I went and saw Star Wars: Rogue One recently, just like thousands of others did. It was roughly what I expected from a Star Wars movie; it was a little darker in places than usual, but it was a Star Wars movie. What struck me as the stand-out difference, though, was the ending- and if you haven’t seen it yet, you’re not going to want to read this. Seriously, go away, then come back once you’ve seen the movie, because I’m about to spoil the crap out of it right now.

SPOILERS: Everybody dies.

Yep. It was a forgone conclusion to anyone who knows the Star Wars series, but it still felt like a shock when it actually happened. The droid comic relief character with a deadpan sense of sarcastic humor and an amusing knack for spitting out statistics at inappropriate times? Shot to ruins. The odd duo of the blind monk and rough-around-the-edges gunner buddies? Fried. That plucky pilot guy from the beginning of the movie? Blown up by a grenade. Even the main leads aren’t safe. The writers really didn’t pull any punches with this one.

Hide while you can kid, 'cuz you grow up to get evaporated by a laser. Fair warning.

But what’s neat about this is that it falls short of nihilistic dread; it’s actually fairly optimistic. The heroes sacrificed themselves, yes, but it was unquestionably a worthy sacrifice. Without their heroics, the entire Star Wars series would be over before it began. As Leia herself says in the closing shot, they have provided the titular “New Hope” that the series began with. If anything, the fact that they didn’t get to see this hope that they provided just makes it more inspiring. It feels genuine.

I’d like to see more films play with this kind of bittersweet ending. Too often movies swing to one extreme, usually an obvious and cheap happy ending. Other times, it’s a completely unsatisfying downer. Both can work, but the middle ground is rarely tread upon, and I’d like to see more done with it in the future.