A wise man once said: "Hello there!" Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the cleverest choices made in the franchise set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
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00:00If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.
00:07Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the cleverest choices made
00:11in the franchise set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
00:15And you, young Skywalker, we will watch your career with great interest.
00:21Number 10.
00:22Entrusting the Death Star plans to R2.
00:24Star Wars Episode IV, A New Hope.
00:26This moment set the entire original trilogy in motion.
00:29After receiving the stolen Death Star plans, Leia heads to Tatooine to ask Obi-Wan for
00:33help.
00:34What's this?
00:35What is what?
00:36He asked you a question.
00:37What is that?
00:38Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi.
00:39You're my only hope.
00:40But when her ship is seized by Darth Vader, she's given no choice but to hand the plans
00:46over to R2-D2.
00:47Trusting the fate of the galaxy to a little droid is a big risk, but her gamble paid off
00:51in the end.
00:52I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of
00:56this R2 unit.
00:57My father will know how to retrieve it.
01:00Not only did R2 complete his mission, but he also inadvertently got Luke Skywalker to
01:03begin his journey to becoming a Jedi.
01:05And we all know why that had to happen.
01:07I want to come with you to Alderaan.
01:10There's nothing for me here now.
01:12I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father.
01:16Number 9.
01:17Freeing Poe.
01:18Star Wars Episode VII, The Force Awakens.
01:19Can you fly a TIE Fighter?
01:20You want the Resistance?
01:21Why?
01:22No, no.
01:23I'm breaking you out.
01:24Can you fly a TIE Fighter?
01:25I can fly anything.
01:27Named by the First Order since childhood, FN-2187 was once considered a model stormtrooper.
01:32However, his faith is shaken during the Massacre of Jakku.
01:35His reluctance to fire is noticed, putting his loyalty to the First Order into doubt.
01:39Why are you helping me?
01:42Because it's the right thing to do.
01:44You need a pilot.
01:46I need a pilot.
01:48We're gonna do this.
01:50Yeah?
01:51So he makes the courageous decision to desert, leaving the only home and family he knows.
01:55Realizing that this will be no easy feat, he enlists the help of imprisoned Resistance
01:59pilot Poe Dameron, who dubs him Finn.
02:01FN, huh?
02:02Finn.
02:03I'm gonna call you Finn.
02:04Is that alright?
02:05Finn.
02:06Yeah.
02:07Finn.
02:08I like that.
02:09I like that.
02:10I'm Poe.
02:11Poe Dameron.
02:12Good to meet you, Poe.
02:13Good to meet you, too, Finn.
02:14It's a risky move, but Dameron's piloting skills prove crucial to their escape.
02:15Number 8.
02:16Letting Kallus contact the Rebellion.
02:18Star Wars Rebels.
02:19When Thrawn made his debut in canon, fans hoped to see his tactical mind done justice
02:23on the small screen, and he didn't disappoint.
02:25On the hunt for a Rebel spy, Thrawn identifies the mole as Agent Kallus, just from the design
02:30painted on a helmet.
02:31Bridger?
02:32If Bridger was the shuttle thief, why didn't Kallus alert us?
02:35Because, Colonel Yularen, Kallus is the Rebel spy.
02:40Instead of arresting him, Thrawn plays the long game and tricks Kallus into contacting
02:44the Rebellion.
02:45As the warning message transmits, Thrawn traces it to the hidden Rebel base.
02:49Would you prefer I address you as Falcrum?
02:53I'm afraid your Rebel friends won't receive your warning.
02:57His subsequent attack on Atollon cost the Rebel Alliance lives and resources.
03:01This just proves that if anyone's deserving of the Grand Admiral title, it's Thrawn.
03:05Now is the home of your Rebel base.
03:09Admiral Constantine, deploy the fleet to these coordinates.
03:13We will join you shortly.
03:16Number 7.
03:17Luke's Force Projection.
03:18Star Wars Episode VIII, The Last Jedi.
03:20The sequel trilogy saw Luke having undergone a serious loss of faith in the idea of a Jedi
03:25Order and himself.
03:26You don't need Luke Skywalker.
03:29Did you hear a word I just said?
