An admiral of the fleet or shortened to fleet admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to Field marshal and Marshal of the air force . An admiral of the fleet is typically senior to an admiral .
135-626: Fleet Admiral Gial Ackbar is a fictional character from the Star Wars franchise. A member of the amphibious Mon Calamari species, Ackbar was the foremost military commander of the Rebel Alliance , and he led the attack against the second Death Star in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983), the final entry in the original Star Wars trilogy . Although his time in the film was brief, Ackbar became
270-571: A Star Wars fan, it doesn't get any cooler than that." Gary Whitta , a writer who has worked on several Star Wars projects, said: "When I went to the set of The Force Awakens , the first thing I had to do was put on the Admiral Ackbar mask, and I did. It was a big deal, and I've always loved that character." In the trilogy's second film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), Ackbar leads the Resistance as they evacuate their base on D'Qar, and orders
405-432: A "Calamari man". The original image mostly resembled how Ackbar ended up in the final film, except with a larger chin, slightly more misshapen head, and a hunchback . The hunch was inspired by Industrial Light & Magic technician Stuart Ziff, who regularly joked about his own slightly hunched posture. Marquand said he "picked the most delicious, wonderful creature out of the whole lot, this big wonderful Calamari man with
540-430: A 1998 list of the "Top 20 Star Wars Characters" in the magazine Star Wars Insider . His line "It's a trap!" from Return of the Jedi became one of the most famous, quoted and beloved lines from the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as a popular Internet meme . Admiral Ackbar was best known for his appearance in the film Return of the Jedi , the final entry in the original Star Wars trilogy . However, before
675-499: A B-wing starfighter. Ackbar is portrayed as a military genius, with a masterful grasp of warfare tactics and strategy, a forward-thinking vision, and a prowess for organizational, administrative, and technical details that make him a highly effective commander. Across all his appearances in the Star Wars franchise, he possesses tactical intelligence and strong leadership skills, and is widely admired and respected by his troops. Ackbar has
810-587: A Jedi under Luke, but left his training and became Kylo Ren, a warlord of the First Order. Leia asks Solo to bring him home, convinced there is still good in him. Solo, Chewbacca and Finn land on the First Order's planet-converted superweapon, Starkiller Base , intending to disable its shield and rescue Rey. Solo finds his son, and pleads with him to abandon the dark side. Ren at first seems receptive to his father's request, but then ignites his lightsaber and kills him. In The Rise of Skywalker (2019), Ren experiences
945-601: A Rebel agent, employs him, Chewbacca, and Lando, then steals their valuables to aid the Rebellion. To recoup their losses, Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot accept a smuggling job from Jabba, but are forced to jettison their cargo. The trilogy ends with Solo meeting Luke and Obi-Wan in Mos Eisley, as depicted in Star Wars . Solo plays a central role in many stories set after Return of the Jedi . In The Courtship of Princess Leia (1995), he marries Leia and has three children with her:
1080-632: A Rogue Squadron starfighter pilot who is killed in action. Ackbar played a supporting role in the Jedi Academy Trilogy , a set of novels by Kevin J. Anderson released in 1994 and set two years after the Heir to the Empire trilogy. In those novels, Ackbar's personal starfighter crashes on the planet of Vortex in an incident that kills numerous innocent aliens and nearly kills Ackbar himself. In disgrace, he resigns from his post and retires to his home planet. It
1215-561: A beggar and pickpocket throughout much of his youth. He becomes a pilot and, after his love interest Bria Tharen disappears, joins the Imperial Navy. He is dismissed when he refuses to skin Chewbacca for commandeering a ship trafficking Wookiee children; Chewbacca, in turn, swears a "life-debt" to Solo. The two become smugglers, and Solo wins the Falcon from Lando in a card tournament. Tharen, now
1350-533: A charter to transport Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi from Tatooine to Alderaan on their ship, the Millennium Falcon . Before they depart, Solo is cornered by the bounty hunter Greedo , who threatens him. Solo shoots and kills Greedo, then boards the Falcon with his passengers. They are attacked by Imperial stormtroopers , but elude them by accelerating to light speed. When they arrive at their destination, they discover that Alderaan has been obliterated by
1485-495: A child, portrayed the character in the television series The Clone Wars . Dave Filoni , supervising director for the series, said the staff debated whether the younger version of Ackbar would still have the same "iconic voice" as in Return of the Jedi or whether he would sound different on the show, but they ultimately went with a similar-sounding voice. Breckin Meyer portrayed Ackbar in
