Rogue One

Lore & Background

The mission propels the team from the Imperial research facility on the planet Eadu to the Imperial data vault on the planet Scarif. On Eadu, Galen Erso reveals he has secretly built a vulnerability into the Death Star. The schematics are located in an Imperial data vault on Scarif. Jyn proposes a mission to steal the Death Star schematics, but the Alliance Council feels there is no chance of victory. Frustrated at their inaction, Jyn's group leads a small squad of volunteers to raid the vault using a stolen Imperial shuttle, which Bodhi dubs "Rogue One." They gain entry through the planet's shield, and Jyn, Cassian, and K-2SO infiltrate the base while the others attack the Imperial garrison as a diversion. The Alliance learns of the raid from intercepted Imperial communications and deploys the fleet in support, engaging in a space battle against the Imperial forces. K-2SO sacrifices himself so Jyn and Cassian can retrieve the data. Chirrut is killed after activating the switch to allow communication with the Rebel fleet, and Baze is killed shortly afterward. Bodhi is killed by a grenade after informing the Rebel fleet that it must deactivate the planetary shield to let the plans be transmitted. Rebel Admiral Raddus uses an Alliance ship to crash two Imperial Star Destroyers into each other; the wreckage destroys the shield generator. Jyn obtains the plans but is ambushed by Krennic, who is shot and wounded by Cassian. Jyn transmits the plans to the Rebel command ship moments before the Death Star arrives above Scarif. Tarkin then orders the Death Star to destroy the citadel; Krennic is vaporized by the demolition beam, while Jyn and Cassian find themselves unable to escape the explosion, and embrace as they are killed in the ensuing shockwave. The Rebel fleet begins to jump to hyperspace; however, many ships are intercepted by Darth Vader's Star Destroyer. Vader boards the Rebel command ship and slaughters many troops in an attempt to reclaim the plans, but a smaller ship escapes with them. Aboard the fleeing ship preparing to enter hyperspace, Princess Leia Organa declares that the plans will bring hope for the Rebellion.

In Their Own Story

On Eadu, the rain didn't just fall; it tasted of ash and failure. Jyn Erso tightened her grip on her blaster, scanning the fog-shrouded landing pad where their stolen shuttle waited like a ghost in the mist. Beside her, K-2SO stood motionless, his black chassis gleaming dully under the bruised storm clouds. "This is a terrible idea," the droid stated flatly, his voice cutting through the wind. "Statistically, our survival probability is negligible." Jyn didn't look back. "Then we better make it count," she muttered, stepping into the downpour just as the sky tore open with the screaming roar of incoming Imperial TIE fighters.

Reader's Guide

Though the transmission succeeds, Darth Vader personally intercepts the fleeing Rebel transport, slaughtering its crew in a terrifying display of power. As the battle on Scarif dissolves into a massacre under the Death Star's orbital bombardment, Jyn and Cassian are engulfed by a blinding wave of sand and debris from the station's first test fire. Their ultimate sacrifice ensures the plans reach Princess Leia's hands, directly igniting the chain of events that leads to Luke Skywalker's victory at Yavin.

Did You Know?

• John Knoll, visual effects supervisor of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, first pitched Rogue One's story as an episode of the unproduced television series Star Wars: Underworld in 2003.
• The film omits the opening crawl and transitional screen wipes used in the main 'Skywalker Saga' installments to differentiate it as a war film.
• The score was composed by Michael Giacchino, rather than the Skywalker Saga composer John Williams.
• The film went through extensive reshoots in mid-2016, with principal photography beginning at Pinewood Studios in early August 2015 and wrapping in February 2016.
• Andor, a prequel television series, aired on the streaming service Disney+ for two seasons from 2022 to 2025.