Gareth Edwards on the three meanings behind Rogue One’s title

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

With a little under four months to go until the release of ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY, the full impact of what that title means will soon be revealed to us, or so you would think. Until recently, it turned out that ROGUE ONE director Gareth Edwards didn't know quite what it meant either. During last months Star Wars Celebration, Edwards finally decided what ROGUE ONE means to him and revealed his thoughts to Empire.

I'd been thinking about it. What does it mean? 'Rogue One’ is a military call sign to some extent, but this is the first film that's gone off-piste and is not part of the saga – or the Anakin story – so it’s the 'rogue' one, you know?

The title could also refer to Felicity Jones' character of Jyn Erso, the young rogue (hey, there it is!) who puts aside her checkered past by joining up with the Rebellion to steal the plans for the Empire's new battle-station. Gareth Edwards agreed, saying "it's kind of describing her as well in a similar way, it has [all] these split, multiple meanings that made it feel like the right choice."

ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY is set for a December 16, 2016.