ST "Legacy Character" Deaths

Imagine sitting in a theatre, watching The Force Awakens. Epic John Williams score is blaring and Jedi Master Luke Skywalker is engaged in a high stakes lightsaber duel with the main villain of the film, and he seems to be having the upper hand. Then, right the **** out of nowhere, he's stabbed through the chest and falls, dead before he hits the ground. And you think to yourself: "They just killed off Luke... Luke Skywalker is dead."

What a plot twist that would be.

Now, we've all known these characters for a very long time. To most of us, Luke, Leia, and Han were the first fictional characters we were introduced to. They've been with us since early childhood, and as our heroic trio matured, so, too, did we grow up with them. Just because Disney "rebooted" the official timeline, doesn't take away from the fact that we DID experience all those Legends stories. We all rejoiced the birth of the Solo children, and lamented the deaths of Anakin and Jacen. We witnessed the rise of Luke's New Jedi Order. We rooted for the New Republic as they faced all but invincible foes in the forms of Grand Admiral Thrawn, Natasi Daala, and the Yuuzhan Vong, and despite all their losses, always prevailed in the end.

All these characters have long, intricate and detailed life stories in an alternate reality, and we're all emotionally attached to them, and despite of the often depressing and some might even say "grimdark-ish" nature of the EU, NONE of the stories ever had the balls to kill off Leia, Han, or Luke. It's like taking a crap on the Mona Lisa; you just don't do it.
With all that said, I'm usually not one for rampant speculation, but I can't help but to wonder about the possibility of one - or, even worse - ALL of them dying at some point in the new trilogy. Such a twist would be right up there with Vader revealing to Luke his true parentage.

J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan have stated that these new films would be very dark in nature. Darker even than the Empire Strikes Back. Do you think this is something they would do, or is offing Luke, Han, and Leia too high a risk to take?

Discuss and share your thoughts on the matter.

 

Where did Abrams say that this trilogy would be darker than Empire. And I never understood the notion of killing characters for shock value.

 

pretty sure most of them will die. I think most people are predicting their deaths so it won't be for shock value; they just need to pick a good, meaningful time to happen for it to be really emotional. the fact that we all see it coming can make it even sadder if done correctly. ever heard of DRAMATIC IRONY LOL the PT could have really worked in that way.

anyway: Han is almost certainly going to die. a lot of people including Harrison Ford wanted him to die in the OT. if he does, hopefully it'll be in a redeeming way i.e. actually working with Han's story arc and not being anti-climatic and pointless.

Luke I predict will die midway Episode IX. it'll be a beautiful, emotional, and heroic Jedi Master death and he'll appear as a force ghost with Anakin. :'). it'll be a symbol of connecting life through the force and our new characters being left alone to fight for the new generation. :') (as I always say I hope I'm a bit off so it's not too predictable).

Leia I see surviving.

Lando, if he appears, will probably live. though if he's going to be the chancellor I could see some heroic "leader dies for the people" death (lol cliche but sometimes cliches work you know?)

Chewie I am not sure about. that's like watching a dog die so if he does I will probably CRY degaf.

the droids of course will live lol.

as I've been saying, we "grew up" with the original lead. watching them as old people making huge sacrifices for the next generation, in a few cases even their lives, to me at least, is the perfect way of giving the ST a powerful message. sometimes you must let go to move forward.

 

The folks involved in this ST project take it very seriously. If and when any of the OT characters die, they will really try to do it right.

I am also part of the group that thinks it's likely that Han Solo might die in TFA, but it won't be a stupid and/or pointless death.

 

Of course, those of us who read Star Wars: Legacy, are already familiar with Luke's ghost-state.



I must say, this would be pretty damn cool to see on film. Not gonna lie.

 

yeah it would.

Luke's death would probably be sad and happy at the same time. people would be crying because ****ing Luke Skywalker just died and that's like the ultimate symbol of an era ending. especially with people who went to see Star Wars in theatres in 1977 also being old (or at least older depending on how old you were. it's 38 years old now damn) and probably experiencing loss themselves. but Luke is a Jedi Master, and he knows that death is a natural part of life and sometimes you have to let go. and he knows that our physical manifestation of life is just one dynamic. see this is an example of why the "legacy characters" dying will be meaningful and greatly enhance the film's narrative. it just needs to be done correctly.

 

That is pretty cool, Art.

