5 most heartwarming moments in Star Wars

2. When Malakil mourns the death of the rancor

This is probably a deeper cut that only the most diehard Star Wars fans would get but there’s a moment in Return of the Jedi that is unexpectedly heartwarming. When Luke goes to Jabba’s palace to offer the exulted one the droids in exchange for Han Solo’s freedom, he ends up getting tricked and dropped through a trap door into the lair of the Rancor monster.

The Rancor is a terrifying beast who is as powerful as it is ugly. Luke is left to battle the beast with nothing but a couple of bones and some rocks. Despite the crazy odds, Luke manages to kill the monster by dropping its own gate upon its giant noggin.

When that happens we are all relieved and thankful that Luke survived but then something unexpected happens. We see this obese, shirtless man look upon the felled beast with a dreadful look on his face. He is clearly shaken by the creature’s demise and soon breaks down and begins sobbing.

While that is more heart-wrenching than warming, it is what happens next that brings warms feelings to one’s heart. We see one of Jabba’s henchmen come up and comfort the topless caretaker. This was a surprising moment of depth for some characters who weren’t much more than extras. It is easy to assume that everyone in Jabba’s Palace was a “bad guy,” but seeing one of these thugs comfort another one shows that they have feelings too.

It makes one realize that no one is all good, or all bad, except for maybe ol’ Sheev Palpatine, and that there are two sides to everyone. We learn that just because someone is hanging out in Jabba’s villainous palace, it doesn’t mean they are a bad person.