Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker killed off at least three major figures in the saga: Leia Organa, Kylo Ren and Emperor Palpatine (for the second, and surely final, time). There are also a number of implied deaths in the movie that aren’t so easily picked up on, though, and one more has just been confirmed on social media from a reliable source, and they’re a fan favorite from the Original Trilogy. Everybody, please pay your respects to Nien Nunb.
Even if you don’t know the name, you’ll know this fella’s face. A brave member of the Rebel Alliance in Return of the Jedi, the Sullustan former smuggler appeared in all three installments of the Sequel Trilogy as one of Leia’s trusted Resistance fighters. His last battle turned out to be the climactic conflict in the skies above Exegol, and if you don’t believe he’s really gone, author Rae Carson made it clear on Twitter. Given that she’s penning the upcoming Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Expanded Edition novelization, this is essentially an official confirmation.
https://twitter.com/raecarson/status/1214303378651545600
Yeah, I think it's pretty clear from the movie (upon careful watching), so I feel comfortable confirming. Props to you for noticing!
— Rae Carson (@raecarson) January 6, 2020
As you’ll recall, a legion of ships supporting the Resistance surrounded the Sith planet as Rey and Kylo Ren fought Palpatine on the ground. When it looked like the Emperor was winning, after he received a new boost of strength, he unleashed a mass of Force lightning in the direction of his enemies. This took out many of the Resistance ships. Tragically, that included the Tantive IV – Leia’s ship from A New Hope – which was being piloted by Nunb. The movie shows him losing control of the vessel as it explodes.
Remember, the voices of the past Jedi that speak to Rey shortly after this scene also infers a big death. Ahsoka Tano was alive last time we saw her, but the fact that she’s one with the Force at this point tells us she perished prior to the events of the Sequel Trilogy. At least Ahsoka’s still got a long life in the SW universe ahead of her, though. Nien Nunb’s death, meanwhile, likely means Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is his final screen role.