Princess Leia would be proud.
If Star Wars: The Force Awakens had additional deleted or extended scenes, these would be them. "Sands of Jakku," the first episode in the Star Wars: Forces of Destiny series, debuted Monday, and the second episode, "BB-8 Bandits," premiered on YouTube Tuesday at 1 p.m. PT. The first short centers on Rey (Daisy Ridley) as she fends off a Nightwatcher worm trying to eat BB-8. It fills in the lead character's backstory and and gives a glimpse of how she uses the Force.
The series is narrated by Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong'o), who recites a poem: "The choices we make / The actions we take / Moments, both big and small / Shape us into forces of destiny." In the second short, Rey hops on a speeder to escape scavenger thugs trying to steal BB-8. "We're heading for Niima Outpost," Rey explains. "If someone's looking for you, we'll find them there."
(Clearly, Rey hasn't met FN-2187—er, Finn [John Boyega]—at this point in the story.)
When Rey and BB-8 find themselves cornered, she hops off her speeder and stands her ground. "If you want the droid," she tells a scavenger thug, "you're going to have to come and get him!"
We won't spoil the ending, but we will say this: Rey isn't alone.
Star Wars: Forces of Destiny is the realization of Disney and Lucasfilm's initiative to add 16 original, female-led storylines to the Star Wars universe. Each tale will be told through a new animated short, around 2-3 minutes in length, marking Star Wars' first foray into 2D animation.
"It was very exciting doing something that looks so beautiful," Ridley said at the Star Wars Celebration in April—though one aspect bothered her. "I don't like the sound of my own voice."
Key characters appearing in future episodes include Padme Amidala (Catherine Taber), Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), Leia Organa (Shelby Young), Ashoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) and Sabine Wren (Tiya Sircar). The first eight Star Wars Forces of Destiny shorts will debut on Disney's YouTube Channel this month, with the remaining eight episodes debuting in the fall. Disney Channel's two half-hour specials, comprised of the two groups of shorts, will also premiere in the fall—around the time a new line of 11-inch adventure figures will be available online and in stores.