We rank the 50 most memorable Star Wars deaths ever
By Ryan Wrenn
39. Zam Wesell
When Did They Die: Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Who Were They: A changeling bounty hunter hired by Jango Fett to kill Senator Amidala after she arrived on Coruscant.
How Did They Die: A poison dart delivered to her neck by her employer after she was captured by Obi-wan and Anakin.
Straight up: the flying car chase that precedes Zam Wesell’s death-by-Jango is one of the best action set pieces in the history of Star Wars movies. If that same spirit and general understanding of the benefits of CGI could have been sustained for half of the other climatic moments in the prequels, they would have a much better reputation.
Which makes the Obi-wan and Anakin’s capture of Wesell all the more dissatisfying. After Wesell’s second attempt on Senator Amidala’s life, they quickly chase after her. They dive, tumble and launch themselves through the skies of the city planet of Coruscant for a solid ten minutes, then stealthily tracking the bounty hunter through a crowded, exotic bar before finally capturing her and then promptly having her killed by a tiny poison dart. Kind of anticlimactic.
As lazy as a mechanic that shape-shifting can be, it also would have been nice to explore a bit of Wesell’s background and, more precisely, why Jango hired her in the first place. Alas, like so many other aspects of Star Wars, Wesell was introduced only to be quickly killed off.
Next: 38. Biggs