In A New Hope, Jek Tono Porkins was a central Red Squadron member who led the attack on the Death Star. Porkins helped lead Luke in to take his shot that destroyed the Empire’s superweapon but did not survive to celebrate afterward.
How and why did Porkins die? It seems that he was shot down by a Death Star gun, but there is more to the story.
Porkins and the Battle of Yavin
During the Battle of Yavin, Jek Tono Porkins was among the many Rebel casualties. Porkins was a replacement pilot transferred into Red Squadron for the battle. He had a knack for “low-altitude strafing runs”, which helped the Rebels in their attack on the Death Star.
Yet, Porkins was struck by a Death Star turbolaser and killed in action. Or, as Wookieepedia also states, he could have died from “the mechanical and computer malfunctions” that happened after his X-wing was hit by debris.
In the scene, we can see and hear the pilot Biggs Darklighter directing Porkins to cover him. Both Porkins and Darklight hit a tower on the Death Star, but as they fly off, Porkins experiences “a problem.” Darklighter tells him to pull up and then to eject, but to no avail.
When watching the scene, it’s difficult to determine if his X-wing exploded from mechanical error or if it was, in fact, a turbolaser that shot Porkins down.
How and Why Did Porkins Die?
Although Wookieepeida states that the turbolaser is how Porkins died, his ship’s settings may be to blame. As fans have recognized how Porkins kept his “inertia dampers” or “gravity control setting” too high, which made it so he could not maneuver as effectively. He became exposed to a shot from behind his ship.
If we consider this information, then it was more of a piloting error that led to Porkin’s death. Yes, the turbolaser actually killed him, but Porkins left himself open to enemy fire.
We could also add that his ship was damaged by the debris which led to an imbalance in his X-wing that slowed him down. The novelization of A New Hope indicates how “Every instrument on his control panels had abruptly gone berserk”, leading to incorrect information about Porkin’s flying altitude.
Taken together, these faulty mechanics and settings of the ship caused Porkins’ death.
However, there is more to the story. It may not have been Porkins or the ship’s fault. As this recent article conveys, “Porkins’ X-wing didn’t pass full inspection” before he left to fight in the Battle of Yavin, which provides a “tragic reason for his demise.” That his ship was not ready for flight seems likely since the Rebels had to move quickly with their attack.
Soon before the Battle of Yavin, Porkins was shifted over to Red Squadron because they needed another pilot. The original pilot, Wes Janson, was sick. So, it’s very possible that Porkins was stepping into an incomplete X-wing. Hence, we could say that Porkins died because the ship was not fully ready to fly, never mind take on the Death Star.
We can also say that this death was not the most deserving. Porkins joins other lackluster deaths, such as Kit Fisto’s and Boba Fett’s. His death served as a dispatching of a character, lacking heroics. Porkins died a tragic death but perhaps not of his own making.
Porkins Death Explained
Porkins was most likely shot down by turbolaser, as officially recognized. Yet, we can remember the behind-the-scenes reasons for why he died. At the minimum, his ship was damaged and left him vulnerable. More likely, his X-wing came into the battle not fully equipped for the daunting task at hand.