New Secrets Revealed About BB-8 By Entertainment Weekly

bb8A new video by Entertainment Weekly reveals new information about our new favorite droid, BB-8. Learn how it got its name, where the design came from and more.

 

In this short video, Entertainment Weekly’s Anthony Breznican,  explains how the droid expresses emotion, personality, and how the panels on BB-8’s body work. You can check it out at the link provided below.

 

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40 thoughts on “New Secrets Revealed About BB-8 By Entertainment Weekly

  • November 26, 2015 at 1:04 am
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    I want to see BB-8 grappling around Attack on Titan style.

  • November 26, 2015 at 1:05 am
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    I love how after the trailer… Which JJ said would be the only one. We get nothing but Star Wars…talk shows TV spots with new footage magazine covers etc. I was scared it would be nothing afterward…lol

    • November 26, 2015 at 1:07 am
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      He said there would be commerials, but he said no more trailers. I heard him say that verbatim.

    • November 26, 2015 at 2:03 am
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      And he was right. We (and by “We”, I mean the US market) have only gotten one trailer.
      But JJ and especially Kennedy said there would be much more released via other mediums.
      So far they’ve done a brilliant job with the marketing, and yet not actually releasing any major plot details. Good stuff.

  • November 26, 2015 at 2:07 am
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    should not be trusted… BB8 SNOKE CONFIRMED

    • November 26, 2015 at 8:51 am
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  • November 26, 2015 at 2:15 am
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    Dude needs a haircut

  • November 26, 2015 at 2:20 am
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    Here’s the full synopsis for those of you that can’t wait until Dec….
    I decided to put this up because I’m seeing a lot of questions where the answers have pretty much been known for some time.

    Know that if you decide to read this, well, this is pretty much the film right here. I’m guessing 90%+ on target at the least.

    Spoilers down below…

    A lightsaber hilt tumbles through space. It enters the atmosphere of a desert planet, plunging to the ground. The planet is Jakku. The lightsaber is retrieved by a mysterious hand. It finds its way to a village elder (Max Von Sydow). The elder contacts the Resistance – the good guys. An X-Wing pilot named Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) is sent by General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher). He arrives with his droid, BB-8, to collect the lightsaber from the old man. Suddenly, the sounds of ships are heard in the night. The First Order – the bad guys – are onto him. Poe Dameron places the lightsaber inside BB-8, ordering the droid to flee. A young stormtrooper is on a transport ship, headed for the planet Jakku. This stormtrooper is Finn (John Boyega). He is with a number of other troops. The ship lands, the hatch opens, and the group starts taking fire from local villagers. Finn’s stormtrooper friend is badly injured. The stormtroopers kill many, burning the village to the ground. Poe Dameron’s X-Wing is set ablaze as well. They round up the remaining villagers to be executed, but Finn lets some go out of compassion. As his friend takes his final breath, the trooper reaches up with his hand, leaving a few bloody fingerprints on Finn’s helmet.

    A huge First Order shuttle lands on the planet surface. A masked, hooded figure in robes emerges, wielding a red, cross-guarded lightsaber. This is Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). This evil lord confronts the old man about the lightsaber. He is unsatisfied with the conversation and the answers that he is getting. He kills the man in cold blood. Meanwhile, Poe Dameron is captured by the stormtroopers. He is taken aboard a First Order transport, and flown back to their Star Destroyer in orbit. The young stormtrooper Finn is very disturbed by his experience on Jakku. Upon returning to the Star Destroyer, he feels ill and vomits. An officer arrives to tell him that his superiors want to see him. It appears that they are quite displeased with his conduct in the village during this important mission.

    A young woman stands in the desert on the planet Jakku. This is Rey (Daisy Ridley). She flies her speeder across the sands, approaching a great ruin. It is a crashed Star Destroyer from a titanic battle between the Empire and the Rebellion some thirty years earlier. Rey enters the giant craft and explore it, expertly hopping over huge chasms – some of which house the remains of old TIE fighters. She is a scavenger on a planet that was once uninhabited, but is now populated by opportunists scavenging the wreckage of war. Rey is something of a skilled gymnast, jumping from precipice to precipice in the Star Destroyer’s great husk. She scavenges a bit, and then decides to return home. In a rather evocative shot, she flies her speeder toward a one sun sunset. On The First Order Star Destroyer in orbit above Jakku, Kylo Ren is torturing Poe Dameron for information. He is confident that he will get what he wants. He emerges from the interrogation knowing that the lightsaber is now being carried inside the droid BB-8. Kylo Ren delivers this information to General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson).

