The deaths of George Kirk and Amanda were meant to bookend each other, making Nero's atrocities very personal ones for Jim and Spock. More importantly it showed us that all bets were off, that this truly was the beginning of a new unwritten future. But as long-time fans we felt Amanda's death because we knew her, and her death made it personal for us too. We knew Vulcan. The impact would have been all but non-existant if they'd gone with unkowns instead.
