Star Wars Episode VIII is still a ways off, but already plenty of rumors and plot details are circulating around the web. One home for all these spoilerific details is Making Star Wars. The site is working hard to gather up all the latest information regarding Episode VIII, and this latest report seems to indicate that there are still plenty of surprise in store when it comes to the soldiers of the First Order.
Possible spoilers for Star Wars Episode VIII below! You've been warned!
According to the latest report from Making Star Wars, the Imperial Guard will be back in a new form in Rian Johnson's upcoming film. In Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi the red-robed Imperial Guard could be seen escorting the Emperor around and wielding staff weapons.
Making Star Wars says the First Order will have their own spin on the intimidating guards, only this time they'll be sporting cuffed sleeves and wearing armor underneath. It also sounds like they'll be getting a new helmet of some sort, as the site reports the guards to be wearing "strange visors."
It makes sense that the Imperial Guard will be back in the second part of Disney's new trilogy. If the original Imperial Guard served as Emperor Palpatine's escorts, it's likely they could be seen guarding Supreme Leader Snoke in Episode VIII. Kylo Ren will likely be visiting Snoke in the film to "complete his training", so it seems like the perfect opportunity for the Imperial Guard to make an appearance.
But it's not just the Imperial Guard set to steal the show. Making Star Wars also reports there there will be a new "featured" Stormtrooper in the film set to take center stage in the same way that the baton wielding FN-2199 did in The Force Awakens. This trooper, referred to as "The Executioner", is said to wield a baton weapon that features three spinning blades. Half of this trooper's helmet is also reported to be painted black. The site writes that they've heard Finn may go one on one with this trooper as well, only this time Han Solo won't be around to provide backup.
Another little tidbit detailed in the report is that while the First Order Stormtroopers will largely be identical to that of the troopers in The Force Awakens, the mouth piece on the helmets are said to have been redesigned so that they are closer to that of the Stormtrooper helmets in the original trilogy.
So there you have it! No major revelations that ruin all the fun, but a few little pieces of information that will help fans get over the long wait. The still untitled Star Wars: Episode VIII is set to arrive in theaters in December of 2017.