I can't remember the last time I got emotional during a movie, but seeing some of our old heroes die would probably choke me up lol

 

• There are certain characters that should always remain untouchable. Han, Luke, Leia, Chewie, 3PO, R2, Lando are perfect examples of this. 30 years ago when fans first fell in love with the grandeur of Star Wars it was those names that lent to that experience coming together as something truly special. Following Return of the Jedi it was the fervent desire to see more from each of the names listed that lead to the Expanded Universe becoming a reality. At one point EVERYTHING Star Wars revolved around the inclusion of some of the most iconic, beloved characters ever created. Honestly, I can't sugar-coat this... killing these characters is a huge slap in the face to fans who fell in love with Star Wars because these characters are Star Wars. Each of them at one point defined it.
• The whole killing people thing is just dumb imo. Even if you look back through history at some of the most so-called 'important' character deaths ever made most you will find were made not to further a story, but usually in spite of the story. Chewie was killed in the EU because book sales were down. Gwen Stacy was killed by a writer who came in and didn't like the character. Harry Potter's entire cast was killed because J. K. Rowling was depressed in real-life, and she even admitted to thinking about killing certain characters to spite fans, which is just bizarre on so many levels. Shepard was killed due to writers rushing to compile a story nearing a deadline, and then claiming it as an act of 'artistic integrity'. Most other characters on TV shows are killed for ratings. Fact of the matter is is that if a Star Wars character were to be killed off in TFA (Han) then it will only be because the actor is ungrateful, or because JJ/Harrison/Kasdan are looking for shock value - an emotional bottom as Ford has attempted to call it in the past.
• Star Wars was created during a time of war and quite a lot of depressing filmmaking to lighten the mood, provide viewers with a story of good triumphing... what friends/family can do if they do it together. Star Wars is a film that packs a lot of heart. Today, we're back to the war stuff. TV shows/movies are about death. Fans want heroes to die. Star Wars needs to return to reset the mood, and turn the spotlight back on a group of heroes that will rise above the times. The originals can/are still those heroes and for them to lose would be going against their original intent. If George didn't intend for them to die, then wouldn't any one of their deaths be opposed to completing their true story arcs?
• If Disney were smart in a business sense they would know that there is more money to be made out of new stories told with these characters alive.
• Killing is the easiest way imo to write a character out. It is done when you have nothing left for a character. Such should never be the case, though, because there are an infinite number of experiences that can be drawn upon from reality straight to the page. If they run out of ideas for these characters, then they should hire someone better because imho they are doing something very, very wrong as they've unlimited potential at their disposal.

 

Kasdan and JJ will forget they have to tell a story in IX, and just have 2 hours of an elderly Lando being tortured to death by Kylo Ren, to make us feel something. Music by Michael Giacchino.

 

1. I'm going to maintain my stance that it'd be great if they played with that concept a bit. **** untouchable characters. we're going to get more of the characters, but they're going to be different. I'm not saying kill them all but I maintain that watching the Millienium Falcon CRASH AND BURN would be beautiful. just like with what I was saying about Luke's potential death earlier. with several of these characters it would make more sense for them to die in a plot-advancing way than to just die a few years later of old age after Episode IX lol. if it's going to be cheap then yeah, don't kill them off, and as I said some of them will be "written off" better in other ways, but killing off Luke in the way I described earlier, for example, is not a "oh look someone died cue emotional music and fake drama" type of death. that's a meaningful death scene that would actually resonate with the audience and would relate well to real ****ing life in a good way. As for these characters "being Star Wars", I don't agree. Star Wars is an actual narrative with actual themes and messages, not a series of fan-services. Star Wars hopefully won't drag on forever, and neither should these characters. As I've been saying letting go could be a huge message in this trilogy. I hope there is no 10-12, and this story should offer a sense of finality for our old characters. for some of them this may be dying, which is completely reasonable, given that these are flawed human beings way past their prime in the midst of a war. at their age they're probably thinking of wrapping it all up so it'd almost be corny if they all lived imo.
2. obviously it depends on how you do it. using Harry Potter as an example, there are some stupid ones. Tonks and Remus for example. they die just 'cause and there's like a paragraph about it. Dumbledore, Snape, etc. furthered the plot and were emotional. Dobby's death was emotional. Chewie was killed in the EU? lol who gaf about that. anyway it won't be shock value since everyone's expecting some of these characters to die. this is ****ing Star Wars people die in war. death is a real life theme (as explored in Star Wars as a positive thing and not just darkness hence Yoda's entire lesson in ROTJ damn have you people watched Star Wars before?) so to pass off any author's reason to kill off a character as superficial money grabbing is pretty **** tbh even if you did raise some valid examples.
3. lol yeah and lots of characters died in the OT. Star Wars can still be positive and pack a lot of heart even with the realistic prospect of suffering/pain/death etc. which is what it's been doing since day one. the comforting thing with Star Wars is nobody dies; they become one with the force i.e. collective life force.
4. screw Disney's business. the merchandising aspect of Star Wars is easily the worst part. and lol, do we really need old-man Han Solo spin-offs? I like to think of Star Wars as legitimate art, and not defined by the business side of it. why do we want this to drag on forever and ever?
5. yeah they can do other things, which they should when it feels the most right thing to do. though sometimes death really can be the most emotionally charging way to do it. it doesn't need to be uncreative.

