As the arrival of the first standalone Star Wars film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, gets closer with every passing day, both anticipation and expectation are melding into one overwhelming state. This is the effect that Star Wars has always had on its fanbase and one of the strongest indications that Rogue One isn’t some watered down version of the classic franchise. What we’ve seen thus far of the film via images and trailers appears strong, to say the least.

With the recent arrival of the film’s impressive final trailer, interest has likely increased – especially with the release date now 2 months off. Still, to an eager Star Wars fan, tackling even a week without hope of any further glimpses at Gareth Edwards' upcoming film can be a hard pill to swallow. Fortunately for those who aren’t purists about spoilers, new images and news regarding Rogue One are sure to be on their way in the final lead up to the film’s release.

As a matter of fact, EW has already provided us with a look at six new characters set to appear in Rogue One. The images and information on the characters can be found in the Star Wars: Rogue One trading cards by Topps and illustrate the base cards (cards guaranteed in each pack) that will be available in the new set.

Rogue One X-Wing Pilot

First up is this unnamed female X-wing pilot. There isn’t much for background information on her, but what we do know is that the "V"s inside the yellow dots that run along her helmet indicate enemy fighter kills. Each mark equals 20 fighters killed - proof that the rebels have some sharp shooters on their side.

Rogue One General Merrick

This is the Rebellion’s General Merrick, a character who, judging by his pilot attire and spot at the controls is more than just an elite officer giving orders.

Rogue One Moroff

Moroff is a Gigoran creature who works as a mercenary and breathes with the aid of a respirator. He transports ammunition on his back, using his sizeable frame to his advantage and he can be seen in the latest Rogue One trailer looking for cover as a battle unfolds on Jedha.

Rogue One Mon Calamari

These fellows are of the Mon Calamari species and are certainly more familiar to Star Wars fans as the red hued Admiral Akbar. While Akbar has been a part of the Star Wars universe since Return of the Jedi, this is the first time we’ve seen a whitish version of the creatures.

Rogue One Tube Twins

The name on the trading card says Two Tubes Twins, which is the nickname given to Edrio Two Tubes (right) and his brother, Benthic. Also known as “egg-mates” (likely due to their twin status), the brothers are mercenary pilots from the Empire occupied world of Yar-Togna. The two require special breathing apparatus’ to breathe human-friendly air, hence the “two-tubes” moniker.

Rogue One Jedha Pilgrims

Last but not least is this mystery card that is labelled only as “Life on Jedha”. Based on this, all we know is that these are some of the pilgrims that exist on the Force-sacred planet of Jedha. They are certainly fascinating to look at and whether or not they are fierce warriors beneath those cloaks or merely ascetic pilgrims devoted solely to the higher powers of the force remains to be seen.

The Star Wars franchise has always held a vast array of characters and mythologies as a very prominent part of its charm and it looks as though Rogue One won’t be any different in this respect. It’s hard to say how many of these new characters will play prominent roles in the upcoming film, but the addition of even more variety into the Star Wars universe can only serve to make Rogue One a richer and more enjoyable experience as a result.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opens in U.S. theaters on December 16, 2016, followed by Star Wars: Episode VIII on December 15, 2017, the Han Solo Star Wars Anthology film on May 25, 2018, Star Wars: Episode IX in 2019, and the third Star Wars Anthology film in 2020.

Source: EW