9. Obi-Wan's Sacrifice - Star Wars
When you're a kid watching
Star Wars for the first time, you think this part is really cool because of the lightsaber fight. It's not until you rewatch it as an older movie fan that you begin to appreciate what this moment truly means for the characters. Some of the most famous fictional heroes are born out of tragedy. Bruce Wayne probably wouldn't have become Batman if his parents weren't shot. James Bond, as we learn in
Skyfall, was an orphan before he was recruited by MI6. Sometimes, our protagonists need a push to get going. This was that moment for Luke. During the first half of the film, Obi-Wan Kenobi teaches Luke (and the audience) all about the Force and the ways of becoming a Jedi Knight. You get the sense that Old Ben is the closest thing Luke had to a compassionate father, as the elder Jedi looks to guide Luke as he takes his first steps into a larger world. But eventually, Luke is going to have to wander out there on his own and experience things for himself. Obi-Wan sacrificing himself gave Luke that extra spark and also allowed Kenobi to become a more powerful figure. As flesh and blood, he can only be in one place but now as a spirit, he will always be with Luke (this is what he means when he tells Luke that "Yoda will always be with you" at the beginning of
Jedi). Moments after his death, Obi-Wan is already communicating with Luke, showing him that even if he must face the dangers of the galaxy alone in a physical sense, he'll never be completely alone. This part is still really cool, but now for a totally different reason.