We rank the 50 Biggest WTF Moments in Star Wars History
By Josh Hill
35. Lando Barely Escapes The Second Death Star
Film: Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
The Moment: After the shield generator on Endor was destroyed, Lando led a small team of rebels inside of the Death Star II in an effort to destroy it. After taking out the reactor core, the team moves to escape the bowels of the Death Star as it begins to combust and explode. Lando, piloting the Millennium Falcon, barely escapes the space station as it spits fire in one final breath of life.
Why It’s Memorable: This is probably the most memorable moment that Lando was involved in as it’s his character his most triumphant. There’s fewer highs that can be had than barely escaping the Death Star before it explodes. It was the ultimate moment of catharsis and it’s still a widely discussed moment in Star Wars lore.
There has been debate over the years as to whether or not Lando was originally meant to die at the end of the film. All of the scripts in existence seem to suggest that no such plot line was ever something that was supposed to happen, but it’s an added layer of substance to an already memorable moment for both Star Wars and Lando. We all breathed a sigh of relief when the Falcon me it out of the Death Star, and it will always be like that.
Next: 34. Jar Jar Destroys The Galaxy