    The stormtrooper Finn, fearing death (or worse), decides to flee. The problem is that he can’t operate a spaceship. He needs a pilot. He sees Poe Dameron being escorted to the brig, and decides to act. He breaks the man free. They steal a TIE fighter from the hangar bay. It lifts away from its moorings, firing at troopers as it makes its way into outer space. Other TIE fighters follow, closing behind them. After a short chase, Finn and Poe are shot down over Jakku. Poe is rendered unconscious, but Finn manages to eject himself from the craft. He comes to on the desert ground. He looks around in a panic, seeing the crashed TIE fighter. He tries to get into it, but can’t. Finn sheds his stormtrooper armor, putting on a jacket that seems to be Dameron’s. It’s not clear what has happened to Poe. Finn, now disguised as a Resistance pilot, heads away from the wreckage. A speeder zooms by him, blasting sand. Finn follows it, hoping that it will lead him to the nearest settlement on this barren planet. Aboard the Star Destroyer, Kylo Ren and General Hux study Finn’s hologram. General Hux orders a Chrome Stormtrooper named Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) to hunt down the droid and retrieve the lightsaber. The Captain is told to forget about Finn, but the trooper may have her own ideas about how to deal with the defector.

    Rey eats alone, in a rough, makeshift dwelling built in the belly of an old Imperial AT-AT. She hears a commotion outside, and finds that a small droid is in some trouble. She helps the droid, who turns out to be BB-8. Deciding to sell BB-8 at the salvage station, she heads off with the rest of her loot. After some haggling, she changes her mind and decides to keep the little droid. On her way home, Rey is confronted by some ruffians. Finn enters the settlement and sees that she is in trouble. Rey doesn’t believe that Finn is a Resistance pilot. She doesn’t trust his intentions, but there are bigger problems at the moment. The ruffians may be in the employ of The First Order with a mission to find the droid. The three make a run for it. TIE fighters scream overhead, firing down at them. They look for a ship, and ultimately choose one. It’s the Millennium Falcon.

    Rey and Finn board the Falcon, getting it off the ground. Rey flies expertly as Finn settles in at the guns. A number of TIE fighters are in pursuit. Rey shouts at Finn to return fire. She flies the Falcon back towards the crashed Star Destroyer. In order to throw the enemy off their back, she flies directly into the Star Destroyer via its rear boosters. The ships slalom through the old leviathan skillfully. But Rey knows this place well, and she soon leaves her pursuers behind. The Millennium Falcon jets off into space. Onboard the orbiting Star Destroyer, Kylo Ren is alone in his quarters. He receives news of the failed retrieval of the lightsaber. He appears to begin speaking to himself, but he is actually talking to something. It is the twisted and burned husk of a mask and helmet. It is the mask and helmet once worn by Darth Vader.

    Back on the Millennium Falcon, Rey and Finn, either by tractor beam or their own choice, are picked up by a large freighter in space. The Falcon lands in a hangar bay. At the bottom of the ramp stand Han Solo and Chewbacca. Han orders the two kids off his ship, but they refuse. Han and Chewie enter the ship, confronting Rey and Finn. Suddenly, an alert pops up. Two competing gangs of ruffians approach the Falcon. Han asks the kids to hide in the storage bay. The gangs confront Han and Chewie, and they seem to be in trouble. Rey tries to help by releasing the ship’s cargo (which appears to be giant pigs). This provides a distraction. However, one of the creatures goes for Finn. Rey chases it down, freeing Finn from the beast’s clutches. A fight ensues between the two groups. Rey takes them on almost single-handedly, using her skills with a staff. However, Chewie is wounded in the fight. Finn helps the wookiee, getting some respect from Han Solo in the process. They rush back into the Millennium Falcon. Han gets behind the controls, and Rey is in the copilot seat. When the Falcon won’t start, Rey manages to tinker with it, fixing the ship. This earns some kudos from Captain Solo. As Chewie recovers in the back, they jet out of the freighter, crashing into some of the livestock on the way out.

