By now, you’ve all watched the new teaser trailer for “The Force Awakens” a dozen times. And you’ve probably been watching the livestream of Star Wars: Celebration Anaheim on StarWars.Com. In fact, I hope you’ve been glued to it.
But one thing you won’t see on the livestream from your computers at home are the physical exhibits on hand here at the convention. Perhaps the most important of which is the exhibit of props and costumes from “The Force Awakens.”
And this exhibit was a little more revealing than I would have guessed.
Tucked away on the second floor of the convention center in room 209, you wait in line to enter a darkened room where the tones are hushed and the mood is reverent. A large black curtain separates the line from the crowd in line and the exhibit, but you can hear the gasps as soon as the corner is turned.
The first thing you see when you’re allowed admittance?
The new Millennium Falcon and an X-Wing, both screen-used models.
The thing that’s interesting about the X-Wing? Check out the astromech inside… Is that BB-8?
Then, you’re treated to sights of various costumes, namely Finn’s, Rey’s, and Kylo Ren’s.
In person, Kylo Ren’s mask seems much less human and much more Kel Dor, which is the race Plo Koon is. It’s subtle though, and the pictures don’t quite do it justice.
The thing I’m most excited by, though, are these new Stormtrooper costumes.
The “Flametrooper” and “Snowtrooper” are both new and labeled as being affiliated with “The First Order,” which is decidedly not “The Empire.” It’s definitely something we’re going to have to get used to, but it’s also something that’s mildly expected. There is no longer an Empire, so an Imperial Remnant of loyalists would almost certainly come up with a name like “The First Order” which seems very much like “The Third Reich.” Between that and the WWII imagery in the trailer, I’d guess that Palpatine is going to be turned into very much of a Kaiser Wilhelm character and Kylo Ren or whoever else is in charge of “The First Order” is going to be the Hitler-like character.
But that’s just a guess.
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” comes out December 18, 2015.