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#17328695518281620-402: A collection of about 50 alien designs, despite Marquand's initial insistence that Lucas himself make the choice. Marquand picked a painting by concept artist Nilo Rodis-Jamero of an anonymous alien with no established backstory or personality. Rodis-Jamero's first Ackbar sketch was created in the fall of 1981, two years before Return of the Jedi was released, and was known at the time simply as
1755-415: A complete performance on their own, but shot separately and seamlessly edited together, they gave the admiral a realistic feel." Brandon Alinger , author of Star Wars Costumes: The Original Trilogy Ackbar's appearance in the film was created using a combination of either a half-body puppet or a full-body costume, depending on the camera angle required for the shot. The puppet and mask were created by
1890-581: A crew for a heist. Solo is featured in the non-canon story Into The Great Unknown . Solo and Chewbacca enter hyperdrive and crash into the United States' northwest, Solo being killed by Native Americans almost immediately. The story features a time jump where Indiana Jones finds the skeleton remains of Solo on the Millennium Falcon . Solo is featured in the 2015 Star Wars comic series. Issue #6 introduces Sana Starros as his wife, although later it
2025-515: A full admiral was created in 1939 for Darlan , who was the only person in French history to hold that title. Amiral de la flotte became a rank in 1942, when Darlan was commander in chief of the military forces of the Vichy Regime . The rank of Amiral de la flotte was still mentioned in French laws in 1957. While the rank of admiral of the fleet/fleet admiral is used in some of NATO countries , it
2160-406: A hostage. Solo pursues Beckett and kills him, then gives the coaxium to Nest and her crew, who are sympathetic to the Rebel Alliance . Solo declines Nest's offer to join the Rebellion, instead returning to Lando's sabacc table for another wager. Solo prevents Lando from cheating this time, and wins ownership of the Falcon . Solo and Chewbacca then depart for Tatooine, where a crime lord is assembling
2295-581: A methodical style, and tends to be cautious and conservative, as demonstrated by his initial call for a tactical retreat during the Battle of Endor upon learning that it was a trap. He prefers to personally lead major assaults, fearlessly flying into the battlefield along with his soldiers. Ackbar is resourceful and uses outside-the-box methods to improve himself as an officer. For example, in the novel Aftermath , Ackbar practices with melee weapons against holograms of Imperial stormtroopers. Though he acknowledges that he
2430-449: A moment before he dies". Ackbar's total screen time across all three of his Star Wars film appearances totaled only three minutes and 30 seconds. He was originally planned to appear in Rogue One (2016), a standalone anthology film separate from the sequel trilogy. During the initial screenwriting process, he appeared leading a space fleet during the climactic space battle at the end of
2565-467: A new cantina sequence or something". Rose was not required to audition for the part of Ackbar before being given the role. Rose returned to portray Ackbar in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi . Each day he was provided with pages from the script only for the specific scenes that were being shot, so he knew little about the final role Ackbar would play in the films until shooting took place. Rose
2700-439: A noble personality and a quiet but firm temperament. Rising from humble beginnings, he is a peaceful being who is forced to learn war due to tyranny of the Empire, and never stops working for peace despite understanding the necessity of war. Despite his success as a warrior, his actions are usually shown to be tempered by justice, honor, and concern. In the Star Wars sequel trilogy and other media set around that time period, Ackbar
2835-472: A non-speaking appearance at Hera Syndulla's disciplinary hearing on Corusant. Although his role in the Star Wars films was relatively brief, Admiral Ackbar became a prominent character in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, which encompasses all licensed stories in the Star Wars universe outside of the nine main feature films, such as novels, comic books, video games, and television shows. With
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#17328695518282970-414: A photograph of Ackbar. Bauersfeld voiced the character in Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens , but died before the filming of The Last Jedi , in which he was replaced by Tom Kane, who had voiced Ackbar in other works of Star Wars media. Ackbar was originally planned to be more conventionally humanoid, but after Star Wars creator George Lucas decided to make him an alien, he allowed Return of
3105-405: A pit to be eaten by a Wookiee named Chewbacca. Able to understand Chewbacca's language, Solo joins forces with him and the two escape. In need of additional crew members, Beckett brings Solo and Chewbacca aboard his ship. The crew tries to steal a shipment of coaxium—a valuable hyperspace fuel—but the mission fails. Solo and Chewbacca then accompany Beckett to a meeting with his overseer Dryden Vos ,
