Chrome Warrior: Captain’s History

One of the most interesting characters from Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens, only had less than two minutes of screen time, yet demanded attention: Captain Phasma.

As the only female character seen in power in the sinister First Order, Captain Phasma’s chrome armor and monotone speech paint her in an interesting, powerful light. Despite her somewhat unceremonious final scene of being sent to a trash compactor, her few lines still caught the attention of fans across the world. Many were eager to see more of this new threat to peace and justice in the galaxy.

The novel Phasma, written by Delilah S. Dawson, came out in Sep. of 2017, three months before the release of Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi. Part of a certain series of books preluding this movie, Phasma is a fascinating addition to the Star Wars canon offering the previously unknown backstory of one of the new trilogy’s most mysterious characters.

Told in the form of stories gathered from multiple sources, Phasma delves into the character’s origin on the planet Parnassos, where she fights, manipulates, and schemes to elevate herself above her station, ultimately securing herself a place in the all-powerful First Order.

The audience can easily see just how far Phasma has gone for power and security in her past, leaving an ominous image of how far she will still go to preserve it. Having read this book beforehand, it makes attending the theaters to watch The Last Jedi a handful of months later all the more intriguing, eager to follow the continuing threads of her pursuit of control. However, having seen all of the movies multiple times, Phasma is still a captivating read for a look into the untold history of Star Wars that is never seen on-screen.