Star Wars: Rogue One Movie Costumes Take You To A Galaxy Far, Far Away

By Shrey Sankalp

I probably don't have to tell you this, but Star Wars is kind of a big thing - just look outside your window on Halloween and the sheer number of children wearing Star Wars costumes will confirm that for you.
And yes, while a movie franchise selling costumes by the dozen isn't an unheard of phenomenon anymore, it is remarkably impressive considering the costumes selling out belong to a movie that released some 40 years ago.
Why - and more importantly, how? - is it then that Star Wars consistently manages to top the sales charts of movie costumes year after year by appealing to a demographic which wasn't even born in the era to which the films belong?
The simple answer here, is also the correct one - timeless appeal.

The timeless appeal of Star Wars is yet to be matched.

When we talk of timeless appeal here, we aren't simply referring to it in context of the costumes or the character designs, we refer to the original trilogy in general.
It is a fairly obvious fact that no amount of flashy costumes and elaborate visuals can sell a film if it's not inherently good, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Star Wars coined this wisdom back when it came out in 1977.
When Star Wars came out in 1977 (since then re-titled Episode IV - A New Hope), its primary draw was how it presented a thrilling space adventure dealing with the perennial struggle of good and evil, dressed up in the gloss of never seen before visuals and technology.
The story clearly resonated with the audiences and the critics, for they turned up in droves to watch, and re-watch the film.
And this wasn't a lightning in a bottle effect, for when creator George Lucas presented sequels Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back and Episode VI - Return of the Jedi in 1980 and 1983 respectively, the films were met with a similar reaction.
But what caused these films to catch on as they did?
What caused them to become so popular that they are passed down generations?
Without a doubt it has to be George Lucas's eye for design.
George Lucas knew that because he was creating a space opera, he had to bring the visual pizzazz to complement the grandeur of his story, and despite being limited by the technology of the time, he didn't let it hinder his imagination.
Lucas spent so much time crafting the look and feel of each character that practically every character has their own equally iconic costume today! Even if we were to look past the obviously menacing Darth Vader costume or the shiny white hues of the Stormtrooper costumes, we'd find something that appealed to us, not just because the costume looks cool, it's because the character wearing said costume is cool enough to be worthy of it.
When you combine a cool character with a cool costume and a cool story, you get a home run.
This is a formula that has worked wonderfully for the films even today.
Episode VII - The Force Awakens proved that the same winning formula can be used to obtain the same results for a different generation, and the countless Kylo Ren costumes, Captain Phasma costumes and Rey costumes sold in the past year attest to the same.

(Lucasfilm) Rogue One is a film worthy of the Star Wars name.

But can the same results be obtained with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, an anthology film with a completely different approach?
The short answer is a resounding yes.
In fact, I'm calling it now - Star Wars Rogue One movie costumes might just outsell every Star Wars costume on the market.
Rogue One has been marketed as an anthology, and it's partly true - the film does serve perfectly as a standalone adventure, but having been set just before the events of Episode IV - A New Hope, it also acts as a perfect lead-in to the aforementioned film.
Rogue One's task was enviable from the start. Since it belonged to a franchise that's a commercial juggernaut when it comes to movies, costumes, accessories, and everything else, it had to bring its A-game and be a good movie, while ensuring it didn't sully the childhood of any fan, introduce a perfect starting point for someone who never saw Star Wars and showing that there's potential in tales not concerned with the Skywalker saga.
And it is honestly baffling how efficiently Rogue One pulls it all off.

(Lucasfilm) The costume designs should prove popular among the fans.

Much has been made about how Rogue One succeeds because it is different from other Star Wars films, but I disagree - Rogue One succeeds because it takes a different approach to the same beats as the other films.
Rogue One's emphasis was on the grit and realism of the battles from the start, and its primary concern to show the horrors of war rather than show the snazziness of space battles between X-wings and TIE fighters.
A perfect example would be how Stormtroopers have been approached in the film: Normally, in the original trilogy as well as Episode VII - The Force Awakens, the Stormtrooper costumes are shining and squeaky clean, whereas in Rogue One, the same costumes are all scratched up, covered in dirt and damaged.
By losing the pristine element of the costumes, the film adds a realism to them, because honestly, which army would make its soldiers clean its costumes so they're shining all the time?
And this isn't just limited to the Stormtrooper costumes, this emphasis on grit is prevalent through every Star Wars Rogue One movie costume.
Flashy costumes have been a staple of every Star Wars movie, but Rogue One adds its own spin on it by making the said costume look worn and it is such visual touches which differentiate the film, while building on what has come before.

This tradition is also intact when it comes to the characters.
Without the luxury of building its characters over multiple films, Rogue One has to expedite the whole team building process, and while it takes a minute to come together, it all does, and it's glorious.
Every member of the ensemble, be it the leads Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor, or the Guardians of the Whill Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus, or even the pilot Bodhi Rook are all given equal attention and development so they feel like they have an arc. Even the villain of the film, Orson Krennic is a well rounded character that you want to see more of. When you're in the company of classic villains such as Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin, that is no small achievement.
The amount of love shown to developing characters shows that Disney was committed to making Rogue One a movie that was successful enough to sell costumes and merchandise, not make a movie designed to sell costumes and merchandise.

And lest I forget, the film may just have given us the best Star Wars droid companion yet.
BB-8 is adorable (even if his is a notorious costume to get right) and C-3PO and R2D2 sure have their moments, but not one of them can stand up to K2SO, the reprogrammed Imperial droid seen in Rogue One, voiced by a Disney veteran Alan Tudyk.
K2SO's high levels of sass and casual nihilism are sure to win him fans all over the world, and I truly believe that of all the Star Wars Rogue One movie costumes sold, K2SO costumes are the ones that will challenge Jyn Erso costumes for the top spot.

The message I'm trying to convey here must be apparent by now - Rogue One is every bit as enchanting a Star Wars movie as any other. It has its own strengths, and it builds on some existing ones, all to deliver an experience that is boh familiar, yet novel, for both newcomers and seasoned veterans.
It is as difficult as it sounds, but what can I say?
Rogue One does it, and with aplomb.
Star Wars costumes have always been popular because the movies they come on the back off of are always worthy, and seeing that Rogue One is worthy in its own way, I can see Star Wars Rogue One movie costumes finding favor among the fans.
And while it is difficult to say right now, there is a very good chance that Star Wars Rogue One costumes find themselves being the most popular Star Wars costumes, simply because the film they belong to appeals to a wider audience who may not have been exposed to the phenomenon yet.
Fans will be all too happy to update their Darth Vader costumes and Stormtrooper costumes as it is, but I can see them adding to their collection of costumes as well.
The Death Trooper and Sand Trooper costumes should prove to be particularly popular as they are different takes on an existing costume, but even outside of them, Jyn Erso costumes should be a real smash.
And I've already mentioned how K2SO costumes might just end up as the most popular Star Wars Rogue One movie costumes of them all.

All in all, it's safe to say Star Wars Rogue One movie costumes can be reckoned with to light up 2017 thanks to their solid source material, high aesthetic appeal and general coolness.
You know what they say:
The Force is strong with this one.