History Awesome / RogueOne

* The scene of Tarkin watching as the dish assembly is guided into the nearly-finished ''Death Star''. A fleet of star destroyers (one of which had just prior received a shot establishing its enormous size) looks like guppies next to the gigantic superweapon. Even more awe-inspiring when the viewer considers that, horrific as the whole thing is, it represents a civilization grabbing the rung to pull itself up to [[JustForFun/AbusingTheKardashevScaleForFunAndProfit Type III on the Kardashev Scale]].

*** Even more fridge brilliance and awesome here: these poor, poor RedShirts just barely survived the maelstrom of death that's Darth Vader, yet in Film/ANewHope, they're ready to do it all over again! If that isn't bravery, I don't what is.

*** Even more fridge brilliance and awesome here: these poor, poor RedShirts just barely survived the maelstrom of death that's Darth Vader, yet in ANewHope, they're ready to do it all over again! If that isn't bravery, I don't what is.

*** As the rebels escape with the Death Star plans the camera focuses on Vader. While we can’t see his face the sheer rage and frustration that comes off him is a wonder to behold. It’s probably the first major setback he’s experienced in quite some time and it wasn’t a Jedi Master who undermined him. It was a bunch of working class grunts who stuck it to him. A bit of fridge brilliance is this also explains why Vader is so uncharacteristically angry at the start of ANH.

** And all this adds to Luke's awesome in ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack''. Yes, we know Vader was holding back. Yes, we know he was toying with Luke, trying to turn him to the Dark Side instead of kill him. Yes, we know Vader's dueling technique is a little rusty, since he hasn't fought another lightsaber-wielding opponent in a decade or so. But even with all that, the fact that Luke lasts more than ''thirty seconds'' against Vader, after witnessing him go all-out here, is a true moment of awesome for our favorite farm boy.

*** It was impressive in ''Film/TheForceAwakens'' when Kylo Ren stopped a blaster bolt with just the Force. So how does Vader top that? By Force pushing a blaster bolt back at the shooter. He then Force pulls the guns from anyone still standing.

* Bodhi Rook, a cargo shuttle pilot, spends most of the movie barely holding onto what's left of his sanity, and terrorfied. But, when push comes to shove, he comes through, doing what needs to be done, including improvising transmissions on Scarif to draw forces away from the main battle.

*** One of the troopers who gets disarmed by Vader falls back to obtain another weapon before he is killed.

* Red and Gold squadrons participating in the battle over Scarif, with the original Red and Gold Leaders reprising their roles!

*** It was impressive in ''Film/TheForceAwakens'' when Kylo Ren stopped a blaster bolt with just the Force. So how does his dear old grandfather top that? By Force pushing a blaster bolt back at the shooter. He then Force pulls the guns from anyone still standing. Like the Enchantress from ''[[Film/SuicideSquad2016 Suicide Squad]]'', Vader wanted to let them try to shoot him just so they know how hopelessly outmatched they are before slaughtering them.

* The crew going up against AT-[=ATs=] ''on foot''.
** [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack The last time we saw Rebel pilots take on Imperial walkers]] the weapons on their airspeeders couldn't even scratch the paint. Watching Blue Squadron's X-wings utterly ''tear them apart'' while providing close air support is ''immensely'' satisfying.
** Watching a door gunner in a U-Wing blast the joint of another AT-AT. Almost wished he'd shouted [[Film/FullMetalJacket "GIT SOME!" (Anyone who runs is an Imperial. Anyone who stands still is a well-disciplined Imperial.)]]

* Blue Squadron coming in for a last second save as they destroy all of the AT-AT walkers attacking the Rebels.

* Krennic's ultimate fate is hilariously perfect: not only is he [[HoistByHisOwnPetard killed by the same superweapon he forced other people to build]], but he gets the best view imaginable of its laser pointing right at him. The novelization makes it better. Knowing he's about to die, Krennic tells himself at least he'll know his creation lives on. He imagines it, going through every detail of it all in his mind...including that exhaust port Galen kept insisting on putting in. In the final second, [[LateToTheRealization Krennic realizes what's happened]] and spends his last breath cursing Galen.

-->'''Imperial clearance officer:''' [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall There is no 'Rogue One'!]]

