We rank the 50 most memorable Star Wars deaths ever
By Ryan Wrenn
41. Admiral Ozzel
When Did They He Die: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Who Were They: Commander of Darth Vader’s personal fleet
How Did They Die: Force-strangled by Darth Vader after exiting hyperspace too close to the planet Hoth, thus alerting the Rebels.
Of all the offenses that Darth Vader felt were Force-choke worthy, these seems to be the most justifiable. You could make the argument that if Vader was so concerned about the Rebels not noticing the Imperial fleet’s presence in the Hoth system, why not just take control of the whole operation himself? We all know he knows how to fly just about any starship.
In his defense, however, this was a pretty significant screw up. If the Empire’s massive fleet could have somehow managed to slip under the Rebels’ radar, then they would have been able to orbitally bombard the planetary shield generators on the surface and spare themselves the trouble of a ground war.
Plus, it could have meant that the bulk of the Rebel leadership present at the base on Hoth would have been unable to escape the Empire’s clutches for the nth time.
That’s all no easy mistake to make up for, but surely the argument for Captain Needa still stands: Vader should realize the finite nature of military officers – particularly admirals – and spare Ozzel’s life this time.
Next: 40. Tuskan Raiders