Set just before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story follows a group of unlikely heroes who come together to steal the plans to the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the Death Star.
The Capture of Galen Erso: The film opens with Galen Erso, a scientist living in hiding with his family, being forced back into the service of the Galactic Empire. The Imperial officer Orson Krennic arrives on Galen’s farm to take him away and continue his work on the Death Star, a planet-destroying superweapon. Galen’s wife, Lyra, is killed, and his daughter, Jyn Erso, escapes and hides. Jyn is later found and rescued by Saw Gerrera, a militant leader of the Rebel Alliance.
Jyn’s Search for Galen: Years later, Jyn Erso has grown up and is imprisoned by the Empire. She is freed by the Rebellion, which needs her help. The Rebellion has received information that her father, Galen, is still alive and is the key to finding a flaw in the Death Star. Rebel Intelligence officer Cassian Andor is tasked with recruiting Jyn, along with his droid companion K-2SO, a reprogrammed Imperial droid. The Rebellion hopes to use Jyn to reach Saw Gerrera, who has intercepted a message from Galen.
The Message from Galen: Jyn, Cassian, and K-2SO travel to the desert planet Jedha, where Saw Gerrera operates. The Empire is mining kyber crystals from the planet to power the Death Star’s weapon. On Jedha, Jyn reconnects with Saw and learns from a holographic message sent by her father that Galen has secretly sabotaged the Death Star. He has designed a fatal flaw in the weapon’s reactor, one that can destroy the entire station if the Rebels can exploit it. The plans for the Death Star, however, are stored on the Empire’s military base on Scarif.
Meanwhile, the Empire tests the Death Star’s power on Jedha City, destroying it in a massive explosion. Jyn, Cassian, and the crew narrowly escape the blast, while Saw remains behind and dies in the destruction.
Galen’s Sacrifice: Jyn’s mission takes them to the Imperial facility on the rainy planet Eadu, where Galen is being held. Cassian, who has been ordered by Rebel leaders to assassinate Galen, hesitates after seeing how much Jyn cares for her father. Before Jyn can rescue Galen, an airstrike ordered by the Rebellion hits the facility, killing Galen. In his final moments, Galen expresses his love for Jyn, knowing that he’s done his part to sabotage the Death Star.
Rogue One’s Plan: Determined to honor her father’s legacy, Jyn convinces a small group of Rebels to help her steal the Death Star plans from the heavily guarded Imperial archives on the tropical planet Scarif. The group names their mission “Rogue One” and, with the help of Cassian, K-2SO, and new allies like the blind warrior Chirrut Îmwe and mercenary Baze Malbus, they prepare for a dangerous infiltration of the Imperial base.
The Battle of Scarif: On Scarif, the team infiltrates the base while the Rebel fleet, led by Admiral Raddus, arrives to provide support from space. A massive battle ensues, with Rebel fighters clashing with Imperial forces both on the ground and in space. Inside the base, K-2SO sacrifices himself to help Jyn and Cassian reach the archive containing the Death Star plans.
Jyn and Cassian manage to retrieve the plans, but they are confronted by Director Krennic, who tries to stop them. Meanwhile, the Rebel fleet struggles to break through the Empire’s defenses. Jyn successfully transmits the plans to the Rebel fleet, but she and Cassian are unable to escape.
The Death Star’s Power: As the Rebel fleet prepares to retreat, the Death Star arrives in orbit and fires on the Imperial base, obliterating it. Jyn and Cassian share a quiet moment of peace on the beach, knowing they’ve succeeded in their mission, before being consumed by the explosion. Their sacrifice ensures the Rebel Alliance now has the plans to destroy the Death Star.
Darth Vader and the Final Moments: In a final, thrilling sequence, Darth Vader boards the Rebel command ship in a brutal attempt to retrieve the stolen plans. He cuts through Rebel soldiers with terrifying efficiency, but they manage to pass the plans to another ship in time.
The film ends with Princess Leia Organa receiving the Death Star plans aboard her ship, setting the stage for the beginning of Star Wars: A New Hope.
Closing Thoughts: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a powerful, action-packed film that tells the untold story of how the Rebel Alliance came to possess the Death Star plans. With a cast of complex and heroic characters, the movie shows the cost of war and the sacrifices made to ensure hope and freedom in the galaxy. This standalone Star Wars story ties directly into the events of A New Hope, providing a deeper understanding of the Rebel Alliance’s first major victory against the Empire.
The Battle of Scarif and Jyn’s Sacrifice: In the climactic final moments of Rogue One, Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor successfully retrieve the Death Star plans from the Imperial archives on Scarif. As the battle between the Rebel fleet and Imperial forces rages on, Jyn transmits the plans to the Rebel command ship, ensuring that the Rebellion will have a chance to destroy the Empire’s superweapon.
However, Jyn and Cassian are unable to escape. On the beaches of Scarif, they accept their fate as the Death Star, under the command of Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin, fires on the Imperial base, obliterating the entire planet. Jyn and Cassian share a moment of peace, knowing they have accomplished their mission, just before they are consumed by the explosion.
Darth Vader’s Pursuit: The Rebel fleet, now in possession of the Death Star plans, attempts to flee from the Imperial forces. However, in a chilling sequence, Darth Vader boards the Rebel command ship, mercilessly cutting down Rebel soldiers in his pursuit of the stolen plans. Despite Vader’s terrifying onslaught, the plans are successfully transferred to another ship in time.
Leia Organa’s Hope: In the final scene, aboard the fleeing Rebel ship, Princess Leia Organa is handed the Death Star plans. When asked what they have received, Leia responds with one simple word: “Hope.” This marks the pivotal moment that leads directly into the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, where the Rebel Alliance will use the plans to destroy the Death Star.
Closing Thought: The ending of Rogue One is both heroic and tragic, as the team sacrifices their lives to ensure the Rebellion can fight back against the Empire. Their bravery and sacrifice set the stage for the Rebel Alliance’s first major victory in the original Star Wars trilogy.