Rogue One Why did Lyra allow herself to be killed?

She didn't have any unique or importance to the plot other than to be "The mom who got too ambitious and got herself killed".
I think she was mentioned later in the story but again, it wasn't important and it was just a slight off-hand comment about it.

I honestly don't know why she was in the movie, much less tie in to the theme of RO. Perhaps it was supposed to be an allegory for fighting for your dreams despite the obvious sacrifice? A foreshadowing? Even so, it was quickly run over. I can somewhat sympathize with Jyn and Galen over a lost family member, but she is so nameless that the entire sympathy is much out of the broad terms of emotional connection, not anywhere near the specifics obit.

 

IMO Lyra's death serves multiple purposes in the story.

1. It gives Jyn a solid reason to hate the Empire. She saw Stormtroopes kill her mother as a child.

2. It raises the emotional stakes for Galen. He is already being forced to work for an evil power, now he has to work for an evil power that killed his wife.

3, Her dialogue with Krennic lays out his agenda. His intention to abduct the family and Lyra's misgivings about the empire.
L. "You're not taking him!"
K. "No. I'm taking you all, you'll come. You, your child, and live in comfort."
L. "As hostages?"
K. "As heroes of the Empire!"

4. Lyra's death introduces the Empire to audiences as 'the bad guys'. They've just murdered the hero's mother!

 

I also feel like it was downplayed throughout the rest of the movie the fact that as a young girl Jyn literally watched her mother get murdered in front of her eyes. And yet, there isn't a single mention or reference to it later on in the movie. You would think that would be a major motivation for Jyn to continue on with what she did, and I'm sure it was. But in the movie it never came up again after the introduction. I would have liked to see at least one flashback to it, or one mention of it, possibly during Jyn and Krennic's confrontation, as sort of a way reiterate yet another reason why Jyn is so opposed to the Empire. But instead it was all about her father and trying to reconnect with him and finish what he started. Not that that shouldn't still be a major plot point, but I just feel like the whole Lyra episode was brushed under the rug a bit.

 

Learn why Lyra did what she did in one easy step:

Step 1) Corner a Lioness that is protecting her cubs

If you know whats happens next, then you know why she decided to do what she did.

 

As I mentioned earlier as well I think it gives Jyn a very good reason to be cynical, Lyra stood up to the Empire and it seemingly achieved nothing but getting herself killed. Its easy to see someone who has witnessed that and had it ruin her life taking the view that there's nothing the individual can do to stop the wheels of history, all you can do is keep your head down and try to roll with the punchs.

That's why the climax isn't focused on killing Krennic and why Jyn had to die, showing that ultimately she took the same path as her parents and it did achieve something. Indeed I think it also highlights the idea I mentioned in the criticism thread of Jyn and Krennic being dramatic mirrors, both look there certain death at the hands of he DS in the face at the end and the former is obviously a lot more fulfilled by it.

 

Good question. This has bothered me too. I think from reading Catalyst though that Krennic was driving her to the point of insanity and she felt she needed to confront him to give herself some peace.

 

Lyra got avenged when Krennic took a headshot from the Death Star.

Overkill to the max, my friends. Lol.

 

I agree with Darkslayer, the strain of living in hiding and constantly watching out for Krennic to show up and take everything away from her must have preyed on Lyra's mind for a long time with no end in sight. The stress built up to the breaking point and when he finally arrived, she snapped.

 

Ya, I mean it's really a terrible parenting decision but I don't think Lyra was entirely in her right mind at that point

 

"Not entirely in her right mind" might be a bit much, but I definitely don't believe her reasoning was at its best ever at that moment.

 

Yes... she panicked when the situation she'd feared for years, despite having planned for it, became real. As I've said before, Galen and Lyra had a plan in place, but since that plan involved the strong likelihood that Galen would be taken by the Imperials, she panicked at the thought of actually losing him. She knew the plan was set up in order to protect her and Jyn, but she obviously couldn't go through with it when it was all becoming real. Maybe she thought she could kill Krennic, but beyond that she didn't really have any plan. Galen's face when she walked up (after his lie about her being dead, too) basically said "no no no, what are you doing?!".

