‘Rogue One’ Character Details Revealed, Darth Vader Confirmed to Appear

As fans anxiously await the release of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” the origin tale about how the Rebellion retrieved the Death Star schematics to take down the Empire, new details, released via Entertainment Weekly, offer a closer look at the new characters.

Set before the events of the original “Star Wars,” “Rogue One” follows Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), a galactic outlaw who is given the chance to wipe her slate clean by leading the effort to steal the Death Star plans.

“She has been detained [by the Rebellion] and is being given an opportunity to be useful. And by being useful, it may commute her sentence,” Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm president and “Rogue One” producer, told EW. “She becomes a kind of Joan of Arc in the story.”

Her team will include Captain Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), a by-the-book Rebel intelligence officer that complements the volatile Erso; Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen), who Kennedy describes as a “warrior monk”; Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen), Chirrut’s protective friend who prefers a blaster to ancient weapons; Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed), the Rebel squad’s hot-headed lead pilot; and K-2SO (Alan Tudyk), a powerful security droid who director Gareth Edwards calls the “the antithesis of C-3PO.”

“Kaytoo is a little bit like Chewbacca’s personality in a droid’s body. He doesn’t give a s— about what you think,” Edwards said.

Forest Whitaker also joins Erso’s team as Saw Gerrera, who was once part of an insurgent group trained by Anakin. Mads Mikkelsen will play Galen Erso, Jyn’s father, whose doomsday knowledge is sought by both the Empire and the Rebellion.

On the opposing side, Ben Mendelsohn plays director Orson Krennic, a villain with intentions to use his squad of Death Troopers to take down the rebel uprising while avoiding his enforcer, Darth Vader.

Darth Vader is confirmed to return in “Rogue One” after his death in “Star Wars: Episode VI.”

“Rogue One” will open in theaters on Dec. 16.

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