What do we know for certain about the plot of Star Wars: Episode VII? Well, it picks up thirty years after the events in Return of the Jedi, and… that’s about it. However, we do have a growing stack of rumors about the storyline for director J.J. Abrams’ film – and today, we have yet another one to add to the pile.

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What’s interesting about this one, however, is that it helps to explain where a lot of the previous claims about the movie – specifically, those concerning its villains – come from; thus, suggesting how these seemingly disparate puzzle pieces may go together. Again, though, the following is all RUMOR and speculation. It’s entirely possible that Abrams and co-writer Lawrence Kasdan (The Empire Strikes Back) – who rewrote the original script draft by Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3, Catching Fire) – have something else altogether up their sleeve.

First things first: those old rumors indicating that Darth Vader will appear in Episode VII resurfaced quite recently; the possible why and how behind his “return” – that’s been kept a mystery. Meanwhile, there’s also been talk over the past months about the film’s villains being “Jedi Hunters” – mercenaries who, naturally, have been hired to take down the Jedi – and who may be connected to The Inquisitor. The latter is voiced by Jason Isaacs featured in the upcoming canon animated show Star Wars Rebels (the first canon installment in Walt Disney Pictures and Lucasfilm’s Star Wars universe, no less).
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The Inquisitor from ‘Star Wars Rebels’

The most plausible Episode VII storyline that has been reported so far has the film’s young protagonists (Daisy Ridley and John Boyega) undertaking a journey to find Jedi Master Luke Skywalker (Luke Hamill), who has been missing for many years by the time the movie begins. Latino Review is claiming to have insider knowledge of what happens when Ridley and Boyega (who’s rumored to be a stormtrooper when the movie begins) catch up with the older Luke:

Luke reveals to Ridley and Boyega that the Inquisitors – who are indeed actively hunting down any Jedi Masters or Jedi-in-training when Episode VII takes place – are very much connected to the Sith.
This prompts a flashback, showing Darth Vader recruiting the very first Inquisitors. That sequence also somehow incorporates a very young Leia, who will be played by Carrie Fisher’s biological daughter Billie Lourd.
At some point, Boyega’s former boss/commanding officer (Gwendoline Christie) catches up to the young heroes and reveals her own connection to the Force – possibly being a member of the Inquisitor organization, whose ranks may also include the characters played by Lupita Nyong’o and Adam Driver.

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‘Episode VII’ cast members Lupita Nyong’o and Gwendoline Christie

Now, all of this does arguably make sense, when you break it down:

It explains why Star Wars Rebels will be the starting point for the new canon of the continuing Star Wars universe.
By establishing that the Inquisitors have been around for upwards of 50 years before Episode VII takes place, Rebels would help to ease the transition into them becoming the primary antagonists in the new Star Wars live-action film trilogy.
The existence of non-Sith Dark Force adds a welcome layer of complexity to the Light Side/Dark Side dynamic.
Thanks to the presence of the Inquisitors, the Star Wars franchise will henceforth have a way to circumvent the “Rule of Two” that dictates only two Sith will exist at once (something Yoda references in Episode I, which makes it canon) – in the sense that now several Dark Force users can be around at once.

star wars episode 7 image Star Wars Rumor Patrol: Episode 7 Villains Revealed

It’s entirely possible that most of the aforementioned claims (if not all of them) are based largely on misinformation – and thus, that the actual Episode VII storyline is something else together. Still, if this is the route that Abrams is taking with his Star Wars installment, then it’s certainly an intriguing direction – one that could indeed successfully launch a new era of Star Wars, like Abrams did with Star Trek (albeit, by very different plot mechanics).

Agree/disagree? Have you own thoughts/theories about what will happen in Episode VII and beyond? Feel free to drop us a line in the comments section of this article.