The Empire Has A New Name In Star Wars: The Force Awakens

The names of the forces of good and evil in ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ have been revealed, and it’s no longer the Galactic Empire versus the Rebel Alliance.

Instead the remnants of the Empire have become The First Order and the Rebels have become The Resistance, according to Badass Digest, reporting from the Star Wars Celebration convention taking place this weekend in Anaheim, California.

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As was made clear from the opening shot of the trailer released yesterday, a lot has changed since the events of 'Return of the Jedi’ and the fall of Emperor Palpatine, but a battle is still raging for control of the galaxy.

Let’s start with The Resistance, a not-particularly inspired name but one that infers that the Rebel Alliance is still a force not in power, but fighting for freedom. The First Order, a very cool name, suggests that these Imperial forces have been re-energised and re-focused by a new leader.

A still from the trailer (above) also showed off The First Order’s new logo, a spin on the classic Imperial logo much like how the designs of the Stormtroopers and TIE Fighters have evolved.

As ever with 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens’, details remain thin on the ground despite the abundance we already do know from official sources and can ascertain from rumours confirmed by the second trailer. That said of course, there is still so much more that we don’t know, like what has been going on in the decades since The Battle of Endor.

On the side of The Resistance will be John Boyega as Finn, Daisy Ridley as Rey, Oscar Issac as Poe Dameron, Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Harrison Ford as Han Solo, Carrie Fisher as Leia, Kenny Baker as R2-D2, Anthony Daniels as C-3PO and Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca.

On the side of The First Order will be Kylo Ren (believed to be Adam Driver) and Andy Serkis (or so we can gather from the first trailer’s menacing voiceover). Where the film’s other big names (Lupita Nyong'o, Gwendoline Christie, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow) fit we don’t know yet, but with any luck we will soon.

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ is out 18 December. Not soon enough.

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Picture Credits: LucasFilm.