Star Wars: The Force Awakens — 10 Predictions

With Star Wars: The Force Awakens premiering worldwide this week (December 17 and 18), we look at 10 predictions for the film that we are fairly confident will happen.

There has been an awakening in all of nerdom…can you feel it? Star War: The Force Awakens hits theaters on Thursday and Friday of this week, and fans of the franchise have never been more excited. This is, afterall, the first live-action Star Wars film in 10 years, which means the importance of J.J Abrams and Disney/Lucasfilm getting it right, is at an all-time-high. With that in mind, we take a look ahead, to try and predict 10 things that we feel strongly, will happen in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Number Ten: The Millennium Falcon will be destroyed.

The Falcon’s potential demise was long rumored before the various teaser trailers and television spots began to hit the airwaves. In fact, the fate of the Fastest Hunk-of-Junk in the galaxy was said to be tied to her owner…but we’ll get to that later. Then the above scene appeared in a behind-the-scenes special on Disney XD, and it seemed as if we all but had confirmation. However, is this just a classic case of misdirection from the sneakiest director in all of Hollywood — J.J. Abrams?

The Millennium Falcon has been every bit the icon of the Star Wars franchise that her famous pilots and passengers have been, and to destroy the ship in the first film of the new trilogy, would make a bold statement, and leave J.J. Abrams’ indelible signature on the franchise. So, that’s why I believe the Falcon will be destroyed. Whether from this crash in the snowy planet that the First Order Starkiller base calls home, or be it in an epic space battle, we predict the Millennium Falcon won’t make it out of The Force Awakens, in one piece.

Number Nine: Luke Skywalker will have a much larger role.

It’s the most talked about mystery orbiting Star Wars: The Force Awakens, like an asteroid field just waiting to shred the hull of your favorite starship: Where is Luke Skywalker? We’ve only been shown the cloaked and hooded backside of the last Jedi, and his robotic hand gently reaching out to R2-D2, as if to comfort his little friend. That’s it…that’s all we’ve seen of the last known scion on House Skywalker, and Star Wars fans are beginning to worry.

The insane theories regarding the whereabouts of Luke have varied from he is a crazy old hermit living in a cave, to him being a Force Ghost like Obi-Wan, Yoda, and his father Anakin, to (and I swear this is a real theory) Luke actually being the hooded bad guy of The Force Awakens — Kylo Ren. I know, I know…we’ve all seen the publicity stills of Adam Driver with the Kylo mask off, which he did for Vanity Fair. However, the fringe fans that believe this theory say that Luke can manipulate his facial features to look like someone else…I told you it was insane.

The very real concern — in regard to Luke — is that we will not see him until the last act of the film, when Daisy Ridley’s Rey will find him in a cave, and his only words of The Force Awakens will be, and I quote, “My baby girl!” Yep, that bit of silliness is something the Star Wars subreddit — StarWarsLeaks — has latched onto, and sort of made it their battle cry.

No, I believe Luke will have a much larger role in The Force Awakens. If Supreme Leader Snoke is running the First Order and the Dark Side from the shadows, like some demented puppet master, then I believe Luke is doing the same, except for the Light Side of the Force. I believe we will see Luke early in some sort of flashback, and then I believe we will see the now Jedi Grand Master through various holo-recordings to his sister General Leia, and of course we will see him when Rey seeks him out. I also believe we will see Luke in action, for this film. Nobody puts Luke in a corner…nobody.

Number Eight: BB-8 will become more popular than R2-D2.

Since the little soccer ball droid now known as BB-8 first made his appearance in the first teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, he has been stealing the hearts of every Star Wars fan, the world over. From his unique look, to the way he communicates, BB-8 has even the most masculine of men squeeing with delight, every time he pops up on screen.

Add to the fact that BB-8 is an actual puppet-droid (just like R2), and that the tech-company Sphero has made an app-enabled toy version of BB-8, and there is just no possibility that little round-mound of joy could fail. BB-8’s only competition for the most favorite droid of all time, is longstanding fan favorite, R2. Artoo’s popularity goes all the way back to the Original Trilogy, and the very first Star Wars film, Episode IV: A New Hope. Whether is was back-talking C-3PO or convincing Luke to remove his restraining bolt so that he could seek out Obi-Wan, you just knew that the little astromech with a heart of gold, would be your favorite.

R2’s popularity grew with each film in the Star Wars franchise, and when the animated series Star Wars The Clone Wars aired, Artoo took his place among the most beloved characters from the Star Wars saga. Now the question is: Will BB-8 match that popularity in his first film, and even overtake R2 as the most popular droid in the franchise? I predict he will. We live in an age where everything is instantly shareable, via social network platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram…to name a few. This is where BB-8 will have the upper-hand on R2. As you can see above, GIF’s of the little droid have already flooded the vast black hole that is the internet, and with a real live-version of the droid being available for every household, BB-8 is poised to take the crown from R2.

