4) Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed)
Bodhi Rook is, at first, the macguffin of the movie. Everybody is seeking The Pilot, because he’s known to have sensitive information of potentially damaging consequences to The Empire. In fact, he’s an Imperial pilot seeking to defect to the Alliance, carrying a holographic message from Galen Erso – from the heart of the Death Star construction programme. Bodhi is seeking Saw Gerrera to deliver the message and is seized by Gerrera’s band of resistance fighters.
Gerrera is deeply suspicious of Rook, and subjects him to the powers of a large, mind-reading creature that is said to have the side-effect of making a person lose their mind. When Rook encounters Cassian Andor, Baze Malbus and Chirrut Inwe in Gerrera’s jail, however, they manage to get through to him, and scoop him up to join their mission. He proves to be an invaluable member of the team, while presenting himself as a man who has attempted to follow his convictions, which have led him to an extraordinary moment in history.