Disney will finally reveal its highly-anticipated new line of "Star Wars" toys this Friday.

Dozens of new toys attached to "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" will be unveiled Friday in addition to other products ranging from new "Star Wars" clothing to branded food items.

To prepare for the event, which is being dubbed Force Friday, many retailers are gearing up by having stores open at midnight to unveil the new products to some of franchise's biggest fans.

If you're planning to head out to the stores late Thursday evening, Tech Insider has reached out to Target, Toys "R" Us, and Walmart to find out how each individual retailer is prepping for Force Friday.

Target

Number of stores that will open at midnight: 207 Target stores will open at midnight. 

Exclusive items at midnight events: According to a Target employee who posted images of Target's Force Friday plans to Imgur, there will be a raffle giveaway at every Force Friday Target of a four-foot tall Chewbacca.

The seasonal department will be transformed into a "Star Wars" shop and there will be "Star Wars" items scattered throughout the front, back, and toy sections of Target stores. You can view photos of the entire album on Imgur, here.

Target stores will have other giveaways and interactive opportunities for guests the following day, which is being called "Share the Force Saturday." Among giveaways will be "Star Wars"-branded lunch boxes. Toy demos will also be held throughout the store. 

Each store will also reportedly have two 48" Darth Vader toys which will retail for $99.99.

Ahead of Force Friday, Target launched a site "Share the Force" which asks fans to upload and share "Star Wars" memories online. 

Toys"R"Us

Number of stores that will open at midnight: Every Toys"R"Us in the US will open up at 12:01 a.m with the exception of stores in Paramus, NJ, due to local ordinances.

Exclusive items at midnight events: According to Toys"R"Us, locations will have special giveaways which include a limited edition LEGO "Star Wars" commemorative brick and exclusive "Star Wars" poster.

The Toys"R"Us in Times Square, NYC will have the largest celebration. 

Wal-Mart

Number of stores that will open at midnight: 2,900 Walmart stores will be open at 12:01 a.m. for guests. 

Exclusive items at midnight events: Those who head out to Walmart will receive a free limited edition two pack of "Star Wars" Topps' Galactic Connexxions trading disc game, which will include a rare star field disc until packs run out. According to Walmart, if customers find a special redemption disc inside a game sold in stores or Walmart.com during the event, it can be redeemed for a 14 karat gold disc and "Star Wars" room makeover.

Walmart will also celebrate Force Friday throughout the store on Saturday for those who do not come out to the midnight event.

Walmart will also have a $180 16" Legendary Jedi Master Yoda toy which has full voice recognition and speaks 115 phrases. He can currently be pre-ordered here. 

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NOW WATCH: We just learned a bunch of new things about the new 'Star Wars' villains

Today, Disney, Lucasfilm, and robotics company Sphero finally unveiled the toy version of BB-8, the droid that's looking like the breakout hit character from the upcoming Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. 

I got an early demo of BB-8, and I can tell you that it's exactly what you've been wanting without even knowing it: A droid for your home.

And while BB-8 isn't exactly "useful," it's a lot of fun. If the future of technology looks more like BB-8, then color me excited.

See, the issue is that a lot of modern technology lacks any kind of real personality. If I hand you my iPhone, Siri will respond to you in exactly the same way she does to me, without even noticing a difference.

Microsoft's Cortana is a step up, given that she learns your preferences and comes with a little more of an attitude, but it's still a far cry from what Star Wars first promised us back in 1977.

A big part of the problem, says Sphero Chief Creative Officer Rob Maigret, is the context. When you talk to Siri, or Amazon Echo, or any of those things, you're expecting to get something done. It's a very functional context,where you only talk to them if you're looking to get something done. Otherwise, they're absent from your life.

Enter BB-8. Like R2-D2 and C-3PO before him, he has a "job" and a "real personality," Maigret says. You can already tell some of that from his brief appearances in the Star Wars trailers:

 The toy takes that personality from the movie and uses it as the starting point for how you interact with it.

"We use the narrative to build the story, the character of this robot," Maigret says.

The Sphero version of BB-8 is controlled from a smartphone app, as all things must be. The app opens with the traditional John Williams fanfare, as all Star Wars tie-ins must do. And then the real fun starts. 