3240-406: A ploy to raise the sunken Falcon from a mud swamp. Ackbar's backstory was not explained in Return of the Jedi , but has been established in Star Wars books and other media since the film was released. He is from the planet Mon Cala , a world almost entirely covered by water, where his species built giant floating cities. Ackbar is the leader of his home town, Coral Depths City, when forces from
3375-459: A political rival of Ackbar, exploits this and has him arrested and placed on trial, but Han Solo and Lando Calrissian obtain evidence that proves his innocence, and he is restored to his military position. Ackbar plans a raid against Thrawn on the planet Bilbringi, seeking to severely damage the Grand Admiral's shipbuilding capability and steal Imperial technology. Thrawn learns of the raid and sets
3510-407: A prominent character in other Star Wars media, including novels, comic books, video games, and television shows, and later made appearances in the sequel trilogy films Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), and the television series The Clone Wars . With his distinctive salmon-colored skin, webbed hands, high-domed head, and large fish-like eyes, Ackbar
3645-582: A puppeteer working on several projects for The Jim Henson Company (including The Dark Crystal ), when Jim Henson directed him and others from the company to work on Return of the Jedi . He was not originally hired to portray Admiral Ackbar, but instead to help build and operate the Sy Snootles puppet for the Max Rebo Band , which performs at the palace of the alien crime lord Jabba the Hutt . While backstage at
3780-454: A rank, its name can vary depending on the country . In addition to " fleet admiral " and "admiral of the fleet", such rank names include " admiral of the navy " and " grand admiral ". The following articles contain specific information on the rank as it pertains to individual countries: Ambiguity exists when translating the French amiral into English (into admiral of the fleet or admiral ). A French title of amiral de la flotte , outranking
3915-427: A red face and eyes on the side". Others working on the film opposed the choice, believing the character looked too silly or ugly and would be mocked, but Marquand insisted upon the choice and their objections were rejected. Marquand said of those concerns: "I think it's good to tell kids that good people aren't necessarily good-looking people and that bad people aren't necessarily ugly people." Ackbar's first name, Gial,
4050-529: A result and ultimate overtook the planet, resulting in King Lee-Char's capture and eventual death. Ackbar appeared briefly in the 2017 Star Wars Battlefront II video game developed by EA DICE . During the prologue of the story mode, in which Imperial agent and the game's protagonist Iden Versio has infiltrated a Mon Calamari cruiser, a hologram of Ackbar discussing the Rebel Alliance's plans to attack
4185-424: A scene with Ackbar. Ben Rosenblatt, a co-producer with The Force Awakens , said having Ackbar on the set was "the moment that meant the most to me, personally", adding: "Security has been so tight, we're not allowed to take pictures or anything, but I had to take a picture of Ackbar on set and show it to my brothers because we loved Ackbar." Actor John Boyega , who portrayed Finn , said of performing with Ackbar: "as
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4320-417: A screen presence. He was originally just a background character. They created a whole series of characters, and they had these roles they needed filled. He ended up filling it because he just had the magic. He had the charisma. When you came into the workshop, somehow you looked at him instead of the four other creatures. ... Ackbar became a character in the process of building him. Timothy D. Rose In
4455-400: A series of novels called The Han Solo Adventures , which explore the smuggling exploits of Solo and Chewbacca before the events of the original trilogy. The 1994 Kevin J. Anderson novel Jedi Search explains how Solo incurred the debt to Jabba that haunts him throughout the films. The Han Solo Trilogy (1997–1998) by Ann C. Crispin develops the character's backstory, depicting him as
4590-607: A surprise assault on the battle station as it orbits the forest moon of Endor . The attack, known as the Battle of Endor, involves General Han Solo leading a strike team on the moon's surface to destroy the Death Star's energy shield generator, while Ackbar and General Lando Calrissian lead a battle against the station itself. Ackbar personally leads the assault from his flagship, the Mon Calamari cruiser Home One . The attack does not go as planned, however, because Emperor Palpatine
4725-576: A trap for Ackbar and his forces, but the New Republic ultimately win the battle after Thrawn is assassinated by his own bodyguard. Ackbar played a prominent supporting role in the Star Wars: X-wing series of novels, which detailed Ackbar leading the successful campaign to recapture the capital planet of Coruscant , among other events. This series also portrays the death of Ackbar's niece, Jesmin Ackbar,
4860-468: A vision of Solo, who again urges him to renounce the dark side. After a brief conversation, Ren throws away his lightsaber and once again becomes Ben Solo. The 2018 standalone film Solo: A Star Wars Story depicts a 19-year-old Han living as an orphan on the planet Corellia . He and his lover, Qi'ra , flee the White Worms criminal gang and attempt to leave Corellia on an outgoing transport, but Qi'ra
