Star Wars: 8 Characters Who Will Die By The End Of Episode IX

8. Luke Skywalker

If killing off one childhood hero wasn't bad enough, it's pretty darn likely that this new trilogy will kill off another. That's the problem with growing older, all the people you idolised - real or fake, it seems - start to die (I didn't mean for this to take such a depressing, philosophical turn so early on, but here we are).

I know, Luke Skywalker has been in this new trilogy for barely a minute, and I'm already suggesting that he's going to die. Although in fairness, there were theories before The Force Awakens was released that he'd just be a Force Ghost, so to those people his just being alive was a bonus. Anyway, Luke's death in this new series of films makes sense, and is likely to happen for the story to really move forward. Episode VIII will be about him connecting with Rey, and training her to be the new Jedi, and eventually he will have to return to Leia and the Resistance, because he is a hero. And that's probably what will get him killed, probably in Episode IX.

If this story is going to climax with Rey versus Kylo Ren - or any other major new threat - then first of all her mentor (and father?) will need to be out of the way. It'll increase the emotional stakes for her final battle, and also fit with what we know of Star Wars. Luke's own father died at the end of the original trilogy, so it goes (or rather, rhymes) that he will die towards the end of this one.