A very important character is finally returning for the Rogue One Star Wars film

This time last year, the hype was starting to fully crank into gear for The Force Awakens, with a freshly-released second teaser trailer reassuring everyone that Star Wars really was coming back, and it really was going to be good.

Now we're in a similar position, with just under seven months to go until the release of Rogue One, the first of many spin-off movies, set shortly before the events of Episode IV: A New Hope.

In terms of materials released to the public, it's actually been far more low-key - well, as low-key as you can get with Star Wars - with just the one teaser trailer released and a whole bunch of rumours circulating.

The big question on everyone's lips is: will everyone's favourite baddie be making a return to the big screen?

The good news is that more evidence has emerged to suggest that we will indeed be seeing Darth Vader return.

German website Jedi-Bibliotek - which we're going to hazard a guess means 'Jedi library' - and fansite makingstarwars.net has revealed that pages from an advance preview of a book entitled Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: The Official Visual Story Guide (not due out until January, you can preordered it here) show that Vader will definitely be making an appearance. It also reveals two new spaceships: the Rebels' U-Wing and the Empire's TIE Striker, as well as an Enforcer droid and two other new alien characters.

Previous rumours had even gone so far as to suggest who would be playing Vader, with Spencer Wilding tipped to take over the mask and gown from David Prowse, who played the Dark Lord in the original trilogy. And surely - surely? - James Earl Jones will be voicing him, although, as ever, this is also yet-to-be-confirmed.

You can take a look at all the images from the book here.

(Image: AllStar)