4995-605: A younger version of the character is played by Alden Ehrenreich . In the animated web series Forces of Destiny (2017–2018), Solo is voiced by A.J. LoCascio and Kiff VandenHeuvel . Ford was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Solo in Star Wars , and won the award for his performance in The Force Awakens. In the original trilogy , Solo and his Wookiee friend Chewbacca are smugglers who are hired to transport Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker to Alderaan so they can deliver stolen plans for
5130-648: Is apprehended before she can board. Han vows to return for her and joins the Imperial Navy as a flight cadet. He is given the surname "Solo" by the recruiting officer, due to his lack of a family. Three years later, Solo has been expelled from the Imperial Flight Academy for insubordination and now serves in the Imperial Army. While fighting on Mimban, he encounters a gang of criminals posing as Imperial soldiers. He wants to join them, but their leader Tobias Beckett gets him arrested for desertion and thrown into
5265-566: Is captured, leaving Ahsoka and Lee-Char to fend for themselves. However, after learning that Tamson plans to install himself as the new king, the Quarren betrays the Separatists at Lee-Char's public execution ceremony. Afterwards, Ackbar is freed and helps lead a counterassault to retake the planet. Tamson is killed by Lee-Char, who is crowned the new king. Dave Filoni , supervising director on The Clone Wars , said he had planned on featuring Ackbar in
5400-484: Is later revealed that the crash was the result of Imperial sabotage, and Leia tries to persuade Ackbar to return to military service. During that time, Mon Calamari is attacked by Imperial Admiral Natasi Daala , one of the primary antagonists of the Jedi Academy trilogy. Ackbar leads the successful defense of his planet and defeats Daala, and later returns to his military post. Ackbar retires from military service before
5535-557: Is looking for Luke, who disappeared years before, he takes them to his friend Maz Kanata , hoping she can deliver the droid BB-8 to the Resistance . While Solo, Finn and Rey are in Maz's castle, the First Order arrives and captures Rey. At the Resistance base, Solo reunites with Leia. It is revealed that their son, Ben Solo , was brought to the dark side by Supreme Leader Snoke . Ben trained as
Admiral Ackbar - Misplaced Pages Continue
5670-452: Is portrayed as more gruff in his older age, during which he commands officers many years or even decades younger than him, sometimes referring to them as "fry". His dedication to his career and duty left little time for a personal life or romances, and as a result he does not have a family of his own, with the exception of two nieces. I think he ended up commanding the troops not so much because of my performance, but because of his look. He had
5805-541: Is ranked differently depending on the country. Han Solo Han Solo ( / ˈ h ɑː n ˈ s oʊ l oʊ / ) is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He was introduced in the 1977 film Star Wars , and later appeared in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983), The Force Awakens (2015), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). Harrison Ford portrays Solo in all five films. In Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018),
5940-488: Is revealed that Admiral Ackbar was seldom present for Aftab's childhood due to his military career, but Aftab studying all of his battle tactics and still felt a strong connection to his father. Aftab is a Colonel with the Resistance in The Rise of Skywalker , He appears in several scenes, including a Resistance meeting to discuss the resurrection of Emperor Palpatine, and the final space battle over Exegol , during which he pilots
6075-428: Is revealed that she married him as part of a plan to swindle a crime lord. Star Wars: Han Solo (2016) is a five-issue mini-series set between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back , which focuses on Solo participating in a race. The comic adaptation of Solo: A Star Wars Story reveals that Solo knew his father worked in the shipyards of Corellia. Han Solo – Imperial Cadet (2018) depicts Solo's rebellious days in
6210-455: Is unlikely to face melee combat as a high-ranking officer, he engages in the practice because he feels staying proficient in fighting techniques helps him stay sharp, flexible, and ahead of his enemies. Ackbar also studies various forms of weaponry and fighting, and has strong design skills, made evident by his role in designing the B-wing starfighter. Ackbar is also regularly portrayed as wise, with
6345-478: The Robot Chicken: Star Wars series, a Star Wars -themed version of the stop motion sketch comedy television series Robot Chicken on Adult Swim dedicated entirely to Star Wars parodies. Meyer, who also wrote for the series, called voicing Ackbar "my favorite (experience) in the history of the world". Meyer said he tries to mimic Ackbar's voice from Return of the Jedi as best he can, but that
6480-555: The American Film Institute , and was selected as the fourth greatest film character by Empire magazine. Entertainment Weekly ranked Solo as the seventh coolest hero in popular culture. George Lucas created the Star Wars franchise and both wrote and directed the original Star Wars film. In the earliest version of the screenplay, Solo was an alien of the Ureallian race with green skin, enormous gills and no nose. He
