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‘Rogue One’: New ‘Star Wars’ Spot Highlights The Death Star’s ‘Awesome’ Power [Spoilers]

By Dustin Wicksell
Published on: 08:20 PST, Dec 10, 2016

In the cinematic world of Star Wars, the destructive power of the Death Star is truly “awesome,” a fact highlighted in the newest TV spot for Rogue One, which offers a new glimpse of the havoc wrought by the battle station in this month’s most highly anticipated release.

The Empire’s greatest weapon sits at the heart of Rogue One, as io9 notes, with the film’s plot centered on the mission to recover the Death Star’s schematics. As the marketing campaign for the film has played out, more and more of the Death Star has been revealed, whetting the appetite of fans while giving a few hints at Rogue One‘s major plot points. In the newest TV ad for the film, released just a week before Rogue One hits theaters, we finally see exactly how far the Empire will go in utilizing its grand battle station.

The clip begins in dramatic fashion, with Forest Whitaker’s Saw Gerrera (a character that originated in the animated series Clone Wars, before making his way to the screen, as the Inquisitr has previously reported) opines that the “whole world.. has come undone.” The scenery surrounding Gerrera shakes as he speaks, and within seconds it is clear to the viewer exactly why.

Earlier this year, the international trailer for Rogue One revealed an interesting plot point: the Death Star, at some point in the film, fires its main weapon against the Force-sacred world of Jedha. The superlaser, which is apparently powered by kyber crystals and was developed unknowingly by scientist Galen Erso, appears to not be at full strength over the course of Rogue One, however. As Imperial Director Orson Krennic watches, the Death Star’s weapon blasts a hole in the surface of Jedha, but fails to destroy the planet as it does Alderaan a short time in the future.

The visual effects highlighted in the clip are nothing short of stunning, as a plume of destruction and debris erupts from the surface of the planet into space. Earlier trailers revealed that Felicity Jones’ Jyn Erso, as well as Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor, are on the surface of Jedha when the Death Star eclipses the local sun and rains destruction from the sky, as they can be seen fleeing the destruction. Krennic, ordering the attack from the command center of the Death Star, has a dramatically different reaction to the devastation his pet project has unleashed, calling the continent-sized explosion “beautiful.”

Elsewhere in the ad, we get a few more shots of a space battle likely to take place over Scarif, the tropical planet where the film’s highly anticipated beach battle will take place, as Movieweb notes. Squadrons of TIE fighters launch while Krennic can be heard describing the power of the Death Star as “awesome,” likely in conversation with Darth Vader, who is set to be Krennic’s foil in the movie. Another shot reveals someone who looks suspiciously like General Dodonna rallying rebel pilots, while several others focus specifically on Vader himself.

Though Vader’s presence in the film is a certainty, it remains to be seen what other classic characters will appear. Following a different TV spot that aired last month, fans are nearly certain that Grand Moff Tarkin will be involved in the events of Rogue One, while Bail Organa is also known to play a part in the film. Whatever nods the movie gives to the rest of the Star Wars saga, fans will get a chance to see the Death Star rain fire from the sky themselves when Rogue One hits theaters December 16.

[Featured Image by Kent Phillips/Walt Disney Co. via Getty Images]

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