The Force Awakens Characters Revealed In Vanity Fair Photos

The fourth is with Star Wars fans today, and Vanity Fair is making it special in a big way. In honor of Star Wars Day, the magazine has launched a page spread for The Force Awakens, with EXCLUSIVE NEW PHOTOS OF CHARACTERS taken by veteran photographer, Annie Leibovitz.

Bask in their glow below:

Photo by Annie Leibovitz

First up, we’ve got Kylo Ren unmasked! The caption for this picture reads, “Next-generation bad guy Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) commands snowtroopers loyal to the evil First Order on the frozen plains of their secret base.” So the First Order has a secret base… Does that mean that the Resistance, which we assume is the Rebel Alliance 2.0, is winning the galactic conflict, forcing the First Order to go into hiding? Or is the First Order is building a secret weapon that they don’t want the other side to know about? “Secret base” could imply so many things!

But aside from that, I have to add: From this fangirl’s perspective, Kylo looks pretty fine without his mask on.

Photo by Annie Leibovitz

Next we have Lupita Nyong’o in full motion capture regalia. Her photo’s caption reads, “A small galaxy’s worth of tracking dots affixed to Lupita Nyong’o’s face allowed artists at Industrial Light & Magic to transform her into the C.G.I. character Maz Kanata.” Maz Kanata. The name rolls off the tongue.

The caption for the next photo gives us some insight into what we can expect from Maz Kanata’s character.

Photo by Annie Leibovitz

“Galactic travelers, smugglers, and other assorted riffraff fill the main hall of pirate Maz Kanata’s castle.” So Lupita’s character is a pirate! Not only that, but it sounds like she might be the leader of a pirate organization.

Speaking of which, we may have found a more wretched hive of scum and villainy than the Mos Eisley spaceport. There are all kinds of cool aliens in this picture, and incidentally, none of them look like they have been rendered with computer graphics.

Also, is that the Chrome Trooper there on the right in the background? Or maybe it’s a Mandalorian… The helmet is reminiscent of Jango Fett to me.

Photo by Annie Leibovitz

I love this picture. You can’t help but feel that Poe is a hero (so I hope he is!). The shot is beautiful, with the silver clouds in the background complementing the blue stripe on the X-Wing and the orange of Poe’s flight suit.

Here’s the caption: “Dashing Resistance pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) stands alongside his trusty X-wing fighter.” Dashing, indeed.

Photo by Annie Leibovitz

In this photo, “J. J. Abrams directs Actress Daisy Ridley for a scene in which her character, the young heroine Rey, pilots her speeder through a bustling marketplace on the planet Jakku.” Again, gorgeous sky, along with lots of practical effects and costumes.

Photo by Annie Leibovitz

We also have a picture of the masterminds behind The Force Awakens: legendary composer John Williams, producer Kathleen Kennedy, co-writer Lawrence Kasdan, and director and co-writer JJ Abrams. This photo was taken at Abrams’s production company, Bad Robot, in Santa Monica.

Last but not least, Vanity Fair has provided a behind-the-scenes video of Ms. Leibovitz’s photo shoot. Check it out.

What an AWESOME way to kick of Star Wars Day! And this is just the beginning! If you sign up for Vanity Fair’s free e-newsletter by 8 pm EST tonight, you will receive an exclusive photo of a new character tomorrow. You can sign up here.

Stay tuned to Dork Side for more Star Wars news and features throughout the day! And may the 4th be with you!