03:31You think what?
03:32I'm going to walk out with a laser sword and face down the whole First Order?
03:37But his return certainly made an impact.
03:39At the end of The Last Jedi, the Resistance is left without allies or hope of survival.
03:43That's when Luke arrives to hold off the First Order and his former student.
03:46Did you come back to say you forgive me?
03:50To save my soul?
03:53No.
03:55Embracing the role of legendary Jedi Master, he distracts Kylo Ren long enough for his
03:59friends to escape.
04:00He may not have been there in person, but he saved the Resistance from annihilation.
04:04The war is just beginning.
04:09And I will not be the last Jedi.
04:13More importantly, Luke's sacrifice reignited hope when all seemed lost.
04:21With a second Death Star menacing the galaxy, the Rebellion devises a cunning plan.
04:26Sneak past the Imperial fleet using older clearance codes, disable the deflector shield
04:30that protects the Death Star, and destroy it.
04:32Once the shield is down, our cruisers will create a perimeter while the fighters fly
04:37into the superstructure and attempt to knock out the main reactor.
04:42At least it seems like a cunning plan.
04:44In a twist, the Emperor has been deceiving them, and the Death Star 2 is fully operational.
04:49It was I who allowed the Alliance to know the location of the shield generator.
04:55It is quite safe from your pitiful little band.
04:59It turns out the Emperor leaked intel to the Rebellion so that they'd walk into a trap.
05:03The Rebel fleet is ambushed, and so is its ground team.
05:06Admiral, we have enemy ships in sector 47.
05:09It's a trap!
05:10Fortunately, Palpatine didn't predict just how effective the Ewoks would be.
05:17With electrified floors, armed guards, and an unreachable exit,
05:21the Imperial prison complex on Narkina V seems impossible to escape.
05:24I'm sure some, if not all of you, are wondering how we risk standing before you without weapons.
05:30It's a potent question.
05:33And hopefully one you will need to have answered very often.
05:36But when Cassian Andor and the other inmates realize they'll never be released, they plan a breakout.
05:41The prison doubles as a factory, and Andor uses a wrench to burst open a water pipe.
05:45He also jams the lift leading to the control room halfway.
05:54What's going on out there?
05:55Go! Go!
05:58The water from the pipe short-circuits the electrified floor,
06:01and the lift allows the inmates to climb up to the control room.
06:04Sadly, a lot of inmates don't make it out, but given the circumstances,
06:07it was better to try than do nothing at all.
06:10What happened to them?
06:11We made it!
06:16What's wrong?
06:18I'll explain.
06:23The circle is now complete.
06:25When I left you, I was but a learner.
06:27Now I am the master.
06:29Only a master of evil, Darth.
06:31Had Obi-Wan not been struck down, A New Hope would have probably ended very differently.
06:35As our heroes prepare to board the Falcon, Luke spots Darth Vader fighting his beloved mentor.
06:40Obi-Wan knows that Luke would just get captured trying to save him,
06:43so he removes himself from the equation.
06:49No!
06:51The distraction allows Luke to escape and leads to Obi-Wan becoming even more powerful.
06:55At the climax of the film, Obi-Wan reaches out and inspires Luke to destroy the Death Star.
06:59Use the Force, Luke!
07:05Let go!
07:06Even from beyond the grave, he helps save the galaxy.
07:12Star Wars Rebels
07:13Grand Admiral Thrawn is a genius in the art of war,
07:16but when it comes to Jedi, he often underestimates his opponents.
07:19The Jedi once numbered in the thousands.
07:22What's left are a scattered, frightened lot,
07:25mostly beaten and in hiding, or poorly trained children like yourself.
07:30Nowhere is this more evident than in his confrontation with Ezra Bridger on Lothal
07:34in the Star Wars Rebels series finale.
07:36Surrendering to Thrawn, Ezra is brought on board the flagship of Thrawn's fleet, the Chimera.
07:41Thinking he's won, Thrawn is shocked to realize that Ezra has summoned the Purgle,
07:45sentient star whales down from space.
07:47Sir, they came out of hyperspace!
07:49Admiral, we have incoming.
07:52Take a look.