6615-458: The B-wing , a powerful line of starfighters. This success prompts Rebel leader Mon Mothma to promote him to Admiral, news he reacts to heavily due to the weight of the responsibility. Following events in the film Star Wars , including the destruction of the Death Star, Ackbar helps the other Rebel leaders establish new bases of operation and manage a Rebel mobile task force in starships spread across
6750-515: The Death Star . Solo eventually joins the Rebel Alliance in its struggle against the Galactic Empire , and falls in love with Princess Leia . In the sequel trilogy , Solo joins forces with Leia, the scavenger Rey and the former stormtrooper Finn in a campaign against the First Order , led by his son Kylo Ren , who eventually kills him. Solo was chosen as the 14th greatest film hero by
6885-487: The Galactic Empire invade and nearly destroy the planet. Despite the Mon Calamari's attempts to make peace, the Imperial forces destroy several of their cities, steal their technology, and enslave its population. Ackbar is one of the first to be enslaved, and becomes an interpreter and personal servant to Grand Moff Tarkin , a secondary antagonist from the first Star Wars film. During this time, Ackbar learns much about both
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#17328695518287020-426: The Rebel Alliance in their conflict with the Galactic Empire . In the comic, which is set before the events of the film The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Ackbar and his crew are stranded on the planet Daluuj after an Imperial attack, and they are rescued by Han Solo , Luke Skywalker , and Princess Leia Organa in the Millennium Falcon . Ackbar demonstrates his tactical abilities by agitating water monsters in
7155-507: The dark side of the Force . In the comics, Ackbar and Mon Mothma attempts to lead the Rebel Alliance through the crisis, and Ackbar later organizes a response when his home world is attacked by the Empire's new superweapons, the World Devastators. In the Star Wars novels written between 1991 and 1998 , following the events of the Return of the Jedi , Ackbar maintains a key position in
7290-523: The droid worked with fellow Resistance operatives BB-8 and Poe Dameron to infiltrate the ship and rescue him from Captain Phasma . Ackbar played a supporting role in the "Burning Seas" story arc from the comic book series Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith , which was released in 2018 but was set about one year after the events of Revenge of the Sith , the final movie in the Star Wars prequel trilogy . In
7425-413: The "Monster Shop" of Industrial Light & Magic, the motion picture visual effects company founded by Lucas. In close-up scenes of Ackbar that required dialogue, puppeteer Timothy M. Rose sat inside the chest of the character and operated the head like a traditional hand puppet from below. Rose moved the mouth using his hand, while Mike Quinn operated the eyes via cables. The jumpsuit of that version of
7560-554: The 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Disney Company , most of the licensed Star Wars novels and comics produced since the originating 1977 film Star Wars were rebranded as Star Wars Legends and declared non-canon to the franchise in April 2014. As a result, Ackbar has two separate storylines and character histories outside of the feature films: one in the Legends canon encompassing all Star Wars media before April 2014, and one in
7695-422: The Ackbar's costume saying "It's a wrap", a reference to the character's death and his famous "It's a trap" line. That shot was featured in behind-the-scenes footage shown at the 2017 D23 Expo . Although intended as a joke, Rose found the gesture offensive and said he was "in tears in the suit". The voice of Admiral Ackbar in Return of the Jedi was performed by Erik Bauersfeld , a radio dramatist who also voiced
7830-492: The Battle of Jakku , a decisive victory that resulted in the destruction of the Empire and the end of the Galactic Civil War. In an interview with USA Today , Wendig said Ackbar was his favorite established Star Wars character to write for in the novel: "One of the great things about the universe is that we have all of these characters who get a small amount of screen time but who impact us in huge ways. .. Ackbar for me
7965-524: The Battle of Ebaq, ultimately helping turn the tide of the war. It is revealed in The Unifying Force (2003), the final novel of the New Jedi Order series, that Ackbar dies of old age shortly before the end of the war, after which he receives a grand memorial service. His death, which occurs 29 years after the events of the first Star Wars film, does not occur within the prose of the novel; rather,
8100-461: The Death Star, the Empire's colossal battle station. The Falcon is captured and brought aboard the Death Star, but Solo and his companions avoid detection and infiltrate the station. When they discover that Princess Leia is being held captive, Luke convinces Solo and Chewbacca to help him rescue her by promising Solo a large reward. After delivering Luke and Leia to the Rebel Alliance, Solo collects his payment and prepares to leave. Luke asks him to aid
