For years, Star Wars fans were heavily anticipating the release of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens in 2015. One of the most exciting announcements regarding the new villains from the First Order involved actress Gwendoline Christie’s chrome-clad Stormtrooper— Captain Phasma.
With her silver armor and long billowing cape, Phasma seemed like an exciting new addition to the Star Wars saga. Phasma’s debut seemed as promising as Boba Fett’s introduction in the original Star Wars series. Sadly, fans' hopes for seeing more of the bounty hunter on screen were quickly dashed, as Boba Fett was doomed to the Sarlacc pit. Similarly enough, fans expectations for Phasma were brought to a halt after the character’s ephemeral appearance in The Force Awakens.
Flash forward to 2017' Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, and fans were also crushed by the lack of Phasma on screen. Despite her short appearance on camera, Disney has released plenty of spinoff material focusing on the villain, including comics, video game appearances, and even her own solo book. After combing through these different mediums, here's what we found about the mysterious Stormtrooper captain of the First Order.
Here are 15 Things You Didn’t Know About Captain Phasma.
She grew up in a cave
In the months leading up to Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Disney published a book highlighting the origins of Captain Phasma. In author Delilah S. Dawson’s Phasma, fans were given a closer look at the Captain’s dark and mysterious past. In fact, Phasma was originally from the remote planet called Parnassos.
Although her steely manner might suggest otherwise, Phasma grew up in an isolated cave called the Nautilus, and later became part of a tribe known as the Scyre. Life on Parnassos was difficult beyond measure, and Phasma learned to fight for survival, despite heavy costs.
When she meets Brendol Hux, father of Armitage Hux, she is faced with extreme choices of life or death. While we won’t discuss the details of the novel in depth, in the end, Phasma chooses to forge a new path with the First Order and leaves her former life on Parnassos behind her.
Her chrome armor was made from Palpatine's yacht
One of the most compelling aspects of Captain Phasma’s character is her unique set of armor. Unlike the white Stormtrooper armor found in the original Star Wars series, and in contrast to the First Order Stormtrooper uniforms, Phasma dons a silver suit of armor. In fact, the armor was forged from extra material which was salvaged from a Naboo yacht which once belonged to Emperor Palpatine.
In the Star Wars: Lando comics, Lando Calrissian and Lobot steal one of Emperor Palpatine's luxury yachts called the Imperialis. According to Star Wars.com, “The chromium coat might not stop an anti-starship weapon, but it does shield her from radiation.”
In addition to her platinum colored armor, Phasma also wears a black and red cape, which billows around her sides.
Phasma's exposed eye was Daisy Ridley's idea
Although Captain Phasma was first introduced in Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, fans were clamoring to see more of actress Gwendoline Christie in future work. When Star Wars: The Last Jedi finally arrived last month, anticipating had been building for the return of Captain Phasma to the big screen. After a trailer teased an epic showdown between Finn and Phasma, fans couldn’t wait to see how the two faced off.
According to EW, after Daisy Ridley suggested showing Phasma's face, "Johnson agreed, feeling it would be disturbing to show that someone as cruel as Phasma was actually physically beautiful. Costume designer Michael Kaplan originally wanted to take off Phasma's entire helmet, but Johnson insisted to only show Phasma's eye, stating that Phasma's face was showing too much, needing to be mysterious.”
Sadly, it looks like Phasma didn’t have the upper hand with this battle, but whether she’ll return in Episode IX still remains to be seen.
She betrayed her own family
In the book, Phasma, author Delilah S. Dawson delves deep into Phasma’s past, along with highlighting her dark and twisted nature. Driven by ambition and power, Phasma is repeatedly faced with situations where she must make a choice between honor and survival. In the book, she continues to choose her own survival among all others, even at the expense of those of her family.
From her experiences with her mother and father, to her power struggle with her brother, Phasma was continually faced with choices that tested her heart. When she finally joins the ranks of the First Order, Phasma continues to follow her ambition, and she swiftly rises to the rank of Captain.
While it appears that Phasma has become cold as ice over the years, there have been subtle hints of her possibly having a change of heart in the future.
