4 Reasons Orson Krennic is the Most Relatable Character in 'Rogue One'

Walking out of Rogue One was like {star wars analogy here? Like falling into one of those bottomless chasms in the Death Star}walking into a freefall of emotions. Overwhelming sadness at the ending, overwhelming joy at the surprise cameos, overwhelming fear for our newly minted Rebel heroes: The roller coaster of emotions left most fans needing an immediate second viewing. Just like the first attempts to blow up the Death Star failed, grasping the emotional core of Rogue One requires a second viewing.

And you know who truly shined the second time around? Orson Krennic, the Empire’s most relatable middle man. He’s literally the Michael Scott of the Dark Side, and here’s a few reasons why we should all cut him some slack.

1. He’s just trying to reconnect with an old friend.

Orson Krennic begins the movie after what I can only assume has a been a week long Facebook hunt for his ex-best friend, Galen Erso. I mean hey, everyone has let a few friendships slide since college right? Orson might be motivated by his boss to enslave and gangpress Galen’s entire family into the service of the Empire, but out of respect for their old friendship, he offered them the nicest of gilded cages! In what world is a beautiful home, a guaranteed career, and the soul crushing realization that your work will fuel planet-wide genocides not the truest gift of friendship? After all his kind words, poor Orson still has to shoot a woman and hunt down his ex-best friend’s kid to get the job done.

2. He’s the ultimate team player.

While there’s a lot of undoubtedly a bunch shit to be talked about Orson, the one thing you can’t say is that he’s not a team player. The man lives and breathes for the Empire. Maybe no one can really figure out why (the health insurance seems to boil down to will Vader choke to death or nah) but sweet, simple Orson put all of his eggs in the Empire’s basket and seems confident that he’ll be rewarded for it. After all, did he not coerce a fleet of scientists into building a Death Star for Lord Vader? And did he not give it up to Governor Tarkin despite his misgivings about Tarkin’s ability to command a weapon he didn’t understand? It’s all for the peace and stability of the galaxy. As he says a the start of the movie, “You have to start somewhere.”

3. He’s got hopes and dreams and ambitions just like the rest of us.

One for time for the people in the back: He built the Death Star. And then he went on to do the unthinkable - not shit himself while defending the project to Darth Vader. Any man who gets forced choked by Vader, and then gets up and continues to take command is person hella determined to succeed. You’re lying to yourself if you weren’t a little proud when you saw Orson dust himself off like Ayliah was playing in the background, and run off to secure his future (and and the death of millions in the process).

4. But is beat down by the man.

You gotta give Orson props for being so determined to do the job properly that he winds up being destroyed by his own hubris. Like all frail mortals, Orson is was never destined to make it big. After force-choking him and dropping the hottest pun on 2016, Vader basically plays foolish Orson into going to Scarif and locking down any information leaks. But in the process of doing his due diligence, Orson loses command of an Empire base, let’s the Death Star plans be transmitted to the Rebels, and gets shot up by the eminently more handsome Cassian. We thought our sweet prince could at least lay his weary head to rest, but no, the cruelest of fates brings him to consciousness just as Tarkin arrives in the Death Star. The bright fireworks of his greatest creation are the last thing he sees before he’s killed along with the rest of Rebels on Scarif.

Though Orson Krennic was always doomed to fail - we can at least give the man one small consolation to take with him into the beyond: Same Orsen. Same.