Graphic Novelty²

An amazing Star Wars website, Anakin And His Angel, has a monthly writing prompt about the SW universe. Willing to try it for the first time, I discovered this month’s topic is to pick a favorite scene from Rogue One.  But how can one pick just a single favorite scene of Rogue One?!

*Spoiler Alert* I decided to go with a surprisingly touching moment, not between the humans in the movie, but with the “death” of the droid K-2SO.  Yes, a death scene of a robot was my favorite scene. Why? Well, first off, I loved K-2SO. The Star Wars droids have always been enduring, with R2-D2 and BB-8 being fan favs, but this Rogue One droid had something special. As such, his death was especially poignant.

K-2SO, voiced and acted by the epically awesome Alan Tudyk, was introduced as a former Imperial droid, who had been reprogrammed for the Rebels. He wasn’t cute like the previously mentioned chirping droids, and not an annoying know-it-all like C-3PO. Instead, this talking monolith had personality to spare. He cracked jokes, spoke bluntly, and gave his all to the cause.

The scene in question occurred in the Death Star control room, as K-2SO helps Jyn and Cassian find the database that will give them the plans for the weak spot that Jyn’s father built into the original Death Star. Jyn and Cassian have to leave the room to retrieve the data, and K-2SO stays behind to give his friends a fighting chance. Stormtroopers blast their way into the control room, as my beloved droid fights them off valiantly. He prevents the soldiers from getting to Jyn and Cassian, but dies in the effort of doing so. As his eyes blink out, you know he is no more.

As with many of the characters of Rogue One, you know his death makes sense, as it a prequel to A New Hope, but that doesn’t makes the deaths any easier. But to have a droid show such friendship, compassion and bravery for the Rebel cause is a credit to the movie as a whole. K-2SO made me care, and then cry for his humanity and the sacrifice he so willingly made.

-Nancy