'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Cast Includes Four New Main Characters; Everything To Know Ahead Of Film's Premiere

With “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” finally here, fans are clamoring to catch up with the original series characters that are reprising their roles in the 2015 flick. However, with so much attention being paid to those that are coming back, many may want to know a bit about the next generation of characters that will be introduced in “Episode 7.”

Although Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill build the foundation for the “Star Wars” franchise in 1977, director J.J. Abrams has made it clear that he’s hoping to tee up a new crop of young stars to carry the story beyond the confines of the original trilogy. As a result, key actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac and Adam Driver were brought on to give the cast some new life. Although they’re brand new to the world and won’t be fully understood until fans see them in the new movie, a lot of preliminary information has been presented through teasers and trailers for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” To make sure you’re caught up before seeing the new movie, below is everything to know about the new characters.

Finn (Boyega)

One of the first things that the audience learned about this new character is that he doesn’t necessarily start off as a good guy. When the first trailer for the film debuted, it was revealed that he begins the movie as a Stormtrooper recruited by the villainous First Order. At some point, however, he changes his political leanings and abandons his evil ways in favor of adopting the path of a Jedi. As previously reported, he’s been teased as the new Luke Skywalker for the next generation and the actor is thrilled that he gets to fill that role with such a complicated character.

“What has always interested me, and what has interested a lot of people, are the characters that are unlikely,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “The characters that don't necessarily fit or match the status quo. Finn isn't a guy you would expect to be involved in this story. The fact that he's a Stormtrooper. We don't [usually] go into [Stormtroopers'] pasts or lives much: how the dynamics work for them, how they were recruited — we don't ever really see much about the past there. It was interesting to me to have that kind of character.”

Rey (Ridley)

Although she’s been one of the most talked about new characters in the upcoming movie, not much is known for sure about Rey. Based on the trailers, fans know she’s a scavenger who lives on a desert planet with her trusty droid sidekick BB-8 (Bill Hader and Ben Schwartz). A teaser trailer for the film revealed that she’s an orphan, which has prompted many to theorize that she may be revealed as the estranged daughter to Han Solo and Leia. According to Mirror UK, the actress as much as teased it herself in an interview by describing her character as “solitary.” However, according to the outlet, she very purposely pronounced the word “SOLO-tary.”

Kylo Ren (Driver)

Kylo Ren is the new principal bad guy in the “Star Wars” universe. He is a key member of the villainous First Order, which seems to be following in the footsteps of the Galactic Empire that Luke Skywalker brought down once and for all in “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.” It’s unclear how, but they’ve resurrected the Stormtrooper army and seem to be on a quest for galactic dominance. Although not much is known about this character’s motivations, trailers for the film heavily imply that he’s inspired by the evil deeds of Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones). Despite the rich backstory the villain seems to have, he’s become most famous in the build up to “The Force Awakens” for his unique broadsword-like lightsaber.

Poe Dameron (Isaac)

For some reason, the least information has been presented about this character so far in the build up to the film. Dameron is described in his official “Star Wars” bio as an ace pilot for the Resistance’s forces. He’s the pilot of a mondern X-wing fighter, the same style that Skywalker used to use in the original movies. According to CinemaBlend, he’s also got kind of an ego problem and describes himself as the best pilot in the galaxy. It’s too soon to tell, but the outlet notes that he might be the closest thing we get to a Han Solo reboot in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

To find out everything you want to know about these characters, you only need to purchase a ticket to go see “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” when it’s released nationwide on Dec. 18.