Number Seven: There will be multiple Skywalker children.

It is the one overlying theme of the Star Wars franchise: Star Wars is ultimately about the Skywalker family line. From the films, to the animated series, to books and comics, Anakin Skywalker and his bloodline have been the one continual certainty. Whether you believe Anakin was created by Palpatine and his Sith Master — Darth Plagueis — or you don’t, the Star Wars story literally begins with little Anakin being discovered on Tatooine in Episode I: The Phantom Menace, and ended with his death and redemption to the Light in Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.

In the old Expanded Universe, Luke moves on from Episode VI, and starts his own Jedi Academy, and his own family. So too, does Leia. She and Han have Force sensitive children that follow in their grandfather’s footsteps, with one even becoming a Sith Lord. That story has all been relegated to the newly formed Star Wars Legends…a group of stories that may or may not be true, depending on which director need what for his or her film.

I predict that J.J. Abrams will knock the dust off this particular part of the old EU, and multiple Skywalker children will be revealed in The Force Awakens. Let’s start with Rey (Daisy Ridley), who has been abandoned on the planet of Jakku — by her family — whom she doesn’t seem to remember. Could Rey’s memories have been wiped, in order t protect her? Remember the line from Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong’o) in the third teaser trailer for The Force Awakens: “I see your eyes…I know your eyes.” It sure seems as if the little old alien recognizes Rey.

Then there’s the Kylo Ren mystery. We know that Ren is not actually Kylo’s last name, in fact J.J. Abrams confirmed that Ren was a title from a group that Kylo belongs to, called The Knights of Ren. Could Kylo be the son of Luke or Leia? Finally, Finn’s familial ties are also up in the air. A few months ago, during it’s Han and Lie story-arc, Marvel Star Wars introduced Han Solo’s wife, a black woman named Sana Solo, who happened to be a smuggler/merc/bounty hunter. Could Finn be the product of that marriage? Regardless, I predict that both Kylo and Rey are the children of the Skywalker twins. Perhaps Rey is Luke’s daughter, while Kylo is Leia and Han’s.

Number Six: Leia will use the Force.

We know that Leia has gone down a different path — in The Force Awakens — than she did from the old Expanded Universe. In the EU, Leia trains as a Jedi, and becomes a Jedi Knight who is strong in the Force…like her brother and her father before her. J.J. Abrams recently confirmed that while Leia was now a General in the Resistance, she still was connected to Force, and strong in it as well. So, if Leia is still strong in the Force, and apparently has access to it, will we see the former Princess of Alderaan use it?

In the above GIF, we see the tiny arm and hand of Maz Kanata, handing Luke’s lost lightsaber (the one he lost in his duel with Vader on Bespin during the final act of Empire Strikes Back). Will Leia use Luke’s saber during the film? We know from multiple television spots that Leia does hand over the lightsaber to Finn. What we don’t know is if she tried to give it to Rey first, or if she herself attempted to hold onto the powerful Jedi artifact.

I predict that Leia will in fact use the Force in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and she will most likely do it by reaching out to Luke through the Force. Leia is a General in the Resistance, and every bit the elder stateswoman that Mon Mothma was in the Original Trilogy. And, it’s because of this fact, that I don’t see Leia getting in the middle of a scrum and swinging her brother’s lightsaber around. But I do see her using the Force at some point, just so the audience will be reminded of the strong connection between the Force and the members of House Skywalker.

Number Five: Finn will lose an arm.

As far as we know, Finn is not Force sensitive. And, even if he is, he doesn’t have the benefit of training in the ways of the Force and lightsaber battle, as Kylo Ren does. The above scene seems to be from one of the last acts of The Force Awakens, with Finn igniting Luke’s lost lightsaber, and for whatever reason, taking on the powerful Dark Side user, Kylo Ren. Don’t get me wrong, Finn seems to be incredibly brave here, but it looks like he’s about to lose terribly.

The prediction is easy, here. Finn will most likely continue the Star Wars tradition of heroes losing appendages and then replacing them with hi-tech robotics. I mean…just look at the ferocity with which Kylo is about to lay into Finn. Yeah, Finn is totally going to lose his arm, you watch.

Number Four: Captain Phasma will never remove her armor.

