A fresh image from Star Wars: The Last Jedi highlights a necklace new character Rose Tico wears, and it is an important part of her backstory. With Rey off on Ahch-To to encounter Luke Skywalker, her friend Finn is going to be spending most of Episode VIII alongside other members of the Resistance - most notably Rose, a mechanic. The two (along with BB-8) are embarking on a secret mission that sees them visit casino city Canto Bight and go behind enemy lines on a First Order star destroyer. Of the three newcomers The Last Jedi introduces, Rose has the biggest role to play, so it'll be interesting to see how she fits in.

Though the merchandising rollout made sure to include plenty of Rose toys, the character hasn't factored much into marketing at this point. She hasn't been seen in either of the trailers released and has only appeared in a handful of still images. Lucasfilm is understandably keeping the focus on established players like Luke, Rey, and Kylo Ren, but now they're starting to familiarize more people with Rose Tico.

An article in EW featured a new photo of Finn and Rose en route to the extravagant Canto Bight (see it below). One detail on Rose's costume that specifically gets the spotlight is a necklace, which apparently has a personal connection to her. Actress Kelly Marie Tran explained its importance:

“That is definitely something that is significant to Rose’s backstory. It is an object that she kind of has throughout the film and it is representative of more than the object itself to her. So, yeah, that’s all I can say. It has significance that is, to me, something that means more than just what the object itself is.”

It's been confirmed Rose has a sister named Paige Tico, who works as a gunner in the Resistance. A popular theory is that The Last Jedi begins with an explosive space battle as our heroes escape their headquarters on D'Qar, so it's possible Paige will die during the conflict. With this in mind, it's reasonable to assume the necklace either belonged to Paige or was a gift from her to Rose, and the mechanic keeps it as a memento to remember her fallen sibling. Rey is still in possession of the blaster she received from Han Solo (even though she's skilled with the Force and a lightsaber), so it isn't out of the question for some objects to have sentimental value in the Star Wars universe. If the necklace is all Rose has left of her sister, she would definitely want to hold on to it as she tries to bring down the First Order.

Those who enjoy this detail have the one and only Carrie Fisher to thank. On Twitter, Last Jedi director Rian Johnson revealed that during rehearsals, Fisher grabbed his arm and stressed the importance to have "space jewelry" in the film. He thought it was a great concept, so he designed different pieces for the various characters. It's just a nice, little touch that helps make the galaxy far, far away feel more tangible. People in our world wear rings and necklaces all the time, so why wouldn't those in the Star Wars universe?

MORE: John Boyega Debunks Finn Fan Theory

Source: EW, Rian Johnson

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