Those Star Wars characters that were taken way too soon!
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00:00Admittedly, some deaths are definitely necessary along the way when telling such an epic tale
00:05like the ones found in Star Wars, with the loss of powerful Jedi Masters, despicable
00:10villains and lovable rogues, helping to add emotional weight or delivering a much-needed
00:15win in various projects over the years.
00:18But then there are those sudden fatalities that just felt like a gigantic waste of some
00:22of the coolest and most intriguing figures this franchise has ever known.
00:27So I'm Gareth, this is What Culture Star Wars, and here are 10 Star Wars Deaths That
00:32Should Never Have Happened.
00:3410.
00:35Val Introduced during the spin-off tale known
00:38as Solo A Star Wars Story, Val was a rather spiky criminal seen working alongside the
00:44likes of Tobias Beckett and Han Solo early on in the flick.
00:47But then, just as viewers were beginning to warm to the initially quite cold but undeniably
00:52cool Scoundrel, Val suddenly sacrificed herself in order to give her team the best chance
00:56of completing the mission to steal some coaxium off a transport.
01:00This wasn't actually the original plan though.
01:03According to the terrific Tandiwe Newton, the star bringing Val to life on screen, her
01:08character actually survived in the script, instead just falling away and disappearing
01:12after the aforementioned explosion, so she could potentially show up in another Star
01:16Wars story.
01:17In the end, the fact that moment was too huge a set piece to create, resulted in a change
01:22of plan.
01:23It was simpler to just have Val die instead, as Newton recalled, but it's hard to argue
01:28with the actor's opinion of the entire thing being a big, big mistake, after Star Wars
01:33finally opted to introduce the first black woman with a quote-unquote real role in one
01:37of these movies, only to stupidly kill her off within the first 40 minutes.
01:41Who was your favourite character in a Star Wars spin-off story?
01:46Was it Val before she was stupidly killed?
01:48Or somebody else?
01:49You let me know in the comment section down below.
01:529.
01:53Marok From the moment a certain red spinning lightsaber
01:56wielding figure popped up during the trailers for Disney Plus' Ahsoka series, folks began
02:01speculating about exactly who this potential inquisitor was.
02:06Said mystery continued on throughout the first few episodes of the marvellous show, with
02:10the spooky helmet-wearing mercenary known as Marok largely just knocking around with
02:14Balen Skull and Morgan Elsbeth, or clashing with Ahsoka Tano, all without officially revealing
02:20who-slash-what was underneath said mask.
02:23Would Marok ultimately reveal himself to be one of Ahsoka's old enemies from her past?
02:27Or even a more recognisable and shocking face like Ezra Bridger?
02:31Sadly not.
02:32He was just unceremoniously killed during his second duel with Anakin Skywalker's apprentice
02:37in Episode 4.
02:38With the only real clue as to who Marok was coming in the form of the green mist and screams
02:43that escaped his body, after Tano unleashed the fatal blow, was he actually a Nightbrother
02:47all along?
02:49That green gas certainly looks similar to the magic used by the Nightsisters seen elsewhere
02:53in the series, a power that has also been used to bring the dead back to life.
02:58Perhaps Dave Filoni and co still have plans for the strange Force-sensitive villain in
03:01the upcoming season 2, and will find a way to reanimate one of the biggest mysteries
03:06in recent Star Wars history.
03:08If not, though, most would likely agree the intriguing new antagonist was taken way too
03:13soon.
03:14Disappointingly cut down without ever fully explaining what in the hell Marok even was.
03:208.
03:21Admiral Ackbar The iconic fish-faced Star Wars military
03:25commander who famously let audiences know it was a trap during the original trilogy
03:30had a decent old run in the Skywalker saga, but you would be lying if you said you weren't
03:35even a little bit frustrated about the way the great Admiral Jill Ackbar's time in
03:39the galaxy far, far away was brought to an end.
03:42After surviving the Clone Wars, helping the Rebel Alliance take down a Death Star, and
03:47eventually going on to serve in Leia Organa's resistance, the Mon Calamari legend was swiftly
03:52murdered in the most underwhelming way imaginable in Episode 8, The Last Jedi.
03:57When said daughter of Vader was blasted out of the Raddus by the First Order, Ackbar was
04:01among the many blown to smithereens during that shocking attack.
04:05That was it.
04:06One of the most respected military leaders ever to fight the good fight in Star Wars
04:10just gone.
04:11And with only a throwaway line acknowledging his sudden death.
04:15Though Ackbar was never a starring figure in those original flicks or his TV appearances,
04:20he definitely deserved a more dramatic and emotional send-off or sacrifice than the waste
04:24of an off-screen end he was given in the sequels.
04:27Fans aren't the only ones who were annoyed by the way this death went down either, with
04:31Tim Rose, the man inside the suit, also expressing disappointment over such a lacklustre conclusion
04:36for the Rebel hero.
