The 25 Coolest Panels At Star Wars Celebration 2015 And 5 Biggest Conflicts

Note: We first published this piece on March 24. We're republishing it now with the event starting Thursday.Star Wars Celebration, the world's only official Star Wars convention, comes to Anaheim, CA April 16-19. This is when and when fans expect to learn more information about Star Wars: The Force Awakens but also dive deep into their passion for a galaxy far, far away.

How and when you'll do that has now been revealed as the full Star Wars Celebration schedule is online. The highlight, of course, is Thursday April 16th's opening ceremony with J.J. Abrams and Kathleen Kennedy, but there is so much other awesome Star Wars stuff too. Q&A's with stars such as Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Billy Dee Williams. Panels on the secrets of The Clone Wars. The debut of season 2 of Star Wars Rebels. Screenings of all six films, some of which are in 3D and much more. Below, find the full Star Wars Celebration 2015 schedule as well as our 25 most anticipated panels and 5 biggest conflicts.

You can find the full Star Wars Celebration schedule here and these are our picks for the coolest events so far. For which you'll be able to stream and which you may not, click here.

(Note: Descriptions are from the official page. If there's no description, the site doesn't have one.)

Thu. April 16| 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM | Celebration Stage – Sponsored By Toys "R" Us

NOTE: This event will be simulcast in multiple rooms at the event.

Sun. April 19| 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Celebration Stage – Sponsored By Toys "R" Us

Kathleen Kennedy, Kiri Hart and Pablo Hidalgo will be joined by directors Gareth Edwards and Josh Trank, who will share their experiences as the newest members of the Lucasfilm creative family. Learn how the teams came together and are collaborating to conceive and create the upcoming stand-alone films in the galaxy far, far away.

Note: This was added to the schedule yet late. It would've be #2 had it been announced initially. 

Sun. April 19| 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM | Celebration Stage – Sponsored By Toys "R" Us

Come together at the Closing Ceremony at Celebration to relive some of your favorite moments of the weekend, and to see some of the highlights you might have missed. Nostalgic and fun, plus there might be a forward-looking surprise in the mix!

Sat. April 18| 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Digital Stage – Sponsored By RealD

Witness the global premiere of Star Wars Rebels season two, which continues the epic adventures of the crew of the Ghost and further reveals the early days of the rebellion against the Empire. Attendees will be the first to see the opening two episodes of season two following an encore screening of the series' season one finale.

Thu. April 16| 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM | Digital Stage – Sponsored By RealD

It's a well-known fact with Celebration veterans that when Star Wars Rebels Executive Producer Dave Filoni and Lucasfilm Creative Executive Pablo Hidalgo are on stage together, anything and everything is open to discussion. Don't miss the masters do what they do best: dive into the details of both the known and unknown in Star Wars storylines. For fans of The Clone Wars, this show is a must!

Fri. April 17| 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Digital Stage – Sponsored By RealD

Note: This event was added after initial publication. Here's where it would have ranked.

Echo Lives! Find out how Captain Rex and company rescued their heroic clone brother in this unfinished four-episode Star Wars: The Clone Wars story reel.

As a thank you to all the fans who supported The Clone Wars, series Supervising Director Dave Filoni is sharing this extraordinary never-before-seen story arc – called "Bad Batch" – with fans attending Celebration Anaheim. The story arc contains four unfinished episodes (similar to the Utapau arc that appeared on StarWars.com) and features final voice performances, specifically by Dee Bradley Baker, who voices the elite clones of "Bad Batch" group.

This is a can't-miss presentation for fans of The Clone Wars (and Echo!) so make sure to be at the Digital Stage at noon Friday! A Q&A with Dave Filoni, Dee Bradley Baker and writers Brent Friedman and Matt Michnovitz will follow.

