Is Jek Porkins in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story?

Gone but never forgotten, fan-favorite X-Wing pilot, Jek Porkins, may have been spotted in new Rogue One images released by Topps Trading Cards…

"“I’ve got a problem here.”“Eject.”“I can hold it.”“Pull up!”“No, I’m all—Aargh!“"

Thanks to the eagle-eyed members of Reddit page, Star Wars Leaks, we may have been tipped to the fact that fan-favorite X-Wing pilot, Jek Porkins, may be in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Redditor BoxerlessBossk posed the question to the Star Wars Leaks front page, and the Star Wars fans there donned their tin foil hats and went to work.

The query originated from the recently released new Topps Trading Cards featuring all-new Rogue One images. This particular image shows a squadron of X-Wing pilots running out of a hangar to what we can only assume is their X-Wings. Here’s the original photo:

Image Credit: Topps Trading Cards

And now here’s Jek Porkins from A New Hope, compared to the Topps Trading Card above.

Image Credit: Topps Trading Cards and Lucasfilm – Jek Porkins

It is definitely hard to tell if this is indeed Jek Porkins that we’re seeing in the Topps Trading Card because you can’t really make out the insignias on the right side of his helmet. However, since Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is taking place just a week or two before A New Hope, then Jek Porkins could have received more markings for his helmet, in the battle with his X-Wing squadron in the new film.

For those of you unfamiliar with the legend of Jek Porkins, here’s a refresher from Star Wars Wiki:

"Jek Porkins was a male human trader and pilot from Bestine. He decided to abandon his homeworld after the Galactic Empire moved in and developed a new military base there, and he ended up joining the Alliance to Restore the Republic. During the Battle of Yavin, Porkins flew a T-65B X-wing starfighter as part of Red Squadron, where his callsign was “Red Six.” However, his craft began to malfunction, causing him to be killed by turbolaser fire. Over three decades later, Porkins was remembered through the Porkins Belly Run, a Resistance flight maneuver named in his honor"

Either this is just another rotund X-Wing pilot, or it really is fan-favorite Jek Porkins, who gave his life in the battle to destroy the original Death Star. Let’s hope it’s the latter.

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We want to hear from you: Do you think this is Jek Porkins from Star Wars: A New Hope? Or is he just another large dude, about to hop into his X-WIng and battle the Empire? Let us know in the comments below and on social media.