We rank the 50 most memorable Star Wars deaths ever
By Ryan Wrenn
14. AT-AT
When Did They Die: Episode V: Empire Strikes Back
Who Were They: An Imperial walking transport involved in the invasion of Hoth
How Did They Die: Rebel Alliance snowspeeder spun its legs up in a towline, forcing it to crash into the snowfield
Fun fact: the Rebel Alliance’s tactic of sending snowspeeders out to wind cables around the Empire’s All-Terrain Armored Transports was lifted from the early Romans over two thousand years ago.
An ambitious Greek king named Pyrrhus attempted to invade Italy in the third century before Christ using sophisticated military tactics and also elephants. The Romans, initially terrified of an animal they’d never seen before, quickly adapted. They devised a system by which they would tie a rope to the end of chariots, charge out into the field and incircle the elephants until they could no longer move without getting caught up. The tactic worked and the Greeks never again threatened Italy or Rome.
Unfortunately for the Rebels, the counter-tactic did not work so well against AT-ATs. They lost the Battle of Hoth, mostly due to the overwhelming presence of those Imperial Walkers.
When the ol’ towline trick did work, it worked spectacularly. The downing of the one AT-AT in the Empire Strikes Back using the tactic is justifiably an ironic moment in the original trilogy.
Next: 13. AT-ST