You can control BB-8 directly with the smartphone, or else set a string of basic commands. Maigret promises that the app comes with "scenarios," or pre-programmed actions he can perform based on the movies, and get more later. 

"It's one step away from programming," Maigret says. 

Speaking of programming, this is an area of some disappointment. A big focus of Sphero's is on getting kids to learn how to code.

Sphero's flagship Ollie robot, which is faster and can do more tricks than BB-8 (since BB-8's magnet-attached head might fly off), has a wide-reaching hobbyist community who hack and program the robot in ways the creators never intended. 

Maigret says that Sphero would love to bring that extensibility into BB-8, but the licensing deal with Lucasfilm makes that tricky.

"There's a lot of things we want to do that are close to our roots, but we have to do some selling to Lucas," Maigret says.

But in all other regards, Lucasfilm was a great partner to Sphero, Maigret says. As a Disney-incubated startup mentored by CEO Bob Iger directly, their ties to the company were already strong.

JJ Abrams, the director of the next Star Wars film, signed off on the toy's final design. And a couple of the robot noises that the company came up with made their way back to the movie, Maigret says.

Those signauture Star Wars noises are one of a few things that really make BB-8 so cool. If he bumps into something, he makes that frustrated R2-D2-style whine that you're probably hearing in your head right now. 

When he's just rolling around or standing still, he looks around in a way that can only be described as "curiously," showing a simulated, but still compelling, interest in his surroundings. A beta voice control mode on the app lets you ask him questions.

Ask BB-8 how he's feeling, and he shakes his head sympathetically. Tell him "It's a trap!" and he shudders and runs away. When he goes into his contactless charging cradle, he convincingly shakes his head and "goes to sleep."

In other words, even though it's not exactly artificial intelligence, it feels real and personable in a way that very little other "smart" technology does yet. It's not hard to imagine kids getting this for Christmas and talking to it like it's a family pet.

To that end, Maigret says a future version of BB-8 may well forego the smartphone entirely in favor of an entirely voice command and gesture-based interface, to bring it that much closer to the movie experience. 

Sphero is sending us a BB-8 review unit, so we'll take a closer look soon. In the meanwhile, just from my early demo, BB-8 points the way to a technological future that's maybe just a little friendlier. In an age of self-driving cars and quinoa-making robots, we may just need it. 

SEE ALSO: Google lost one of its top employees to a startup that's like Fight Club for programmers

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NOW WATCH: Disney’s plans for a new ‘Star Wars’ amusement park look like nothing you’ve ever seen

When "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" hits theaters in December, everyone's fan favorite is sure to be the adorable ball droid, BB-8.

If you wish you could have your own, you're in luck! Boulder-based robotics startup Sphero is releasing a miniature version of the droid Friday with Disney.

The app-enabled BB-8 will set you back $150, but after playing with it we have to say, it seems totally worth it.

Tech Insider got a sneak peek at the "Star Wars" droid ahead of launch and it's very cool.

See what's inside.

This is BB-8, the new adorable ball droid who will star in December's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

Sphero, a Boulder, Colorado-based robotics startup, teamed up with Disney and Lucasfilm to help create a working life-size version of BB-8 which will be featured in "The Force Awakens."

When Disney CEO Bob Iger saw what Sphero could accomplish, he connected them with the folks at Disney Consumer Products and Lucasfilm to develop a smaller version of the ball droid to be released in conjunction with the film.

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The new Sphero BB-8 droid toy from the upcoming "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" film is sure to be on everyone's holiday list.

Produced by Darren Weaver

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The seventh film in the "Star Wars" franchise, "The Force Awakens," isn't in theaters until December, but starting September 4, you can get your hands on all the new toys from the upcoming film. Just announced is a BB-8 toy from Sphero that is really pretty amazing.

 Produced by Darren Weaver

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Today, Sphero unveiled its BB-8, the $149.99 take-home version of the droid that's poised to take the world by storm when "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" hits theaters in December.

Sphero chief creative officer Rob Maigret told Business Insider that BB-8 is the most "droid-like" home robot ever.

Part of what makes a droid a droid, Maigret says, is that they have a job and a purpose — C-3PO is a translator, R2-D2 is an astromech navigator for X-Wing fighters, and so on.

To put that to the test, BI decided to put BB-8 to work as our new intern in our San Francisco office.

