One of the mysteries introduced in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" that "Star Wars Episode 8" is expected to shed light on is Maz Kanata's (Lupita Nyong'o) story.
In "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," it was revealed that she has Luke Skywalker's (Mark Hamill) lightsaber, which was lost (along with his hand) during his battle with his father, Darth Vader.
The weapon fell from Cloud City, but the cantina owner managed to get a hold of it. The story of how she retrieved it is expected to be revealed in "Star Wars Episode 8."
According to leaks prior to the release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) originally had it, and Maz got a hold of it when the Sith-in-the-making was in battle.
Even before that, it is believed to have been acquired by Kylo Ren by a trader, who is not even the first person to have it after Luke lost it.
As per "Star Wars Episode 8" predictions, Maz Kanata is more than just a cantina owner. On StarWars.com, it is confirmed that while she is not a Jedi, she knows the Force very well and has even helped Rey (Daisy Ridley) channel it.
"We have much to learn about Maz's specific abilities, but it appears she sees the galaxy differently than most and knows just how to communicate what she observes," the website described her.
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" director J.J. Abrams even teased that there is more in store for Maz Kanata. "There are other ways we can tell that story later," he said in a new commentary, as quoted by MoviePilot.
Apart from Maz Kanata's story, another mystery expected to be dealt with in "Star Wars Episode 8" is, of course, the revelation of Rey's parentage.
Luke's parents were revealed in the second movie in the original trilogy, so this might be the case for the new hero as well.
"Star Wars Episode 8" will be released on Dec. 15, 2017.
