SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA — After weeks of negative press involving reshoots and a troubled production, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has finally generated some positive ink — and it’s guaranteed to stick.

After viewing a rough cut of the film, director and superfanboy Kevin Smith found himself in tears. While crying is not unusual for the proud uber nerd, the sheer volume of salty tears left him speechless. To put things in perspective, Smith’s Rogue One tears nearly tripled his output during a private screening of The Force Awakens.

To commemorate the watershed moment, the filmmaker took his fandom to the extreme by tattooing a pair of the tears onto his face. Smith even took a suggestion from Rogue One director Gareth Edwards to stylize them. Rather than regular droplets, which could easily be confused for prison style body art with negative connotations, Smith had the tears created in the shape of Death Trooper helmets.

It’s too soon to tell, but Smith may have created a new trend among Star Wars fans. Over the course of the next year, Death Troopers will be on all manner of merchandise. Disney is intent on making the all-black variation on the classic stormtrooper the face of Rogue One. Smith is certainly the earliest – and most literal – adopter of the marketing planned for the film.

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-William “Willybobo” Bobo