BB-8 doesn't have a lot of journalism experience, and he's a little behind on the news, given that his last adventure was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. But he's got a lot of personality.

Here's how it went — and remember, if you want to work with BB-8 and the rest of the crew, Business Insider is hiring.

Special thanks to Biz Carson, who helped take these photos.

SEE ALSO: Google's stylish new Wi-Fi router is amazing — but not worth $199

BB-8 came to us in this box, made to look like a droid shipping container from across the galaxy.

Inside the box, BB-8 looks like he's sleeping. But enough naptime, little guy. Time to get to work!

Like a lot of interns, BB-8 needs a little direction. Fortunately, he has an iPhone/Android app that lets you steer him the right way.

RAW Embed

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Disney is unleashing its new line of "Star Wars" toys and products Friday.

Tech Insider got an early preview of some of Hasbro's anticipated "Star Wars" toys reveals ranging from new lightsabers to "Star Wars"-themed Nerf guns.

We'll be checking out everything hands on Saturday.

For now, here are the ones kids and fans of the series will be clamoring over.

Ever since the release of the first teaser trailer for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," who hasn't wanted their own three-pronged lightsaber? Hasbro will release two versions of the new villain Kylo Ren's lightsaber. There's this one below, which retails for $12.99, where you flick your wrist and the lightsaber extends outward.

And then there's this slightly more expensive electronic lightsaber for $29.99 which lights up and makes sounds.

If you want to sound like the new member of the dark side, this mask will change your voice to sound just like Ren.

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If you're a "Star Wars" fan, you may want to try and catch an Uber Friday in NYC.

The car service is offering customers free rides in custom Stormtrooper vehicles. 

8 specially-designed Dodge Charger SRT 392 cars will pick up customers between 9 am and 5 pm in Manhattan. 

Hotwheels and Uber partnered up to transform the vehicles into a larger version of its "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" First Order Stormtrooper car.

It's all to celebrate "Force Friday," Disney's day-long event of unveiling new "Star Wars" products, toys, and clothes in stores.

Here's how they look:

The backs of the cars read #HotWheelsForceFriday.

Here's a closeup of the front of the car:

The Hot Wheels logo resides near the rear wheel.

Tech Insider was told the eight vehicles were wrapped in a secret garage in New Jersey Thursday afternoon.

Here's how to get your own.

First, open up the Uber app on your phone.

Users can select a Hot Wheels option to see if any of the eight cars are available for pick up.

Fares will be free up to 30 minutes.

Those who get picked up will also get their own Hot Wheels diecast car and a "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" starship to keep.

As of this writing, every Stormtrooper vehicle is deployed. But hey, give it a shot!

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NOW WATCH: You can own a working 'Star Wars' droid for $150

 It isn't only journalists and fans who have been affected by the levels of mystery that Disney has shrouded over "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" since it was first announced. Even some of the cast members have seemingly found it a little OTT.

"The secrecy has been beyond ludicrous,” claimed Anthony Daniels, who has played C-3PO in all seven films, in a wide-ranging interview with The Guardian. “For heaven’s sake, it’s a movie. When I got the script, it was typed in black on paper of the deepest red so you couldn’t photocopy it. I got a hangover just reading it.”

The 69-year-old revealed that he'd found himself facing Disney's wrath over a rogue Tweet he had made about the upcoming film.

“I said that I’d met so-and-so. An actor who plays a … thing in the film. A character," he said. "Immediately I received a message from Disney: ‘Remove the tweet! You’re not allowed to say that!’ Honestly. It’s a kind of Kremlin attitude. Look, I know perfectly well not to tell you now what I’m giving you for a Christmas present because it would spoil the surprise. And these films are all about opening the box on Christmas Day.”

Daniels also threw his support behind J.J. Abrams for revitalizing the franchise after the prequels.

"George [Lucas] has changed a lot over the years, but I think he finds it slightly hard to collaborate. He made decisions that I believe might have been better discussed with other people," he said. "J.J. is more collaborative. He likes to listen.”

Regarding his own iconic robotic character's place in the new film, Daniels asserted that Abrams was "too respectful" to suggest altering C-3PO's character at all.

"There was, however, some debate about a certain issue, whose outcome will become apparent in due course."

