I wonder how people would see these characters had they not died. For a character like Bohdi all he had was a good death scene so without that there’s nothing to really get emotionally invested in. The only exception is for “blank slate characters” like Eleven and none of the characters in Rogue One come close to being one.
I thought he had a good story (for one of the non-lead characters in the film) - an everyday average Joe has had his eye opened and wants to make amends for what he had done - and when he does the ‘right thing’ and defects he is overawed in something he doesn’t fully understand.
Yet he, the little guy, can still make a difference even when surrounded by more experienced or ‘talented’ people or ‘heroes’ - that he can step up and be just as brave, and important or effective, as them.
I hope we get more characters like this in the coming Star Wars films - yes, there’s always ‘the chosen one’ and larger than life characters - but it’s important to have that grounding - that realism of what it’s like for the everyday Joe in this vast galaxy…
I thought they nailed it with Bhodi.
Fair play to Riz Ahmed for his performance too and the director/editor for keeping that balance between the ensemble Rogue One team. Sure, maybe we’d like to have seen a bit more from each (maybe we would have in pre-reshoots?) but overall each character comes through without weighing or slowing the flow of the film down.
Each to their own though mate.
(I’d have been okay with Bodhi living and escaping the planet - afterall if everyone else was dead on Scarif and he got on another Imperial ship and sneaked off back to Yavin to rejoin the Alliance. Though, probably right he shared the same fate as his fellow Rogue One crew. Poor lad.)