Friday’s Star Wars Celebration event from Disney and LucasFilm landed as a roaring success. The presumed centerpiece, of course, was the arrival of the new teaser trailer (ending with the telltale cackle of Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious) and the switch out of the Star Wars: Episode IX title for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Director and co-writer J.J. Abrams and much of the cast (including Daisy Ridley and a heavily bearded Oscar Isaac) appeared onstage for a quick panel discussion, but then a little something stole the show.
Meet BB-8’s newest pal, a droid capped off with a megaphone-looking device and whose name appears to be “Dio” or “D-O” or maybe “D/O” (that’s the one that Entertainment Weekly is going with). Neither spelling seems to have earned a consensus (though EW is usually correct), so we don’t know which one is correct as of this writing. Confusion abounds!
A new droid enters the Star Wars universe, BB-8's new friend, Dio #StarWarsEpisodeIX #StarWarsCelebration pic.twitter.com/VdlalTcfjZ
— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) April 12, 2019
New droid ! I think it’s D-0? Dio ? Deeeeeooohhh? One of those is probably right pic.twitter.com/4RvEwaW9TH
— Ash Crossan (@AshCrossan) April 12, 2019
Or as one user called it, a “[n]ew f*ckin’ droid thing.”
https://twitter.com/kristapley/status/1116749228389228545
So, the spelling wars are officially on, as are the warring descriptions (“a desk lamp” or a creature from Plants Vs. Zombies), but no one is questioning the cuteness of this heart-capturing addition to the franchise.
New Droid and friend of BB-8, D-O (not sure of the spelling) pic.twitter.com/xusxcc91X4
— Siths and Giggles Podcast #blacklivesmatter (@SithsGigglesPod) April 12, 2019
#StarWars #EpisodeIX will have another new droid for you to fall in love with pic.twitter.com/xmmwUc1LZf
— Kirsten (@KirstenAcuna) April 12, 2019
Is this like a Droid Doggy???
I want 30!!!#Starwars #EpisodeIX #StarWarsCelebaration #BB8 pic.twitter.com/PkCuO5VclO— @TheDisneyBum (@_thedisneybum) April 12, 2019
When I first saw this new Droid, I thought it was a megaphone on a wheel, and now all I want it to do is just yell unpopular opinions & random facts 🤣#EpisodeIX #StarWars pic.twitter.com/quSo4s4keg
— Emily Rose ✨ (@Frankly_Emily) April 12, 2019
https://twitter.com/kyeluh/status/1116758170540675072
Será que o novo Droid de @starwars foi inspirado em @PlantsvsZombies?#EpisodeIX #StarWarsCelebaration #geek #videogames #gamers pic.twitter.com/GfLfXq4Ee0
— MeUGamer (de 🕹🎬💽🏠) #Gamernéfilo 🇧🇷 (@MeuGamerbr) April 12, 2019
https://twitter.com/jonny_hess/status/1116762499737636865
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which will include unreleased footage of Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia (get your tissues ready), will open on Dec. 20.