 

1. To each there own. You say some of these characters should die if done well, I say if they were going to do that they should have left well enough alone because each character met their end in ROTJ (Lucas' actual saga ending). You say they aren't Star Wars, I say Star Wars is nothing without these characters to view the universe through. You say these characters should end as should Star Wars at some point, and again I have to bring up ROTJ... 30 years later imho these characters are doing this new cast/creative direction a favor by gracing them with their irreplaceable presences, and honestly it will be sad when the new cast is furthered at the detriment of the originals because the only way to progress them + make an audience feel they measure up to their predecessors is by having them outlast their predecessors by facing a, supposedly, superior enemy and having the originals fall short, whilst the newbies rise above. I'm just going to take an educated guess that this will be the direction they're headed with the story.
2. Dumbledore, Snape and Dobby to me honestly weren't emotional. They were wasted opportunities because they were killed so haphazardly. Each had a much larger story arc that was still left largely untapped because they each died unceremoniously. I cared about Chewie dying because it was stupid, and so did many, many others as the EU was/is THEIR only true continuation of Star Wars. People die in war, fact. People live through war, fact. Hundreds of thousands make it home from war(s). The 'Legacy' Star Wars characters are just what about a dozen? What are the odds that they (out of hundreds of billions involved in 'Star Wars') are the dozen to die? That is ludicrous if I'm being honest. Yoda didn't want to die... he sought life after death which is a concept explored in ROTS when he gladly sought Qui-Gon's advise to become a Force-ghost. Yes, I have watched Star Wars before. In ROTJ Yoda very much wanted to live as he spoke of being strong in the Force, but not that strong. Death was a theme, but in the end it was the heroes celebrating their new lease on life as Force ghosts looked on each of whom are not truly dead because a Force-ghost is a type of in-between, yet to be fully explored or explained. If an original Star Wars character is killed it will be for money. No ifs, ands or buts about it as no character needs to die, but many fans have voiced their desire to see such a thing happen. What better way to get those same fans to pay than by killing these now 'dispensable' characters. On a separate note, thank you for saying I did raise some valid examples.
3. Star Wars can be fun even surrounded by the themes you've mentioned, and admittedly my own bias comes from personal preference/taste, but the fact of the matter is that it does not feel good to see the heroes you looked up to come back thirty years later to die... usually that contradicts 'returning' in the sense that fans want from their favorite characters. Not everyone becomes one with the Force, as thus far only Jedi have to the best of my knowledge, anyway.
4. Merchandise is everything. Whether you love it or hate it Disney's entire build-up surrounding TFA is merchandising. They'd best do it right, or they lose money. Killing 'Legacy' characters is like stealing money from their own personal bank. I'd love Han Solo spinoffs with Harrison Ford in the starring role, as I personally don't view him as 'old man' Han Solo... but more so as talented, legendary actor Harrison Ford playing the kick *** scoundrel, rogue pilot Han Solo. If this new trilogy didn't decide to bring back the 'Legacy' characters and they had been saved for spinoffs I'd have looked forward to the spinoffs more so than the new trilogy of films. That's how important they are to me, personally.
5. It can be creative, but when you have a character like Han Solo for instance... you base his ENTIRE persona around his luck, skill, survival and then you kill him just because he's older even though he has survived Vader, Fett, Jabba, etc. that seems inconsistent with who he is. Han does not die... what happens to him is worthy of an off-screen nod or some such thing best suited in a movie set one hundred or so years later in which his great grandkids give a nice reference towards his having lived happily with Leia and their kids in the time of piece they had always sought (and technically achieved at the end of ROTJ before the rewrites). Basically, alluding to Han but not giving away what actually happened to him. Same goes for the rest of the 'Legacy' characters imo.