Game of Thrones actress Gwendoline Christie is portraying the chromed-out First Order stormtrooper, Captain Phasma. We know absolutely nothing about this enigmatic elite warrior, and perhaps that’s why she’s such a magnetic character. Phasma has had quite a bit of screen-time in the various teasers trailers and TV spots, but we’ve not seen what she looks like under that shiny armor.

I predict we won’t even see Phasma’s face, in The Force Awakens. It’s part of the mystique of a J.J. abrams film…some character are never fully revealed, and they carry that mystery with them to the sequel. We know that Gwendoline Christie will be in Episode VIII, so why show her face in Episode VII? Perhaps she’s been horribly scarred in a battle with a Jedi or the Resistance. Perhaps she is a cyborg, and is more machine that actual human…much like Darth Vader. Regardless, I don’t think we’ll get to see her face in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Number Three: Kylo Ren will be redeemed.

What’s the one main thing we know for sure about Kylo Ren? We know he’s obsessed with Darth Vader. Just look at the guy’s outfit. A complete face-covering mask, dark robes, and a red lightsaber. Oh, and did I mention he keep’s the burned-out helmet of Vader in his room, and that he speaks to it? Kylo is clearly unhinged, and I believe I know why.

Andy Serkis will be portraying Supreme Leader Snoke: A powerful in the Dark Side of the Force master to Kylo Ren. My theory is that Kylo was taken from his parents at a young age, and then forced to learn the ways of the Dark Side by Snoke, and this is what drove him to madness. I believe his obsession with Vader, is his way of connecting to his grandfather, Anakin.

I predict that throughout their battle, Kylo will be reminded of who he is, from Rey and Finn, who’ve learned his identity from possibly Luke or Leia. Kylo will maim Finn in a lightsaber duel, and before he can deliver the final blow, Rey will intervene with some sort of Force Vision (much like the kind Kylo forces onto Poe), and Kylo will realize he was meant to fight for the Light Side of the Force, and by the end of The Force Awakens, Kylo Ren will be redeemed. This will be the opposite path that Anakin took, but will keep with the overall theme of the Star Wars story.

Number Two: Snoke will be revealed as Palpatine’s former Sith Master.

In the Prequel Trilogy — Episode III: Revenge of the Sith — Palpatine tells Anakin of the Tragedy of Plagueis the Wise. “Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith so powerful and so wise, he could use the Force to influence the midichlorians to create life. He had such a knowledge of the dark side, he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying. Unfortunately, he taught his apprentice everything he knew. Then his apprentice killed him in his sleep. Ironic. He could save others from death, but not himself.“

Palpatine, under the secret guise as Darth Sidious, tells Anakin this story in order to lure the impulsive, young and powerful Jedi Knight, to the Dark Side of the Force. The Story was actually one from Palpatine’s own past, as Plagueis was his own Sith Master, and according to the Sith Rule of Two, Sidious struck down his master…or at least he thought he did.  Many Star Wars fans (myself included) believe that Snoke is actually Plagueis in disguise.

In Darth Sidious’ attempt to kill his master, he horribly disfigured him through the use of his Dark Side Force Lightning. Here’s a description of Supreme Leader Snoke from Serkis: “He is severely damaged. Although he’s a powerful leader, he comes across as vulnerable. Very scarred and disfigured.” To me, this sounds like a description of Darth Plagueis, and I predict that at some point in The Force Awakens, we will learn that Snoke is in fact Palpatine’s former Sith Master. This will help connect the Prequel and Original trilogies through the Dark Side.

Number One: Han Solo will die.

At this point, the running joke in Star Wars, is that Han has to die. It’s no secret that Harrison Ford wanted to have Han killed in either Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, or Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. In fact, the biggest rumor from the filming of The Force Awakens, is that Han does die, by the end of the film. But how will this happen? Does he die at the helm of the Millennium Falcon…going out like a true captain? Or is it by something much more insidious?

My prediction is simple: Han Solo will die by the hand of Kylo Ren, who will be revealed to be his own son, and this event will cause Kylo to forsake the Knights of Ren, turn from Snoke and the Dark Side, and seek out Luke Skywalker — with Rey — to learn the ways of the Jedi. While a sad thought, it makes complete cinematic sense. In order for his lost son to be redeemed in the Light, Han will have to sacrifice himself. His death will be beautiful and brave, and will set the tone for Episode VIII. For Star Wars: The Force Awakens to deliver that knock-out punch and become one of the greatest films of all time, then one of the original heroes will have to die…and I predict it will be Han Solo.

Next: A comprehensive guide to The Force Awakens cast list!

What say you? What are some of your predictions for The Force Awakens? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget, Star Wars: The Force Awakens premieres worldwide on December 17 and 18…as if you needed to be reminded.