The following article originally appeared in Juniata High School's newspaper The Arrowhead.    

As with most Star Wars movies, the newest addition to the Star Wars saga will leave fans wanting more! As an “in between” episode, Rogue One, released in December 2016, takes place chronologically between Episode III, Revenge of the Sith, and Episode IV, A New Hope. Rogue One shows how Princess Leia got the plans for the Death Star and “sets the scene” for the original Episodes IV, V, and VI.

Along with adding details to the Star Wars storyline, Rogue One also introduces some awesome new characters. First, there is Jyn Erso, the tough and independent girl who is on a journey to find her father, who was separated from her when she was just a little girl. It also includes Cassian Andor, who from the trailer appears as a normal rebellion officer who was helping Jyn; however, it turns out he is a ruthless, cold-blooded assassin who does all the dirty work for the Rebel Alliance. On a likable note, the new, hilarious droid K-2SO is a robot with an attitude who can fight. Another unique character is the amazing blind Jedi Ninja, Chirrut Imwe, who is “one with the force” and his best friend Blaze Malbus. Even though the Rogue One characters are only in one movie, they still have a big impact on Star Wars. Hopefully in the upcoming movies, there will be references to Rogue One and its unique characters.

 In my opinion, Rogue One had some of the best acting and one of the best battle scenes in all of the Star Wars movies. Another highlight was an awesome appearance from Darth Vader, showing his power and overall dominance of the Dark Side. That there was no talk about Luke Skywalker (a.k.a. Darth Vader’s son) was a bit disappointing, but in the end fans did get a chance to see their beloved Princess Leia.  

Some fans wished Rogue One would’ve answered more questions about the prequels; however, with the buzz of Walt Disney Pictures and Lucasfilm making a Han Solo based movie, fans are hoping some questions will be answered in that movie. But, can all the questions we have about Star Wars ever be answered?

Rogue One was definitely a success for Walt Disney Pictures and Lucasfilm with Rotten Tomatoes giving it an 85% on its “Tomatometer.” It is not the best, but is not the worst!  As in every Star Wars movie, Rogue One has the same base and theme: ordinary, selfless people who choose to do extraordinary, sometimes impossible things, and in doing so, become part of something greater than themselves. 

By Anna Stroup