    Finn attends to Chewie’s wounds. As the young man chats with the wookiee, he spots the spherical remote Luke Skywalker trained with back on the journey to Alderaan. Finn fiddles with it for a few moments, and after appearing disinterested, he puts it away. Han asks Rey and Finn what the devil they were up to back there on Jakku. BB-8 determines that the time is right, and reveals what he is carrying. It is a lightsaber. Han Solo recognizes it as belonging to Luke Skywalker. It’s the one Luke lost back on Bespin durimg his duel against his father. Solo suggests that they need to go to see Maz Kanata. She’ll know what to do. Kanata is a pirate living on Takodana, a lush green planet. As they arrive, Rey is awed by the immense jungle, a sight she has never seen in her life. As Chewie and Finn power down the ship, Han has a private chat with Rey. He gives her his trusty blaster – the DL-44. They arrive at Maz Kanata’s castle. It is a pirate hideout.

    There are a range of strange and unsavory characters, alien and human, lounging about inside. Han asks for Maz Kanata. While they wait, Rey gets into a bar fight. Finn comes to her aid, and then Chewie takes care of the adversary. Han thanks Finn for his bravery. An alien escorts them into a catacomb below the pirate castle. There they meet the diminutive and wise pirate alien, Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong’o). They show her the lightsaber and she immediately recognizes it. She wishes to show them a vision. Maz seemingly has force powers of some kind, and may have once been a Jedi (or a Jedi apprentice). They all hold hands, and a vision begins washing over them.

    The vision begins with what looks to be a Jedi Academy or Temple. Dead bodies of padawans litter the ground. Luke Skywalker shows up, but he is too late. He sits by a funeral pyre with R2-D2. The Jedi Master bids farewell to his astro droid. R2-D2 is saddened by his master’s departure. A new image now of a hand that takes the lightsaber. It is revealed to be the hand of someone called Naka. Naka starts a fire after accidently activating the blade. Another new image appears of a local trader making a sale to a wealthy man. Suddenly, the image of a fierce battle! The lightsaber is being used by the Clan against The Seven? The last man is down and Kylo Ren seems to approach Rey in the vision. The Seven are looting and we see Maz Kanata in the foreground taking an object and the vision ends.

    Maz Kanata says something very serious to Han, Rey and Finn. It is possible that Rey may learn something of her heritage here that upsets her. Maz presents the blue lightsaber back to them. Rey is revolted by it. Finn is attracted to it, taking it in his hands. Maz knows why the weapon came to her. Rey is deeply troubled, rejecting both the lightsaber and the information Maz has given. She flees the pirate castle, running into the nearby jungle. Nearby, there seems to be a spy in the pirate castle. This is Kor Sella (Maisie Richardson-Sellers), an emissary that has been sent by General Leia Organa, the leader of the Resistance. She has been ordered to track down the lightsaber. BB-8 finds Rey in the jungle. Suddenly, First Order ships are in the skies overhead. On the Star Destroyer, Kylo Ren is speaking with a mysterious superior named Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis). He orders that a superweapon, codenamed “The Catapult” be fired at the castle. The Supreme Leader suggests to Kylo Ren that he “not get sentimental,” when Ren appears to hesitate. This suggests that Kylo Ren may have some relationship with Han Solo, Rey, or both. Ren does order the pirate castle destroyed, but the heroes, including Maz Kanata, get out in time. However, Leia’s emissary is killed in the explosion. Enemy fighters are flying overhead and landing. BB-8 flees, but Captain Phasma seizes Rey, taking her captive.

