10 Years On, We’ll Bet You Still Haven’t Found These Tiny Details in Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Are you ready to feel really old? Star Wars: The Force Awakens is now ten years old. If you still remember the moment you first saw the trailer for the movie (and watched it 1,000 times as I did), then you’ll probably be wondering where that time has gone.
The J.J. Abrams flick resurrected the beloved saga a decade after the release of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. It brought back the iconic trio of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia, while also introducing us to a new era of heroes and villains.
You may have watched The Force Awakens a dozen times since it was first released – maybe more – but even the most ardent Star Wars fan might have missed some of the very clever, fun, and fascinating details we spotted in the movie to mark this significant milestone.
1. FN-2187’s Subtle Connection to Princess Leia
We are really glad Finn became a traitor to the First Order and joined the Resistance. That decision led to us getting a cool new hero to root for, but it’s worth remembering where he came from for a moment. Or at least, what he used to be called. Finn’s Stormtrooper name was FN-2187, a code given to him by the First Order. But it actually has ties to Princess Leia.
You’ll recall that in Star Wars: A New Hope, Leia is kept prisoner on the Death Star. Specifically, she is held in Detention Block AA-23, Cell 2187. It’s a small but satisfying nod to the Original Trilogy, and also aligns with something George Lucas often did in his Star Wars films. The mastermind behind the franchise previously made a film called THX 1138, and he used those numbers on multiple occasions, including when Luke Skywalker says he was transferred from Cell Block 1138.
2. Obi-Wan Kenobi Speaks to Rey
It was clear from the get-go that Rey was going to be special, but her connection to the Force becomes far more explicit when she touches the famous Skywalker lightsaber for the first time at Maz Kanata’s castle. In that moment, Rey hears the voices of the Jedi Masters that have come before her, including Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
What’s interesting about the latter, though, is that we actually get two generations of the character in that tiny snippet of dialogue. Kenobi says, “Rey, these are your first steps.” The majority of that was newly-recorded lines read by Ewan McGregor, who first played Obi-Wan in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. However, the team behind The Force Awakens were also able to splice together a line reading from Alec Guinness, who played Obi-Wan in the Original Trilogy. Guinness says the word “afraid” in A New Hope, so they cleverly just took the middle chunk of that to make it sound like he was talking to Rey.
3. The Force Awakens’ Hidden A-List Cameos
Speaking of voice work, The Force Awakens is full of top talent that you probably never even realised were involved in the film. The most famous of them all is Daniel Craig. We don’t see his face, but he’s the voice of the Stormtrooper who is supposed to be guarding Rey and is the first victim of her burgeoning Jedi mind control powers.
The James Bond star is not the only one. Simon Pegg is a massive fan of sci-fi like Star Wars and Star Trek, and he was drafted in to voice Unkar Plutt, the mean junkboss on the planet of Jakku.
Even weirder still, the loveable droid BB-8 has comedy star Bill Hader to thank for his excitable squeaks and beeps. Hader recorded noises for the character before his voice was distorted to go higher-pitched. Meanwhile, fellow comedy actor Ben Schwartz – the voice behind Sonic the Hedgehog – was credited as a consultant for the voice work on BB-8.
4. Han Solo’s Newfound Faith in the Force
Throughout the Original Trilogy, Han Solo is more than a little sceptical of the Force. While he recognises Luke is a hero and quietly admires his talents, he never truly buys into the mystical ways of the Jedi. Clearly, something changed his mind on all that between the end of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens.
When Rey and Finn cross paths with Han and Chewie, they get pretty excited about the fact that he knew Luke Skywalker. But, instead of playing down the legendary Jedi, Han says, “It’s true. The Force, the Jedi. All of it. It’s all true.” This is a brilliant bit of character development for the scruffy nerfherder, and probably has something to do with the fact that his son, Ben Solo, was imbued with the powers of the Force, too.
5. Maz Kanata Flies the Flag for Mandalore
Going back to that visit to Maz Kanata’s castle, a few notable flags are flying outside the grand building. One belongs to the 501st Legion, an infamous group of Stormtroopers who were also known as Vader’s Fist. As you can guess, they were essentially his most dangerous henchmen during the Imperial Era.
More exciting, though, is the fact that we see the insignia of Mandalore on one of the flags. The symbol obviously has links to the likes of Boba Fett, who made his name in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and Din Djarin from The Mandalorian. It’s hard to say why that flag is flying or which specific character helped to get it there, but we like to think that Boba Fett had a drink or two in the smuggler’s haven at some point in his bounty hunting career.
6. Poe Dameron Was Supposed to Die in The Force Awakens
Poe Dameron, played by Oscar Isaac, is one of the most popular characters in the franchise now. From his excitable first meeting with Finn to his valiant rescue mission on Takodana, the pilot steals the show in The Force Awakens (and let’s not forget his very apt and hilarious reaction to the news that “somehow”, Palpatine had returned in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker).
However, if you actually pay attention to his screen time in the first movie of the Sequel Trilogy, you’ll notice Poe goes missing for a very long time. That’s because the original plan was for the character to be killed off while helping Finn escape the First Order right at the beginning of the movie. While filming, though, Abrams and Co. realised that Isaac’s performance and the nature of the character had real value, and they decided to keep him alive. He’s not mentioned at all after escaping with Finn and seemingly crashing on Jakku, and how he’s alive is never explained. Still, when a character is this fun, who cares?
7. The Exact Moment Kylo Ren Abandons the Light
From one of the most popular characters to one of the most intriguing: Kylo Ren is the best part of the Sequel Trilogy, largely because he’s quickly shown as a ruthless yet flawed villain filled with a great inner conflict. That battle between good and evil within Kylo Ren is really brought to the fore in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but in The Force Awakens, it seems he has extinguished the light forever.
Spoiler alert: Kylo Ren (AKA Ben Solo) kills his dad, Han Solo, in the climactic moments of the 2015 film. It’s a riveting scene where father and son share a moment that flickers between heated angst and heartfelt compassion. As Han appears to be winning over his estranged son, the light behind them is bright and blue. However, that light becomes nothing but red as the doubts creep back into Kylo’s mind, and he does “what needs to be done.” Given the connotations of those colours and the Jedi and the Sith, this is obviously no coincidence.
