Summary
Many heroes have sadly perished inStar Wars, but how do they rank against each other in terms of emotional resonance, filmmaking execution, and overall effectiveness? Across the ninechronologicalStar Warsmoviesin the Skywalker Saga, death has been common. On both sides of the struggle between darkness and light, destruction has befallen many characters who inhabit a galaxy far, far away, which will undoubtedly continue as the war rages on inupcomingStar Warsmovies.
EvenupcomingStar WarsTV showswill surely have their fill of character deaths as the New Republic era reaches its crescendo and Thrawn’s resurgence continues. Concerning solely the movies though,Star Wars’many heroes have met varied ends, from fighting in combat to betrayal and old age. With that in mind, the question of which hero deaths are the most impactful is often raised, asStar Wars’heroic sacrifices are compared against one another.
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The following list is ranked from least impactful to most impactful and contains only major hero deaths from the nine mainline Skywalker Saga movies.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Cause of Death
Electrocuted by Darth Sidious and thrown from a high building on Coruscant
Ranking as the least impactful hero death inStar Warsis Mace Windu’s. Windu is naturally a cool character, primarily driven by Samuel L. Jackson’s performance. That said, as a person, Windu is one of the more unlikeable Jedi in the franchise due to his treatment of characters like Anakin and Ahsoka inStar Wars: The Clone Wars. Given his lack of humanity, Windu’s death has almost no emotional resonance.
Audiences do not feel sorry for Mace Windu in his final moments, predominantly because of his hubris, cockiness, and arrogancein the earlier prequel movies. With Windu’s death not drawing an emotional reaction, the only benefit of the scene is the sense of foreboding created. Windu is correct that Palpatine should not be kept alive, yet he is killed, with the annoyance that Palpatine won giving the scene some semblance of narrative weight despite lacking any emotional heft.
Mace Windu
One of the most prominent Jedi during the prequel era, Mace Windu served as a crucial member of the Jedi Council, considered second only to Yoda himself. Windu was a remarkable figure among the Jedi, having turned his own temptation toward the dark side to his advantage, even creating a new lightsaber form known as Vaapad. Mace ultimately failed in his mission to protect the Jedi, apparently killed by Palpatine and Anakin Skywalker at the end of the Clone Wars.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Transferred his life force to Rey before becoming one with the Force
InStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Kylo Ren was vanquished and Ben Solo returned thanks to the combined efforts of Leia Organa and the memory of Han Solo. Despite Ben’s redemption, he dies at the end of the movie during the battle against Palpatine. Given that Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren was undoubtedly the most compelling character in thelower-rankedStar Warssequel trilogy, Ben Solo’s death had slightly more emotional weight than Mace Windu’s.
That said, there are still several aspects that caused Ben’s death to be lacking in emotional impact. For one, his and Rey’s relationship was too thin for the audience to care that much that he died saving her. Secondly, Ben Solo’s redemption lasted only the final act ofStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, meaning not enough time was dedicated to light-side Ben as a character. While Driver’s performance is great andThe Rise of Skywalker’s cinematography elevates the scene, it ultimately falls flatter than a lot ofStar Warshero deaths.
Ben Solo/Kylo Ren
The son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, Ben was manipulated by Palpatine through the Force for most of his life, influenced toward the dark side of the Force. A misstep by Luke Skywalker ultimately left Ben feeling he had no choice but to embrace the dark side, and he became Kylo Ren, a key figure in the First Order. Kylo Ren’s heart remained deeply divided, however, even after he ascended to become Supreme Leader of the First Order. He was ultimately redeemed by Rey, with whom he shared a remarkable Force bond, and by the love of his parents.
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Star Wars: A New Hope
Sacrificing himself to buy time for Luke, Leia, & Han to escape before becoming one with the Force
Despite Obi-Wan Kenobi being one of the best characters inStar Warshistory, his death is not as tragic as this would reflect. The primary reason for this is the return of Obi-Wan Kenobi inA New Hope’s two sequels,The Empire Strikes BackandReturn of the Jedi. Given that Kenobi has big roles after his death as aStar WarsForce Ghost, it somewhat robsA New Hope’s death scene of the emotional weight it could have if it was the last time the character had ever been seen.
Regardless, the filmmaking on display - and the retroactive history of Kenobi - means his death does not fall completely flat. The moment in which Kenobi fades into the Force is well presented, and the performances of Alec Guinness and Mark Hamill shine through. Knowing how much Kenobi has been through thanks to the prequel trilogy,Star Wars: The Clone Wars, andObi-Wan Kenobionly makes the moment more impactful, despite it not being outright heartbreaking.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
The Padawan of Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi became a Jedi Knight after his master’s death. Obi-Wan trained Anakin Skywalker as a Jedi, with his own apprentice knighted after the Battle of Geonosis. The Jedi Master became a key player in the Jedi during the Clone Wars, and was heartbroken when Anakin turned to the dark side; Obi-Wan critically wounded Anakin before taking to the shadows, watching over the young Luke and Leia for years. He sacrificed himself for his two charges, becoming a Force Ghost and continuing to mentor them.
