Jyn Erso: The Perfect Hero

Following the Heroic Journey in Rogue One

Humans imitate as a form of admiration. We look up to people who have the characteristics we desire to have in ourselves. Our past and present stories are mediums for ideas of what is best or worst in humanity. Those stories that resonate speak to our need to understand ourselves and our journeys. The hero’s journey, as best outlined by the late Joseph Campbell, takes what is common across cultural narratives and outlines it into a group of necessary events which describe the journey of our heroes. These stories serve as guides which help us to understand the human experience and create a common narrative map that anyone can use in their own lives. In Rogue One, Jyn Erso follows the perfect heroic outline. She answers the call to adventure, receives an amulet from a mentor, dives into the belly of the beast, completes several trials, reconciles with her father figure, and makes the ultimate sacrifice to bring a sliver of hope into the world. This is why we love Rogue One, and why its popularity will outlast many of the larger budgeted Star Wars sequels.

The Ordinary World

In order to connect to our heroes, we need to see ourselves in them. In this ordinary world, they are living their routine and mundane lives. They are no more special than we are. In Rogue One we don’t see much…