8235-467: The Death Star. Solo then reunites with his friends on Endor to celebrate the fall of the Empire. Ford returns as Solo in two films of the sequel trilogy. In The Force Awakens (2015), set thirty years after Return of the Jedi , Solo has returned to his smuggling career. He and Chewbacca reclaim the Millennium Falcon —which they had lost—after the scavenger Rey and the renegade stormtrooper Finn use it to escape from Jakku . When Solo learns that Rey
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#17328695518288370-417: The Empire and military tactics in general, as well as about the Rebel Alliance and the Death Star , a moon-sized superweapon Tarkin is developing at the time. Ackbar takes detailed notes about what he observed with the hopes of eventually escaping back to his people and using the information against the Empire. Ackbar is freed from captivity during a failed attempt by Rebel forces to capture Tarkin. He joins
8505-471: The Empire and with whom Solo has "some kind of relationship ... like [a] stepfather". In the finished film, Solo instead unites with his old friend Lando Calrissian , an administrator willing to conduct business with the Empire. In early screenplay drafts of Revenge of the Sith (2005), a ten-year-old Solo helps the Jedi Master Yoda locate General Grievous . The early scripts also revealed that Solo
8640-494: The Hutt , but delays his departure when Luke goes missing. Solo rides alone into freezing temperatures and finds Luke nearly dead from exposure. He builds a shelter and they survive until they are rescued. Later, Solo and Chewbacca destroy an Imperial probe droid , but not before the Empire is alerted to the location of the Rebel base. Solo, Chewbacca and Leia escape in the Millennium Falcon and fly into an asteroid field. While repairing
8775-483: The Imperial forces, while Han Solo & Chewbacca (2022) follows the smugglers as they do a job for Jabba, who sends Greedo to accompany them. In the 1978 television program Star Wars Holiday Special , Solo joins Chewbacca and his family on Kashyyyk for the Wookiee holiday Life Day. Ford portrays Solo in the live-action portions of the program, and voices him in the animated segment. Solo also appears in two episodes of
8910-468: The Jedi (1983), Solo is still imprisoned in carbonite. A year has elapsed, and the frozen Solo is a decoration in Jabba's palace on Tatooine. Leia enters the palace in disguise and liberates Solo from his hibernation, but Jabba captures them both. When Luke arrives to bargain for Solo's life, he too is imprisoned. Jabba tries to execute Solo, Luke and Chewbacca by feeding them to a Sarlacc , but they escape with
9045-428: The Jedi director Richard Marquand to pick from various designs. Marquand picked a sketch by concept artist Nilo Rodis-Jamero, over the objections of other members of the film crew who thought the character looked too silly or ugly. Ackbar made his first appearance not in the film, but in a Star Wars newspaper comic strip that ran a few months before Return of the Jedi was released. Lucas was not entirely pleased with
9180-458: The Jedi since it first came out, still had not seen the first Star Wars film, and had trouble imitating Ackbar's voice because he could not remember what it sounded like. Bauersfeld reprised the role in the 1993 computer game Star Wars: X-Wing . Film director J. J. Abrams requested that Bauersfeld once again play Ackbar in the 2015 film Star Wars: The Force Awakens . It was Bauersfeld's final role before his death in April 2016. Bauersfield
9315-415: The Legends canon, the first name is still considered part of the official canon, and has been re-confirmed as Ackbar's name in canon reference books like Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need To Know , as well as other canon Star Wars novels. "Ackbar represented the ingenuity in creature and costume development at the time. Neither the full-body nor close-up version of Ackbar were capable of generating
9450-753: The May 1983 debut of that film, the character made his first chronological appearance in the Star Wars newspaper comic strip by Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson . Published by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate , the strip ran in newspapers across the United States from November 1982 to January 1983. In the comic, Ackbar was portrayed as the leader of the Mon Calamari , an alien species of fish-like, amphibious humanoids with salmon-colored skin, webbed hands, high-domed heads, and large fish-like eyes, and who can breathe both on land and underwater. They are allies of
9585-413: The Rebel Alliance, where the knowledge he obtained during his captivity made him indispensable. Ackbar returns to the Mon Calamari people and, after leading them through numerous conflicts, convinces them to formally support the Rebel cause, bringing with them the massive Mon Calamari cruisers that drastically improves the strength of the Rebel fleet. Starting with the rank of Commander, Ackbar helps design
9720-484: The Rebels in their assault on the Death Star, but Solo refuses. He returns unexpectedly during the battle, saving Luke's life and allowing him to destroy the Death Star. Afterwards, Leia presents Solo and Luke with medals for their heroism. Solo returns in The Empire Strikes Back (1980). He is still with the Rebel Alliance, serving at the headquarters on the ice planet Hoth . He intends to leave to pay off his debt to Jabba
