative post, ParzivalKatarn!

I appreciate how you thought that through and worked that all out like that!

Thank you, thetophus, for your insightful comments!

I've always admired how the Prequels, for all their imperfections, added much history and meaning to characters and events in the chronologically later Original Trilogy.

Thank you, Light Savior_47

I appreciate your enthusiasm!

I think it's fun and interesting to regard each movie in and of itself and then considering each one's place and relationships within the larger context of the overall saga.


JediMasterRobert

 

You are absolutely correct, Cmdr. Ed Straker. Well said!

I think they do have to be careful so as not to introduce anything too out of place or outright anachronous.

The temptation almost certainly is there to push the envelope, and while they certainly have some chronological room to play within, they do have to take great care in the existence and placement of all major elements in this new episode.

This is, for all intents and purposes, Episode 3.5, so everything has to fit well wedged between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.

An Old Republic era prequel triology is exactly where I believe Disney should go next, because there is great potential, especially if they go further back (pre-Jedi/Sith). They can really delve into some powerfully mystical and mythological material there.

I'd also welcome a Yoda origin film, even if it was simply a stand-alone or two-part "Anthology" film.

Lots of things they can do with the "Anthology" series, as it gives them freedom to jump around the Star Wars timeline, hopefully only to enhance things as they do so without causing continuity issues or causing certain landmark events in Star Wars to have lesser or completely different (in a bad way) meanings.

JediMasterRobert

 

They cannot avoid the connections which are already established, only play within them, unless they rewrite this recent Star Wars history to suit their story, which I think they're at least wise enough not to consider.

As the Death Star (#1) does have its in-film / canon / on-screen origins (and very early construction) in the Prequel Trilogy (in addition to its obvious prevalence in Episode IV), there should be some Geonosis / Geonosian connection which Disney cannot deny, especially as DS1 was said to have its construction commenced above Geonosis prior to its being moved.

The Death Star article in Wookieepedia also states:

which should be portrayed or mentioned.

See also:

The Sterilization of Geonosis (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Sterilization_of_Geonosis)

I think this event, whether as a portrayal or reference, could further demonstrate just how far / low the Empire (and namely Palpatine) were willing to go simply to preserve the secrets of their pet project.

It certainly is!

I hope they heed Qui-Gon Jinn's advice to Watto: "Whenever you gamble, my friend, eventually you'll lose."

Hopefully it's not "only money" which "works" on them.

JediMasterRobert

 

As Old Biff from the Future noted above, this cinematic venture is a risk.

One of the most major challenges, as I see it, in these Anthology films is that the storytellers have to be infinitely mindful of the chain of cause(s) and effect(s) episode to episode and throughout the larger saga.

Speaking even more broadly, many, if not most of the actions we will eventually witness in this film actually enable the rest of the Original Trilogy and subsequent episodes to unfold as they will later in Star Wars history.

This is not at all an easy proposition or a process that lends itself to easy revision or dropping in details and characters.

Care must be taken, as even a simple line of dialogue can change the meaning of a later or previous topic or event.

I'm glad there is a Story Group in place to try to preserve continuities as much as possible, and they certainly have their hands full given the most immediately potentially heavily impacted film by Rogue One is the next film (chronologically): Episode IV: A New Hope.

Events in Rogue One immediate precede A New Hope.

Perhaps the most likely known character standing a very good chance of being enhanced or at least expanded upon is no one other than

Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith

We've explored, through other threads in this forum, possibilities of Vader appearing in this film. It sounds like its going to happen.

Many fans are eager to see top-of-his-prime Vader going full on Sith, unleashing unholy Dark Side wrath on the Rebels.

Whether this occurs or not, any additional dialogue or action which does exist for Vader in Rogue One could offer even more insight into his character, even as he is perhaps among the most scrutinized and fully-developed characters of the entire saga, and appropriately so, as his character arc spans Episode I through Episode VI.

Perhaps we will learn something new about Anakin/Vader?

Zooming out a bit: the very Empire itself is, perhaps, something else we might get to learn a bit more about in this film, since that is the collective enemy the Rebels are primarily up against as they race to locate the very plans that might extend their existence and therefore preserve the prospect of hope for the end of tyranny in the galaxy (well, at least up to the end of Episode VI).

I would love to hear more of your thoughts and theories on these matters and what specifically you think Rogue One might affect.

JediMasterRobert