Bodhi Rook Bodhi Rook was a human male from Jedha who served as a cargo pilot for the Galactic Empire prior to the Galactic Civil War . After defecting to the Alliance to Restore the Republic , he fought alongside a group of rebels during the Battle of Scarif . Biography . Background . Bodhi Rook was born and raised on Jedha . As a youth , he had two run - ins with the law . One was for unlawful wagering on sporting events and the other was unsafe operating of an airspeeder . He enlisted in the Galactic Empire and had aspirations to become an Imperial starfighter pilot . He entered Terrabe Sector Service Academy in 7 BBY and studied flight training for two years , but due to insufficient test scores Rook did not qualify for admission into the starfighter programme . Two years later , Rook was granted the rank of Ensign and eventually cleared to work in cargo shuttle s for the transport of Imperial documents and artifacts . Joining the Rebellion . Rook defected from the Empire after being entrusted with an important message by Galen Erso , an Imperial scientist who worked on the Death Star project . Erso told him to seek out Saw Gerrera , a resistance fighter . Upon his return to Jedha , the Empire place 75 , 000 reward for his capture . Although he found Gerrera , the rebel was initially distrustful of Rook ' s motives , believing the message was meant to lure him into a trap . In an attempt to discover if Rook was being truthful or not , Gerrera subjected him to a torturous experience involving a creature that could sense if he was telling the truth , at the cost of a temporary loss of Rook ' s sanity . Rook subsequently met the rebel operative Cassian Andor , who managed to help him regain his composure . Rook also met with Galen ' s daughter , Jyn Erso , who after seeing the message sent by her father learned of the truth of Rook ' s defection . Together with Cassian , Jyn , the blind warrior Chirrut Îmwe , and the assassin Baze Malbus , Rook escaped Jedha as the Death Star destroyed Jedha City with its superlaser . While traveling aboard Cassian ' s U - wing ship , Bodhi told Cassian and Jyn that Galen was at the Imperial flight station on the stormy planet of Eadu . Despite the stormy conditions , Cassian and his reprogrammed Imperial security droid K - 2SO managed to land their U - wing near the Imperial flight station . Bodhi along with Chirrut , Baze , and Kaytoo stayed aboard while Cassian went to assassinate Galen . Jyn followed Cassian in an attempt to stop him and the two were caught up in the Rebel Alliance ' s raid on the Eadu flight station . Bodhi and his companions managed to find the Imperial cargo shuttle " SW - 0608 " and used it to save Jyn and Cassian from being killed by stormtrooper s . The rebels then fled offworld to the rebel base on Yavin 4 . Stealing the Death Star plans . Bodhi attended a meeting of the Alliance High Command to discuss the threat posed by the Death Star . Bodhi also listened to Jyn ' s impassioned speech urging the rebels not to give up . Later , he accompanied Cassian , Jyn , K - 2SO , Chirrut , and Baze along with several Rebel Marine s on an unsanctioned mission to steal the Death Star plans from the Imperial security complex on the planet Scarif . For that mission , the rebels used the Imperial cargo shuttle they had stolen on Eadu . Rook and K - 2SO served as the team ' s pilot . When the Alliance air traffic control requested their callsign , Rook replied Rogue One but was told there was no such unit . K - 2S0 then responded that there was one now and took the ship into space . After arriving above Scarif , Rook and his Rogue One comrades found the planet enveloped by a deflector shield generated by a Shield Gate . Scarif was also defended by two Imperial Star Destroyers . Rook notified gate control and requested a landing pad . Since their arrival was not scheduled , Rook told the gate officer that they had been rerouted from Eadu and ordered K - 2SO to transmit the clearance codes . After the Imperials accepted their clearance code , the rebels landed their shuttle at the Imperial security complex ' s landing pad nine . When an Imperial inspection crew consisting of an officer , technician , and two stormtrooper s boarded the cargo shuttle , Bodhi and K - 2SO greeted them . They led them down into the cargo bay where they were taken out by the other rebels . While Cassian , Jyn , and K - 2SO infiltrated the security complex in order to reach the data vault and steal the plans , Rook remained aboard the cargo ship " SW - 0608 " to stay in contact with the Rebel Alliance command on Yavin 4 . Baze , Chirrut , and the Rebel Marines then staged a diversionary attack to draw the base ' s garrison away from the data vault . Though not an active part of the fighting , he provided support by confusing Imperial officers with false reports on rebel movements throughout the base , delaying or redirecting Imperial reinforcements . During the Battle of Scarif , Rook contacted Admiral Raddus ' s fleet to tell them that they needed to destroy the Shield Gate in order to transmit the Death Star plans to them . After the broadcast , a shoretrooper threw a C - 25 fragmentation grenade into the shuttle , and Rook was killed in the ensuing explosion . Legacy . Thanks in part to Bodhi ' s efforts and sacrifice , Jyn was able to use the Imperial security complex ' s satellite to transmit the Death Star plans offworld . Despite Grand Moff Tarkin ' s efforts to destroy the Scarif base , the rebels managed to transmit the plans to the rebel flagship " Profundity " . Prince ss Leia Organa then fled with the plans aboard the rebel corvette " Tantive IV " , setting the stage for the events leading up to the Battle of Yavin . Personality and traits . Bodhi Rook was a human male with brown eye s , black hair and tan skin . Though he was a very experienced pilot , he had a tendency to be tense and anxious . Bodhi also had a gambling problem . He also stole Weeteef Cyu - Bee ' s candy . He also liked to bet on Odupiendo races . Behind the scenes . Bodhi Rook is portrayed by Riz Ahmed in the " Star Wars Anthology Series " film " " . Ahmed ' s casting in the film was first announced on August 15 , 2015 . As this time , the first photo of the character was released as well . His name was revealed by a preview of the " Rogue One : A Star Wars Story : The Official Visual Story Guide " in the Edelweiss catalogue on May 17 , 2016 . His first name " Bodhi " is and for " enlightenment " or " awaking " . In , Bodhi is the final enlightenment that ends transmigration and leads to .