7) Han Solo Dies – The Force Awakens
The Force Awakens might have been (quite fairly) criticized for borrowing its plot almost wholesale from A New Hope, but it’s success lied in those great moments that were all its own. The Millennium Falcon taking off from Jakku, Kylo and Rey’s battle, Luke’s last-minute arrival, etc.
The most iconic moment from the movie, though, has to be that fateful meeting on the bridge between Han Solo and his corrupted son Ben AKA Kylo Ren, the Dark Side’s new poster boy. It’s an emotional scene, as a desperate father tries to win over his son with love and forgiveness, but then it turns into a real heartbreaker. Just when it looks like Kylo will be redeemed, he stabs his dad through the heart and Han Solo’s no more.
For the millions out there who had grown up with Solo as their childhood hero, this is one heck of a shocking, gut-wrenching moment. A massive talking point back in December 2016, it was effectively a modern version of the “I am your father” scene (which we’ll get to soon).