“Death
is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the
Force. Mourn them do not. Miss them do not." -Yoda
Yoda's
words are all well and good for Jedi, but for Star Wars fans, the deaths of
beloved characters are often a tad harder to handle. "And miss them we
do!" But in most cases, attachment to a fictional character is harmless
for us, a far cry from the thin line between light and dark that attachment
presents to Jedi. Over the course of thirty seven years’ worth of Star Wars storytelling,
fans witnessed the death of many predominant characters. How impactful were
those deaths? And how did they affect both the canon storyline, and the fandom?
Did watching a character die in the Original Trilogy, Prequel Trilogy, or The
Clone Wars versus reading a characters' death in Expanded Universe novels play
a factor? There are obviously too many to cover them all in this article, but
let's take a look at seven of them.
Mara
Jade-Skywalker
I'm
starting with Mara Jade as I feel her death is probably the most dramatic in
all of Star Wars. A Solo killing a Skywalker, a nephew killing his aunt. And
although there was a lightsaber duel involved, Mara didn't die in battle or on
a mission, she was murdered by Jacen Solo / Darth Caedus. Mara had even been
the last of the Solo-Skywalker clan to not turn their back on Jacen during what
would be his fall to the Dark Side. Mara's death tore a gaping hole in the
Skywalker and Solo families, and the Jedi Order. And that was before it was
discovered that Jacen was her killer. That fact was utterly traumatic. Saddest
of all was Luke losing; his wife, the love of his life, his best friend, their
unique Force-bond, and the mother of his only son. A weaker man would not have
survived.
While
it was well documented that the illustrious maker himself, George Lucas, was
not too keen on Mara Jade, she was a huge fan favorite. Even during her days as
the Emperor's Hand under Palpatine, she was still a character we routed for.
Thus, to say her death was devastating to the fans would be a massive
understatement. There was literally public outcry. Mostly it was just the
unified voice of heart-broken fans. However, sadly there were also instances
where some fans blurred the line between fiction and reality, and lashed out in
inappropriate and illegal ways.
Chewbacca
Chewbacca’s
death scene was oddly anticlimactic for such a character. Chewie jumps out of
the Falcon to save Anakin Solo, but before he can re-board he’s crushed by a
moon. I’ll never forget my first time reading it and thinking, “What?
Seriously, that’s it?”. It was just so abrupt, and felt a little off. Granted,
he died a noble death in saving Han’s youngest child, but still… However, while
I found Chewbacca’s death itself a little blah, the aftermath of his passing
was monumentally impactful. Through blood, friendship, and marriage, Chewbacca
was a member of multiple families. He had is blood-related family on Kashyyyk,
his wife and son (Mallatobuck and Lumpawaroo), and was essentially a member of
both the Solo and Skywalker families. On top of that there was his closeness
with the Carlissian and Antilles families, and the fact that he was a hero and
status symbol for both his species and the New Republic. And he was loved by
all of them. Thus, his death was brutal on a great number of people. For Han
Solo it was excruciating. Not only did Han lose his best friend, but it drove a
wedge between he and Anakin, both of which required long, hard roads to
recovery.
From
a fans’ perspective, losing Chewbacca was rough, but strangely didn’t have the
emotional gut-punch we might have expected it to. I’m not even sure I can put my
finger on exactly why that is?
Jacen Solo /
Darth Caedus
If
there was an award for the most emotional death scene in all of Star Wars, it
would go to Jacen. The final showdown between Jacen and Jaina. Solo twin vs.
Solo twin. Darth Caedus vs. the Sword of the Jedi. I’ve said for years that the
Legacy of the Force series should have been the Sequel Trilogy. Episode VI
ended with Luke vs. Vader. Episode III ended with Anakin vs. Obi-Wan. And
Episode IX could have ended with Jaina vs. Jacen. Can you imagine what that
would have looked like on the big screen? Regardless, author Troy Denning did
an absolutely amazing job with this scene. If it’s not the most
emotionally-charged moment in all of Star Wars, it’s at least in the top three.
I’ve spoken with people, both men and women, who have said they balled their
eyes out when reading it. Hell, I still get a little emotional, and I’ve read
it multiple times. It’s that powerful. Neither one of them wanted it, but they
both knew it had to happen. Regardless of the divide between them since the end
of the Vong war, they were still twin brother and sister, and they still loved
each other. And despite all Jacen had
become in Caedus, even in death, it had all been for Allana. As if that wasn’t
enough, it’s followed by Han and Leia rushing in to see Jaina sitting with
Jacen’s head in her lap. The culmination of the Solo’s losing Chewbacca and two
of their three children in the span of roughly fifteen years. Chewbacca died
saving Anakin during the Yuuzhan Vong War, only to have Anakin die later in the
war. Then, although it needed to be done, Jaina had killed Jacen. Jacen had
killed Mara Jade-Skywalker and Boba Fett’s daughter, Ailyn Vel. And it was Boba
who helped train Jaina to confront Jacen. What a brilliantly woven tapestry!
99
Clone
Trooper 99 was a character we met only once, in a two-part arc of The Clone
Wars, episode 3.01 “Clone Cadets”, and episode 3.02 “ARC Troopers”. However,
despite his short-lived on-screen time, he was a character that fans naturally
gravitated towards. And through the magic that is George Lucas and Dave Filoni,
his death scene was beautifully tragic, sadly touching, and heart felt. It was
a blend of pain and hope, and bravery and pride. A powerful moment in The Clone
Wars series.
