The one and only Jyn Erso

I don’t know how many times I have watched Rogue One: a Star Wars Story. Ten times? A million? Rogue One is easily climbing the ladder of my favorite movies of all time. Everything about the movie gets me excited. The music, the battles, the brave heroes and villains. Jyn Erso easily stands out above the rest. Her tenacious spirit and bravery in dangerous situations inspired me from the start.

I don't know how many times you have seen this wonderful movie, or what you have observed, but as I continued to watch it over and over, I began to notice many things I didn’t pick up when I first saw it in theatres. Among the many I realized that Jyn was more than a brave soul, but a courageous warrior. She had the heart of a fighter and was able to stare danger in the face without batting an eye. I found this quality in almost every scene of Rogue One. When Director Krennic came for her family in the opening scene of the movie, Jyn ignored her mother’s orders to go to her hiding place in the cave and ran back toward the man who was about to split her family apart for good. She watched her mother die and her father taken captive.

At Jeddah city, Jyn fought courageously against the Imperial soldiers, saving a child and bringing down many storm troopers. Yet her true bravery was shown during the escape out of the city. K2SO had brought the ship just in time as they all boarded. Jeddah city was crumbling below them as they calculated light speed. Baze was shown turning his head away from the crumbling city, yet Jyn looked on. She stared at the demolished rocks that once was her home, the place where her adopted father had taught her to be strong. She had been rescued by the man who was now squashed like an ant underfoot. Jyn bravely watched her home destroyed and witnessed their near escape.

So many moments in this breath-taking movie included Jyn’s inspiring character. In one of the last scenes, as the Death Star fired on Scarif, the Imperial data base with the Death Star plans they had just delivered to the Rebellion, Jyn and Cassian huddled together as they watched the earth and ocean rip apart in front of them. The destroyed horizon inched closer and closer. The end was near. Jyn knew. Cassian shut his eyes but Jyn’s remained open as she watched her life slip away. If this isn’t bravery then I don’t know what is.

The force was truly with Jyn Erso.