9855-626: The Verpine, the alien species building the ships, into the Rebel Alliance. In the storyline, the B-wings are designed in a research facility on an asteroid named Shantipole, and the project is nearly compromised by an Imperial spy, forcing Ackbar and other characters to repel an Imperial attack and escape. Ackbar appears in Dark Empire , a six-issue comic book series that detailed the resurrection of Emperor Palpatine, as well as Luke Skywalker's brief conversion to
9990-472: The alien character Bib Fortuna in the film, and had unsuccessfully auditioned to voice Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back . He was cast after Star Wars sound designer Ben Burtt approached him in 1983, while Bauersfeld was producing a radio drama with Lucasfilm sound designer Randy Thom and suggested he audition for the part of Ackbar. The recording session took one hour, and Bauersfeld made up
10125-404: The animated web series Forces of Destiny (2017–2018). He is voiced by Kiff VandenHeuvel in the episode "Tracker Trouble" and by A.J. LoCascio in "An Imperial Feast". Following the acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Disney Company in 2012, most of the licensed Star Wars novels and comics produced between 1977 and 2014 were rebranded as Star Wars Legends and declared non-canon to
10260-401: The attack and give Solo's team more time to destroy the energy shield. The Rebel forces suffer heavy casualties, but ultimately succeed in destroying the second Death Star and defeating the Empire. Ackbar appeared in the first three episodes of the fourth season of the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars , which is set roughly 20 years before the events of the first Star Wars film. In
10395-511: The beginning of The New Jedi Order series of Star Wars novels, which were first published in 1999 and were set about 25 years after the original trilogy. However, even as his body begins to fail him due to his advanced age, he comes out of retirement when the Yuuzhan Vong attempt to conquer the galaxy in a bloody war that nearly destroys the New Republic. He appeared in the book Destiny's Way (2002), and upon his return to military service,
10530-490: The bounty hunter Boba Fett and handed over to the Empire, who imprisoned him aboard an Imperial cruiser. In the game, the player is a member of Renegade Squadron, a military unit formed by Han Solo composed of pirates and smugglers, and the rescue of Ackbar is one of the game's playable missions. Ackbar can be played as a hidden character in the Nintendo Wii version of the 2008 video game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed if
10665-458: The breakdown and aging of costumes in the film, said she was unhappy with the final result of Ackbar's costume. She later reflected that the all-white costume could have used more aging, saying: "I had to airbrush it, which was done very fast and it does look kind of like it's outlined. Not enough was done with that." Ackbar has 14 lines of dialogue in Return of the Jedi , and the character's scenes took six weeks to shoot. Due to uncertainty whether
10800-430: The bridge except for Leia, who is saved by her use of the Force . Although Ackbar had no lines of dialogue during his death scene in the film, the comic book adaptation of The Last Jedi revealed that his last words were: "Torpedoes inbound. It's been an honor serving with you all." Whitta, who wrote the comic book adaptation, said he was saddened Ackbar died so quickly in the film, so he wanted to give him "a little bit of
10935-483: The characters are notified that his death occurred. A Galactic Alliance Star Destroyer is named in his honor; the Admiral Ackbar first appears in the novel The Unseen Queen (2005), set several years after the character's death. Ackbar has appeared in several Star Wars video games, starting with the 1993 LucasArts space simulation computer game Star Wars: X-Wing , in which he provided military briefings for
11070-564: The command hierarchy of the Rebel Alliance, as well as that of the New Republic , the government established to replace the Empire. He was a signatory on the formal declaration of the New Republic and one of nine individuals to join the New Republic Provisional Council, the initial governing body of this new form of government. Ackbar is part of the many mop-up operations that targets the Empire's dwindling territories, including
11205-461: The costume was cut off at the waist, and each sleeves included additional access points where a puppeteer could insert his or her arm to control Ackbar's hands. For wider shots that showed Ackbar's full body, Rose wore the mask and costume while Quinn operated the mouth via remote. Though most other Rebel officers in the Return of the Jedi briefing room scene wore earth tones, Rodis-Jamero felt Ackbar's costume should be more crisp and distinctive: "He
11340-589: The defeat of Grand Admiral Peccati Syn during the liberation of the Wookiee planet Kashyyyk , and the defeat of Imperial warlord Zsinj. Before his death, Zsinj brainwashes several aliens and forces them to make assassination attempts against several high-profile Rebel leaders, including Ackbar. Ackbar appeared in the Heir to the Empire trilogy of books written by Timothy Zahn and published from 1991 to 1993, which were widely credited with rejuvenating interest in Star Wars at
