5. The Destruction Of Alderaan Is One Of Star Wars' Darkest Moments
The Star Wars franchise has a few candidates for Darkest Moment in the Series (see also: the slaughter of the younglings by Anakin in Revenge Of The Sith), and one of its chief contenders is the complete destruction of Alderaan, Princess Leias home planet, here in A New Hope. In fact, for the sheer magnitude of its casualties (the destruction is mass genocide in an instant) and for the fact that it occurs simply because its where Princess Leia is from, it might just be the most twisted. Both a grand display of the unrivalled power of the Empire and its Death Star, and a visual treat for the viewer (the planet is destroyed by a gleaming green ray), the destruction of Alderaan is a brutal reminder of just how sinister the saga can be.