Anna Daniels
With the exception of the digital Princess Leia’s cameo, the closest we get to a Jedi hero in 2016’s Rogue One is the warrior-monk Chirrut Îmwe. Chirrut is not a Jedi himself, but as a member of a religious order charged with protecting the Temple of Kyber, Chirrut understands the Force better than any of the heroes of Rogue One. Shortly after we first meet him, in spite of his blindness, Chirrut beats the tar out of a squad of Stormtroopers harassing Jynn and Cassian.
Throughout the film, he repeats the phrase, “I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me,” often to the irritation of Chirrut’s friend (and possibly more), Baze. It’s precisely this phrase that Chirrut repeats over and over in the climactic scene of the film, when he makes it possible for the heroes to contact the Rebel fleet fighting in orbit. In spite of the console being on the other side of a no man’s land filled with laser fire, Chirrut picks up his staff and repeats, “I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me,” while walking into a storm of gun blasts. Miraculously, he survives the long walk to the console and hits the right switches, allowing Bodhi to contact the Rebel fleet and let them know to take down the Scariff planetary shield in order to receive the Death Star plans. Unfortunately, Chirrut dies moments later when the console is destroyed, but his sacrifice remains one of the most touching and iconic moments of the film.
Written by: Looper
