It was clear The Last Jedi was going to be special mere minutes into the movie, when the Resistance attacks the Dreadnaught and almost all of their bombers are destroyed. Only one, piloted by Paige Tico, is left to save the Resistance fleet. Her sacrifice not only sets the emotional, anything-can-happen tone for the entire movie, but is the narrative spark that pushes our heroes into action.
That scene was much more than just killing off a character, though. Director Rian Johnson and his team had to balance that heartbreaking moment with newly designed Star Wars ships, physics, bombs, and more. It’s a process that was almost certainly way more complicated than you realize and, in this exclusive clip from the Star Wars: The Last Jedi’s special features, you can learn more about what went into it:
The Star Wars: The Last Jedi home release is available now for digital download with the Blu-ray coming out March 27. Stay tuned to io9 for more coverage on it!