As much as I love the new heroine entering the Star Wars canon, Jyn Erso's father plays an equally important role in the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story trailer. For months, the question has been, who is Jyn Erso? But, after seeing the film's newest teaser, it's clear that the clue to knowing who Jyn is might be figuring out who her dad, Galen Erso, is. What we learn in the second, much more expanded trailer, is that Galen, played by Mads Mikkelsen, is a scientist who is the key to the Rebellion's quest to take down the Death Star. Or, as Mon Mothma puts it, "It appears he is critical to the development of a super weapon." So, yeah, Galen is also the one who built the Empire's greatest piece of weaponry, but the fact that it wasn't willingly is what makes this character such an important one to the Star Wars series.
"Jyn, whatever I do," Galen says to his young daughter in the trailer. "I do it to protect you. Do you understand?" Though Jyn says that she understands, unfortunately, we don't know exactly what that means just yet. But what is clear is that Galen's role in this film is not so cut and dry.
While he may have designed the Death Star, it doesn't seem like he did so willingly. That theory seems to be confirmed by the shot of Galen being taken away by Empire's Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) when Jyn was just a little girl, only to later be seen tied up, sopping wet, looking like a prisoner of galactic war.
Galen is the key for both the Empire and the Rebellion's endgame. But it can be inferred that Galen may not be so willing to cooperate with the Empire in their plans to destroy, well, everything. This makes sense, since he didn't create a perfect weapon; he created one that is flawed and can be destroyed with the right information, which only Galen holds. One of the mysteries, of course, is why Galen added this escape clause to his design. It's a mystery the Rebellion may hope Jyn can solve, but it seems she's as confused as any of us.
The Rebellion is looking for her help, but it's not because she's a expert smuggler; it's because they assume she may know what he's done and why. Answering that question is sure to lead us into the future of the new Star Wars series. But, more importantly, this stand-alone film will attempt to explain the events of A New Hope. Like, you know, how those plans to destroy the Death Star ended up in Princess Leia's hands in that galaxy far, far away.
It's clear Jyn is the one who is leading the rebels and as she tells them in this trailer, "Rebellion's are built on hope." It's a wink-wink to the next chapter in the Star Wars saga, but it also sounds like what Jyn Erso's dad may have hinged his life on. At this point, he is neither good or evil, but he is stuck between the light and dark sides. It's a familiar story to anyone who have seen the previous seven Star Wars films.
But Galen Erso is different. He doesn't have the ability to choose his fate, at this point. It will be chosen for him, and it will be interesting to find out at what cost and what effect that cost will have on his daughter.