SEE ALSO: Here are all the new "Star Wars" movies coming out in the next five years

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NOW WATCH: You can own a working 'Star Wars' droid for $150

Tons of new "Star Wars" toys and products are in stores starting today to gear up for the release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" this December. 

Among the new toys are a bunch of LEGO sets. 

We headed out to a Target late Thursday night and a LEGO store Friday morning to get a look at all of the new items.

While all of the LEGO sets look cool, there was one minifigure that caught our eye immediately — an older Han Solo straight out of the new film!

As you can see, he's incredibly detailed! 

Here's how Harrison Ford will look in the new movie. 

Yeah, pretty spot on!

Before this, you were able to get Han Solo in LEGO sets, but he looked as he did in the original trilogy, with a crown of brown hair. As you can see, he still appears to be the swashbuckling smuggler but now he's a silver-haired fox. 

So how do you get him? 

Unfortunately, you can't buy him as a standalone item — yet. 

We went to one of the LEGO stores in New York City this morning, and for now, the silver-haired Solo is only available as a part of the new Millenium Falcon toyset which, according to Disney, should retail for $149.99.

That's how much it was in the Target we headed to in Bridgewater, NJ.

Here's the back of the box:

The LEGO store we headed to in Manhattan Friday morning on 23rd Street is selling the toy for $164.99.

It also comes with a few other "The Force Awakens" characters like Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega) along with a LEGO version of adorable ball droid, BB-8.

Bottom line: You'll have to splurge if you want this Solo.

That's not all we saw at the LEGO store. Stay tuned for a look at all of LEGO's new "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" sets.

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NOW WATCH: This is the new 'Star Wars' toy everyone will want

If you've ever wanted to travel through hyperspace in your dreams, here's your chance. 

In honor of Force Friday and the upcoming film "Star Wars: The Force Awakens,"Pottery Barn Kids is selling a children's bed shaped exactly like the cockpit of Han Solo's spacecraft, the "Millennium Falcon."

The hand-painted bed is only available in twin size and retails for $3,999. It even comes complete with "iconic cockpit shape, knobs and gauges,"the Pottery Barn website explains. 

Here's a look at the detailing inside the bed's cockpit. 

In case a $4,000 bed isn't in your budget, you could always try these "A New Hope" bed sheets. A twin set rings in at $69.

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NOW WATCH: You can own a working 'Star Wars' droid for $150

When the clock struck 12:01 on Force Friday, "Star Wars" fans ambushed stores across the country to get their hands on the highly anticipated new line of "The Force Awakens" toys and merchandise.

But employees of Lucasfilm, the production company behind the saga, knew the one-stop-shop for all their lightsaber, cosplay, and BB-8 needs was right on campus — in the official Lucasfilm gift shop.

That's right. There's a Lucasfilm gift shop. And it's a "Star Wars" fan's paradise.

Earlier this week, Tech Insider got the chance to visit the San Francisco, California, headquarters and we even snuck in to preview the toys. On our way out, we noticed employees lugging large cardboard boxes into a small room with glass walls, filled with "Star Wars" and Lucasfilm-branded merchandise.

A cashier said that the gift shop was closing at noon, so that the new inventory could be stocked. The store would open early Friday morning so employees could get their hands on the goods bright and early.

Here's how it looked before the transformation.

I got lost on my way to a preview of the new "Star Wars" toys. That's because the Lucasfilm headquarters is impossible to find.

Seriously, "Lucasfilm" isn't even on the map.

Nestled in the scenic hills of San Francisco's Presidio National Park, the Letterman Digital Arts Center is a complex home to Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic, and other offices.

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Disney unleashed its new line of “Star Wars” toys Friday.

As soon as retailers opened at midnight September 4, action figures were the fastest toys to fly off shelves. This was certainly the case for us at a Target in Bridgewater, NJ, and appears to have been the case for many others.

Because many figures disappeared quickly it wasn’t immediately apparent that there were some never-before-seen characters from the new “Star Wars” movie, “The Force Awakens,” among them.

We’ve shown off the mysterious Constable Zuvio, but there’s another mysterious character who began popping up on social media Friday. 

