While Star Wars fans have gotten tons of leaks regarding Episode VII’s vehicles and casting, the villain (or villains) of the next installment in the Star Wars line remains a secret. That might not be the case any more, though, as a new rumor has given us a glimpse at the background of what could be the villain for Episode VII .
If rumors are to be believed, the villain in the new Star Wars movie could very well be a Sith with the name Darth Ruin. This according to Superhero Report , which has been behind some pretty solid nerd news leaks in the past. The newest rumor has the Star Wars Episode VII villain following in the line of the original Darth Ruin, the founder of the evil Sith order.
According to Star Wars lore, the original Darth Ruin was an intelligent and charismatic renegade Jedi Master named Phanius. Phanius was the cause of some controversy, as his philosophy contained elements of moral relativism and solipsism, and he eventually left the Jedi Order to pursue prohibited teachings. Uniting the Sith clans after he left, Phanius took on the Sith name Darth Ruin and founded a new Sith Empire.
The newest rumor from Superhero Report doesn’t claim that the original Darth Ruin will definitely be the villain of the next Star Wars trilogy, but instead that the next Star Wars villain will be much in the vein of Darth Ruin. They may even take on the name Darth Ruin, according to the new rumor.
The rumor also makes mention of a “Sith Inquisitor,” a character that has been mentioned widely in rumors. One Inquisitor has already been introduced as the main antagonist in the Star Wars: Rebels animated series, and a number of Inquisitors will apparently be villains in the next Star Wars trilogy.
There’s still more than a year to go before the next Star Wars film hits theaters. Currently, Episode VII is set for a December 18, 2015 release, and the leaks and rumors are no doubt only serving to gin up more interest in the next trilogy.
Disney brought on JJ Abrams to helm the project, and Abrams has been showing an affinity for practical effects and puppetry over the CGI-rich look of the latter Star Wars prequels. That aesthetic is even said to carry over to the new trilogy’s villains. The aforementioned Inquisitor will reportedly have a good deal of practical effects that go into his design, including a steel jaw and robotic hand.
What does seem apparent is that the Sith will likely play a massive adversarial role in the next three Star Wars movies. In addition to the rumors of Darth Ruin, some are positing the return of the Emperor and even Darth Vader when Star Wars returns to the big screen.