Star Wars: What if Jyn Erso had survived the end of Rogue One | Pretty Reel

Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) dies at the end of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, but the original plan was to make her survive. Jyn Erso’s death scene and the deaths of the other members operating under the “Rogue One” callsign have often divided fans. Their ultimate sacrifice is what Princess Leia says brings “hope” to the Rebellion, but the movie broke Star Wars tradition by killing just about every hero that was featured. With these opposing views and the fact that an alternate ending where Jyn survives actually exists, it’s an interesting thought experiment to consider what would happen to Star Wars canon if she had indeed escaped Scarif with her life. .

The original plan was to have Jyn survive in Rogue One in an effort to appeal to Disney, but that was later changed and Jyn Erso’s death scene was added. According to the creators, Jyn Erso was supposed to become a sergeant in the Rebellion, so she probably would have played a pretty big role in the Galactic Civil War. This would have had major ramifications in the broader Star Wars canon. For example, the spinoff show Andor could have been a sequel, instead of a prequel, centering on the adventures of Cassian Andor and Jyn Erso. Here are all the ways Star Wars would have changed if Jyn Erso’s death scene had never made it to Rogue One.

How Jyn Erso Could Have Survived Scarif’s Destruction In Rogue One

Rogue One screenwriter Gary Whitta said in an interview that in the film’s last scene, in the original script, “a rebel ship came down and brought them to the surface. The transfer of plans came later. They jumped and later [Leia’s] ship came from Alderaan to help them. The ship-to-ship data transfer happened off Scarif” (via Entertainment Weekly). In the actual ending, it seems pretty obvious that Jyn and Cassian are dead, based on Jyn Erso’s death scene, but Star Wars has re-enacted deaths, like Maul’s for example, in the past. Although the beam from the Death Star’s super laser blast appears to engulf the two Rogue One Rebels on the beaches of Scarif, that shuttle Whitta mentioned might still have arrived just in time.

The bigger question is how to explain why others think she died in other Star Wars media if she was indeed saved. Whitta asked Jyn and Cassian to escape Tantive IV in an escape pod. Given that Whitta also said the plan was to have her become a sergeant, it seems like she would have played a pretty big role in the rebellion later on. While this isn’t based on anything in particular already in Star Wars canon, perhaps the helmers could have tried to hide her identity in order to protect her in the future. Whitta said Jyn and Cassian “flew away in an escape pod just in time” after passing on the plans (via Entertainment Weekly). Given this, the Empire may never have learned that she actually survived. The thing is, Star Wars could definitely come up with a retcon to ensure its survival.

Jyn Erso’s Biggest Role in Star Wars Rebellion

Jyn’s death may have indirectly saved Leia’s life. Davits Draven, a Rebellion general who oversaw Jyn’s extraction from the Imperial labor camp on Rogue One, expressed doubts about the young rebel in Mon Mothma. It was no secret that he had initially been unimpressed with Jyn, whom he saw as a rebellious deserter. But in Star Wars comic #54, which features Davits and Leia between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, the former sacrifices himself to Darth Vader, saving the latter’s life, but not before saying, “This always bothered me that Jyn Erso had to be the hero and I have to be the guy who was wrong. If Jyn hadn’t died for the cause in Rogue One, Davits might not have sacrificed himself to Vader instead of Leia.

Rumors that Jyn Erso is Rey’s mother have intensified

With Star Wars: The Force Awakens released in 2015, the release of Rogue One in 2016 led fans to speculate about the connections between the two films. One such theory involved Jyn being Rey’s mother. Felicity Jones and Daisy Ridley, who play Jyn and Rey respectively, share similar physical characteristics and of course, there’s the English accent. However, it was revealed in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker that Rey was indeed a Palpatine, but it wouldn’t be until 2019.