She hates sand as much as Anakin
In her recent book, Phasma, author Delilah S. Dawson penned a detailed analysis regarding Captain Phasma’s character, but she also decided to include a funny Easter egg within the text. In one of the most amusing sections of the novel, Dawson writes a quick one-liner which pays homage to the Star Wars prequels. In the book, Phasma shares her thoughts on the topic of sand, to which she says, “It shifts under your feet. Coarse and rough. Irritating. Gets everywhere. Slips into your clothes and boots.”
While at first glance, one might not make the connection, but it seems like Phasma echoes the sentiments of young Anakin Skywalker, who shared similar feelings to Padme Amidala while on Naboo. The prequels of Star Wars have been a divisive topic among the Star Wars fandom for years, but it looks like Dawson decided to have a little fun with the matter.
Phasma knew Finn was "different"
With the release of author Delilah S. Dawson’s recent novel, Phasma, fans learned more surrounding Phasma’s mysterious origin story. After joining the First Order, Phasma quickly rose to prominence, and achieved the rank of Captain within a year. In addition, Phasma was also tasked with the responsibility of training half of the First Order Stormtroopers.
Phasma was known for her strategic mindset and strong array of skills in battle, making her an exemplary leader for the First Order. Phasma holds high standards for her troopers, and would observe their behavior to find any weaknesses. According to Star Wars.com, Phasma noticed, “FN-2187 has the potential to be one of the finest stormtroopers I have ever seen…But his decision to split the fire-team and return for FN-2003 is problematic. It speaks to a potentially … dangerous level of empathy.”
Gwendoline Christie calls her Star Wars' first female villain
Star Wars fans have been clamoring to see more of Captain Phasma on screen since her original debut in Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens in 2015. Actress Gwendoline Christie certainly agreed with the fans, and even stated that Captain Phasma would have an expanded role for Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. Director Rian Johnson also hinted that Phasma would have more action scenes than in the previous films.
Christie was also heavily involved in the creative process with The Last Jedi. "Rian and I did have long conversations about this character and who she was," Christie said in an interview. "And I was utterly delighted in how willing he was to listen to my ideas and really thrilled to exchange them with him and hear his."
Phasma is a playable character in Star Wars Battlefront II
In the weeks leading up to the release of The Last Jedi, Captain Phasma was added as a playable character for Star Wars Battlefront II. Prompting fans to choose their side, EA released a new update including "Faction Challenges", where players must choose to side with the First Order or the Resistance. Each week resulted in a different challenge, encouraging a variety of different types of gameplay, and rewarding players with rewards and crates.
In the game, fans can play as Captain Phasma, who is equipped with her special blaster rifle and staff. In Star Wars Battlefront II, fans can utilize her First Order Sentry Droid, which acts as a static weapon and can attack nearby enemies. The droid can also send out a shockwave function to immobilize enemies. Phasma also has a staff strike ability, but it has been criticized by gamers for being too slow.
She allied with General Hux's father
In the novel Phasma, fans are given a glimpse into Captain Phasma’s murky past, including her harsh upbringing on the planet of Parnassos. When she was a young girl, Phasma was taught to fend to herself, and she quickly learned that she must do whatever it takes in order to survive. In her tribe, she was known for her fierce skills and she was highly regarded as a warrior for her years of combat expertise.
Later, when she becomes connected with Brendol Hux, Phasma proves her invaluable experience while in battle. Hux quickly looks to her for guidance with fighting their way off the planet, and even his personal guard of First Order Stormtroopers begin to follow suit. In less than a year, Brendol Hux promotes her to the rank of captain, and she is trusted with the responsibility of half of the stormtrooper training program.
She poisoned General Hux's father
After leaving her home planet of Parnassos, Captain Phasma works to secure her stable future within the First Order. According to the book, Phasma hardly sleeps, and chooses to invest her time into studying military strategy and learning about new technology. Within a year, Phasma is granted the title of Captain, and Brendol Hux rewards her with overseeing the training of half of the Stormtrooper program.