Lost the will to live after Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the dark side
Padmé’s death inStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sithis one of two extremes. The wooden acting and stilted dialog of the prequel trilogy is on full display as Anakin Force chokes Padmé, causing her to fall unconscious. This poor dialog only continues later when Obi-Wan is told that Padmé is simply"losing the will to live.“If this were all that was shown of Padmé’s death, it would easily be ranked at the bottom ofStar Wars' hero deaths.
The Senator of Naboo has a more impactful death than her final dialog moments inRevenge of the Sithsuggest…
However,Padmé’s ensuing funeral scene is one of the most hauntingly beautiful inStar Wars. The landscape of Naboo looks stunning, as do the thousands of people holding lights into the sky to honor their queen. In a franchise that so often lacks grandiose outpours of love for the deceased, Padmé’s funeral fills a void. Accompanied by John Williams' fantastic score and the improvements to Padmé’s character made inStar Wars: The Clone Wars’timeline, the Senator of Naboo has a more impactful death than her final dialog moments inRevenge of the Sithsuggest.
Padmé Amidala
The elected Queen of Naboo, Padmé Amidala won galactic acclaim for her heroism when she led her people against the Trade Federation. She became an influential member of the Republic Senate, but her life changed forever when she fell in love with Anakin Skywalker. Padmé Amidala found herself torn between her love for Anakin and her belief in the principles of the Republic, especially when Anakin became Darth Vader. She was brutally attacked by Anakin on Mustafar, and died in childbirth.
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Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Yoda has long been one ofStar Wars’standout characters, and this alone ranks his death inReturn of the Jedihigher than the others before him. Yoda’s death is executed well, with director Richard Marquand opting for an understated, dialogue-based scene rather than a bombastic action sequence. Yoda spends his last moments righting some wrongs with Luke, explaining why the latter’s parentage was hidden from him and how to make things right.
Some drawbacks of the scene include the drawn-out nature. The dialogue can sometimes feel slightly long-winded in terms of how long it actually takes Yoda to pass into the Force. However, these issues are certainly not as pronounced as the death of Padmé, nor do they impact the emotional impact of seeing a coreStar Warscharacter die. WhileYoda’sLast Jediscenegives him an appearance after his death like Obi-Wan, it has mostly been kept to a minimum, making the lasting effect of his demise more important.
Yoda
The aged Jedi Master had trained Jedi for 800 years by the time he met Luke Skywalker on the planet Dagobah. One of the most famed and revered Jedi, Yoda served as Grand Master of the Jedi Order for centuries; he was powerful enough to duel Darth Sidious himself, although he was defeated. Yoda exiled himself to Dagobah, where he learned how to become a Force Ghost and offered guidance to Luke Skywalker.
Stabbed through the stomach by Darth Maul
Qui-Gon Jinn’s death is one of the most affecting in the entireStar Warssaga. Of course, it greatly helps that it comes as a result of Duel of the Fates, one ofStar Wars’best action scenes. The lightsaber fight at the tail end ofStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menaceis fantastic, from choreography to cinematography and John Williams' iconic score; Including a major character’s death at the end of a sequence as exciting as this was always going to illicit a reaction.
What makes Qui-Gon’s death more emotionally resonant, however, is the reaction of Obi-Wan Kenobi and the wider knowledge presented for the former byStar Warscanon. Qui-Gon has since been depicted as the epitome of the Jedi who leans into his attachments and emotions, disregarding the more dogmatic ways of the Jedi Order. This makes his loss and the impact it will have on Anakin even more tragic. When combined with Obi-Wan Kenobi’s heartbreaking scream, Qui-Gon Jinn’s death hits hard.
Qui-Gon Jinn
Viewed as a maverick Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn was willing to learn from other Force traditions - and some of those lessons taught him how to retain his consciousness after death, becoming the first Force Ghost. Qui-Gon discovered Anakin Skywalker on Tatooine, recognizing him as the Chosen One, and swore to train the boy. This oath was passed to Qui-Gon’s apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, after Qui-Gon was killed by Darth Maul. He remained influential from beyond the veil, however, teaching others how to follow in his Force Ghost footsteps.
Jake Lloyd, Hayden Christensen, James Earl Jones, and Sebastian Shaw
Emperor Palpatine’s lightning blasts damaged his life-saving suit of armor
The death of Anakin Skywalker works for a multitude of reasons. Anakin is undoubtedly one ofStar Wars' most conflicted, complex characters with one of the strongest arcs. He has done terrible things as Darth Vader, so his death almost brings a sense of relief as the symbol of evil in the galaxy dies. Then, the knowledge of his past life as Anakin rears its head, and this relief is offset by immense sadness asStar Wars’Chosen One of the Force passes on after completing his mission.
The prequels, especiallyStar Wars: The Clone Wars, went a long way to fleshing out Anakin’s character. The concept of a father dying after redeeming himself by saving his son alone is impactful, but Anakin’s heartbreaking history as a slave, a misunderstood Jedi, and someone who simply wants to save those he loves adds incredibly complex layers of meaning. The funeral scene for Anakin hosted by Luke later is haunting in a similar vein to Padmé’s inRevenge of the Sith, only without the love shown by Naboo citizens, which truly symbolizes the heartbreaking story of Anakin Skywalker inStar Wars.
