Over a month after the release of Star Wars spin-off Rogue One, we’re still scratching our heads over a few details of how exactly it fits into the main Star Wars trilogy.

Advertisement

If the rebels needed the shield open to transmit the message, why didn’t they just try to fly the plans out and save themselves? Did no-one really notice the massive fault built into the Death Star? And why didn’t Galen Erso just include details of the space station’s weakness in his original secret message?

Sadly, most of these questions will probably never be answered – but one confusing detail that HAS been cleared up is exactly why Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia was on hand so near the film’s final battle on Scarif, when her non-military ship the Tantive IV had no business being there. Apart from, you know, the fact that it HAD to be there for Leia to get the Death Star plans as she had at the start of the first Star Wars film back in 1977.

Speaking on YouTube series The Star Wars show, Lucasfilm Story Group maestro (and Star Wars superfan) Pablo Hidalgo explained that the Tantive IV’s presence there was down to a simple bit of rescheduling, with Leia and alien general Admiral Raddus (whose ship the Tantive was held inside) en route for an important mission – to fetch hidden Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi – before they were sidetracked.

“The plan was always that Leia was going to go to Tatooine to pick up Obi-Wan and Raddus was going to escort her,” Hidalgo said.

More like this

“Then the news of Scarif came in, and that was deemed more important ... [because] it’s the one warship that they have at this point.”

Hidalgo went on to explain why exactly Raddus needed to be around to protect Leia (basically she was the “public face of the cause” and was needed to keep grabbing supplies for The Rebellion), and you can watch the full interview below.

See, kids – if you complain and bitch about plot holes enough, people will eventually have to make official statements about them. Hooray!

Advertisement

Rogue One: A Star Wars story is in cinemas now

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement