25 most heartbreaking Star Wars character deaths of all-time

Ben Solo

We could only wait so long before jumping into the death that seems to be all the rage (literally) for the latest Star Wars trilogy. Ben Solo’s death was unexpected and unnecessary–at least that’s some people’s opinion–and that’s what made the event so somber.

Ben, the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, spent most of Episode VII, VIII and IX struggling to destroy both the Rebellion and the Empire, hoping to create a third path by means of the Dark Side. Despite being blinded by the desire to surpass his grandfather’s legacy for a chunk of the plot, Rey still managed to catch Ben’s eye and break down his thorny and scared emotional barriers.

It was a relationship many of us were looking forward to being seen through during the final episode of the most recent trilogy installment. Hopeless romantics got what they wanted with Ben abandoning his Dark Side ways and taking up sabers with Rey against the risen Palpatine. But after Ben uses the Force to bring Rey back to life and the two share a kiss, Ben doesn’t just die. He evaporates into the air, thus ending the Skywalker bloodline forever and audiences’ chances to get to see more of Ben as his true self. It’s crushing.