Rogue One: A Star Wars Story final trailer shot-by-shot breakdown
If you would rather listen to the podcast version of this or listen to it while you read this post, you can find the file below:
Here is my hastily thrown together trailer analysis and breakdown for what appears to be the final domestic Rogue One: A Star Wars Story trailer. The trailer rocked my face off and I’m still buzzing from it. This is the first real original film set in the Galactic Civil War era of the Star Wars saga. While I enjoyed the last teasers, this trailer really impacted me in a much stronger way.
The trailer opens with what we assume to be Orson Krennic’s ship flying above the coast:
We see a reveal of the beach of as the shot pans down:
This shot appears to be from a flashback, sometime before the main events of the film where young Orson Krennic approaches Galen Erso to help him on the Death Star project. Erso in the frame reminds me of Luke Skywalker looking at his lost homestead:
Krennic’s Death Squad approaches the Erso homestead:
We finally see all six troopers of Krennic’s Death Squad together as they approach the Erso homestead:
“Whatever I do, I do it to protect you,” Galen tells a young Jyn. She responds “I understand” to her father:
We then have a continuation of the landing sequence and approach to the Erso homestead. Apparently Krennic had to wear a hat before he made it up the ranks of the Empire:
Galen Erso is not too happy to entertain guests at the moment, at least not this type:
Krennic seems a little impatient with the situation, perhaps Galen’s reluctance. I would image some “aggressive negotiations” take place during this talk and Galen’s family’s safety is put into question, insuring Galen’s compliance with the Empire:
Young Jyn sees the encounter between her father and Krennic taking place while she hides:
We see adult Jyn waking, perhaps from a nightmare of the past encounter with Krennic and his Death Troopers:
Jyn sits in an prison cell with one of the elephant-looking dudes added to the special edition of A New Hope:
We see a familiar droid on Jedha and the guys in the suits might be the religious people we heard about a long time ago:
The shot pans up to show a Star Destroyer over the city as smoke comes from the top of a building:
A creature sits in a cell with a Stormtrooper as it appears the rescue attempt to break Jyn out is underway:
The rebels break Jyn out:
The rebel asks her “do you wanna get out of here?”
The rebel frees Jyn of her binders:
The U-wing approaches Jedha (you can see the ship and its tiny shadow on the ground). There appears to be a massive statue of a Jedi buried beneath the ground:
“Our rebellion is all that remains to push back the Empire.” This sounds like Mon Mothma talking over the shot we’ve seen before of Jyn looking out the window.
We see the base on Yavin as Jyn says “I think he might be able to help us.”
Cassian asks Jyn, “When was the last time you were in contact with your father?” This makes me think they were looking for Jyn as a way of finding Galen:
Jyn asks, “What is this?”
Mon Mothma looks serious and then off camera says, “it appears he is critical to the development of a superweapon,” aka the Death Star:
Perhaps this is Galen arriving at the Imperial Research facility:
Galen–perhaps wearing his new scientist costume–meets with Krenic and his Death Troopers:
Krennic looks a serious as ever:
The Death Star from the sky of Scarif:
“If my father built this thing, we need to find him.” Erso built it, Geonosians helped design it. 
“Alright! How many do we need?” Baze asks as Bodhi looks on. Is this regarding saving Galen from the Empire? Sounds like it.
The U-wing departs Yavin while the Rebel General looks on:
K-2SO says “They are requesting a call sign” to which Bodhi Rook responds “Rogue 1.”
The U-wing blasts off into hyperspace and it looks awesome as it was probably filmed on those giant screens at Pinewood:
We see Darth Vader’s reflection with Death Star readouts:
Krennic says, “The power we are dealing with here is immeasurable.” Is Krennic boasting about how badass the Death Star will be or explaining to Vader why Galen’s important to the project (if he is indeed responsible for the energy source that powers the super laser)?
Some TIEs fly by the Death Star:
An officer approaches Krennic:
A viewscreen appears to show the surface of a planet. Perhaps this is the Star Destroyer above Jedha looking down on the problems arising on the world?
A rebel at a table observing the Death Star asks “If the Empire has this kind of power, what chance do we have?” The image shows us that the rebels are aware of the Death Star’s appearance already. Notice the Mon Cal to the far left of the first image:
An AT-ST and a squad of Stormtroopers open fire on the citizens of Jedha:
Jyn and Cassian dodge laser fire from Stormtroopers on Jedha:
Saw’s feet walk towards Jyn:
We see Saw with his longer hair:
Jyn says “We have hope. Rebellions are built on hope.”
The reaction shot of Chirrut appears to be from another part of the discussion:
A nice shot of the Imperial research facility on Scarif:
The rebels run alongside the trees. This could be a continuation of the run from the EW photos we recently got:
Jyn says “They have no idea we’re coming!” They look like the saddest excuse for Imperials ever in their disguises:
Baze and Chirrut watch the rebellion take off from what we assume to be Eadu:
Chirrut then says “Take hold of this moment, the Force is strong.” The line may be two lines edited together for the trailer. Then we see Two Tubes and his twin:
We then see Chirrut kicking the Stormtroopers’ butts but Baze finishes them off with his blaster:
Cassian says to Jyn, “Make ten men feel like a hundred.” Perhaps this is before she gives her impassioned speech? Or is he remembering the Jedi?
Y-wings (thanks Star Wars Rebels!) and X-wings fight TIEs:
An X-wing goes down behind Cassian in his Eadu jacket:
Remember when I told you guys on the podcast that the weapons all did cool stuff? Here you can see Chirrut’s weapon expand into ass kicking mode:
Stormtroopers rush the beach:
Bodhi in action. Note the crates we saw in drone photos some time ago:
X-wings attack a space installation of some kind. Perhaps this is how they make it onto the guarded planet:
We then see an explosion rocking the imperials and a Death Trooper:
K-2SO appears to fly the team off Eadu:
Krennic’s ship appears to shoot at Jyn and Cassian:
Jyn says “you’re rebels, aren’t you?” Notice Pao in the background!
Bodhi appears to watch the start of Jedha’s destruction:
Darth Vader approaches Krennic with purpose:
Galen on his knees, the floor looks similar to the shot above but are not conclusively the same.
Saw says, “Save the rebellion. Save the dream” after asking Jyn some difficult questions in the first teaser.
The U-wing flies by an AT-ACT in battle:
Baze and Chirrut run through the jungle and almost get squashed by an AT-ACT foot!:
These are my initial thoughts on the trailer. It’s so fresh I’m sure I missed a lot but it blew my mind!
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