07:54The Purgle take hold of the Chimera and transport them both out of the galaxy.
07:58We can't blame Thrawn for not seeing that one coming.
08:00The move saves Ezra's home planet and takes Thrawn out of the war.
08:04And remember, the Force will be with you.
08:07Always.
08:10Number 2. Turning Anakin to the Dark Side
08:12The Star Wars Prequel
08:15Number 2. Turning Anakin to the Dark Side
08:17The Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
08:19From the very beginning, Sheev Palpatine was at work behind the scenes,
08:22orchestrating all the major events of the Prequel Trilogy.
08:25His machinations led to the Clone Wars and win him the position of Supreme Chancellor.
08:29Mesa proposed that the Senate give immediately emergency powers to the Supreme Chancellor.
08:38But to maintain his nascent empire, he needs a strong apprentice.
08:42And who better than the Chosen One himself, Anakin Skywalker?
08:46Become my apprentice. Learn to use the dark side of the Force.
08:54By manipulating Anakin into joining the Sith, Palpatine ensured the eradication of the Jedi.
08:59Sure, Darth Maul and Count Dooku were skilled apprentices, but neither held a candle to Anakin.
09:04It was a wise choice that spelled doom for the galaxy.
09:07Lord Vader, can you hear me?
09:13Yes, Master.
09:17Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
09:20Keeping a decoy. The Star Wars Prequel Trilogy.
09:23The Handmaidens served their leader loyally.
09:27Karde.
09:29Lady, I'm so sorry. I failed you, Senator.
09:35No.
09:37Uniting the tribes of Mandalore. The Mandalorian.
09:40The Children of the Watch and the Night Owls finally take back their planet.
09:43Okotan Kryze is going off to bring other Mandalorians in exile to us, so that we may join together once again.
09:51Teaming up with the Ewoks. Star Wars Episode VI, Return of the Jedi.
09:55C-3PO builds an unexpected alliance that helps defeat the Empire.
09:59What are you telling them?
10:01Hello, I think.
10:04I could be mistaken. They're using a very primitive dialect, but I do believe they think I am some sort of god.
10:10Hiding on a Star Destroyer. Star Wars Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back.
10:14The Falcon crew hides right under the Empire's nose.
10:20Hollows will come out. Deploy the fleet.
10:28Diving into the garbage chute. Star Wars Episode IV, A New Hope.
10:31A terrible rescue attempt salvaged by a princess.
10:34What the hell are you doing?
10:36Somebody has to save our skins.
10:40Into the garbage chute, flyboy.
11:02Number one. Shooting first. Star Wars Episode IV, A New Hope.
11:06This scene perfectly establishes Han's character.
11:08It'd sure be a shame if it was changed for the re-releases.
11:11Yes, I bet you have.
11:15Yeah, since that's the case, there's a better choice for our number one spot.
11:18Number one. Designing the Death Star with a fatal flaw. Rogue One, A Star Wars Story.
11:23We used to think that the Death Star's exposed thermal exhaust port was just a huge oversight.
11:28But it turns out that it was deliberately designed that way by reluctant Death Star architect Galen Erso.
11:33And the day is coming soon when it will be unleashed.
11:36I've placed a weakness deep within the system. A flaw so small and powerful they will never find it.
11:42As he was forced to help build the battle station, he realized that he could also ensure its destruction by sabotaging the project from within.
11:49So he had the Death Star built with a thermal exhaust port that led down to its reactor.
11:53The reactor module. That's the key. That's the place I've laid my trap.
11:57It's well hidden and unstable. One blast to any part of it will destroy the entire station.
12:04Mind you, this didn't make it easy to destroy. The surface was covered in turbolasers and cannons, and only a precise hit would blow it up.
12:11But it did give the Rebellion a chance, and without that decision, the galaxy would have turned out a very different place.
12:17My father's revenge. He built a flaw in the Death Star. He put a fuse in the middle of your machine, and I've just told the entire galaxy how to light it.
12:25The shield is up.
12:27Do you think there's a decision that's even smarter than that? Let us know in the comments.
12:31Remember, the Force will be with you. Always.
12:55Thanks for watching!