Having only seen the film yesterday (Jan 10th), almost a month after it’s initial release, I’d done pretty well to avoid any spoilers, reviews, reactions or general conversation involving anything to do with Rogue One. Coming in fresh, I’d even managed to avoid any teaser trailers or plot synopsis. Even Krennic only got as far as being ordered by Vader to double check the plans to make sure Galen hadn't done exactly what he did, though Krennic never had time to realize exactly how Galen had given the Rebels the upper hand (and, of course, died soon after anyway).There will be spoilers…. So, I was a little late to the party. He only told his daughter Jyn, through a message relayed through Bodhi Rook to Saw Gerrera, about the fatal flaw in the Death Star. Though the second Death Star wasn't complete, it stands to reason that no one would ever have known not to replicate building the reactor shaft the same way Galen Erso had. It's that same weakness that gets exploited within the Death Star II in Return of the Jedi. The Rebels are well aware of this key weakness by the time the Death Star plans make their way to Yavin 4 in A New Hope, and that's because Jyn Erso's father Galen Erso explained to his daughter that the reactor system's weakness was his way of getting revenge on the Empire for forcing him to build the star killer.
The Major Weakness in the Death StarRogue One pretty explicitly lays out how such a big weapon like the Death Star could have such a small yet fatal flaw: revenge. Even if Krennic had gotten off Scarif alive, chances are Tarkin wouldn't have returned control of the weapon to Krennic - and likely would have killed him to make sure he didn't try to take the Death Star back. When Krennic was sent off to find Galen Erso and later investigate the Death Star plans on Scarif, Tarkin took control of the Death Star in his absence. He and Tarkin had a contentious relationship, with Tarkin even telling the director that he would claim credit for the success of the Death Star in conversations with the Emperor and Vader. It also is a nice way to resolve why Krennic never would have been mentioned after the events of Rogue One. It's more than just that Krennic died on Scarif Tarkin destroyed the base on Scarif knowing Krennic was down there, thus firmly establishing him as controller of the Death Star. Tarkin in Control of the Death StarDirector Krennic and Governor Tarkin were at frequent odds over who would relay the success of the Death Star to the Emperor and Darth Vader, which helped establish why Tarkin would have been in control of the Death Star by the time A New Hope began. It's also why Obi-Wan would have a general idea of what was coming and already be ready to leave hiding when Luke Skywalker found him, and why he planned to regroup with Bail Organa on Alderaan before he found out the planet was destroyed. This succinctly explains why Leia would turn to Obi-Wan as her "only hope" when she realized they wouldn't be able to pick him up off Tatooine. Organa says he'll ask that friend, who we know is Obi-Wan, to come out of hiding - almost in the same breath that he said a woman he'd "trust with my life" (who we know is Leia) would help them with their quest to get the plans. Rogue One shows Mon Mothma ask Bail Organa if his "friend, the Jedi" would help them in their fight against the Empire. With it already established why Leia and the Tantive IV were on the run from Vader, Rogue One also set the stage for why the ship would come out of hyperspace over Tatooine: Bail Organa. You're my only hope." The crux of A New Hope is Leia getting the Death Star plans to Obi-Wan, who in turn needs to relay them to the Rebel Alliance. 'Help Me, Obi-Wan Kenobi'"Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. But whether it's minutes or days, Rogue One puts into context the conflict between the two forces, including why C-3PO says "there will be no escape for the princess this time." It also makes it evident why Vader so quickly dismissed Leia's claim she was on a "diplomatic mission to Alderaan" when he clearly saw her pull away from General Raddus's ship above Scarif. It's unclear exactly how much time is supposed to pass between the end of Rogue One and beginning of A New Hope (a source for The Hollywood Reporter says it could be as little as 10 minutes). Cut to the opening of A New Hope, where Vader's Imperial Star Destroyer is still in pursuit of Leia's diplomatic consular ship. But the Rebels still manage to get the plans away from Vader in the Tantive IV, which of course Princess Leia is also on board.
In Rogue One, Darth Vader tracks the relay of the Death Star plans from rebel ship to rebel ship, striking down alliance officers left and right.
Princess Leia and the Death Star PlansThe most obvious connection between the two films is the way Rogue One winds to a close, its final scenes setting up the opening moments of A New Hope.