Summary

• The death of Mace Windu is ranked as the least impactful due to his unlikeable character and lack of emotional resonance.
• Ben Solo's redemption and death, Pé's demise, and Qui-Gon Jinn's death in battle rank as middling heroic deaths in Star Wars.
• The deaths of the original trilogy trio rank among Star Wars' most impactful heroic sacrifices.

Many heroes have sadly perished in Star Wars movies.

Even Star Wars TV shows will 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, as Star Wars' heroic sacrifices are compared against one another.

The following list is ranked from least impactful to most impactful and contains only major hero deaths from the nine mainline Skywalker Saga movies.

10 Mace Windu

The Former Master Of The Order Is Not Likeable Enough To Have An Impactful Death

Ranking as the least impactful hero death in Star Wars is 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 in Star 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 arrogance in 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.

9 Ben Solo

Kylo Ren's Redemption Was Too Short-Lived To Give Ben Solo's ing Weight

In Star 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 the lower-ranked Star Wars sequel 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 of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, meaning not enough time was dedicated to light-side Ben as a character. While Driver's performance is great and The Rise of Skywalker's cinematography elevates the scene, it ultimately falls flatter than a lot of Star Wars hero deaths.

8 Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan Kenobi's Death Is A Mixture Of Sadness & Indifference

Despite Obi-Wan Kenobi being one of the best characters in Star Wars history, his death is not as tragic as this would reflect. The primary reason for this is the return of Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope's two sequels, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Given that Kenobi has big roles after his death as a Star Wars Force Ghost, it somewhat robs A 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, and Obi-Wan Kenobi only makes the moment more impactful, despite it not being outright heartbreaking.

7 Pé Amidala

The Death Of Pé Is Symbolic Of The Best & Worst Of Star Wars' Hero Deaths

Pé's death in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is one of two extremes. The wooden acting and stilted dialog of the prequel trilogy is on full display as Anakin Force chokes Pé, causing her to fall unconscious. This poor dialog only continues later when Obi-Wan is told that Pé is simply "losing the will to live." If this were all that was shown of Pé's death, it would easily be ranked at the bottom of Star Wars' hero deaths.

The Senator of Naboo has a more impactful death than her final dialog moments in Revenge of the Sith suggest...

However, Pé's ensuing funeral scene is one of the most hauntingly beautiful in Star 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, Pé's funeral fills a void. Accompanied by John Williams' fantastic score and the improvements to Pé's character made in Star Wars: The Clone Wars' timeline, the Senator of Naboo has a more impactful death than her final dialog moments in Revenge of the Sith suggest.

6 Yoda

The Death Of The Jedi Grand Master Was Impactful In The Original Trilogy

Yoda has long been one of Star Wars' standout characters, and this alone ranks his death in Return of the Jedi higher 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 of how long it actually takes Yoda to into the Force. However, these issues are certainly not as pronounced as the death of Pé, nor do they impact the emotional impact of seeing a core Star Wars character die. While Yoda's Last Jedi scene gives 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.

5 Qui-Gon Jinn

Wider Star Wars Stories Have Deepened The Pain Of Qui-Gon's Death

Qui-Gon Jinn's death is one of the most affecting in the entire Star Wars saga. Of course, it greatly helps that it comes as a result of Duel of the Fates, one of Star Wars' best action scenes. The lightsaber fight at the tail end of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace is 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 by Star Wars canon. 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.

4 Anakin Skywalker

The Tragic Story Of The Chosen One Results In An Equally Tragic Death

The death of Anakin Skywalker works for a multitude of reasons. Anakin is undoubtedly one of Star 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 as Star Wars' Chosen One of the Force es on after completing his mission.

The prequels, especially Star 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 Pé's in Revenge of the Sith, only without the love shown by Naboo citizens, which truly symbolizes the heartbreaking story of Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars.

3 Han Solo

Everyone's Favorite Scoundrel Had One Of Star Wars' Most Heroic Deaths

It is only fitting that the iconic trio of the original Star Wars trilogy take the top three spots concerning the franchise's most impactful deaths, beginning with Han Solo. Solo has long been one of Star 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 the Star Wars sequels, which came to a head in The 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-time Star Wars greats.

2 Luke Skywalker

The Death Of Luke Skywalker Is As Close To Star Wars Poetry As George Lucas Dreamed

Luke Skywalker's Star Wars death is 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 in Star Wars history. Luke died as a Jedi is supposed to; he used the Force to defend life rather than to attack the 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 that Star Wars should 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 that Star Wars should 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's Star Wars death, Luke Skywalker's could have pushed higher in this ranking.

1 Leia Organa

The Death Of Leia Organa Tragically Coincided With The ing Of Carrie Fisher

Leia Organa's death is singular in Star Wars, in that it was just as much an honoring of Carrie Fisher's ing as it was an impactful moment for the character. Carrie Fisher ed away in the midst of production on the Star Wars sequel trilogy, with The Rise of Skywalker using repurposed footage from The Force Awakens to give the iconic character Fisher portrayed a proper send-off. This resulted in one of The 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 ing, 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 the Star Wars franchise by giving them a tragically beautiful heroic final scene.