Disney+'s new Rogue One, leading into the spinoff film by the end of the show's two-season run.
Cassian Andor is perhaps best known by fans for his heroic sacrifice at the end of Rogue One, alongside his friends and compatriots on the planet Scarif. As fans grow more and more excited for his forthcoming spinoff series, Cassian has become just one of many Star Wars characters to be honored as a hero who died for a noble cause.
Cassian Andor
Diego Luna's Rogue One character is introduced as one of the Rebel Alliance's best operatives, but also one of the most morally grey. Fighting for a cause that he believes to be worthwhile, Cassian Andor is willing to do whatever it takes to stop the Empire. It is only after his brief team-up with the other of the Rogue One squad that he embraces his more heroic side, eventually dying upon Scarif when the Death Star tests its destructive powers on the planet's terrain.
Cassian may not have been introduced as a particularly irable character, but he quickly grows into someone worth emulating by the film's end. His heroic exploits were paramount to the success of the Rebellion in the following film, A New Hope, though he would not live to see such victory. When Cassian returns in Andor, however, it will be as the more morally grey character depicted in the first act of Rogue One.
Jyn Erso
Felicity Jones portrays Jyn Erso, the protagonist of the Star Wars spinoff film Rogue One, who spearheads a Rebel operation to steal the secret plans to the Death Star, which her father designed. She, along with the rest of her surviving teammates, eventually meet their demise when the Death Star tests its laser on the planet of Scarif during Rogue One's finale.
Though she would have been loathe to it it, Jyn was a bonafide hero of the Rebellion by the time of her death. Her selfless actions were paramount in saving countless lives from the destructive power of the Death Star, even if she was unable to see the fruits of her sacrifice. Because of her heroism, Jyn Erso remains a major character whom many fans hope will appear in Andor.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi may be best known to many fans as one of the most memeable Star Wars characters of all time. However, often lost in the pervasive Internet meme culture is Obi-Wan's true heroism as a Jedi Knight. The aging Jedi even proved willing to sacrifice his own life aboard the Death Star in A New Hope, finally ceding a temporary victory to his former Padawan, Darth Vader.
Obi-Wan's sacrifice was far more meaningful than it initially seemed, as the Jedi Master allowed himself to be killed before Luke Skywalker's very eyes. Kenobi's death served to motivate Luke to the Rebellion and eventually destroy the Death Star, becoming one of the greatest heroes the galaxy had ever seen. Obi-Wan knew that his death would serve a higher purpose and willingly embraced his fate.
Qui-Gon Jinn
Liam Neeson's Qui-Gon Jinn is a standout character in the otherwise troubled prequel film The Phantom Menace. The wise Jedi Master was not long for the franchise, however, dying in the midst of a battle with the Sith apprentice Darth Maul on the planet of Naboo.
Qui-Gon stood as a testament to what the Jedi were always supposed to be in an age where many of the Order had lost their way. In his dying moments, Qui-Gon commanded his apprentice Obi-Wan to train Anakin Skywalker, knowing that he was the Chosen One spoken of by the Prophecy. Even in death, Qui-Gon had the bigger picture in mind, believing in Anakin's ability to save the galaxy.
Biggs Darklighter
Biggs Darklighter is a character from the Star Wars original trilogy who does not get the credit he deserves. As one of the most prominent of A New Hope's Red Squadron at the Battle of Yavin, Biggs eventually loses his life during the battle when he is shot out of the sky by Darth Vader's TIE-fighter.
Despite a relative lack of screentime, Biggs is a paramount character in the early story of Star Wars. He, along with the other of Rogue Squadron, serves as a testament to the common man who stands up against an oppressive power. He and his compatriots, many of whom died in the Battle of Yavin, were ready and willing to give up their lives if it meant winning a better future for other innocent life forms in the galaxy.
Galen Erso
Mads Mikkelsen portrays Galen Erso, the father of Jyn Erso and the engineer behind the creation of the Death Star, in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Forced to design the Death Star against his own will, Galen is eventually killed along with several other Imperial officers when a Rebel squadron fires upon their landing platform.
Galen is one of the Star Wars franchise's quiet heroes, who worked behind the scenes to further the struggle for good against evil. He used his position to plant a major flaw in the Death Star, which Luke Skywalker would later exploit to destroy the space station. Though the galaxy may never know Galen Erso's name, he remains one of its greatest heroes.
Leia Organa
Carrie Fisher's Leia Organa is one of the most iconic characters in cinematic history. Beginning as a Rebel leader and eventually ascending to the rank of general in the Resistance, Leia devoted her life to dismantling any and all evil in the galaxy. In the end, she dies after exerting all of her energy to communicate with her son, Ben, from across the galaxy.
Leia's death in The Rise of Skywalker was accentuated by Fisher's real-life death several years prior to the film's release. The final film of the Skywalker Saga gave the beloved princess and general a justified exit, as she gave her life over to the one person she loved more than anyone else, leading to his ultimate redemption.
Fives
CT-5555, also known as "Fives," was an ARC-Trooper during the Clone Wars who served as a member of the 501st Legion. After discovering that every clone trooper had been implanted with an inhibitor chip that would eventually order them to kill their Jedi generals, Fives is branded a traitor and is hunted down by his brothers, eventually being shot before he can relay his findings.
Fives's final arc truly proves his position as one of the best clones in Star Wars. His devotion to the Jedi and to the Republic went unappreciated by his superiors, resulting in his tragic death. Had someone merely listened to the ARC-Trooper the very course of the franchise's history might have been changed forever.
Ben Solo
Adam Driver's Ben Solo, also known as Kylo Ren, is a standout character in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, whose redemption from the Dark Side is a driving factor of the last three films in the Skywalker Saga. After returning to the Light Side, Ben helps Rey battle the resurrected Sheev Palpatine, eventually transferring his life force over to her after she is mortally wounded, resulting in his own death thereafter.
Ben's death solidified his heroic turn, distancing the once-vicious warrior from his villainous roots once and for all. In the end, he proved to be far more similar to his grandfather than he had expected, sacrificing his life to make up for his own mistakes and saving someone close to him as a result.
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is the Star Wars franchise's greatest hero and one of the most talented Jedi Masters of all time. The famed Jedi eventually meets his demise at the end of The Last Jedi, dying after exerting himself to save the Resistance from utter destruction at the hands of the First Order.
Luke's death completed the character's arc throughout the film as he rediscovered the heroic qualities that he had kept buried for decades. Despite years of self-torment, the aging Jedi once again proved his heroism. In his final moments, Luke did what he swore he would never do again: save the galaxy.