Fri. April 17| 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM | Star Wars Fan Stage – 303ABCD

Last year Lucasfilm announced the beginning of a brand-new approach to storytelling: the continuing Star Wars universe would be one huge, entirely connected, canon saga across all media, overseen by the Lucasfilm Story Group. As a major provider of non-film or TV related creative content, publishers bear a responsibility to tell new and exciting stories within these parameters. What's it like knowing that the projects you are working on are considered canon? How do you approach storytelling so it fits in with so many other types of media? How can publishers work together to help fans feel like they really are reading one big universe? And exactly where does the Story Group fit in? Join Michael Siglain, creative director and Jennifer Heddle, senior editor, from Lucasfilm and Disney publishing; editor-at-large Shelly Shapiro from Del Rey; editor Jordan D. White, VP International Development; C.B. Cebulski from Marvel; managing editor Sadie Smith from DK; and Leland Chee from the Lucasfilm Story Group as they discuss the new world that has opened up for Star Wars storytelling, and how to navigate the intricately interconnected world of a galaxy far, far away.

Sat. April 18| 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Celebration Stage – Sponsored By Toys "R" Us

James Arnold Taylor's critically-acclaimed one-man show takes the audience on a fast-paced, multimedia ride through the life of a voice actor. In the production Taylor performs more than 200 different voices live. Followed by an unforgettable hour with actor and voice actor Mark Hamill, who brings the iconic character of Luke Skywalker to life in the Star Wars saga. There will be one seating for the two shows, and a 15-minute intermission in between. If additional seating is available for Mark Hamill, those seats will be filled in during intermission.

Fri. April 17| 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM | Celebration Stage – Sponsored By Toys "R" Us

Fresh from the set of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Carrie Fisher talks about her life in the entertainment industry, her history in the Star Wars saga, and just about everything else that comes to mind.

Sun. April 19| 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM | Celebration Stage – Sponsored By Toys "R" Us

Our favorite Star Wars baron administrator takes to the stage for an hour of talk about his life in and out of Cloud City.

Thu. April 16| 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Celebration Stage – Sponsored By Toys "R" Us

Actor Ian McDiarmid, who brought the deliciously evil Senator/Emperor Palpatine to life in the Star Wars saga, will be on stage to talk about his career in the performing arts as well as his time spend in the galaxy far, far away.

Fri. April 17| 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Celebration Stage – Sponsored By Toys "R" Us

Anthony Daniels, the one actor to appear in all seven movies thus far, will be on stage to present a unique hour of entertainment. Expect the unexpected when the man behind C-3PO takes the stage.

Sat. April 18| 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM | Celebration Stage – Sponsored By Toys "R" Us

Smuggler's Bounty reteams the creatives behind the Celebration VI hit Star Wars: Smuggler's Gambit. Directed by Kyle Newman and co-written by Newman and F.J. DeSanto, Smuggler's Bounty stars Han Solo and is set during the events of the original trilogy. This one-time-only live performance will be presented with music and live sound effects. Smuggler's Bounty will feature hosts from all three Celebration stages, as well as a star-studded crew of performers to bring this great Celebration exclusive to life!

Sat. April 18| 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Collectors Stage – 210AB

Experience the stories behind the discovery and preservation of the most amazing film-used original Star Wars props and costumes in private hands! Featuring in-depth spotlight discussions about key props and collections, slideshows filled with newly uncovered production artifacts, and the chance to ask questions of the panelists, this presentation is not to be missed! Sharing their decades of experience will be collectors Brandon Alinger and Stephen Lane, of the Prop Store's LA and London offices, Star Wars collector Gus Lopez, and Tom Spina, effects artist and movie prop conservation and display specialist.

Fri. April 17| 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Behind–The–Scenes Stage

Lucasfilm executive editor J.W. Rinzler, Abrams senior editor Eric Klopfer and authors Brandon Alinger, David Mandel and Wade Lageose discuss the seminal Star Wars artist and the upcoming book on his work. The new Abrams publication, set for release in Spring 2016, will be the most comprehensive volume of Ralph McQuarrie's extensive Star Wars work ever assembled. McQuarrie's long history with Lucasfilm will be covered in the discussion, from his early days working directly with George Lucas through the publications he worked on in the mid-90s. The team will talk about the process of creating the coffee-table book and show many highlight artworks in this exclusive preview.