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
Conceived by the will of the Force itself, Anakin Skywalker was the prophesied Chosen One, destined to bring the Force into balance. Anakin struggled to balance competing attachments to the Jedi Order and his wife Padmé Amidala, and ultimately fell to the dark side, becoming Darth Vader. For years he served as Palpatine’s right hand man, but he was ultimately redeemed by the faith of his son, Luke Skywalker. Now a Force Ghost, Anakin continues to act as an agent of balance.
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Stabbed through the chest by his son, Kylo Ren
It is only fitting that the iconic trio of the originalStar Warstrilogy take the top three spots concerning the franchise’s most impactful deaths, beginning with Han Solo. Solo has long been one ofStar Wars’most compelling characters alongside Luke and Leia, with the sequel trilogy giving him a fantastically sad send-off. As alluded to, Ben Solo and his connection to his parents was a shining narrative light in theStar Warssequels, which came to a head inThe Force Awakens.
Harrison Ford’s performance opposite Adam Driver as Han confronts his son on Starkiller Base is excellent. The duo have so many understated moments of pure emotion as they speak to one another, with the performances largely elevating the scene. Han’s last moment of touching Kylo’s face as he falls to his death is heartbreaking, and truly solidifies Han’s death as one of the all-timeStar Warsgreats.
Han Solo
Hailing from Corellia, Han Solo deserted the Empire to become a smuggler, and he spent years working for the Hutts as a spice runner. Han’s life changed forever when he agreed to transport Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker to Alderaan from Tatooine, and he soon became an important member of the Rebel Alliance. Han’s romance with Leia Organa became the stuff of legend, and they married shortly after the Battle of Endor. Sadly, their relationship ended in tragedy when their son Ben fell to the dark side - eventually killing Han. Still, memories of Han helped bring Ben back to the light.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Becoming one with the Force after projecting himself across the galaxy
Luke Skywalker’sStar Warsdeathis one of thematic, narrative brilliance. The moment caused a great deal of controversy, as did the film it was part of, but it still ranks as one of the most effective death scenes inStar Warshistory.Luke died as a Jedi is supposed to; he used the Force to defend life rather than to attackthe First Order, biding time for the Resistance fighters to escape. In doing so, he accepted the legend of Luke Skywalker is what the galaxy needs, rectifying his mistake of hiding away on Ahch-To.
With George Lucas once stating thatStar Warsshould be like poetry,The Last Jedi’s handling of Luke’s death will undoubtedly have made the creator proud…
As Luke fades into the Force, he is shown sitting in the first Jedi Temple looking out at the sunset, just as his journey began. With George Lucas once stating thatStar Warsshould be like poetry,The Last Jedi’s handling of Luke’s death will undoubtedly have made the creator proud. Luke’s death is accompanied by some of the franchise’s best visuals thanks to cinematographer Steve Yedlin, with John Williams in expectedly top form. Were it not for the outside elements surrounding Leia Organa’sStar Warsdeath, Luke Skywalker’s could have pushed higher in this ranking.
Luke Skywalker
The son of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, Luke was brought up on the desert planet Tatooine. Initially mentored by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke fired the fateful shot that destroyed the Death Star, and he became a rebel hero. Despite the fears of Obi-Wan and Yoda, Luke’s faith in his father was proved well-founded when Vader returned to the light. With the Emperor defeated, Luke dedicated himself to bringing back the Jedi; his first attempt ended in tragedy due to Palpatine’s manipulations, but Luke’s legacy lives on in Rey.
Becoming one with the Force after using the last of her strength to redeem Kylo Ren
Leia Organa’s death is singular inStar Wars, in that it was just as much an honoring of Carrie Fisher’s passing as it was an impactful moment for the character. Carrie Fisher passed away in the midst of production on theStar Warssequel trilogy, withThe Rise of Skywalkerusing repurposed footage fromThe Force Awakensto give the iconic character Fisher portrayed a proper send-off. This resulted in one ofThe Rise of Skywalker’s best sequences, as Leia uses the last ounce of her strength to reach out for her son through the Force.
The scene in context is great and emotionally affecting, with Ben Solo and his connection to his parents being a standout aspect of the sequels. When combined with the outside knowledge of Fisher’s passing, it becomes downright heartbreaking in the best way, as Leia and Fisher become one with the Force together. The repurposed footage of Fisher is utilized in perfect taste and the shooting of the scene by cinematographer Dan Mindel is beautifully evocative of the cosmic Force, making Leia and Fisher stalwarts of theStar Warsfranchise by giving them a tragically beautiful heroic final scene.
Leia Organa
The daughter of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, Leia inherited her mother’s political skills and her father’s Force power. She was raised on Alderaan as a member of the royal family, and followed in her father’s footsteps by becoming a senator who secretly worked alongside the Rebel Alliance. Alderaan’s destruction changed everything, and Leia became a leader in both the Rebel Alliance and its successor government, the New Republic. She served there for decades, eventually leaving to found the First Order when she sensed its darkness growing. Leia gave much for her ideals, but eventually gave her life to redeem her son Ben.