** And all this adds to Luke's awesome in ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack''. Yes, we know Vader was holding back. Yes, we know he was toying with Luke, trying to turn him to the Dark Side instead of kill him. Yes, we know Vader's dueling technique is a little rusty, since he hasn't fought another lightsaber-weilding opponent in a decade or so. But even with all that, the fact that Luke lasts more than ''thirty seconds'' against Vader, after witnessing him go all-out here, is a true moment of awesome for our favorite farm boy.

** During the FinalBattle, he leads a BoardingParty on the Alliance's flagship, and [[MookHorrorShow tears through Rebel soldiers]] with his [[CurbStompBattle red lightsaber]] like a hot knife through butter]], blocking blaster shots and [[PsychicStrangle Force-choking]] RedShirts aplenty. Then he witnesses the ''Tantive IV'' escaping with the Death Star's plans right under his nose, standing over the Rebel admiral ship's ventral takeoff bay. A pure villainous moment of awesome that directly leads to the start of ''Film/ANewHope''.

** Watching a door gunner in a U-Wing blast the joint of another AT-AT. Almost wished he'd shouted [[Film/FullMetalJacket "GIT SOME!"]] [[Film/FullMetalJacket (Anyone who runs is an Imperial. Anyone who stands still is a well-disciplined Imperial.)]]

* Galen Erso's explanation for why he helped build the Death Star is not only an example of great delivery from Mads Mikkelsen, but also shows that sometimes the path to doing the right thing can lead you to some pretty dark places. [[spoiler: Galen reveals that he soon realised if he took his life or got himself killed that it would only delay the project, not stop it. So instead he endeavoured not only to complete the Death Star but make himself seem invaluable to its creation. This allowed him to be in the perfect position to create a seemingly insignificant design flaw within the Death Star, one that if exploited would annihilate the entire space station. He gave the galaxy a fighting chance.]]
-->'''Jyn Erso''': My father's revenge. [[spoiler:He put a flaw in the Death Star. He put a fuse in the middle of your machine and I've just told the entire galaxy how to light it.]]

* [[spoiler: Saw may have been half gone mentally and farther gone physically, but he faces down the blast of Jedha's main city's destruction without flinching and practically embracing the shockwave.]]
** Jedha itself became a BattleCry by the events [[spoiler: of the battle of Scarif, similar to the Alamo for Texans]].
* K-2SO proves that even a security droid can have some great moments (since fighting droids [[Film/ThePhantomMenace were]] [[Film/AttackOfTheClones previously]] [[Film/RevengeOfTheSith shown]] simply as more or less squishy, [[MechaMooks disposable soldiers]] ready for the MookHorrorShow). His Empire era type (KX series) is durable enough to withstand a lot of blaster shots.

** [[spoiler:His LastStand[=/=]HeroicSacrifice, defending the entrance to the archives room while Jyn and Cassian are busy searching for the plans manually. He mows down several waves of stormtroopers, taking wound after wound, before he's finally overwhelmed. His last act is to smash the console controlling the door to the archives, delaying the Imperials just a little longer.]]

-->'''Imperial clearance officer:''' [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall There is no]] [[RetCon 'Rogue One'!]]

** [[spoiler:His ship's DynamicEntry into the FinalBattle, jumping out of hyperspace directly in front of the retreating Rebel fleet and causing several of them to smash themselves like bugs on a windshield against the hull to showcase how much of a MightyGlacier a Star Destroyer can be. This is followed by the ship single-handedly wiping out every remaining Rebel ship except the flagship, and that was because Vader wanted to board it. Maybe there's a reason Vader's personal ship at this point is the ''[[MeaningfulName Devastator]]''...]]
** [[spoiler:During the FinalBattle, he leads a BoardingParty on the Alliance's flagship, and [[MookHorrorShow tears through Rebel soldiers]] with his [[LaserBlade red lightsaber]] [[CurbStompBattle like a hot knife through butter]], blocking blaster shots and [[PsychicStrangle Force-choking]] RedShirts aplenty. Then he witnesses the ''Tantive IV'' escaping with the Death Star's plans right under his nose, standing over the Rebel admiral ship's ventral takeoff bay.]] A pure villainous moment of awesome that directly leads to the start of ''Film/ANewHope''.
*** Perhaps the most amazing moment of that above scene? Vader [[spoiler: uses the Force to send a Rebel flying up into the ceiling. Vader then walks under the guy while ''nonchalantly slicing him in half with his lightsaber.'' He then keeps marching, not even bothering to watch the man's bisected corpse flop to the ground.]]
*** It was impressive in ''Film/TheForceAwakens'' when Kylo Ren stopped a blaster bolt with just the Force. So how does his dear old grandfather top that? [[spoiler:By Force pushing a blaster bolt back at the shooter. He then Force pulls the guns from anyone still standing. Like the Enchantress from ''[[Film/SuicideSquad2016 Suicide Squad]]'', Vader wanted to let them try to shoot him just so they know how hopelessly outmatched they are before slaughtering them.]]

