Star Wars’ new AT-AT walkers will operate much differently in The Last Jedi

Star Wars: The Last Jedi’s take on the Imperial AT-AT will rely on more than their feet to move around during battle.

[Warning: The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Last Jedi.]

The next-generation AT-M6 walker, which stands for All Terrain Megacaliber Six, will take on a more simian appearance. Unlike more traditional AT-AT Walkers introduced in The Empire Strikes Back, the AT-M6 will bend at the knee to stabilize the cannon attached to its back. Traditional AT-AT walkers feature MS-1 fire-linked heavy laser cannons, but the AT-M6 packs a more powerful punch.

Star Wars Show/YouTube

Lucasfilm has introduced new classes of walkers before, with the most recent being the AT-ACT walker in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The AT-ACT — or All Terrain Armored Cargo Transport — was a much grander version of the traditional AT-AT walker. Its cargo bed allowed for the transportation of building materials or military weapons. The AT-ACT walkers had a heavy presence on Scarif where the Empire had one of its biggest research facilities and where the battle station for the Death Star war built.

In The Last Jedi, the AT-M6 is a walker deployed by the First Order to take on the Resistance. We haven’t seen the walkers in action yet — Lucasfilm has only released one trailer for The Last Jedi — but we’re sure to see it in future teasers. Prior to the AT-M6, the Star Wars Show has also given us our first look at other, interesting vehicles making their debut in The Last Jedi.

Last month, the Star Wars Show revealed Kylo Ren’s upgraded fighter that he would be piloting in the film. The TIE Silencer — or, Sienar Jamus TIE/VN Space Superiority Fighter — includes laser cannons and a missile launcher.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi will be released on Dec. 15.