Now this dude was a real surprise for me. We haven't seen anything about him yet... Well I haven't. But with his cool looking suit and helmet, couldn't resist picking this up. Looks like Deadpool mixed with the villain from Hellboy! And he was the only one left among the sea of Finns and Reys. That's pretty much a good sign to get it. Haha! Can't wait to see what this guy looks like on screen! #GuavianEnforcer #starwars #ForceFridayPH #forcefriday #theforceawakens

A photo posted by Chris Cantada (@tk2342) on Sep 3, 2015 at 10:40am PDT

According to the packaging, he’s a Gauvian enforcer.

What’s that?

Here’s what the back of the box says:

“The security soldiers of the Gavin Gang wear high impact armor that makes them stand out among other deadly criminals.”

For those who wanted to see the back! :) #GuavianEnforcer #ForceFridayPH #forcefriday #starwars #theforceawakens

A photo posted by Chris Cantada (@tk2342) on Sep 3, 2015 at 12:16pm PDT

There's not much to go off of there, but he doesn’t look like anyone we’d want to cross paths with.

Also, does the wording “other deadly criminals” suggest that this character is also a deadly criminal?

If so, it looks like our heroes may have bigger fish to fry other than Kylo Ren.

Some have noted the Gauvian enforcer resembles Marvel character Deadpool who is getting his own movie over at Fox in 2016.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is in theaters December 18, 2015.

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NOW WATCH: This is the new 'Star Wars' toy everyone will want

Disney unveiled its huge product line centered around "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" midnight Friday.

Among the new toys and merchandise are a bunch of new LEGO sets.

We headed down to the LEGO store in NYC to check out all of the new products first hand.

From TIE fighters to a new X-Wing, check them out below.

The majority of new LEGO sets are easily identifiable. The new "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" villain, Kylo Ren, is featured along the top of the packaging.

The Millennium Falcon is back and looks better than ever. The $149.99 set comes with 1,329 pieces including a detachable cockpit, a rotating top, and laser turrets with a hatch.

You can buy it here.

Here's the back of the box. It opens up to reveal the inside along with a secret compartment.

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Much of the next "Star Wars" movie is still shrouded in mystery.

We don't know much about the plot of "The Force Awakens" and we don't even know what most of the characters will sound like on screen.

That's starting to change.

Disney unveiled its new line of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" toys Friday.

One of the most intriguing new toys is a voice-changing mask which allows the wearer to sound like one of the film's new villains, Kylo Ren. 

This guy, who will be played by Adam Driver ("Girls"):

The "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" Kylo Ren electronic voice changer mask let's kids sound just like the film's "dark-warrior villain" with the press of a button. Here's how it looks.

We haven't been able to find it in a retailer yet, but others have gotten their hands on it. 

Disney employee David Popineau tweeted out a video showing off the new mask in action.

Here's how the new "Star Wars" villain will sound:

Pretty cool, right?

Here are the lines he says:

"I feel it, too."

"You know what I've come for."

"Together, we will destroy the Resistance and the last Jedi."

"Don't fight it. You know you can't."

"I'm immune to the light."

That last line appears to be, "No one will stand in our way."

IGN found a talking Kylo Ren action figure with even more phrases.

Check it out below:

Here's everything the Kylo Ren action figure says. Many of the lines are the same as the mask.

"I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

"Is it true, you're just a scavenger?"

"Don't be afraid."

"I feel it, too." 

"You know what I've come for."

"Don't fight it. You know you can't."

"That weapon is mine."

"Together, we will destroy the Resistance and the last Jedi."

What do all of these lines mean? Let's over analyze them a bit with our best guesses.

"I feel it, too."

In the film, we know Kylo Ren will be working with a character named Snoke, a motion capture character played by Andy Serkis (Gollum, "The Lord of the Rings"). We imagine the two have a relationship much like Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader. Ren is probably Snoke's apprentice of sorts. In the first teaser trailer we hear Snoke's voice say, "There has been an awakening. Have you felt it?" The "I feel it, too" line could very well be Kylo Ren responding in agreement with Snoke.

"You know what I've come for."

If you've been keeping up with fan theories on the film's plot, many believe Kylo Ren is on the hunt for Luke Skywalker's old lightsaber which he lost in "Star Wars: Episode V."

Here, it's most likely that Ren is talking to someone about Luke's thought-to-be lost lightsaber. Perhaps he's speaking with Finn or Rey who obviously stumble upon it. A new image released shows Finn ends up with Luke's old lightsaber.

