While there’s not official word on whether or not we’ll get an international variant of the trailer for The Last Jedi like we did with The Force Awakens, some information has appeared on a Japanese Disney site that clarifies some information on what we can expect from the returning characters…

An official Japanese Star Wars website featured a number of descriptions for the returning characters from The Force Awakens – although there’s nothing on any of the new characters. (Quick note: these are rough translations based on what Google Translate was able to come up with, plus a few creative liberties on my end.) The descriptions are as follows:

Rey: Rey, now aware of the awakening power of the Force, travels to the hidden world of Ahch-To. She is looking for Luke Skywalker, who is the last Jedi Master in the Galaxy and the last hope for the Resistance. Rey was hoping to find a legendary hero – she instead found a man who disagrees with her expectations.

Finn: Finn, a former operative of the First Order, previously dedicated himself to the cause of fighting for the Resistance continues the fight. Now, he’s at a crossroads over his role in the war.

Poe: Now that the conflict between the First Order and the Resistance has escalated into total war, Poe is a shining as a leader of a courageous flying battalion. But while he is brave and a skilled pilot, both the First Order and the Resistance alike are starting to fear his dedication to the war effort.

BB-8: A cute ball-shaped droid faithful to Poe Dameron who provided data key to finding Luke Skywalker.

Kylo Ren: Humiliated by his defeat at Rey’s hands, Kylo Ren redoubles his efforts to crush the Resistance. However, although his powers in the Dark Side continue to increase, it is still not enough to impress his shadowy mentor – First Order Supreme Leader Snoke.

Jedi Master Luke Skywalker: After his attempt to rebuild the Jedi Order was ruined, Luke Skywalker disappeared from the Galaxy in search of answers, leading him to the planet Ahch-To. Though he seems intent to live out a modest lifestyle away from the war, the Resistance needs the hero who defeated Darth Vader to stand a chance against the First Order.

General Leia Organa: Leia Organa, whose son betrayed her and fell to the Dark Side, is leading the struggling Resistance fleet. General Leia takes advantage of her decades of experience in order to halt the First Order’s advances.

Supreme Leader Snoke: Snoke, the shadowy leader of the First Order, finally emerges from the shadows to lead the First Order to victory after the destruction of Starkiller Base.

General Armitage Hux: Although Starkiller Base has been destroyed, the New Republic’s leadership was eradicated by the superweapon’s only firing at Hux’s command. From the bridge of the Finalizer, Hux issues commands to pursue the Resistance.

Captain Phasma: Captain Phasma, known for her characteristic metallic armor, escaped from Starkiller Base shortly before it was destroyed. Taking command of the Stormtrooper Corps, Phasma is determined to destroy the Resistance and settle a private grudge.

Chewbacca: Millennium Falcon co-pilot Chewbacca, a faithful navigator, is now accompanying Rey on her quest to find Luke Skywalker.

R2-D2: A droid with various abilities, ranging from maneuvering of spacecraft to decryption. R2-D2 has slept ever since Luke parted ways from the droid, but the Astromech was able to reactivate and lead the Resistance to Luke’s hiding place.

C-3PO: The ever-worrying protocol droid C-3PO is more anxious than ever with the threat of the First Order on the horizon, but he continues to serve General Leia Organa faithfully.

Maz Kanata: After Maz lost her castle, she has been forced to take a more active role and take advantage of her ties to the criminal underworld. She will provide crucial assistance to the Resistance in their fight against First Order, making use of every connection she has.

So there are a couple of takeaways from these descriptions. We finally have an idea of the role that Maz Kanata will play in the story – however limited her role may actually be, it seem likely that she will help provide the momentum that leads the Finn and Rose on their mission to Canto Bight. Hux and Phasma will also receive larger roles in the movie and will be actively involved with the pursuit of the Resistance (and, as we already know, Phasma’s grudge seems to be focused on Finn). More importantly, we get better insight into the story arcs of Luke, Rey, Poe, and Kylo Ren. As has been hinted, Luke is reluctant to get back into the fight and disagrees with the expectations that Rey has placed upon him. Poe is apparently so driven to the Resistance’s cause that it’s making even the Resistance leaders uneasy. And interestingly enough, Kylo Ren’s villainy may not be living up to Snoke’s standards – perhaps because the emotional baggage over killing his own dad has left him more vulnerable than ever.

All in all, it sounds like these story elements definitely line up with the suggestion that The Last Jedi is going to be a darker film, and one that takes the franchise into new directions. Only about a month and a half to go…

Special thanks to The Cantina user Magnar The Great for the find.