After her promotion, Captain Phasma revisits Parnassos, and creates her chromium Stormtrooper armor. Phasma also captures a poisonous beetle, and she plots alongside Brendol Hux's son, Armitage Hux, to kill his father. With Brendol Hux dead, Armitage Hux takes up his mantle as General Hux.
Fortunately for Phasma, she has worked towards eliminating nearly everyone who has known about her life on Parnassos, before joining the First Order.
Her customized blaster
In addition to her skills as a warrior, Captain Phasma is known for wielding a customized blaster called the Sonn-Blas F-11D blaster rifle. Although the F-11D blaster might look like a typical blaster issued to most Stormtroopers of the First Order, Phasma’s blaster is chromium-clad, matching her armor perfectly. In battle, the blaster is known for having a strong sense of firing power, and her silver-colored rifle only heightens the drama surrounding her intimidating appearance.
As for her personal customizations, Phasma’s blaster boasts a recurved trigger guard, allowing for a two-handed stance. The Sonn-Blas F-11D also includes a stabling grip and macroscope which can be used for sniping.
Over the years, Phasma has also grown used to flying starships and speeders, and also utilizing other weapons at her disposal.
How she escaped from the trash compactor in Force Awakens
Captain Phasma might have only a handful of scenes on-screen, but her character has been expanded upon in other mediums. In a series of comic books entitled Star Wars: Captain Phasma, fans are able to glean more information surrounding her mysterious escape from the trash compactor and Starkiller base. When we last saw Captain Phasma in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Finn had sent her to her supposed doom— in a trash compactor.
After the base gets rocked by a series of bombs from the Resistance, Phasma is released, and hurries towards a TIE Fighter to aid her escape. Before she reaches her destination, she takes notice of Kylo Ren in the forest fighting someone, but she can't see exactly who. We know Kylo was in a heated battle with Rey, but it is interesting that the comic doesn't explicitly state if Phasma actually sees Kylo lose the battle completely.
Progressive armor and character
In the original Star Wars series, there was a notable absence of female villains on screen, and actress Gwendoline Christie was thrilled to join the universe as a brand new character. Christie is certainly no stranger to cult favorites, having also starred as as Brienne of Tarth in the popular series, Game of Thrones. Joining the Star Wars cast has held significant meaning for Christie, who has been very vocal about her gratitude with being involved.
In particular, Christie has lauded the character of Captain Phasma, calling her “a very progressive female character” and how she was thrilled to be involved with the series. Representation of women in the media is often dictated by physical characteristics, and Christie was satisfied that Phasma wore armor which wasn’t sexualized.
She might still appear in Episode IX
After Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Captain Phasma survived a brief stint in the trash compactor on Starkiller Base, and she continued to fight on in The Last Jedi. However, Captain Phasma seems to have shared similar fate as Boba Fett— a total lack of screentime.
In The Last Jedi, Phasma takes up arms against her former pupil, Finn, who she calls scum. Before delivering a seemingly fatal blow, Finn proudly says, “Rebel scum,” as Phasma plummets towards her doom.
As with The Force Awakens, many fans believe that this won’t be the last time we’ll be seeing or hearing from Captain Phasma. In an interview with EW, director Rian Johnson said, “Phasma is the Kenny from South Park of this series.”
She may even turn against the First Order
Delilah S. Dawson's novel, Phasma, makes it abundantly clear that Phasma is no stranger to overcoming obstacles and fighting for survival. Even though she failed to beat Finn in The Last Jedi, there's always a chance we may still see Phasma in Episode IX. The novel also presents another viewpoint entirely—we may even see Phasma turn against the First Order.
Throughout the text, Phasma appears to be self-interested, and only worries about her own personal agenda and survival. With the fall of Supreme Leader Snoke, we have yet to see how Phasma’s story will play out in Episode IX.
During a Q&A for The Last Jedi, actor Mark Hamill posited a theory about Phasma’s fate for a crowd of fans, “I think she’s got to survive. She falls through the flames and lands on a big pile of rubbish.”
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