WARNING: contains spoilers

Star Wars: The Force Awakens, episode VII of the American saga, was released on Dec. 18, 2015 and did not disappoint. Director J.J. Abrams continued George Lucas’s work on the franchise by combining the well-loved action, music and characters of the original trilogy with some fresh faces and a new conflict.

The state of peace and balance in the Force achieved after Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi was short-lived. A new sinister entity has arisen in place of the defeated Empire and is threatening once again to take over the galaxy using the Dark Side of the Force. This new organization, the First Order, is headed by Snoke (Andy Serkis), whom we only see in the form of a hologram during episode VII.

Perhaps the most intriguing character in Star Wars: The Force Awakens is Snoke’s Vader-like apprentice, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). It is revealed midway through the film that Kylo Ren is the son of Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford), two of the main characters in the original trilogy (episodes IV-VI). Thus, Kylo Ren is also the nephew of heroic Jedi Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and the grandson of the deceased Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader.

It is revealed that Kylo Ren, while being trained by Luke Skywalker to become a Jedi, turned his back on his family in favor of following a path to the Dark Side under Snoke. His betrayal is reminiscent of his grandfather Anakin Skywalker’s transition to the Dark Side in the prequel Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Additionally, he wears a Vader-like suit and mask, and vocalizes his intent to continue Vader’s work on the Dark Side.

The First Order is being battled by the Resistance, which is led by General Leia Organa. Both the Resistance and the First Order spend a large portion of the film looking for missing hero Luke Skywalker, who disappeared after Kylo Ren turned on him.

Thus, Star Wars: The Force Awakens begins in a manner highly similar to the franchise’s first film, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, with family fighting against family. Many fans and critics who have noticed this undeniable resemblance criticize the new film for a lack of creativity. However, it is clear that Star Wars: The Force Awakens is merely setting the stage for the new trilogy that will contain an entirely new and intriguing storyline.

Episode VII introduces three new protagonists that promise to be central characters in the next two installments of the trilogy. Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) is an excellent pilot working for the Resistance. He is captured by the First Order early in the film as Kylo Ren pursues a map to Luke Skywalker. Poe escapes with the help of Finn (John Boyega), a former Storm Trooper from the First Order who does not wish to be a part of killing innocents under the order of Kylo Ren.

After his aircraft crashes on the desert planet Jakku, Finn meets young female protagonist Rey (Daisy Ridley), who is in the company of a new droid called BB-8 that holds the sought-after map to Luke Skywalker. Rey was separated from her family at a young age and lives alone on Jakku. It is revealed that the Force is strong within Rey, as Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber seems to summon her.

Finn, Rey and BB-8 eventually join Leia and the Resistance in their quest against the First Order after running into Han Solo and the wookiee Chewbacca aboard the Millennium Falcon, Solo’s aircraft featured in the original trilogy. Like Han, Rey proves to be an excellent pilot. In addition to meeting BB-8, fans are reintroduced to droids C3PO and R2D2, both of which are featured in the original trilogies.

It appears that none of the original trilogy’s three main protagonists got the happy ending we expected after episode VI. Luke Skywalker, Jedi master, is missing and discouraged after being betrayed by his own nephew. Leia and Han are broken-hearted and separated as they cope with their son’s decisions, although they still seem to be in love when they are reunited by their efforts against the First Order. Their love story permanently comes to a close at the end of the film, when Han is killed by his own son in an effort to bring him back to the Light Side and home to Leia.

The scene of Han Solo’s death is remarkably similar to Darth Vader’s murder of Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, which fans critical of episode VII’s originality do not hesitate to point out. However, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is made unique by the foundation it sets for later films. It leaves viewers asking themselves two essential questions about new characters that will undoubtedly be a central part of the plots of episodes VIII & IX.

Firstly, who is Rey’s family and what became of them? It is revealed toward the beginning of the film that Rey’s entire family was somehow taken away from her when she was very young. She is reluctant to leave Jakku in hopes that they will someday return.

Rey appears to be the next Luke Skywalker in almost every aspect: she is brave and selfless, she is working for the Light Side alongside Leia and she even uses his lightsaber to duel with Kylo Ren. Furthermore, she has had no formal Jedi training and yet already seems to be a pro at using the Force. She is the only character in episode VII to come face to face with Jedi master Luke Skywalker, which happens during the last scene of the film. Is it possible that Rey is Luke’s daughter?

On the other hand, Rey is also an impressive pilot and works alongside Han Solo in the Millennium Falcon with incredible ease. She and Han seem to form an immediate connection both as copilots and comrades. Could Han be Rey’s father? Han and Leia were separated at the start of the film, so it seems possible that Han could have fathered a second child with another woman.

Finally, what are Kylo Ren’s true intentions? He is willing to murder his own father in order to attain Snoke’s full trust and he seems to idolize the villainous actions of his grandfather. It is possible, however, that Kylo Ren, like Darth Vader, is not as evil as he seems. Could he have an ulterior motive behind earning Snoke’s trust? Darth Vader, despite joining the Dark Side and killing many innocent people, eventually fulfilled his destiny as the Chosen One by killing Emperor Palpatine and saving Luke Skywalker, his son. Does Kylo Ren also plan to someday help the Light Side?

Nevertheless, Kylo Ren could simply be the cold-blooded, murderous villain he seems to be. Darth Vader, for all of his actions on the Dark Side, never killed a member of his own immediate family. He even murdered his own master for the sake of saving his son. Contrarily, Kylo Ren murders his father just to earn his master’s approval. It is possible that Vader’s grandson will prove to be more of a villain than he ever was.

Regardless of episode VII’s similarities to episode IV, Star Wars: The Force Awakens proves to be a fantastic film in almost every aspect. Many of the similarities helped add to the quality of the film by tying in the old storyline with the new one. Leia Organa, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker all play a role in the new film, and after years of anticipation, it is best that viewers were able to see a few familiar faces.

The new characters introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens help ensure that Disney is not simply giving fans remakes of the films in the original trilogy. Rey, Finn and Kylo Ren are all interesting, round characters whose backgrounds and ulterior motives have not yet been fully revealed. Additionally, the new circumstances in the galaxy suggest that episodes VIII & IX will be exciting and unlike anything we have seen in episodes V & VI.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a must-see for old Star Wars fans and new viewers alike. It features exciting new adventures, heroes and villains in the familiar galaxy far, far away that are sure to please and entertain.