"Together, we will destroy the Resistance and the last Jedi."

This one seems pretty clear cut. Ren is most likely speaking with other members of the evil First Order made up of General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson), Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie), and a legion of new stormtroopers.

From what we've heard about the film, it sounds like Ren is part of a group that isn't aligned with the First Order at the film's start. He's part of the Knights of Ren. Maybe he teams up with the First Order somewhere early in the film once they realize they have similar goals. "Together, we will destroy the Resistance and the last Jedi" could be Ren discussing plans to team up with the First Order.

"Don't fight it. You know you can't."

This is one of the most intriguing lines Kylo Ren delivers. It appears as if he's speaking to someone on the light side of the force or one of the good guys who is conflicted. Ren has been described as someone obsessed with Darth Vader. That's why it's not a surprise if he's on the prowl for Luke's original lightsaber, which originally belonged to Anakin Skywalker aka Darth Vader.

Luke, like his father, possesses the ability to either be a great Jedi or a great member of the Sith. Maybe Ren runs into Luke and tries to convince him he should align with the dark side. That seems like a bit of stretch. 

However, we have a feeling Ren is actually talking to someone else. It sure sounds like he's speaking to someone he already knows. Maybe that someone is Rey.

Since we don't know Kylo Ren's real name (Ren is apparently a title similar to Darth), as well as the full names of Finn and Rey, perhaps he has some sort of relation to one of them. There's a rumor online that Rey's first name is actually Kira and that Kylo and Kira are brother and sister. If that's the case, maybe Rey has some sort of force powers as well.

"I'm immune to the light." 

This sounds pretty explanatory. Kylo Ren is definitely a part of the dark side and no amount of warm welcomes or interventions will convince him otherwise.

"That weapon is mine."

Again, if Kylo Ren is on the hunt for Luke's lightsaber, this line makes a lot of sense. Either he's speaking about the lightsaber in general or he's come across someone already in possession of it, who may be ex-stormtrooper Finn, and Ren is staking his claim.

Of course, there's also the possibility Ren can just be talking about his seemingly-awesome homebuilt three-pronged lightsaber. Something tells us he's talking about that other lightsaber, though.

"No one will stand in our way."

Again, this appears to be a line Ren is delivering to someone of the First Order or someone from his alliance about a plan to take down the Resistance and/or those pesky kids Finn and Rey.

"I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

I imagine there are two possible things Ren is referring to here. If he's on the hunt for Luke's lightsaber then this is the day where he has finally come across it, perhaps in the hands of Finn. However, since Ren is also a worshipper of Darth Vader, perhaps he's also interested in Luke and has been hunting him down as well. Maybe they've finally met and this is the day Ren has been waiting for. 

"Is it true, you're just a scavenger?"

While it's not clear who Ren is speaking with here, the most obvious choice would have to be Rey (Daisy Ridley), who has been described as a scavenger. If that's the case, Ren must come face to face with her somewhere and may be under the impression that she's more than the person she presents herself as to him.

However, StarWars.com recently revealed another character Teedo who is described as a "small, brutish scavenger." Again, if Ren is on the hunt for Luke's lightsaber, Teedo could be someone he possibly hunts down. 

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is in theaters December 18, 2015.

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NOW WATCH: We just learned a bunch of new things about the new 'Star Wars' villains

Disney has unveiled its highly-anticipated new line of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" toys. They invited Tech Insider to Lucasfilm's top-secret headquarters in San Francisco to get a sneak peek at the merchandise. Here are a few of our favorites.

Produced by Monica Manalo. Camera and original reporting by Melia Robinson.

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The new line of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" toys debuted Friday, September 4, and with it came a few hints at the next villain of the new trilogy. 

A few toys debuted the voice of Kylo Ren, the dark, Darth Vader-obsessed warrior, which gave us a chance to hear a few of the character's spoken lines in the new film. 

But many of the toys also allow you to take off Ren's hood to get a good look at his full helmet, and fans have noticed something interesting about it.

Before now, here's how we've seen the mysterious figure:

Take a look at the Black Series Kylo Ren action figure with the hood removed.

Does it look familiar?

Specifically, the shape:

Many are noting that it looks a lot like Darth Vader's helmet.