Laranth Tarak
As
someone who absolutely loved The Coruscant Nights series (The Coruscant Nights Trilogy
and The Last Jedi), this was a big one. Not unlike Luke,
Han, Leia, Chewie, R2, and 3PO, the group consisting of Jax Paven, Laranth,
I-5, and Den Dhur, was easy to become attached to. And their adventures and
relationships on post-Order 66, Imperial Coruscant were thrilling and
emotionally compelling. Jax and Laranth had both lost so much, yet were pushing
on selflessly for the good of the galaxy, as comrades, friends, and lovers. So
when Laranth sacrificed herself for the group and mission, dying in Jax's arms,
it was definitely a sad moment. Laranth was always one of my favorite
lesser-known characters.
Anakin Skywalker
/ Darth Vader
Anakin’s death is an interesting one. At
the time we, the viewers and fans, only knew Vader. Basically all we knew about
Anakin were the few tidbits provided by Obi-Wan or Yoda. And Darth Vader was
the “villain”. However, unlike so many on-screen villains of the time, we never
hated him. In fact, if anything, we were intrigued and even in awe of him. I
remember as a kid liking Vader, Stormtroopers, and Biker Scouts as much as I
liked Luke, Han, and Leia, if not more. That was a brilliant element that
George Lucas inserted into not just the Original Trilogy, but all of Star Wars;
the “bad guys” characters are just as compelling as the “good guys”. And as
fans we form attachments to both. So Luke had to face Vader to complete his
training and become a Jedi. We didn’t know it at the time, but in essence, in a
galaxy devoid of a Jedi Order, it was the equivalent the Jedi Trials to
graduate from Padawan to Knight. Thus in Vader’s defeat Luke becomes a Jedi,
and in Vader saving Luke from the Emperor he essentially denounces the Dark
Side and is “saved”. Vader and Luke’s father-and-son exchange right before
Vader passes away was an important moment. And put together with Luke burning
the body/suit, and the spirit of Anakin joining Obi-Wan and Yoda, it formed an
amazing end to that piece of the saga. But that was 1983. By the end of 2005 we’d
been given the Prequel Trilogy, Clone Wars micro series, Dark Lord: The Rise of
Darth Vader novel, and other EU material that allowed us to be fully submersed
in the life of Anakin Skywalker. We then knew who Anakin was, understood the
events and reasons that led to him becoming Darth Vader, and were given insight
into the mind and emotional state of Vader. That level of knowledge and
emotional connection then drastically changed the dynamic of how we viewed Anakin/Vader’s
death going forward. Personally, I then viewed Anakin’s death as freedom. In
those last few moments with Luke, for the first time in his entire life, Anakin
was truly free. Free from slavery, free from the Jedi Order, free from the Dark
Side and Palpatine, free from regret and loss, and free from the weight of the
universe on his soul. Granted that’s just my interpretation, but it makes
Anakin’s death the most fulfilling death in all of Star Wars. That sounds weird
to say, but it truly is an instance where we can, “Rejoice for
those around you who transform into the Force.”. As fans of both Anakin and
Vader, he was finally free, and finally at peace. It was a perfect ending.
Bria Tharen
There
were many women in Han Solo’s life before Leia. And while Leia was his ultimate
love, his wife, and the mother of his children, Bria Tharen was Han’s first
true love. Bria and Han’s relationship played a significant role in shaping Han’s
outlook on the universe. From a fan perspective Bria was sort of an anomaly.
Although she broke Han’s heart on Coruscant (to insure Han fulfilled his dream
of becoming an Imperial officer), and betrayed him on Ylesia (for the sake of
the Rebellion), we knew she loved him deeply. Han was the only man Bria ever
loved, and the only man Bria ever slept with. Yet her dedication to both the
rebellion and ending slavery ultimately kept them from being together. So even
though we knew Han wound up with Leia, there was still a part of us that wanted
to see them together, however implausible that would be. Bria’s death on
Topwara was poetic in a sense. She put duty before self, yet her final thought
was of Han. Her mission on Topwara was to steal and transmit the Death Star
plans. The Death Star plans that were sent to Leia aboard the Tantive IV which,
as we all know, sparked the chain of events that would (in the coming days),
lead Han to Leia. So while Bria Tharen may forever be remembered a minor or
lesser-known Star Wars character, in life and in death, she actually played a
crucial role in the Star Wars chronology.
Fun
Fact: The aftermath of Bria’s betrayal on Ylesia was the reason Han and Lando’s
friendship ended, and why they didn’t speak again until the day Han, Chewie,
Leia, and 3PO landed in Cloud City on Bespin.
Prior
to writing this I made a list of Star Wars deaths which might be interesting to
explore. Here’s who is left on the initial list. So I might make this a series.
We’ll see…
Original Trilogy
Obi-Wan
Kenobi (A New Hope)
Yoda
(The Empire Strikes Back)
Prequel Trilogy
Padme
Amidala-Skywalker (Revenge of the Sith)
Jedi
of Order 66 (Revenge of the Sith)
Shmi
Skywalker (Attack of the Clones)
Qui-Gon
Jinn (The Phantom Menace)
The Clone Wars
Clone/ARC
Trooper Echo
Adi
Gallia
Clone
Trooper Hevy
Savage
Opress
Satine
Kryze
Expanded
Universe
Anakin
Solo (The New Jedi Order)
Etain
Tur-Mukan (Republic Commando)
Gilad
Pellaeon (Legacy of the Force)
Thrawn
(The Thrawn Trilogy)
Shaak
Ti (The Force Unleashed)
Gregar
Typho (Coruscant Nights Trilogy)
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