    A Resistance fighter arrives, piloted by Poe Dameron. He is now flying a black X-Wing. He leads in driving away The First Order ships. A Resistance shuttle lands, and it is General Leia with C-3PO in tow. She meets with Han, and the meeting is awkward. It appears that they haven’t seen each other in some time. Han, Chewie, Finn, Poe and BB-8 go with Leia to the Resistance Base, which appears to be on the other side of Yavin IV. Leia plies Finn for information about The First Order – likely probing for weaknesses. She learns something very valuable from Finn, who discloses the location of the enemy base known as Starkiller. This puts Leia’s plans into motion to assault Starkiller Base and “The Catapult” superweapon they have stored there. She expresses pride in a new Resistance superweapon, codenamed “The Sledgehammer”, deciding to use it against the enemy stronghold. The Resistance begins preparing for the assault, including Poe and another squadron leader named Gorwyn. Leia meets with Maz Kanata and receives Luke’s blue lightsaber. Maz suggests that, for the time being at least, the lightsaber should go to Finn. Maz knows if it is in Finn’s hands, it will find its way back to Rey. Only then she will be ready to accept her destiny. Han meets with Leia, and they seem to have a close, intimate scene together. Before leaving, Han tells Leia that he will “hurry back.”

    On a snowy forest planet, Rey is being interrogated by Kylo Ren in The First Order’s Starkiller base. Kylo uses his force powers on her during the interrogation. Rey seems to reverse his probe, learning something about Ren in the process. Rey informs Kylo he will never be as powerful as Darth Vader. This infuriates Ren, and he leaves the chamber. Was this a family duel? Siblings? The interrogation was not fruitless for Kylo Ren as he learns that he no longer needs the lightsaber. His overall plan remains mysterious, but it may have something to do with finding Luke Skywalker. He reports this new information to the Supreme Leader. Meanwhile, Rey uses her Force powers, likely mind tricks, to distract the snowtroopers guarding her cell. She escapes through a ventilation shaft, gets outside, and takes off through the snow. Han, Chewie and Finn leave for The First Order planet. The Resistance prepares to assault the base from space. After quickly taking the Millennium Falcon into the planet’s atmosphere to jump past The First Order defenses in orbit, Han flies right through some trees before setting down. The Millennium Falcon takes some damage. Han Solo hasn’t had a good day.

    As they make their way to The First Order base on foot, Finn talks about his past to Han, revealing a lot about himself. He speaks of his life before he was a stormtrooper, and the reasons why he became one. In the distance, they spot a figure. It is Rey. She is clearly moved by their arrival. As someone who has learned to rely only on herself, having them come back for her means a lot. This makes her reconsider her angry feelings at Maz Kanata’s. Rey seems to have learned vital information during her capture. Armed with this information, the group pushes on to for The First Order base. Han has come up with a plan. They will destroy “The Catapult” superweapon (or the shield that protects it), which is controlled from within the base. Kylo Ren, now outside searching for Rey, walks into the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon. He sits in the pilot’s seat, seeming to have an emotional moment. Is this his father’s ship? Does he remember it? Are those memories fond?

    A great, climatic space battle above the snowy, forest planet begins. The Resistance is throwing everything it has at the enemy. X-Wings and TIE fighters face off in space and in the atmosphere of the planet. General Leia Organa uses the Resistance superweapon, “the Sledgehammer,” to crush through Star Destroyers as if they were tinker toys. Down on the planet, General Hux of The First Order orders the firing of “The Array,” a weapon that will take out all the fighters in space around the planet. General Hux’s subordinates refuse to carry out his order, knowing the weapon will also destroy their own ships. The General fires the weapon himself. In that moment, projectiles are fired and all the ships in space are destroyed. The man is practical and coldhearted. He obliterates his own pilots in their TIE fighters in order to take out the attacking Resistance fleet, securing the safety of The First Order’s superweapon.

    Leia’s own superweapon, the “Sledgehammer,” is destroyed. It falls into the atmosphere of the planet, breaking apart. At this moment, General Leia feels all is lost. She calls for a total retreat of Resistance forces. Meanwhile, Han Solo and his team witness the Sledgehammer’s destruction. They know now they have to take matters into their own hands. Poe Dameron, BB-8 and his X-Wing squadron have survived the attack by the Array weapon. It appears that they were low enough in the planet’s atmosphere to evade it. Dameron spots Han Solo on the planet’s surface. Han, Chewie, Rey and Finn enter The First Order base. The security codes Finn had have been changed and he feels defeated. Han Solo encourages Finn to take the lightsaber and use it to destroy a generator of some kind (likely a shield) for the superweapon. Finn heads off, dispatching some stormtroopers with the lightsaber. Han and the others begin placing explosive charges around the base.