For my preferred ending for these 'Legacy' characters look no further than (ironically) the Legacy comics series Cade Skywalker and crews ending.

 

Rand, my take on your list, respectfully of course:

1) Sometimes the death of a major iconic character advances the story in a good way. While I agree that it might seem like a slap in the face, if said death is done right it can be effective.
2) I like conspiracy theories, but the whole "kill 'em off to shock the viewers" is something I'd need proof of before I can throw out an accusation.
3) I don't disagree with anything you said about the issues that were going on when Star Wars came out. That's all true. However, going back to point #1, sometimes a death is good for the overall saga.
4) This is true for some older fans, who quite possibly grew up during the OT time frame. I'd say that younger fans would be less affected if a major OT character died. Also, the money-making argument is debatable. Controversy in a movie many times makes more people go see it.
5) One of the major themes in Star Wars is "passing on what you have learned" and you will see this happen in the new trilogy. I love Han, Luke, and Leia as much as anyone, but the young leads are going to take over the series. It doesn't mean that the older characters will die for sure, but it's a distinct possibility.

 

just so you all know if I ever come off as a douchebag it's just banter, not serious.

1. I understand some of your points. I just don't understand why these particular characters are the "eyes in which we see Star Wars through". As for ROTJ, yeah that's the end of their journey at that phase of their lives and they earned their happy ending for that moment of time, if this makes sense. I think this is actually an interesting concept. We are all just a moment in time. And what happens after your happily ever after given the impractically of the concept? I completely agree with you on the problem of the new characters being treated as "superior" to the old characters. This is never what I wanted but I pretty much have been unintentionally saying that. idk if that should be an actual concern though, since Star Wars has always played on that. Obi-Wan goes from Jedi Master to frail old man but even though he basically gives himself up he becomes more powerful. Anakin went from young hero to one of the most oppressive villains in history. The old cast doesn't need to be "inferior" or take a full back seat or anything, and if they die it shouldn't be out of being "the weakest" or something like that.

2. This is probably just a preference thing but I thought Snape's character development was the best thing JK Rowling ever did. Yeah, the death scene itself was unceremonious (sometimes that is okay though 'cause when people die in real life it's usually unceremonious ;_; ) but all those big reveals that came in the aftermath of it were great. idk, Snape was a tasteful way of killing off a character imo. He pretty much wanted to die for eighteen years anyway that'd be kind of awkward if he lived. Same with Dumbledore, just the impact of his death on the other characters and the entire world at large made it more than just a cheap grab at emotion. It was a genuine turning point in the series, and symbolised so much more than just Dumbledore himself. It's right up there with "I am your father" in internet meme spoiler jokes so there's that. As for the Star Wars legacy cast I wouldn't kill all of them off if I was the writer because it'd get to the point where you're like "all right how is Leia gonna die lol w/e" and each character has their own individual arc that should be explored in a unique way of course. It really just depends on where the plot takes us (all twelve dying in war would be completely believable if they drop some Somme style **** on us. ;_; ) On the topic of force ghosts: yeah, in the PT they made it all weird, but it doesn't ruin the original concepts. The OT had a pretty clear "nobody ever truly dies" thing going on. The force being a unifying life force, our lives in our physical body being superficial, etc. That doesn't mean that Yoda wanted to die but I think he was comfortable with the concept of death. Everyone is bound by the force, the Jedi just got strong enough in the force to make their ghosts appear. As for killing characters for money, I don't agree at all since you could easily say the opposite and it'd be true. lol they're going to make loads of money either way so they're just going to do what feels best in the story. and with the Chewbacca thing I was basically saying that personally that never really "counted" to me since like 80% of the EU was always just glorified fan fiction to me. >_>

3. idk how to really respond to this one. It's really just a difference of opinion. I just want a compelling story, which could keep them alive or go the other way. It just depends. But them dying would not really be a "stab in the back" in any sense of the word. idk, you're real life heroes die. Star Wars is escapism but given the type of film it is and how much it resembles real life even with the fantasy environment I'd expect it to have realistic consequences on its characters.

4. Killing characters is not going to take any money from them. They'll sell tons of merchandise regardless of what happens. I bet they make millions off of Darth Vader merchandise for this film even though he's dead and not even really in the film. That's the thing about timeless characters. None of them ever really die. Their legacy is timeless, and that's a pretty major theme in Star Wars. Even if Luke or whoever dies, that doesn't mean he stops being a "hero" to people. We're all just a moment in time, as I said earlier, and I think the ST could explore that in an interesting way. As for Han Solo, I don't mean to imply that Ford can't do it because of his age. It just seems so redundant.