*** All this is only reinforced by what we see of Vader earlier in the film: [[spoiler: a quadruple amputee who, thanks to all of the damage he's endured in the past, can't even ''live'' outside of his suit unless he's in a bacta tank. And yet despite his injuries, he's an [[HandicappedBadass unstoppable killing machine]].]]
*** [[spoiler: In fairness to the rebels in that scene, despite the obvious fear on their faces when Vader ignites his lightsaber, [[YouShallNotPass they still open fire and try to hold the line]] so that they can transfer the Death Star plans to the ''Tantive IV'' before Vader can retrieve them.]]
*** [[spoiler: The trooper holding the data card begins the scene begging for people on the other side of the door to help them. After he sees how quickly his comrades fall, he abandons that, and opts instead to pass the drive off to someone else before he dies. Then we see Vader cutting open the door through his body.]]
*** [[spoiler: That trooper gets one more awesome moment in the novel, as rather than stabbing him, Vader grabs him by the throat and demands to know where the plans are being taken. The trooper's response is a defiant [[DefiantToTheEnd "Away from here. Away from you"]].]]
*** [[spoiler: One of the troopers who gets disarmed by Vader falls back to obtain another weapon before he is killed]].
*** [[spoiler: As the rebels escape with the Death Star plans the camera focuses on Vader. While we can’t see his face the sheer rage and frustration that comes off him is a wonder to behold. It’s probably the first major setback he’s experienced in quite some time and it wasn’t a Jedi Master who undermined him. It was a bunch of working class grunts who stuck it to him. A bit of fridge brilliance is this also explains why Vader is so uncharacteristically angry at the start of ANH]].

* Once it becomes clear to the Rebels that Rogue One has left for Scarif, Mon Mothma asks to to speak to Admiral Raddus, and learns that he's ''already out there and taking the Rebel fleet with him to fight'', disregarding the Council's ruling. He had already supported Jyn before, and his defiant actions force the rest of the Rebellion to take action and this wins the battle. It's telling that the cautious Mothma almost looks proud when she hears the news.
** Then moments later, as the rest of the Alliance's starfighter wing on Yavin begin to deploy and head to Scarif, the dark and dramatic Rogue One them shifts into a triumphant version of the Force Theme JUST as the Flight Controller sends them off with "May the Force Be With You." They might not have Luke Skywalker or Han Solo on their side yet, but these men and women are Rebels to the end.
* The entirety of the FinalBattle counts as one, really, but special mention has to go to the page image at the top. [[spoiler:The Rebels don't have the firepower to get past the planetary shield, so they need to hit it with something really big. To that end, an X-Wing destroys a Star Destroyer's shield generator, the Y-Wing squadron disables it using ion bombs, and then, as a plan devised by Raddus, a ''Hammerhead'' corvette -- the ''[[MeaningfulName Lightmaker]]'' -- rams into the disabled ship, ''pushes it into the Star Destroyer next to it'' '''and shears the command deck and turrets clean off.''' Then, the debris from both ships crash down into the shield control station orbiting Scarif, knocking out the shield and allowing ''Rogue One'' to transmit the plans out to the Rebel flagship. [[SmallRoleBigImpact That one corvette saved the Rebel Alliance!]]]]
** [[spoiler:Maybe that's where Holdo got the idea?[[note]]Too soon?[[/note]]]].
** [[spoiler: Sadly, the novelization of the movie makes it clear that the ''Lightmaker'', along with all its crew, was destroyed in the collision of the Star Destroyers. Not only did those men and women pull of one of the most daring feats in the battle and saved the Galaxy, but they knew that it would cost them their lives. We raise our glasses to you, ''Lightmaker''...]]
** [[spoiler: Just to clarify, it is easy to assume it made it out, as a keen-eyed observer can spot two other ''Hammerhead'' corvettes warping in with the fleet, and one blink-and-you'll-miss-it of one warping out before Vader shows up. What makes the ''Lightmaker'' even more badass? That corvette had already been heavily damaged and had actually pulled back from the battle, after being shot up by both of those very same Star Destroyers. They volunteered to be the ship to do it just to make sure the Rebellion didn't have to sacrifice one of the other corvettes that was still in good shape. Also, the Lightmaker actually survived the Star Destroyers colliding, that tough little ship still pushing the Destroyer it had rammed. The last thing the crew got to see was confirmation they'd just driven that Destroyer right into the Shield Gate. In their last seconds, they knew they'd given Rogue One, the Rebellion, and the galaxy a chance.]]
** [[spoiler: Also, blink and you'll miss it, but the pilot who took out the Star Destroyer's shields was one of the handful of Blue Squadron pilots who didn't make it through the Shield Gate before it closed. The battle may have gone very differently if he ''had'' made it through. As it was, he had several TIE Fighters hot on his tail as he pressed his attack, so even then it was a very close thing.]]

* Blue Squadron coming in for a last second save as they [[spoiler:destroy all of the AT-AT walkers attacking the Rebels.]]
* Even though Jyn and Cassian [[spoiler: are killed by the Death Star, they die having ensured its destruction.]]

* Jyn gives Cassian a [[spoiler: WhatTheHellHero moment when she finds out that Cassian planned to kill Galen without even telling her. Not only is she legitimately horrified but she reminds him that with such a treacherous action planned, [[NotSoDifferent he's no different than a member of the Empire]]. Even better, ''he actually realizes she's right.'']]
-->'''Jyn:''' [[spoiler: You may as well be a Stormtrooper.]]

** If this was any other movie, Jyn might have the last word; but Cassian angrily throws it back at her, saying that he has been fighting the Empire his whole life and she has no right to judge him for the actions he takes in a fight she only got involved in against her will. He also points out he ''[[WhatYouAreInTheDark refused to shoot Galen]]'', just so that Jyn could have the chance to save him, or at least share a final moment with him. Much like Jyn, he lost everything to Empire when he was young. ''Unlike'' Jyn, he actually decided to do something about it.
*** The beauty of the scene is that they're ''both right'', and consequently each is inspired by the other to act. Jyn decides to stop hiding and make a decisive move against the Empire, and Cassian realises he's been morally compromised and so sees his chance at redemption by throwing in his lot with Jyn. It's no coincidence that Jyn [[MeaningfulEcho repeats Cassian's words]] ("rebellions are built on hope") as from that point on they're a united front.
* Krennic's ultimate fate is hilariously perfect: not only is he [[HoistByHisOwnPetard killed by the same superweapon]] [[KarmicDeath he forced other people to build]], but he gets the best view imaginable of its laser pointing right at him.
** The novelization makes it better. Knowing he's about to die, Krennic tells himself at least he'll know his creation lives on. He imagines it, going through every detail of it all in his mind...including that exhaust port Galen kept insisting on putting in. In the final second, [[LateToTheRealization Krennic realizes what's happened]] and spends his last breath cursing Galen.

* As evil as Tarkin is, [[spoiler: "You may fire when ready"]] is just as [[MagnificentBastard wonderful and chilling]] as in ''Film/ANewHope''. Especially because this is the first time the camera is on his face as he says it, as his back is to the camera in both instances in ''A New Hope''.

** The aftermath of destruction it leaves are also impressive. Even when it restrains itself to only primarily blowing up a single city on Jedha, the resulting shockwave is so massive that not only do the heroes miles away have to flee the planet from it, but ''it can be seen all the way in space.''

*** [[spoiler: As the rebels escape with the Death Star plans the camera focuses on Vader. While we can’t see his face the sheer rage and frustration that comes off him is a wonder to behold. It’s probably the first major setback he’s experienced in quite some time and it wasn’t a Jedi Master who undermined him. It was a bunch or working class grunts who stuck it to him. A bit of fridge brilliance is this also explains why Vader is so uncharacteristically angry at the start of ANH]].

** [[spoiler: His ship's DynamicEntry into the FinalBattle, jumping out of hyperspace directly in front of the retreating Rebel fleet and causing several of them to smash themselves like bugs on a windshield against the hull to showcase how much of a MightyGlacier a Star Destroyer can be.]]

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