Some even believe that Kylo Ren's helmet may be Vader's helmet repurposed.

That may sound like a bit of a stretch.

We did see Vader's helmet make an appearance in the second "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" teaser; however, it was extremely damaged.

There's no way that thing could be this, right?

While it's highly unlikely they're the same mask, it's tough to rule it out completely. 

We've looked at a number of versions of Kylo Ren toys, and they all have one thing in common. The helmets on each are clearly dented, scratched up, and damaged.

And there are a bunch of scuff marks drawn onto this $30.00 Kylo Ren deluxe helmet.

Dents are also visible on Funko's new Kylo Ren Pop! toy:

Why go around wearing a helmet that's damaged? Perhaps it's to show his challengers that he's a huge force to be reckoned with; however, since the character has been described as a Vader obsessive, it would make sense if his helmet was molded from the remains of the iconic mask.

Fans are a bit at odds.

While the majority believe Ren's helmet is simply modeled after the design of Vader's helmet, others suggest Ren could have cut off the bottom of Vader’s mask.

At the least, it certainly appears to be a nod to Lord Vader.

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NOW WATCH: We just learned a bunch of new things about the new 'Star Wars' villains

Pluto's moon Charon might become a nerd's paradise if NASA has anything to say about it.

It's already settled that Pluto's landscape features must have names that come from underworld mythology like its rocky region called "Cthulu regio" (from H.P. Lovecraft's writing) and its dark spot called "Balrog macula" (from "Lord of the Rings").

But the door is wide open for Charon's craters, mountains, and plains, and NASA really went to geek town on its proposed names. They reference popular sci-fi works like "Star Wars,""2001: A Space Odyssey," and "Star Trek."

They aren't official yet, but we really hope these are the names that get approved. Keep scrolling to see Charon's features and which sci-fi stories they reference.

(NASA even has a spreadsheet that explains all the names if you want more details.)

Here's the map in all its nerd glory. Though they are still provisional, "we have a decent chance of getting these names approved," New Horizons planetary scientist Mark Showalter told Mashable.

Source: Mashable.

The craters Vader, Skywalker and Leia Organa are named after the "Star Wars" characters. The Vader crater, of course, is darker than the other two.

And if you have "Star Wars" represented, you can't leave out "Star Trek." So the Spock, Kirk, Sulu, and Uhura craters are sprinkled over the Vulcan plane.

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When the first teaser trailer for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" debuted online last November, fans were torn over the debut of a new three-pronged lightsaber which will appear in the film. 

Some thought it was cool even though the design might be problematic for your hands​.

Others immediately thought it was a disaster claiming the two smaller blades were pointless because you could just chop them off with other lightsabers.

Certified master blade smith Kevin Cashen told the Washington Post the new design was terrible:

"The idea behind a crossguard on any blade is to protect the swordsman's hand from another person's blade," said Cashen. "That would be very bad to have around your hand.”

The Verge's T.C. Sottek was especially vocal in his displeasure with the new design. 

The lightsaber quickly started a meme.

Then self-proclaimed "Star Wars" fan Stephen Colbert chimed in to tell fans why the lightsaber was actually perfect.

His reasoning was simple. The lightsaber doesn't consist of three beams, but one, making it the perfect tool to prevent others from hitting your hand.

After testing it out ourselves, we couldn't agree more.

Last weekend, I had opportunity to check out Hasbro's $200 Black Series Kylo Ren Force FX Lightsaber and was impressed by one thing in general.

The moment another lightsaber comes in contact with it and tries to move down toward someone else's hand, it isn't going anywhere. 

Of course, this is a toy, but I'm of the belief that this is all one beam connected, not three lightsabers mangled together. (Yes, I'm aware Kylo Ren's lightsaber is a homemade device.)

What's more is that it looks like you have less of a chance of hitting the lightsaber hilts on the side and more of a chance of having direct lightsaber to lightsaber contact.

Take another look at Ren's lightsaber:

That's a whole lot of lightsaber.

One of the main issues fans primarily had with Ren's lightsaber was that you could easily hit the three-pronged lightsaber on its smaller hilts to take out the smaller lightsabers.

However, it's clearly visible that the ratio of lightsaber to hilt falls in favor to the lightsaber, making it more difficult for the lightsaber to come in contact with the hilt.