Thu. April 16| 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Digital Stage – Sponsored By RealD

Thu. April 16| 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Behind–The–Scenes Stage

Lucasfilm executive editor J.W. Rinzler and Brandon Alinger, author of Star Wars Costumes: The Original Trilogy, discuss the costumes of the three films that started it all. Learn about George Lucas' concepts for the outfits in his films, and the many concept artists, costume designers, fabricators and artisans who brought them to life. The behind-the-scenes style discussion will focus on the unique challenges and triumphs of the costume departments for A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. Also included will be additional photography shot for Star Wars Costumes: The Original Trilogy.

Thu. April 16| 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM | Star Wars University – 206AB

Mike Seibert and Keri Bean, both from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory give a joint talk on their missions and the relevant connection to the Star Wars Universe. Bean works on the Dawn mission in the asteroid belt, and Seibert works on the Mars Exploration Rover mission. The Dawn mission uses ion engines like TIE (Twin Ion Engine) Fighters and is just beginning to explore the icy dwarf planet Ceres, which has a lot of similarities to Hoth. The Mars Exploration Rovers have been exploring Mars, which looks an awful lot like Tatooine, for over a decade now.

Thu. April 16| 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM | Star Wars Fan Stage – 303ABCD

Join members of the R2-D2 Builders' Club as they present a behind-the-scenes history of everyone's favorite Astromech droid, and then share information on the history of the R2-D2 Builders' Club itself, and how you can become involved! Droid demos and swag giveaways.

Sat. April 18| 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Celebration Stage – Sponsored By Toys "R" Us

Get a sneak peek at what's to come in the second season of the Disney XD animated series Star Wars Rebels, which picks up right where the shocking season one finale left off! Members of the cast and crew, including Dave Filoni (Executive Producer, Supervising Director), Freddie Prinze, Jr. (Kanan), Vanessa Marshall (Hera), Tiya Sircar (Sabine), Steve Blum (Zeb), Taylor Gray (Ezra) and other special guests will discuss the startling story developments revealed at the end of season one and offer some can't-miss exclusive previews of what's to come in season two!

Sat. April 18| 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Digital Stage – Sponsored By RealD

Composer Kevin Kiner is an integral part of the Star Wars story, composing the music scores for Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. Listen as Kiner, who has worked closely with George Lucas, explains his process for composing Star Wars music with footage from Rebels, playing with cues from his scores. He'll also discuss his interpretation of how Star Wars composer John Williams writes music, and how that has inspired his work on the animated shows.

Sat. April 18| 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Celebration Stage – Sponsored By Toys "R" Us

Accomplished martial artist, actor, and the force behind the unforgettable Darth Maul, Ray Park takes to the Celebration Stage.

Thu. April 16| 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Collectors Stage – 210AB

LEGO Star Wars was first introduced in 1999 has grown, brick by brick, to become the largest Star Wars licensee. LEGO Star Wars sets offer something for every age group, from regular LEGO sets 15 years ago the brand has grown to encompass Video Games, Apparel, Alarm Clocks, Watches, Keyrings, Books, Theme Park attractions and more – there's even been numerous popular TV specials expanding the Star Wars story further. Join Duncan Jenkins and James Burns as they take a look back on the first 15 years of LEGO Star Wars, the increasing number of copies and offer a brief glimpse into what the future of LEGO Star Wars holds.

Thu. April 16| 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM | Behind–The–Scenes Stage

Be among the first to get a sneak peek into what new exclusives will be coming from the Disney Parks in 2015 & 2016. You will also take an inside look behind the magic at how Disney Parks creates exclusive Star Wars merchandise, with insights from Disney's creative development team. With Brad Schoeneberg, Cody Hampton, and Quynh Kimball.

Thu. April 16| 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Collectors Stage – 210AB

Plastic Galaxy: The Story of Star Wars Toys is a documentary about — you guessed it — Star Wars toys! Through interviews with former Kenner toy designers, experts, and collectors, the film explores the history, cultural influence, and magic of our favorite collectibles. Come watch a special 40-minute Celebration VII excerpt of Plastic Galaxy, and then join director Brian Stillman and collector Gus Lopez as they discuss the making of the documentary and more.

