10 Most Brutal Star Wars Movie Deaths

Yep - Rogue One was as harrowing as it looked in the trailers...

Windu death
Lucasfilm

Despite being filled with countless distressing moments, Star Wars is never really considered a 'dark' franchise.

This is the same series, mind you, that features a man cutting off his own son's hand, several planets being blown up and an evil organisation of Force-wielding nut-jobs taking over the galaxy, but somehow, all people remember are Han Solo's one-liners, BB-8's adorable beeps and boops and the cute, furry little Ewoks. Something's not right here.

Star Wars is a tale of balance - light and dark, good and evil - and the brutal side of that coin is very much on display across the entire saga that now spans eight live-action films.

From A New Hope in 1977 all the way up to this year's Rogue One, the series packs more than a few deaths that are equal parts chilling, grisly and outright horrible, though in some cases, you may not have realised it at first.

So, besides Hayden Christensen's career after the prequels, here are ten of the most brutal deaths in Star Wars movie history...

10. Jabba The Hutt (Return Of The Jedi)

Cause Of Death: Strangled by a chain.

Leia Organa is hardly known for her ruthless combat ability, but here, she surprised everyone with the savage, pitiless way in which she dispatched everyone's least-favourite crime-boss slug, Jabba the Hutt.

Using the room's confused atmosphere to her advantage, the Princess smashes an electronic panel and kills the lights, allowing her to climb up and around the back of Jabba, throw a chain around his neck and strangle him to death without so much as a whiff of remorse.

Not that Jabba didn't deserve it; but as the camera zooms onto his flailing tongue that's desperately trying to gulp down some air, and his shaking limbs that're writhing with agony, you can't help but feel a small tinge of sympathy.

The brutality of the kill is inherent, but it's heightened by the fact that it comes from Leia, a character who doesn't look capable of anything of the sort. A solid display of the Princess's determination? Absolutely. But that doesn't stop it from being any less barbaric.

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WhoCulture Channel Manager/Doctor Who Editor at WhatCulture. Can confirm that bow ties are cool.