04:387.
04:39Captain Phasma
04:41Another eye-catching antagonist dispatched way too early into their run in a galaxy far,
04:45far away, popped up during the sequel trilogy.
04:48With the shiny badass known as Captain Phasma instantly turning heads from the moment she
04:52popped up in Episode 7, The Force Awakens promotional material.
04:56I mean, just look at her.
04:58A rather uneventful showing in that first sequel flick got her off to a pretty poor
05:02start, as supposedly one of the First Order's most intimidating leaders.
05:06But there was still hope she could redeem herself after it was revealed she'd survived
05:10the destruction of Starkiller Base in the 2017 follow-up.
05:14Sadly though, Phasma's return didn't last all that long, and she was ultimately beaten
05:18by Finn in what ended up being her only real duel in the series.
05:22Had Phasma somehow found a way to cheat death once again after her Episode 8 The Last Jedi
05:27fall through the flames?
05:29Then perhaps there's a world where Episode 9 ended with one hell of a rematch between
05:33the chrome Captain and Finn.
05:35Watching a scarred and unhinged Phasma wrecking everyone in her path to finally get revenge
05:39on the traitor who ruined her life would have made for a seriously compelling addition to
05:44the poorest entry into the sequel series.
05:47It also would have kept the Stormtrooper from becoming yet another utterly wasted villain.
05:526.
05:53Supreme Leader Snoke
05:54Whilst on that subject of completely fumbled bad guys in the Star Wars sequels, arguably
05:59the most unexpected and annoying murder of the entire Skywalker saga went down during
06:04Episode 8 The Last Jedi.
06:07After being built as the series' new big villain to be feared in the prior flick, and
06:11putting in a frightening shift during his first few moments in Rian Johnson's follow-up,
06:15the unsettling Supreme Leader Snoke appeared to be the real evil deal.
06:20Despite years of fans dreaming up compelling scenarios where he would have been revealed
06:24as Palpatine's master Darth Plagueis, or perhaps even the mortis god known as the Sun
06:29though, Snoke was eventually chopped in two before those answers could be revealed in
06:33Episode 8.
06:34Then, if not getting the chance to see Snoke really flex his muscles as the galaxy's
06:38latest seemingly unstoppable villainous force wasn't bad enough, Episode 9 The Rise of
06:43Skywalker ultimately came along and completely ruined the character by simply letting folks
06:48know he was just an artificial Strangcast used by the returning Emperor Palpatine to
06:53control the galaxy from afar.
06:55As the apparent top villain of the films, Snoke was always destined to be struck down
06:59at some point of course, would have perhaps killed the need to foolishly resurrect old
07:04Palpatine as that final film's main antagonist, and perhaps saved Snoke from one of the silliest
07:09and most dissatisfying origin stories in Star Wars history.
07:13Cheers for watching this video today!
07:15Tap on that subscribe button down below for more What Culture Star Wars magic.
07:19This is where the fun begins.
07:215.
07:22General Grievous
07:24From the sequel's completely wasted baddies, to the prequel's collection of underutilised
07:29villains now, and to a merciless cyborg almost as formidable as Darth Vader himself, bursting
07:35onto the scene during Episode 3 Revenge of the Sith, the grotesque and sinister General
07:40Grievous simply commanded your attention right away.
07:43His spluttering, cough-growling mechanical voice, and collection of lightsabers from
07:48many a defeated Jedi, quickly had folks interested in this new monster of a Kaleesh.
07:54Before they could learn much more about him on the big screen, however, Grievous was gunned
07:57down by a usually quite civilised Obi-Wan Kenobi.
08:01He would at least get a few more moments to shine in the Clone Wars animated series, with
08:05that show even exploring the General's fascinating lair.
08:09But had Grievous managed to wiggle out of danger once again, instead of falling to Kenobi
08:13after one of the more disappointing lightsaber duels of the prequels, there's every chance
08:18the Jedi-killing General could have continued serving Emperor Palpatine's new empire throughout
08:22the Rebels series.
08:24Imagine that!
08:25Or perhaps a magnificent clash with fellow cyborg Vader could have occurred, after Darth
08:29Sidious decided Grievous' talents were no longer needed.
08:33Either way, there were still a few interesting Grievous stories left to tell before his rushed
08:38death on Utapau.
08:40Padme Amidala's death was one of those that always had to go down at some point before
08:47the original trilogy got underway, but Luke and Leia's mother dying due to the fearless
08:51Senator losing the will to live was an utterly horrendous way to kill off the important figure,
08:57and should never have happened.
08:58Instead, having Padme go into hiding, while still sending Luke off to be with his uncle
09:03and having the Organas look after Leia to protect her children from Darth Vader, could
09:07have led to a far more emotional and dramatic end later down the road.
