Star Wars fans go above and beyond to prove their dedication to the Force. Hordes of die-hards storm conventions the world over kitted out as their favorite characters. When the con season wraps, those technically-minded fans take to the digital realm to pay homage to the beloved franchise via video. To commemorate, we've rounded up ten of the best fan-made Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailers for your viewing pleasure.
10. Luke Skywalker's Vision
The last time Luke appeared in the main Star Wars canon he was indulging in much merriment with his nearest and dearest -- and a load of Ewoks. While the gap between the end of Jedi and The Force Awakens is explained through a series of tie-in books, the specifics of Luke's trajectory remain unknown. Here a series of scenes from the earlier trilogy are interspersed with shots from the latest trailers to remedy his hopes for the future. Maz Kanata's voiceover gluing the two eras together. The torch of the Jedi is seemingly passed from Skywalker to Rey... which might not be too far from the truth.
9. Sea Wars: The Ike Awakens
Of all the spoofs and parodies to hit the web so far, "Sea Wars" is one of the most ambitious. This recreation of The Force Awakens teaser hails from the U.S. Navy. Its crew of sailors aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower mimic the roles of Poe Dameron and Finn as if they were at sea, not in a galaxy far, far away. Extra points are awarded to this homage for shots of real military planes mimicking the movements of the TIE fighters, and for repurposing a yellow mopbucket into BB-8.
8. LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
OK, so this one isn't fan-made in the sense that it was crafted by the public. The LEGO workshop guys flung this together, and their love of the franchise is front and center of each shot. This one's all about the insane amount of detail put into recreating every highlight with small plastic blocks. Filming must have taken an age, which is what makes this one slow clap-worthy. The charred husk of Vader's mask alone makes this worth watching, and the cute saber-off between Finn and Kylo Ren.
7. Inside Out Emotions React To Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer
Seeing as Pixar is part of Disney it was only matter of when an animated riff on The Force Awakens emerged. The emotions of Inside Out star in this meta version of a reaction video, shot in the style of both John Boyega and Daisy Ridley's own captured responses to the latest full trailer. As Riley hunkers down in bed, her laptop on her knees primed like the rest of the world to watch the new trailer, her emotions take over. All of the film's voice cast pipe up with their opinions on it -- just as they do for all of Riley's life endeavours. It's a brilliant tie-in to the summer's best animated pic solely for Fear's response to Vader's ruinous mask.
6. Luke Skywalker spotted!
What do we know of Luke's role in the new trilogy? Not a lot, except he's been notably absent from all marketing materials so far. It's pretty well established by now that Skywalker's presence in The Force Awakens will be a radical departure from his earlier appearances. JJ Abrams remains shady on the topic, going so far as to confirm that the mere sight of Luke counts as a spoiler in itself. Likewise with Mark Hamill. To placate those who feel cheated at the lack of Luke, this amusing teaser inserts footage of him into every shot.
5. Star Wars: The Binks Awakens
Talk about trolling. This spoofy spin reimagines a world where Jar Jar Binks has had the misfortune of surviving through two trilogies in order to appear in The Force Awakens. How the creators of this masterpiece could themselves have survived the task of trawling through all that footage is commendable in itself. Their hard efforts paid off in this homage to Jar Jar's annoying persona. He still pops up where he's not needed, whether he's following Rey or leering over Kylo Ren's shoulder.
4. Star Wars: The Force Awakens Disney
An unofficial bash at imagining what The Force Awakens might be like in an insane animated crossover with Disney's entire back catalogue. Finn is gifted a pair of Mickey Mouse ears, rather comically and Rey's zoom across Jakku is accompanied by Cinderella's birds. Extra points are awarded for making the Stormtroopers even more evil than before; Goofy's face layered on top of them while his laugh rings out is quite a sinister design. That's nothing compared to Kylo Ren's lightsaber reveal. It puts Bambi's mother's fate in a whole new light...
3. Spaceballs: The Search for More Money
It's only fitting that the only proper Star Wars parody -- we're talking live-action here, sorry Blue Harvest -- receive its own trailer. Spaceballs is ripe with Star Wars take-downs that are perfect fodder for recycling. This version hit the web last year and makes the most of ribbing The Force Awakens teaser. The opening shot and simmering score leading to Darth Helmet removing his headpiece is brilliantly timed, as are several choice line deliveries synced to Darth being a buffoon. Makes us yearn for a Spaceballs sequel.
2. The Force Awakens supercut
This ultimate supercut hails from our very own team, who lovingly constructed this based around official story and character details. All of the trailers released to date are jiggled about for a chronological mega-trailer. Footage that flashes by in an instant in the official videos is carefully placed into position to better tell the story we know thus far. If there's one way to get your Force habit fully engaged prior to hitting the multiplex on December 17 and 18, it's watching this on repeat.
1. The Force Awakens Sweded
If there's one thing you can't call Star Wars, it's low budget. These films rely on swathes of CGI, practical special effects and some of the biggest names in the business to star. See, that's what makes this spoof so great. By its very nature a "sweded" anything is as lo-fi as you can get. Other entrants on this list might have gone all out to faithfully recreate scenarios. This isn't fussed with glitz and glam. Duct tape ranks high on the prop list, making us love it all the more. And cardboard. Lots and lots of cardboard.
Directed by JJ Abrams and starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Andy Serkis, Oscar Isaac and Gwendoline Christie, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is in UK cinemas from December 17, and released in the US on December 18.
