Why is BB-8 in a bag? —
And who put him there? Seriously, we need to know. We've fallen for the little guy, and this does not look okay to us. But let's stick to the picture here: Is new face Rey purchasing it from a scavenger? On a desert planet? Could it be that BB-8 is a droid some galactic villains are looking for? Wow, that sounds almost exactly like the beginning of "Episode IV -- A New Hope." Coincidence? We don't think so.
What is the First Order? —
Dang. We thought evil had been defeated, but here we are again. Built upon the crusty remains of the Galactic Empire, the First Order looks like the same thing under a different name, complete with Stormtroopers, spine-chilling iconography and regimented displays of military strength. Expect surprises, though, because several key First Order characters -- including its big boss, Supreme Leader Snoke -- are still a mystery.
Who's going to say, 'I have a bad feeling about this'? —
The running gag of the Star Wars saga, Luke first says this line as the Millennium Falcon gets gobbled up by the Death Star in Episode IV. It's then said later in the same film (by Han) and at least once in every other movie, with minor variations. Who's going to say it this time? Our money's on everyone's favorite galactic scoundrel, pictured above.
What is Kylo Ren up to? —
Unless you've been hiding under a rock on Jakku for the last year, you'll be aware of Kylo Ren. Played by Adam Driver, he's clearly in cahoots with the First Order, and he's up to no good. He wears an iron mask and has built his own fire-spitting lightsaber. He wants to kill Jedis. He's the ultimate bad guy, isn't he? But wait. What if Kylo isn't entirely evil? What if the Force awakens in him? Redemption is a big theme in Star Wars, and we can't imagine anyone more in need of that than this dude.
What took down this Star Destroyer? —
If you were expecting a fresh set of ships, fighters and vehicles, you could be out of luck. Thirty years on, the galaxy still has Star Destroyers and TIE Fighters and X-Wings. Tough economic climate, maybe? Well, we think our toys from the 1970s still look kinda fresh. But speaking of this one Star Destroyer, how did it end up buried in the dunes of Jakku? The word on the street is that we'll find out in an upcoming expansion level for the Battlefront video game.
What happened to C-3PO's arm? —
Poor old Threepio looks like a third-hand car with a door of a different color. Sloppy repair work or outlandish style choice? Whatever the case, J.J. Abrams has confirmed that the red arm comes from the desire to "mark time," using a familiar character to signal the 30-year lapse since the end of "Return of the Jedi." We hear that the full story of C-3PO's limb replacement will be told in a comic book.
Where does Rey fit in? —
We could draw a hundred family trees with the theories surrounding Rey and Finn's back stories. Rey seems to attract the lion's share of speculation, maybe because she's taken a central role in the trailers. So, who is she? Luke's daughter? Han and Leia's? Is she related to Kylo Ren at all? Conspicuously, her last name hasn't been revealed. We're guessing that's because it's Solo.
Isn't this lightsaber design downright dangerous? —
Yeah, it looks cool, but it makes no sense to have crossguards on a lightsaber unless you're looking for trouble and a trip to the galactic emergency room. The Internet was set ablaze with controversy and ridicule over Kylo Ren's unorthodox design, but we can clarify this for you: The crossguard blades, called quillons, are actually "raw power vented from the primary central blade," according to a plaque that recently appeared in a props and replicas exhibition at Disneyland. (They probably know.)
Who's the Chrome Stormtrooper? —
Behold Captain Phasma, played by Gwendoline Christie, whom you might know as Brienne of Tarth from "Game of Thrones." She commands the First Order's legions of troopers. And some of them are women too, as Abrams has confirmed. But not much else is known about the "Chrometrooper." We'd love to see her come to the light side.
Where are the Sith? —
Here's a recap. The Galactic Empire is now called the First Order, the Rebels call themselves the Resistance, and there's no trace of the Sith. Maybe they also have been rebranded? Fingers point to the Knights of Ren, an evil covenant formed after the events of the original trilogy. That's where Kylo Ren gets his name, as apparently does everyone else who's part of the mysterious alliance. Just like the Sith with "Darth." Still with us?
Is Finn really a Stormtrooper? —
Actor John Boyega's character starts out as a Stormtrooper, appears to have some kind of epiphany and then embraces the ways of the Force by fighting Kylo Ren in the bushes using Luke Skywalker's lightsaber. But not everything is as it seems, Yoda once said. Except he didn't. Which proves our point. What's the deal, Finn?
Whose hands are these? —
This shot from the official trailer shows a lightsaber changing hands, while Luke Skywalker, talking about the Force, says, "My sister has it." The lightsaber in question looks like Anakin's, which Luke inherits in Episode IV. So who's getting it? Well, we think they're female hands. Is that Leia gaining custody of her brother's weapon? Or is she passing it on to Rey? Are there any other female characters around that we haven't seen yet?
What does Darth Vader's scorched helmet mean? —
Thirty years on, the Jedis and the Force are the stuff of legend. So much so that cynical Han Solo has to confirm, "It's true, all of it." No wonder, then, that somebody has started a cult around Darth Vader, the literal Dark Side of that legend. The trailer hints that Kylo Ren is the culprit, as he appears to say, "I'll finish what you started" over the shot above. But who knows, maybe that's just a Jedi mind trick.
Why is Leia crying? —
She fell for a guy who famously answered her "I love you" with "I know," but by the looks of things, Solo's consoling her here, not making her weep. Family quarrels aside, though, the princess looks heartbroken in this very brief shot from one of the trailers. To us, this looks like a goodbye. And that brings us neatly into the next question ...
Who'll die in 'The Force Awakens'? —
Some say that Han Solo will not be piloting the Millennium Falcon during the heated battle sequences shown in the trailers. If that's true, we need to know why. Harrison Ford recently revealed that he had asked George Lucas to kill off his character during the original trilogy. That obviously didn't happen, but there are rumors that his wish might have been granted this time. Then again, maybe no one will die. Or it could be a very minor character. Or could it be Luke? Right, Luke ...
Where is Luke Skywalker? —
And that's the big one, folks. Luke has been notably absent from pretty much all "The Force Awakens" promotional material, even though the image above, from the official trailer, appears to show his famous robotic hand. Where are you, Luke? Have you turned to the Dark Side? Are you in hiding because you're the last Jedi? We'll soon find out, but the mystery runs deep: The fate of the galaxy might once again be in the hands of Luke Skywalker.