5. After thirty years, he's probably changed and it'd be weird if he was still the exact person. A complaint with Han (by Harrison Ford himself) was that Han was very shallow. A way I've been predicting a potential Han death is that he confronts Kylo Ren, but instead decides to not shoot first. He is more mature and more hesitant to kill, showing how far he has come as a person. However it'd have to have some significance to what is going on in the scene of course. Which leads me to my next point. You seem to think that dying is a sign of weakness. Obi-Wan disproved that right away in the original film. And you seem to think that because someone dies, they stop "being a hero". Which is just odd to me.

 

Also, isn't Star Wars really told through the eyes of C3PO and R2D2? I know, I know, minor detail, but just sayin'

 

3PO and R2 have to live. No question.

Han will die in Ep VII, I think. Ford wanted in dead in ROTJ and I think he'll get his wish in TFA. I'm OK with that IF it's well done. Luke is another issue. I could see him dying in Ep IX, but again, it has to have some meaning. The supporting characters I couls see either way, so long as J.J. doesn't go for a Game of Thrones-like bloodbath of all these beloved characters. Character death needs to be meaningful.

And if J.J. kills off Captain Phasma like a chump (ala Boba Fett), I will send him a strongly worded letter!

 

I don't think Captain Phasma bites the farm in this one. I think Domhnall will be the bad guy who bites the bullet in this one, much like Tarkin was killed at the end of ANH.

Oh and C-3PO and R2 are the Star Wars story tellers ultimately for the episodes. If they are not in it, they are not really episodes.

 

For the record, I didn't think you were being a 'douchebag'.

1. To me they're the 'eyes' because we experienced the beginning of Star Wars through each of their experiences. They were the first to experience 'Star Wars'. I get what you mean about the 'moment in time' line, but I think that the beauty of life is living, otherwise you don't get to experience those moments and the beauty of putting pen to paper, so to speak is that you're not restricted to the pitfalls of what lay beyond those pages. The 'Legacy' characters as some say can get killed, but they could also be written to live. That scenario is getting rarer and rarer in storytelling imho. Heck, characters in movies/TV are killed so often nowadays that I don't think there are heroes of the caliber of John McClane, Harry Callahan, Blondie, Rambo, Indiana Jones, etc. No one lasts an entire franchise anymore. Star Wars' original characters were part of the everlasting before this screwy new turn-of-events with the Disney takeover took place.
2. Honestly, I wanted Snape to be a have a happy life, but instead lived and he even died miserable. Potter finds out that his father bullied Snape. Dumbledore practically forced the guy to sacrifice himself. He had everyone he worked with - his Hogwarts 'family' - hate him thinking he'd turned bad. Then, when it came to Harry Snape was in fact always looking out for him despite all of that. Not to mention, he also very much was shown to not want to die on multiple occasions, but was put into an impossible situation that was incredibly depressing to watch on film. Dumbledore tbh I wasn't a fan of the character development as it took a turn in the books after a new actor began portraying the character. I really, really liked the original actor who played him and would have never wanted his Dumbledore to have ended up the way the character did. As for the 'nobody ever truly dies thing' in Star Wars if that were in fact in the movie it means very little to me as a fan until it goes the Dragon Ball Z route, and the afterlife is actually shown, whereby you get to see everyone happily doing their thing on a continuous basis in another realm.
3. I honestly don't see very much of a resemblance to real life in Star Wars, as everything is so out of this world. The tech, gadgets, creatures, planets, etc. The only thing that was relatable were some character tropes imo.
4. George Lucas said it best: something about dead Han toys won't sell.
5. That's a big thing too. These new writers have thirty years to readapt Han to their liking, and that's not good enough for Harrison or for them to work beyond one single movie in which Han will participate in only maybe about forty minutes tops? Wasted opportunity. It's ok though because he came back for money and the opportunity to work in a franchise he actually cares about: Indiana Jones. Add that to the boost TFA gains from selling such a controversial scene, everyone wins, but you don't have to believe the characters will die solely for money, as that's just my opinion, as I don't want to make it seem like I'm trying to force that across. 'Tis just an opinion I feel strongly about. Never said dying is a sign of weakness, but living shouldn't be considered such either, which it feels like you may be saying. Life is precious and fans of these 'Legacy' characters shouldn't have their heroes die because their 'character shields' don't serve to some other fans' likings. So what, we get to watch the characters die, then go back to real life wherein 'tis more of the same? Where does it end? There's got to be some kind of reprieve for a human being. Fans grew up with these characters, their stories progressing adjacent to one another. They've become ingrained in some fans lives to the point of almost becoming part of their lives. Thirty years is a long time only to have those person(s) stripped away from them. That's too much imo to take away from a fan, as these characters aren't your run-of-the-mill crew. They're icons, legends, 'Legacy' to put it bluntly.