 

I see her sort of making a distraction for Jyn to get away safely, on top of also panicking that they were found. I think she knew she was dead from the get go, so she risked pulling a blaster and attempting to kill Krennic.

 

I got the impression that Lyra's anti-imperialism was more staunch than Galen's.

She would therefore never allow herself to be taken in and used as leverage to induce her husband to collaborate any further.

She would rather die trying, vainly, to effect an escape for them in the hope that it at least buys Jyn some time to conceal herself in the hiding place.

 

After reading through some of the comments, I started to wonder. Seeing as Lyra would trust Saw with her daughter's life, I think it's safe to assume there was a rather close relationship between Saw and Lyra, and when he comes to get Jyn from the hideout, he says, "Come my child", as if he's expecting it to only be Jyn in the hideout. That said, I wonder if Lyra and Saw had a plan that would have Lyra attempt to take out Krennic if she saw an opportunity. Considering at this point, Saw was already radicalized. Not off the deep end like he was when Jyn finds him on Jedha, but still an extremist. An extremist with a chance to take out a rather high ranking, and rather well known Imperial Officer.

 

That's an interesting take on it. Because you are right, he does say "my child" as if he already expected to only find Jyn there. It does raise some interesting questions, because I highly doubt it was any part of the plan or intended for Lyra to die in that scenario, so it makes you wonder how Saw knew Jyn would be alone. Perhaps Saw witnessed what happened from a distance, and after seeing Lyra go down and Galen taken away, he then came for Jyn. Maybe that was Lyra's request of Saw, that if anything should happen to her he would go and get Jyn.

As far as their relationship goes, I have to assume that both Lyra and Galen had a close relationship with Saw, given that so many years later Galen specifically sought out Saw by sending the defecting pilot to him with such valuable information.

 

Havent read the novel but in the film we don't know what happened to Lyra's body, could be Krennic just left her at the farmstead and Saw has already found her. I do think his attitude to Jyn does clearly hint that he knows Lyra is dead.

 

I should have been clearer with my comment, because I agree that both Galen and Lyra were close to Saw. That said, though, I only mentioned Lyra because it seems they had a different relationship than Galen and Saw had. Galen seems rather surprised when Lyra comes upon him and Krennic. I believe that is because he expected Lyra to be running with Jyn. Which then lends to the notion that Saw and Lyra had a side plan to try and take out Krennic if she saw an opportunity to do so.

 

I am glad she got a really quick death and didn't suffer. She got shot directly in the heart and basically died instantly. Hopefully before the electromagnetic impulses sent pain receptacles to her brain.

 

The prologue of the novelization ends with the body being taken with Galen, with Krennic saying that they'll give her a decent burial. (Krennic's motivation seems to be to use every possible angle to manipulate Galen Erso.)

 

Another interesting aspect is Krennic saying "Oh Lyra, troublesome as ever", which would obviously indicate that they had clashed before. I wonder if we'll ever get any expansion on that in either the comics or novelizations.

For example, it might be an interesting angle and could add a layer to the dynamics if there was perhaps even an instance where Lyra tells Krennic off about something unbeknownst to Galen. They wouldn't have to go into much detail about it either. Say, in one of the comics, as part of a flashback telling of Galen's life in the Empire, maybe have an illustration of Lyra saying something off putting to Krennic for whatever reason, without Galen being aware. Again, no further explanation required, it wouldn't take up much space, doesn't have to relate to the plot as a whole, can be just a one off side moment, and it wouldn't be out of place given that we already know what eventually went down. But it would certainly add a layer to the tension between Lyra and Krennic. Just one little moment illustrated or described like that could imply quite a lot about the past, present, and future of this whole dispute.

 

I've been meaning to read it. I've mainly read the comics up to now. Later on today I'll be making my weekly round to the book store and comic book store in my area. So maybe I'll pick it up then.

 

She made a choice between Jyn and Galen and decided that Galen needed her more.

I guess she knew Saw would come for Jyn, but that part of the story didn't sit right for me.

 

Agreed with others, she seemed at the very end of her rope. I don't have a problem with it. Kinda dumb, but she did managed to hit Krennic. Might have been worth it if she had managed to kill him.