    Kylo Ren arrives to confront the heroes. The gang is on the ramparts, and they are cornered. There is no way out. Han Solo decides to confront Kylo Ren. Rey, Finn and Chewbacca stop in their tracks. They watch as Han Solo speaks to Kylo Ren, who is most likely his son. Han may try to reason with him. Suddenly, Kylo Ren silences the conversation forever. He murders Han in cold blood with his lightsaber. Leia senses Han’s death through the force. Chewbacca lets out a barrage of angry roars and fires his crossbow at Ren. At that point, things start to collapse and explode around them, presumably as the charges do their job. They are forced to flee, leaving Han’s body behind as it is immolated in the destruction. It seems that the explosions take out whatever shield may have been protecting “The Catapult” superweapon. This allows Poe Dameron, BB-8 and their X-Wing squadron to swoop in and destroy the superweapon. General Hux watches in horror as it all collapses. He checks in with Supreme Leader Snoke, telling him that all is lost. In the resulting destruction, General Hux is killed.

    Kylo Ren pursues the heroes into the forest. It is night and it is snowing. Finn and Rey stop to face him, while Chewbacca runs back to get the Millennium Falcon. Finn confronts Kylo Ren, holding his own in a lightsaber duel. However, over time he is bested by Kylo’s superior skill. Finn is on the ground, hurt and about to be killed. Finn tosses Rey the lightsaber, which she has been reluctant to accept up until this point. To save her friend and avenge Han Solo’s death, she takes the weapon and attacks Kylo Ren. She is able to hold off the warrior, matching him. But on the cliff edge, the ground begins to fall away behind Rey and Finn. All of the explosive charges they set have made the area unstable. The heroes find themselves hanging from a precipice. Kylo Ren decides to leave the scene. Just as their doom seems imminent, Chewbacca arrives with the Millennium Falcon. After collecting Rey and Finn, the wookiee jets the Millennium Falcon off and into space. The First Order has been defeated, for now, but Kylo Ren and Supreme Leader Snoke plot their next move.

    Rey, Finn, Chewie, Poe and BB-8 all return to the Resistance base on Yavin IV. The tragic loss of Han Solo makes the celebration bittersweet. General Leia informs Poe Dameron that his squadron is all that survived the assault. Rey says her goodbyes, making a special stop to see Finn in the medical bay. Meanwhile, BB-8, R2-D2 and C-3PO decode a puzzle of some kind, revealing Luke Skywalker’s location. Leia is elated that her long-lost brother has been found. She suggests that Rey be the first to greet him since his self imposed exile. Leia and Rey have a special goodbye in which she bids Rey “a fond farewell.” Chewbacca playfully messes up Rey’s hair in an endearing gesture. Rey, BB-8 and Chewbacca take off in the Millennium Falcon. The ship lands on a planet with a rocky island in the middle of a sea. Rey walks up a set of old stone steps carved into the mountain. She comes up to a hooded figure seated in a chair. She places the lightsaber in the man’s hand. It is Luke Skywalker.

    • November 26, 2015 at 2:33 am
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      this again?

    • November 26, 2015 at 5:59 am
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      Um, why did you post this?

    • November 26, 2015 at 6:38 am
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      go away with this crap

    • November 26, 2015 at 7:09 am
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      This is garbage. In an interview not too long ago, JJ Abrams said that he was surprised that nothing has leaked. So other than the 5 minutes of footage we’ve seen in trailers and teasers, we have no idea what the synopsis is!

      Also, I highly doubt Han dies. Harrison Ford is already growing his hair out and since he has no commitments to other projects, it’s safe to assume he’s getting ready to start working in Episode 8!

    • November 26, 2015 at 7:15 am
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      K. Go be with your family. Eat some turkey and pie have a beer and relax. Stay off the computer for awhile. Lol. You can do it!

