Lore-wise, my favorite thing about Rogue One is the religious devotees on Jedha and what their presence suggests about the Empire. I think the similarity between the pilgrims and the Emperor’s guards is excellent.

It’s not enough to just wipe out the Jedi. The Empire has been erasing their very existence. Which means belief in The Force has got to go. And it’s worked - we regularly hear people in Star Wars having never heard of or doubting the existence of the Jedi and The Force.

Even a high ranking Imperial like Krennic doesn’t know the truth. If he’s heard rumors about Vader he certainly doesn’t believe them. He’s not some dangerous sorceror; he’s just a man.

Only once inside the castle do we find out it’s a monastery. The same red robed zealots are there. Servants prostrate themselves. Vader is not simply obeyed, he is venerated. Worshipped, maybe.

Only when you get within reach of the Emperor do you discover that the religious menace you’ve been tasked with destroying lies at the very heart of the Empire. That any talk of civilization and order as a goal is a lie. You’ve risen to the level of your own doom.

It’s why I love how the Vader scenes are framed like something out of a horror movie. By the time you find out the stories about him are true... it’s too late.