47 Years Later, Star Wars Fans Are Still Debating Why This Character Had to Die

Star Wars fans are no strangers to debate when it comes to their beloved franchise, and to be honest, some of those debates go back to the beginning, with the release of Star Wars: A New Hope back in 1977. One of those OG Star Wars debates has now resurfaced: why Jek Porkins had to die.

Jek Tono Porkins (aka “Piggy”) was a member of the Rebellion’s famous X-wing “Red Squadron,” who fought in the infamous “Battle of Yavin” against the first Death Star. Porkins was one of two pilots (the other being Darklighter) who made a strafing run shooting at the Death Star’s gun turrets. However, (as later retcons would reveal) Porkins’ X-wing hadn’t been properly cleared for battle when the Death Star ambushed the Rebel base; after being hit with some debris during his shooting run, Porkins lost flight control and radar and ended up getting obliterated by enemy fire.

Porkins had one of the most gruesome deaths in Star Wars, and like so many minor characters in the Original Trilogy, he sprung an entire cult following based on curiosity about who he was, based on the brief hints we get from his very limited screen time (see also: Boba Fett). Porkins have been of particular interest because the character was played by actor William Hootkins. Hootkins had a run of minor-but-memorable appearances in popular ’80s and ’90s movies, including playing Major Eaton in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, “Eckhardt” in Batman, and Munson in Flash Gordon. Those roles made Hootkins one of those “know I know that face” actors, and it still blows fans’ minds to know the same ill-fated X-wing pilot from Star Wars is the same man who assured Indy the Ark of the Covenant was being looked after by “Top, men,” is the same guy that Jack Nicholson’s Jack Napier/Joker told to “Think about the future,” before shooting him down with that big revolver.

Now, fans are once again wondering what the in-universe reasoning was for Porkins to die in A New Hope. There have actually been new projects since the film was released that have examined more of Porkins’ life and the events leading up to his death. As stated, it was revealed (in the Star Wars Customizable Card Game) that Porkins’ X-wing didn’t pass full inspection before he had to rush into battle against the Death Star, providing tragic reason for his demise.

Porkins has also become another hot-button character in Star Wars lore, as he is a minor nexus of contradicting continuity. That includes multiple in-canon differences in Porkins’ official call sign (“Red Six” vs. “Blue Four” vs. “Gold Six”), as well as contradicting accounts of how he died (crashing on the Death Star’s surface or being shot down by turrets vs. being shot down by enemy TIE fighters). Those discrepancies in canon are just one more reason that Jek Porkins is still being debated by Star Wars fans, and since they’re not getting straightened out anytime soon (or ever), Jek’s legacy will also live on.

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