With Jyn presumed dead at the end of Rogue One, the timeline simply wouldn’t have been added if she had given birth to Rey before her death given that The Force Awakens takes place in 34 ABY and Rey was only then. a teenager. However, had Jyn survived in Rogue One, rumors of her possible maternal connection to Rey would have intensified. Rey was born in the year 15 ABY, which would have made Jyn 36 at the time of Rey’s birth if she had survived. The theory that Jyn was Rey’s mother would likely have gained traction throughout the tenure of the Star Wars sequel trilogy.

Rogue One 2 may have taken place in place of Rogue Squadron

The Rebel Alliance Starfighter Corps includes many starfighter squadrons and of course Rogue Squadron refers to the one created by Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles in the Star Wars #52 comic. They derived the name “Rogue One” from Jyn, in honor of her and her team, those who had given the rebellion a new sense of hope. Had Jyn survived in Rogue One, it’s likely that a “Rogue One 2” could have happened as a true sequel instead of the now canceled Rogue Squadron, which was meant to function more like a spiritual sequel.

With Whitta originally planning for Jyn to be a sergeant with the Rebellion, “Rogue One 2” could have explored her new role. While Rogue Squadron is one of the best-known X-Wing squadrons in Star Wars canon, and their story was interesting and worth telling, Felicity Jones had been contracted to do a sequel to Rogue One, and she made it very clear that she would like to return to the franchise to reprise her role as Jyn in some way. Had Jyn survived in Rogue One, it’s likely a sequel would have been made, perhaps in place of the canceled Rogue Squadron movie.

Andor would be very different

Disney’s Andor show is set in the year 5 BBY and is therefore 5 years before the events of Rogue One. Andor chronicles the very early stages of the Rebellion and acts as a prequel to Rogue One. Andor introduces several Star Wars characters that are familiar to fans, with Diego Luna returning as Cassian. Cassian was also meant to survive after Scarif’s battle with Jyn. In this scenario, Andor could very well have ended up being a sequel to Rogue One, rather than a prequel series. Considering the close bond Jyn and Cassian had formed over the course of Rogue One, as well as their commitment to the Rebellion, such a sequel series could very well have followed their adventures together after their victory over Scarif.

Jyn’s death really meant something at the end of Rogue One. She had gone from a life of petty crime to a heroine of the rebellion in a short time. Her actions thwarted the Empire’s plans in Rogue One and since her sacrifice resonated with many future rebels, stripping her character of the act undermines the weight of what was at stake. Whitta and her team wanted Jyn and her entire crew die from the start, but they entered into talks with Disney planning to keep her alive as they believed the company would not go through with their plan. However, Kathleen Kennedy gave them the green light and the original plan prevailed: to kill Jyn and her team. Given that Whitta and director Gareth Edwards both stand by their decision to kill off most of the heroes of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Jyn’s death is unlikely to be retconned, but regardless, the many connections she had with the biggest canon of Star Wars going to show, her role could have easily gone way beyond a movie.

Can Jyn Erso appear in Andor?

Although Cassian and Jyn first met in Rogue One, it’s extremely likely that she’ll show up somewhere in Andor. Although Cassian is at the center of Andor, many other titular Star Wars characters appear in the series. Add to that the fact that Felicity Jones is still under contract to appear in another Star Wars story, and it’s anything but a guarantee. Saw Gerrara, who was at one point Jyn’s guardian, is already on the show, just grease the wheels for her return. Therefore, filling in Jyn Erso’s pre-Rogue One story not only makes sense, but it’s very likely given what the series has shown so far. Obviously, she won’t be able to meet Cassian, but a separate story from Jyn about how she became part of the Rebellion could definitely be in the cards. The character of Felicity Jones is a huge fan favorite, and many have openly expressed that they would like to see more of her. Considering Jyn Erso’s death scene made anything post-Rogue One: A Star Wars Story impossible, the best thing to do would be to explore her character’s origins in Andor.

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Star Wars: What if Jyn Erso had survived the end of Rogue One | Pretty Reel