Yes, Aurelio always dies. His death is a fully scripted prologue event and cannot be prevented by any player action. Turning off permadeath does not save him. The game will not progress until you trigger the sequence that causes his death. It is designed to teach the injury system and establish the stakes of the campaign.
Who Is Aurelio?
Aurelio is a Rodian operative and one of the first squad members players control during the opening tutorial mission. He accompanies Hawks through the prologue, which serves as both a story introduction and a hands-on tutorial for the game's core combat mechanics.
As a Rodian, Aurelio fits the mercenary profile of Zero Company — experienced, pragmatic, and accustomed to operating in the gray areas of the Clone Wars. His presence in the opening squad makes what happens next hit harder.
What Happens in the Prologue?
During the opening mission, players are introduced to movement, action points, cover, and combat through a series of guided encounters. Aurelio participates in these fights alongside Hawks.
Toward the end of the tutorial, players must operate a crane to move a container. As soon as the crane finishes, a Separatist Striker drops directly behind Aurelio at the exposed console. With no cover and no way to react, the attack lands and the game displays "AURELIO HAS DIED".
This moment is intentionally jarring. It is the first time the game shows you that operatives can and will die, and it happens before you have any ability to prevent it.
Why Can't You Save Aurelio?
Bit Reactor designed Aurelio's death as a locked narrative beat for several reasons:
- Tutorial purpose: The death demonstrates how the injury and downing system works. Aurelio accumulates injuries, enters a downed state, and then dies — showing players the three-strike permadeath mechanic in action.
- Stakes establishment: Killing a squad member in the first mission signals that this is not a game where everyone survives. It sets the tone for the entire campaign.
- Progression lock: The game literally will not advance until you place Aurelio in the position where the Striker attacks. There is no alternate path or dialogue option that avoids this.
Does Turning Off Permadeath Save Him?
No. This is the most common misconception. Players who disable permadeath in the settings expect Aurelio to survive, but his death is not governed by the permadeath toggle. It is a scripted story event, separate from the systemic permadeath mechanic.
Permadeath off only affects operatives who die during regular gameplay after the tutorial. Aurelio's prologue death is hard-coded and will occur regardless of your settings.
What Have Players Tried?
Since launch, the community has tested every conceivable approach to saving Aurelio:
- Different positioning and movement patterns during the tutorial
- Using Brutal Strike and other abilities aggressively
- Letting Aurelio take damage early to see if injury state changes the outcome
- Delaying the crane operation
- Attempting to kill the Striker before it drops (impossible — it spawns behind Aurelio)
- Playing on lower difficulty
None of these approaches work. The developers specifically blocked workarounds, including making enemy attacks miss if Aurelio is supposed to survive earlier encounters, ensuring the scripted death always happens.
What Happens After Aurelio Dies?
Aurelio's death is primarily a tutorial and narrative beat. He does not return as a recruitable operator later in the game. The squad moves forward without him, and the campaign proceeds to The Den where you begin building your actual roster.
Once you unlock The Memorial as part of your base upgrades, fallen operatives — including Aurelio — are referenced there, serving as a permanent reminder of the cost of the war.
Don't restart your playthrough trying to save Aurelio. It is impossible by design. Accept it as the game's way of teaching you that death is permanent and that every operator's life matters. Focus on building a strong squad at The Den and keeping your real operatives alive through the campaign.
Related Guides
Now that you understand the prologue, here are more guides to help you through the campaign: