Warning! This post contains spoilers for Star Wars #50In the latest issue of Marvel Comics’ Star Wars Series set between The empire strikes back And Return of the JediOne surprising rebel hero nearly killed Emperor Palpatine before the Battle of Endor. However, the cost of doing so would be extremely high with massive amounts of collateral damage. That said, the particular Rebel’s justification was more than understandable.
in Star Wars #50 By Charles Soule, Madibek Musabekov and Rachelle Rosenberg, Luke Skywalker discovers a dark means to kill Emperor Palpatine. Known as the Grim Rose, this ancient box fueled by a mysterious darkness is the perfect assassination weapon, allowing one’s enemy to be eliminated from worlds away, and all that is needed is the intended target’s DNA. After collecting the box and a sample of the Emperor’s blood hidden on Naboo, The rebels begin to discuss the ethics of whether they should actually use the box, only for Chewbacca to catch everyone by surprise and activate the device himself:
While initially a big shock, Chewbacca’s justification and reasoning for activating the box make perfect sense. However, the truth about the Grim Rose nearly turned the iconic Wookiee into an inadvertent mass murderer thanks to his bold actions in the Star Wars Timeline.
Chewbacca has zero qualms about killing Palpatine
He’d lost too much in the Star Wars timeline
Just like many other Rebel heroes, Chewbacca lost and suffered far too much at the hands of the Empire to sit back and debate when the means of ending the Emperor was right in front of them. It’s no secret that Caskey is facing some of the worst levels of oppression since the dawn of Palpatine’s empire. The issue also serves as a tragic reminder that Chewbacca hasn’t seen his family in yearsA combination of his initial imprisonment by the Empire, his lifelong debt to Han Solo who helped free him, and his commitment to freeing the galaxy from Palpatine’s tyranny before he can return home.
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As a result, The opportunity to kill the Emperor right then and there wasn’t even a question for the Wookiee warrior who had always been much more than a sidekick to Han Solo. That said, it’s admittedly easy to slip in and think of it as such. However, this issue serves as very strong and compelling proof of the opposite, reminding fans of all that Chewbacca has endured (and all that he is capable of as a result).
The Dirty Rose would have killed thousands (not just Palpatine)
Chewbacca’s Kill-Count would have been tragically high
After the Grim Rose was activated, it was revealed that it attunes itself to its target by identifying those in the galaxy who are directly influenced and impacted by them one-to-one, starting at the beginning of their lives and moving forward until They were found and killed. However, it was also confirmed that any being identified would be killed along with the target. In Palpatine’s case, that would be hundreds if not thousands of beings, a price that was far too high for the rebels to accept.
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Thankfully, Luke finds the means of deactivating the Grimm Rose before it can finish its dark work that would have turned Chewbacca into a mass murderer rather than the one who ultimately ended Palpatine alone. However, one cannot help but respect the Wookiee for his boldness. Chewbacca was ready to do the hard thing and end the Emperor’s life when the opportunity presented itself in the Star Wars CanonAlthough he naturally agreed that closing the box was the right thing to do when the real box was revealed.
Star Wars #50 is available now from Marvel Comics