Even if I did hit down on the new lightsaber hilt with force, I wouldn't simply slice through it, I would disappointingly be repelled by the force of an opposing lightsaber. 

I'm not sure how the lightsaber would fare during the rest of combat. Could I impale myself with one of the two tiny lightsabers? Maybe. But I'm no Jedi Master and the $200 one was pretty weighty, making it difficult for me to easily swing around. One YouTuber made a pretty convincing video a while back making the case that the crossguard's design was great for its owner.

Either way, there's no denying that this is a gamechanger.

I can't believe the Jedi (or in this case the Sith) didn't think of crossguard lightsabers sooner, especially since so many characters in the "Star Wars" universe have lost limbs. And, we're not just talking about the Skywalkers.

I don't know if a three-pronged, crossguard lightsaber would have saved everyone who has lost a limb, but it definitely would have made for a more compelling fight.

While I'm a fan of Ren's lightsaber, some have said this would be a better design, which I can’t really argue with. It's similar to a design that's been used before in the "Star Wars" universe, and seems safer for your hands, though not as aesthetically pleasing. 

Join the conversation about this story »

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When the first teaser trailer for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" debuted online last November, fans were torn over the debut of a new three-pronged lightsaber which will appear in the film. 

Some thought it was cool even though the design might be problematic for your hands​.

Others immediately thought it was a disaster claiming the two smaller blades were pointless because you could just chop them off with other lightsabers.

Certified master blade smith Kevin Cashen told the Washington Post the new design was terrible:

"The idea behind a crossguard on any blade is to protect the swordsman's hand from another person's blade," said Cashen. "That would be very bad to have around your hand.”

The Verge's T.C. Sottek was especially vocal in his displeasure with the new design. 

The lightsaber quickly started a meme.

Then self-proclaimed "Star Wars" fan Stephen Colbert chimed in to tell fans why the lightsaber was actually perfect.

His reasoning was simple. The lightsaber doesn't consist of three beams, but one, making it the perfect tool to prevent others from hitting your hand.

After testing it out ourselves, we couldn't agree more.

Last weekend, I had opportunity to check out Hasbro's $200 Black Series Kylo Ren Force FX Lightsaber and was impressed by one thing in general.

The moment another lightsaber comes in contact with it and tries to move down toward someone else's hand, it isn't going anywhere. 

Of course, this is a toy, but I'm of the belief that this is all one beam connected, not three lightsabers mangled together. (Yes, I'm aware Kylo Ren's lightsaber is a homemade device.)

What's more is that it looks like you have less of a chance of hitting the lightsaber hilts on the side and more of a chance of having direct lightsaber to lightsaber contact.

Take another look at Ren's lightsaber:

That's a whole lot of lightsaber.

One of the main issues fans primarily had with Ren's lightsaber was that you could easily hit the three-pronged lightsaber on its smaller hilts to take out the smaller lightsabers.

However, it's clearly visible that the ratio of lightsaber to hilt falls in favor to the lightsaber, making it more difficult for the lightsaber to come in contact with the hilt.

Even if I did hit down on the new lightsaber hilt with force, I wouldn't simply slice through it, I would disappointingly be repelled by the force of an opposing lightsaber. 

I'm not sure how the lightsaber would fare during the rest of combat. Could I impale myself with one of the two tiny lightsabers? Maybe. But I'm no Jedi Master and the $200 one was pretty weighty, making it difficult for me to easily swing around. One YouTuber made a pretty convincing video a while back making the case that the crossguard's design was great for its owner.

Either way, there's no denying that this is a gamechanger.

I can't believe the Jedi (or in this case the Sith) didn't think of crossguard lightsabers sooner, especially since so many characters in the "Star Wars" universe have lost limbs. And, we're not just talking about the Skywalkers.

I don't know if a three-pronged, crossguard lightsaber would have saved everyone who has lost a limb, but it definitely would have made for a more compelling fight.

While I'm a fan of Ren's lightsaber, some have said this would be a better design, which I can’t really argue with. It's similar to a design that's been used before in the "Star Wars" universe, and seems safer for your hands, though not as aesthetically pleasing. 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: We're finally getting a better idea about the story driving LEGO's next video game and it looks awesome