We rank the 50 most memorable Star Wars deaths ever
By Ryan Wrenn
43. Captain Needa
When Did They Die: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Who Were They: Captain of the Imperial Star Destroyer that failed to track the Millennium Falcon through the asteroid field after the Battle of Hoth
How Did They Die: Force-choked by Darth Vader as punishment for losing the Falcon
Full disclosure: there are going to be lots of people dying from being choked, with the Force or otherwise, on the remainder of this list. Along with losing your limbs, it seems like a very real threat in the Star Wars universe.
Needa’s death highlights a pretty absurd inefficiency in how the Empire goes about being the Empire though. Think about it: you’ve got two guys at the top of the organization who are willing and able to kill just about anyone they wish. No one could stop them even if they wanted to.
That’s a big enough problem already without even considering how quickly Darth Vader jumps to the Force-choke in about every discipline situation. Have the Sith never heard of learning experiences? How’s anyone going to get better in the Imperial military if every little mistake gets you choked out by your boss?
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Okay, sure, Vader’s whole thing is that he’s mad all the time. He can’t help himself from murdering these starship captains, that’s just how Sith do. Fine! But how long did anyone think this could last? Are their just legions and legions of capable starship captains waiting in the cargo bay, ready to step up and take over for the last guy who mildly irritated Vader? The talent pool simply cannot be that deep.
Next: 42. Oola and Jubnuk