Star Wars 8 Star Teases Rose Tico Character

Kelly Marie Tran describes her new Star Wars: The Last Jedi character, Rose Tico. Following J.J. Abrams' The Force Awakens - which rejuvenated everybody's love and interest for all things that have come from the galaxy far far away - the upcoming Rian Johnson-written and directed flick is obviously being eyed on by a lot of fans. Not only are we going to reunite with our legacy characters such as Luke and Leia and recently introduced ones like Rey, Poe Dameron, Finn, and Kylo Ren, we are also going to meet a slew of new players that could either be working for or against the Resistance like Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo (Laura Dern), codebreaker DJ (Benicio del Toro) and Rose.

Among the trio of newcomers, Rose is arguably perceived as the most loyal to the Resistance. Initially a maintenance worker at the Freedom Fighter's base, she is plucked from her routine lifestyle and plugged into a more exciting albeit dangerous adventure with Finn, which will take her to new places prompting her to meet new people, including the mysterious rogue individual DJ. While it is unknown just how much she will play in the bigger narrative arc of The Last Jedi, some reports claim that it is actually her who helps the former Stormtrooper get back on his feet and fulfill his new role as an official member of the Resistance. That said, the two's relationship won't always be harmonious

Catching up with EW during PEOPLE’S Ones to Watch event, where she is one of the honorees, the budding actress talked about her character and how she fits in the overall Star Wars franchise:

“Rose is smart and she’s confident and she’s loyal. She’s going to be such a cool character because she’s someone who isn’t a model. She’s not a superhero. She’s just kind of an everyday person, and that’s something special about her. She’s someone who is able to face her fears in the face of adversity even though she kind of is a background player in the Resistance.”

Admitting to never being really a huge fan of the space opera saga, Tran further shared that she approached the role in a way that she knows just enough details about the lore to effectively bring Rose to life, but not too much that she could no longer perform her role objectively. But now that she is formally part of the franchise, she says that she is nothing but amazed at how these series of interconnected films which were told over the course of several decades make up one massive complex narrative giving her a newfound respect for the Star Wars franchise.

Other than her background and her upcoming pivotal mission with Finn for the Resistance, everything about Rose is still kind of vague at this point. We know that she and her sister have joined General Organa and her cohorts after her home planet was one of the several ones destroyed in The Force Awakens, solidifying her allegiance to the Resistance. But as like most Star Wars characters, it is possible that there is something more to her than meets the eye.

On that same note, her fate by the end of Star Wars: The Last Jedi is also up in the air. Tran herself revealed that she is not yet sure whether she'll be back for the still untitled (and Abrams-directed) Episode IX or not. But, of course, it is definitely possible that the actress is only being coy about her future in the franchise so as not to inadvertently give out any spoilers.