    • November 26, 2015 at 5:26 pm
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      Interesting ideas but I doubt this movie will follow this plot. I think you have parts right but Rey meeting Han and Chewie I believe that happens differently. Also I think it is Maz that leaves them clues to where Luke is located. I also think the Resistance Base is on a totally new planet.

  • November 26, 2015 at 3:21 am
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    I literally cannot watch this. Why, in this day and age do we still have terrible video plugin crap that just doesn’t work. I get at best 5fps stuttering crap, on a Macbook. On my iPad this clip simply never even loads up, just a blank space. FFS.

    • November 26, 2015 at 3:44 am
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      It’s simple. Kill the Batma—I mean, um, get a PC.

    • November 26, 2015 at 2:12 pm
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      Now, that’s odd.
      Played fine for me, and I’m on a 2008 MacBook Pro.
      Why is it playing fine on my MacBook and not on yours?

  • November 26, 2015 at 3:22 am
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    I really wonder if they’ve resolved how BB8 is going to be able to get into just the right position to use the tool, and have that tool in the position it needs to be in. It appears (without seeing all of his gadgets) that he may have difficulty, like if he rolls up to plug into a data port, he’ll need to roll his body without moving away from the plug to line up his gadget with the plug. Maybe he has some kind of way of rolling in place.

    • November 26, 2015 at 12:22 pm
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      Back, forth. No, not good. back, sideways, forward. still no good. back a bit farther, sideways, back again. forward. Ah god dammit, here’s my taser you @#%& data port!

      • November 26, 2015 at 4:32 pm
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        LOL! Exactly! That scene would be hilarious, especially if they established that BB8 is only meant to be plugged into an x-wing, and therefore, not meant to use his tools out in the world.

    • November 27, 2015 at 5:41 pm
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      BB8 is da Real Sith Lord.

    • November 26, 2015 at 4:35 am
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      Most droids have gender programming. It effects the way that they act/sound.

    • November 26, 2015 at 5:47 am
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      I think in general, men tend to anthropomorphize something they like alot to be female.
      Complementary attributes tend to be associated with women more than men. Through the developement process it probably whent from female to male once they decided BB-8 would be predominately manipulative – that would result in an unfavouable portrayal of females, and that isn’t really allowed.

    • November 26, 2015 at 10:59 am
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      A droid should have some gender-like behaviour. A droid that has to act like a companion has to fit in. If a droid works with (wo)men it’s nice if it acts like one. A droid might have the option to switch gender instantly, depending on the person who it’s interacting with.

  • November 26, 2015 at 4:19 am
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    What link? I’m on my iPhone and can’t see anything.

  • November 26, 2015 at 5:27 am
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    great…. thanks for basically telling us that he is Kylo Ren’s droid….

  • November 26, 2015 at 5:34 am
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    Hey guys, type the following into Google:

    A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away

    • November 26, 2015 at 10:19 am
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      Thanks for the heads up! It’s a nice surprise. Star Wars is ruling the world
      And the internet now. ; )

  • November 26, 2015 at 7:54 am
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    BB-8 is male!!! I think Disney/Lucasfilm missed an opportunity here to appeal to the female droid audience.

  • November 26, 2015 at 8:34 am
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    Love BB-8!! I wonder if and how he will interact with R2 and 3PO in the movie
    and what they make of him.

  • November 26, 2015 at 8:49 am
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    WOO – HOO!! 21 days till THE FORCE AWAKENS!! = )

  • November 26, 2015 at 10:54 am
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    BB8 looks and acts like R2’s cute baby brother … one that’s a little bit too wise for his age, but still has the childish impulsiveness in himself

  • November 26, 2015 at 4:29 pm
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    Anyone else find this announcer and the background music kinda’ annoying?

  • November 26, 2015 at 5:06 pm
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    So don’t trust the Droid? Sounds like Chopper on Rebels. There is no Light or Dark sides only Chopper’s side!

  • November 27, 2015 at 5:43 pm
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    Interesting point about the face of the droid.

    R2 and BB8 both appear to be intuitive and attentive, which is why they have to save everybody all the time.

  • November 28, 2015 at 12:02 am
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    Jesus, that media player is garbage.

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