Whew... this is the most typing I've done in a while. Thanks for sharing your opinions, as it's been a fun read.

 

A lot of typing Rand, but you have put a lot of thought into it, which is appreciated.

 

Thank you kindly.

 

For what it's worth, I think Ford is wrong about Solo being shallow. In the just the films, he might be seen as a world-wise custodian of Luke who's usefulness is out-lived by Luke's ascension to being a Jedi, but I'd argue that Solo offers more than that. He's a "real world" counter to the sometimes stiff and stodgy world of the Jedi. In fact, many of us think that his kind of practical wise-assery is what was missing from the PT. In TCW, we get see more of these kinds of characters (Hondo being my favorite), but otherwise we don't get that point of view. I always thought CaptainTypho could have offered some of that (and he has a cool eye-patch!), but he is never more than a background character.

So Solo is a "contact point" to the vast majority of the GFFA that is NOT force sensitive and has a more practical view of life. Han can die and pass on that torch.... say to Poe Dameron, but that contact point has to be there, IMO, and more importantly, if Solo dies, he must pass in a way that's repsectful to the 45-55 year olds (like me) who grew up admiring the smart-ass swagger of the smuggler with a heart.

 

Well... rumor has it that a certain scruffy looking nerf herder is gonna play the part of the mentor who takes the big hyperspace jump.

 

r2 has to survive. 3po does not.

 

I too will choke up to see Han, or any other OT character die. Though characters dying is a natural thing, especially when they are put into dangerous situations. That is one thing about ROTJ I didn't like. I never actually felt worried for any of the good guys. You knew there would be a happy ending with no consequences. It not only made their story a little less "real" feeling, but it also made the bad guys, ie, the stormtroopers look foolish. Here they are, supposedly the baddest, meanest enemy one could face, who according to Obi Wan, shot with precision like no other, and they only come close one time to actually hurting a main character who is facing hoards of them. It kind of makes them look silly, as shown by the number of pop culture jokes about it.

I just hope that the ST makes the peril that the characters are in seem like it actually means something. If that means killing somebody off to further the story, I'm all for it. I'll be sad, but I'll know why it's done.

 

I honestly think the only characters we're going to have alive at the end of this trilogy will be R2, and maybe Chewie. In other words the two characters that don't necessarily rely on the lives of actual actors. If they try to keep Harrison, Mark, Carrie, and Anthony around for another trilogy then there's a good chance they'll have to be relegated to off screen deaths. To me that would be the worst case scenario. I'd much rather watch them bite the bullet in dramatic fashion than just being written off.

 

I'm with you.

I've said it before, but the last thing I want to see is Luke Skywalker dying because:

1. The new bad guys need to be shown to be powerful, evil, etc.
2. Because the new heroes need room to dp their own things, and the only way to do that is for Luke, Leia and Han to bite the dust.

The first option reduces our beloved characters to a notch in the belt. The second option views the OT3 as "problems." The 'old folks' getting 'in the way' of the younger, prettier new stars.

Terrible, just terrible.


You know, a generation ago, The Transformers (1986) film made this same mistake. Hasbro wanted to push a new line of toys, and so the film depicted the first wave of heroes being mercilessly wiped out in the first act (up-to-and-including the most beloved character of the franchise).

It was a decision which was derided and decried; universally panned by the fans. More than one person involved in the TF film have come out and claimed the decision to kill Optimus Prime was a mistake that they would go back and change if they could.

The TF people claimed they were ignorant of the level of affection and loyalty the fans felt for these characters. This is a claim the people at Lucasfilm are in no position to ever make.



There can be any number of ways to demonstrate the power of an antagonist without targeting the OT3, specifically. Certainly without killing them.

There should be more than enough "glory" to go around for the new kids on the block to get their shine on, while still involving Luke, Leia and Han in meaty roles with great contributions to make to the story, while *gasp* even living to enjoy the fruits of their labor at the end of Episode 9.