Sat. April 18| 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Behind–The–Scenes Stage

In 1977, a few months before the release of Star Wars, Marvel Comics debuted their very own adaptation of the film – which kicked off nearly a decade of stories set in a galaxy far far away, told in the Mighty Marvel Manner! Now, nearly 40 years after that historic debut, Star Wars has finally returned to Marvel and has yet again been met with major critical and commercial success! Marvel Executive Editor C.B. Cebulski, Marvel Editor Jordan White, and Lucasfilm Senior Editor Jennifer Heddle, together with Behind-the-Scenes stage hosts Jimmy Mac and Jason Swank will discuss Marvel's four hit comic series (Star Wars, Darth Vader, Princess Leia, and Kanan) in addition to making not one but two exciting announcements about the future of Star Wars at Marvel! This is one panel no Star Wars (or Marvel) fan should miss.

Sat. April 18| 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM | Behind–The–Scenes Stage

Storytelling is the heart of Star Wars, and Del Rey books has been there since the beginning. Today, Star Wars books stand alongside the films, video games, comics, and animated series as part of the official canon. Join Del Rey Editor Shelly Shapiro, Lucasfilm Sr. Editor Jen Heddle and authors John Jackson Miller, Jim Luceno and Christie Golden for a discussion of the past and future of Star Wars publishing

Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace and Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones in 3D

Thu. April 16| 6:30 PM – 11:59 PM | Digital Stage – Sponsored By RealD

Star Wars: A New Hope in Navajo

Fri. April 17| 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM | Behind–The–Scenes Stage

Premiere! Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith in 3D Introduced by Ian McDiarmid followed by Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope in 2D

Fri. April 17| 6:30 PM – 11:59 PM | Digital Stage – Sponsored By RealD

Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi in 2D

Sat. April 18| 7:30 PM – 11:59 PM | Digital Stage – Sponsored By RealD

Finish off your Celebration evenings by completing the Star Wars saga marathon.

1. Global Premiere: Star Wars Rebels Season Two

Sat. April 18| 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Digital Stage – Sponsored By RealD

or

Star Wars Fan Film Awards presented by StarWars.com

Sat. April 18| 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Behind–The–Scenes Stage

or

Double Feature! "Talking to Myself" Starring James Arnold Taylor & Mark Hamill: The Return of the Jedi

Sat. April 18| 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Celebration Stage – Sponsored By Toys "R" Us

2. Star Wars Comes Home to Marvel

Sat. April 18| 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Behind–The–Scenes Stage

or

Smuggler's Bounty – Original Star Wars Audio Drama by Kyle Newman

Sat. April 18| 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM | Celebration Stage – Sponsored By Toys "R" Us

3. Ian McDiarmid: The Emperor Strikes Back

Thu. April 16| 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Celebration Stage – Sponsored By Toys "R" Us

or

These ARE the Droids You're Looking For – An Insider's Look at NASA's Dawn and Mars Exploration Rover Missions

Thu. April 16| 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM | Star Wars University – 206AB

or

A History of R2-D2 & R2-D2 Building

Thu. April 16| 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM | Star Wars Fan Stage – 303ABCD

4. New Allies and New Villains in Star Wars Rebels Season 2

Sat. April 18| 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Celebration Stage – Sponsored By Toys "R" Us

or

Ray Park: The Man; The Sith; The Legend

Sat. April 18| 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Celebration Stage – Sponsored By Toys "R" Us

5. Premiere! Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith in 3D Introduced by Ian McDiarmid followed by Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope in 2D

Fri. April 17| 6:30 PM – 11:59 PM | Digital Stage – Sponsored By RealD

or

Anthony Daniels: Inside the Heart & Chaos of C-3PO

Fri. April 17| 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Celebration Stage – Sponsored By Toys "R" Us

Disney Parks & Star Wars Merchandise – This is Where the Magic Begins

Thu. April 16| 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM | Behind–The–Scenes Stage

or

Fifteen Years of LEGO Star Wars

Thu. April 16| 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Collectors Stage – 210A

or

The Untold Clone Wars with Dave Filoni and Pablo Hidalgo

Thu. April 16| 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM | Digital Stage – Sponsored By RealD