09:11Amidala could have secretly helped build the Rebel Alliance that would oppose the oppressive
09:15Empire and possibly even checked in on young Leia from time to time, too, making the Princess'
09:21eventual comments about her mother during Episode 6's Return of the Jedi feel a little
09:25less odd in hindsight.
09:27Vader would have then no doubt discovered her at some point, which would have led to
09:30another awkward chat with a lying Palpatine, and perhaps a far more tragic death for Padme
09:35after she once again turned down the chance to join her hubby, without Obi-Wan there to
09:40tell him to let her go.
09:43Vader's anger at being lied to and betrayed would have likely taken over, before lashing
09:48out and killing his beloved in a fit of dark side-range.
09:55Thankfully, the baddest bounty hunter in the galaxy, not named Boba Fett, can still be
09:59found popping up in new Star Wars projects in the wake of his unexpected death in the
10:03Book of Boba Fett.
10:05But even with Cad Bane being confirmed to return in the Bad Batch's third season, set
10:10just after the Clone Wars, many are still upset over the fact this blue-skinned sharpshooter's
10:14life was seemingly ended not long after his live-action debut.
10:18Sure, it was still awesome watching Fett clash with his old mentor during that aforementioned
10:23Disney Plus series finale, however if this death is actually final, then Boba's stabbing
10:27of the Juras Cowboy has robbed fans of a number of equally compelling showdowns.
10:33Just imagine watching Bane exchange blaster fire with Din Djarin, clash with Ahsoka Tano
10:38once again, or possibly even share the screen with fellow blue-skinned villain Grand Admiral
10:43Thrawn in live-action during the New Republic timeline.
10:46Hopefully, then, like many of the other apparently dead Star Wars personalities over the years,
10:51this isn't actually the end for the beloved menace.
10:54Because if it is, the coolest gunslinger out there being taken out this early into his
10:58live-action run would be seriously anticlimactic.
11:022. Morgan Elsbeth
11:04Hopping back to Disney Plus' latest live-action Star Wars TV adventure, the first season of
11:09Ahsoka saw another enigmatic individual getting killed rather unexpectedly.
11:14Before showing up in this show, Morgan Elsbeth was last seen colliding with the titular Force
11:19Wielder during the Mandalorian's second season.
11:21Here, Ahsoka defeated the Magistrate, leading to Tano requesting information about Grand
11:26Admiral Thrawn's whereabouts.
11:28Jumping forward to the time of Ahsoka's first season, and after ultimately escaping
11:32the clutches of the New Republic and discovering that her master was trapped on the extragalactic
11:36world of Peridia, Elsbeth eventually jumped to that galaxy to rescue Thrawn.
11:41And after all that hard work, she was then rewarded with the gift of shadows and powerful
11:46blade of Talzin, before agreeing to stay behind and keep Tano and co from thwarting Thrawn's
11:52plans to get off-world.
11:53But it was that move which eventually resulted in this spooky Nightsister suddenly being
11:57taken out by Tano, after yet another wonderful duel between the two in the show's finale.
12:03Not long after seemingly being given a boost by the Great Mothers, and handed such an impressive
12:08weapon, Elsbeth was just given the same treatment as Marok, sliced through the stomach before
12:12she could ever really grow into a properly terrifying threat.
12:16Which was a bit of a letdown really.
12:17Again, Nightsister magic could help reverse a death some feel was a waste of the character's
12:22potential later on, but for now it does seem like Elsbeth's story has come to a frustratingly
12:26premature end.
12:281. Mace Windu
12:31After just being swatted away by the dark side duo of Darth Sidious and Anakin Skywalker
12:36in Episode 3, Revenge of the Sith, the chance to have the magnificent Samuel L. Jackson
12:40dust off his cloak in future instalments as the unforgivably wasted Mace Windu was seemingly
12:46and rather infuriatingly shot out of the window too.
12:50Making it so this one-armed Windu instead fell from this great height and remarkably
12:54survived though.
12:55After all, Jedi can't fall from amazing distances according to the actor himself.
13:00Before then going into exile like Obi-Wan and Yoda did, could open up the opportunity
13:05for one last terrific ride for Jackson in one of Star Wars' upcoming live-action series.
13:10Who wouldn't want to watch a live-action, grizzled old Windu interacting with an older
13:15Ahsoka Tano?
13:16Or the son of the bounty hunter he decapitated on Geonosis all those years ago again, eh?
13:21As recently as 2022, Jackson was also talking about trying to convince Bryce Dallas Howard
13:26to get him into the Mandalorian series, telling the Happy Sad Confused podcast that he was
13:30ready to return and could learn lightsaber left-handed.
13:34So what are you waiting for guys?
13:35It's time to undo one more Star Wars death and bring some Mace back to this place!