Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Mandalorian season 3, episode 7.The story of Star Wars may ultimately be one of good triumphing over evil, but the franchise features several shocking sacrifices along the way. Even before darker entries like The Empire Strikes Back and Revenge of the Sith, George Lucas made clear that the fight for freedom wouldn't come without a cost. However, heroic character sacrifices are some of the most powerful moments in Star Wars, adding a sense of tragedy while also conveying hope for the future. Each Star Wars hero was willing to lay down their life for what they believed, revealing who they were or showing how far they'd come on their journey.
While each Star Wars movie has plenty of shocking death scenes, the TV shows have several shocking sacrifices, too. These character deaths are often just as powerful as those on the big screen, having followed these characters through several episodes, sometimes for longer than it takes to release a film trilogy. This kind of impact is even more prominent in the Star Wars books and comics, where many fans followed their favorite characters for decades before they met their demise. With so many sacrifices in every Star Wars medium, here are the 15 sacrifices that were the most shocking.
15 Obi-Wan Kenobi 
The first shocking Star Wars sacrifice came in the original film, when Obi-Wan Kenobi allowed Darth Vader to strike him down. What made this scene so surprising was how Obi-Wan willingly laid down his life, realizing he couldn't escape but knowing the future was now in Luke Skywalker's hands. He met his end with no fear at all, proving what he said to Vader right by becoming more powerful than anyone could imagine. Still, that doesn't change how shocking the moment is, perfectly captured by Mark Hamill's performance when Luke becomes enraged, with Obi-Wan's equally surprising voice urging Luke to run.
14 Anakin Skywalker 
After striking down his old master at the start of the original trilogy, it's fitting that Anakin Skywalker sacrificed himself at the end. Darth Vader was a terrifying villain throughout the OT, fighting his own son until the very end, which made it incredibly shocking when he threw the Emperor to his apparent death. This was the true "Return of the Jedi," bringing Anakin Skywalker back to the light and fulfilling his destiny to bring balance to the Force. Anakin's story demonstrates that no matter how far somebody has fallen, it's never too late to do the right thing, making his sacrifice a perfect end to Lucas' Star Wars saga.
13 Chewbacca 
While he outlived his closest friends in canon, Chewbacca's death in Legends was one of the most shocking in all of Star Wars. The proud Wookiee met his end in Vector Prime by R.A. Salvatore, the first book in The New Jedi Order series, where he was crushed by a moon that was dragged to the planet below by Yuuzhan Vong technology. Chewbacca died saving Anakin Solo, the youngest of Han and Leia's children, and his death devastated other Star Wars characters and the fanbase. R.A. Salvatore even received death threats from certain outraged fans, though he later commented that most responses he received to Vector Prime were largely positive.
12 Anakin Solo 
Anakin Solo was the next EU character to meet his end in the Yuuzhan Vong War, sacrificing himself in Troy Denning's Star by Star to save his Jedi friends and family. As Han and Leia's youngest child, Anakin's sacrifice was especially shocking and heartbreaking, especially after his character arc in The New Jedi Order. Han blamed Anakin for leaving Chewbacca behind, and he struggled to overcome his guilt throughout the war. However, Anakin grew into a strong leader, heading a mission to stop the Yuuzhan Vong from killing more Jedi. Anakin did as a true embodiment of the light, saving his siblings and giving everyone else time to escape. His death was all the more shocking coming immediately after Greg Keyes' "Edge of Victory" duology, which had starred Anakin and developed him as a character, leading many to expect him to become the next leader of the Jedi Order.
