Did Darth Vader Reveal The Fate Of Jyn Erso And Her Crew In ‘A New Hope?’

It’s no secret by now fans are well aware that there’s a new Star Wars film over the horizon. Jyn Erso and her team labeled ‘Rogue One’ will take to the ground in an epic battle to capture the plans of the fearsome Death Star. The super weapon was constructed by Jyn’s father Galen, who was forced to finish the operation under the orders of Dr. Orson Krennic. This film has not only become a heist but rescue mission as well. 

The fate of the entire galaxy rests in the hands of these Rebels to get the job done. However, what if their fate had already been sealed? What if audiences were already told the fate of these Rebels who sacrificed their lives to get the plans into the hands of the Rebel Alliance? What if the answer was in the first few minutes of A New Hope?  

Take a look at the video below that places Darth Vader front and center aboard the Tantive IV:

Vader is clearly pissed off at the Rebels having stolen the plans of the Death Star. First, we see him interrogate the captain of the ship while asking where the plans are. Vader eventually kills the man and orders his men to search the rest of the ship and to capture all remaining passengers until the plans are found. Once Princess Leia is found, Vader plans on using her to find the missing plans that were beamed directly into the ship.

What Did Vader Say That May Have Given Away The Outcome Of The Rogue One Mission?

What Vader says to one of his officers towards the end of this clip is crucial. In this scene, we hear Vader give out some information regarding the fate of the Rebel spies. At around the 3:17 mark, the Dark Lord states:

” I have traced the Rebel spies to her. Now she is my only link to finding their secret base.” -Darth Vader

These few sentences may not seem much upon first hearing it. However, when broken down it appears that Vader may have mentioned the fates of all the other Rebel spies. The first sentence explains that the transmissions have been traced to this ship, thus leading himself to Princess Leia who is now in possession of the plans.

The very next sentence is what I believe leads us to the crux of this article. If Leia is the “only link” remaining to finding the plans and the Rebels secret base, then what happened to the team that successfully stole the Death Star plans? Do you really believe that Vader would allow the Rebels who stole the plans to escape from harm?

Vader Doesn’t Accept Failures Easily

As we all know, Vader doesn’t give any sympathy to even his own Imperial Officers. He’s choked out numerous Imperial Officers, especially one’s who’ve failed him. So why should Vader allow any of the Rebels to live? The answer is clear: he wouldn’t.

Though the Rebels were successful in their mission, that doesn’t mean that anyone made it back alive. Rogue One is going to be one of the darkest if not THE DARKEST Star Wars film to date. Sure Revenge of the Sith had many dark moments with the assassination of the Jedi along with Anakin Skywalker ultimately becoming Darth Vader under the guide of Emperor Palpatine, but Rogue One will be ‘dark and gritty’ and will clearly become the ‘war film’ us Star Wars fans deserve. Many lives will be lost and casualties made. Director Gareth Edwards wouldn’t compare this movie to a Black Hawk Down or Saving Private Ryan for no apparent reason.

I’ve mentioned this before, but allowing some of these heroes in Rogue One to live would be a mistake. Sure Disney could create some spin-off stories with these characters, but I believe that it could be a detriment to the franchise. These heroes are never seen or heard from again in the episodic films so it would only make sense to give them all a noble death.

Strap yourselves in and buckle up because this is going to be a film that doesn’t end with an award ceremony. That comes later…

What do you think will happen to these characters in Rogue One? Do you think any of them will make it out alive? Share what you think in the comment section below!

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