11475-414: The film are the same design as those worn by Imperial stormtroopers . A white helmet with an elongated back to accommodate Ackbar's large oval-shaped head was featured in original character sketches and was created for Ackbar. However, it created too many complications with the operation of the puppet head, so it was worn by another Mon Calamari character instead. Edwina Pellikka, a textile artist who handled
11610-414: The film's progress reports. When the inside of the costume became hot, visual effects artist Phil Tippett , who designed most of the film's creatures, would use a hair dryer to blow cool air through the mouth of the Ackbar mask to keep Rose comfortable. Although the character was created with the best available puppetry technology at the time, Lucas was not entirely pleased with the final result and felt it
11745-438: The film. However, he was removed in later script revisions and his part replaced by Admiral Raddus , who, in an homage to Ackbar, was also a member of the Mon Calamari species. Whitta, who co-wrote the story of the film, said he wanted Ackbar included, but since he was already featured in The Force Awakens , the team behind Rogue One decided the character should not appear in two films released so closely together. Ackbar makes
11880-408: The final result of the character in the film and felt it was a compromise. Ackbar's first name, Gial, was not established until April 2012. Ackbar had just 14 lines of dialogue in Return of the Jedi , and his total screen time across all three film appearances totaled only three minutes and 30 seconds. Nevertheless, he is considered a fan favorite among Star Wars characters, and was ranked No. 16 in
12015-400: The finished film. Lucas also used Humphrey Bogart as a reference point for the character. While developing the story for the first sequel, The Empire Strikes Back , Lucas described Solo as "coming to grips with accepting responsibility." An early plot line involved him being separated from Luke while on a crucial mission. Lucas thought Solo should meet with a business leader who deals with
12150-414: The first two films of the Star Wars sequel trilogy , which were distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures after The Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm in 2012. His character is retired from military service before the events of the films, but Leia Organa convinces him to come out of retirement to fight against the First Order , a military dictatorship that was formed from the remnants of
12285-544: The franchise. The Legends works comprise a separate narrative universe. In the Legends universe, Solo's parents are Jonash and Jaina Solo, and the Solo ancestry can be traced back thousands of generations. Three centuries before the events of Star Wars , one of Solo's ancestors ruled the planet Corellia. He established a constitutional monarchy , after which the lineage slowly lost power. Between 1979 and 1980, Brian Daley wrote
12420-424: The galaxy. He rises up the ranks until Mothma promotes him to commander of the entire Rebel fleet and head of military operations, as well as one of her top advisers. Admiral Ackbar was the first character not resemblant of a human shown in a leadership position in the Star Wars films. In Return of the Jedi , when Rebel spies discover plans for a partially constructed second Death Star , Ackbar and Mon Mothma plan
12555-417: The height of its power. In the first film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Ackbar appears at the headquarters of the Resistance, and helps develop the plan to destroy the First Order's new superweapon, Starkiller Base . He later monitors the successful attack against the weapon alongside Leia from the Resistance base on the planet D'Qar . Members of the cast and crew were particularly excited to film
12690-438: The help of Leia and Lando. Returning to the Rebel fleet, the companions discover that the Empire is building a second Death Star, which is orbiting the forest moon of Endor . Solo, now a general in the Rebel Alliance, leads a strike team to disable the shield surrounding the battle station. After enlisting a tribe of Ewoks in a battle against Imperial forces, the Rebels remove the shield, which allows Lando and his team to destroy
12825-414: The humor comes through because "the actual voice is just funny". Robot Chicken co-creator Seth Green said of Meyer's performance: "When Breckin does Ackbar, it splits me every time. No matter what he says, it's always funny." Fleet Admiral It is also a generic term for a senior admiral in command of a large group of ships , comprising a fleet or, in some cases, a group of fleets. If actually
12960-432: The importance of being part of a group and helping for the common good". In 2004, he described the character as the selfish sidekick of the selfless Luke. The noted mythologist Joseph Campbell said of Solo, “He thinks he’s an egoist; but he really isn’t. That’s a very loveable kind of human being. They think they’re working for themselves, but there’s something else pushing them.” On another occasion Campbell said, “Solo
13095-473: The leader of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate. There, Solo reunites with Qi'ra, who is Vos's lieutenant. Solo suggests a plan to steal coaxium from the mines on the planet Kessel ; Vos approves, but insists that Qi'ra accompany the crew. Qi'ra leads them to Lando Calrissian, an accomplished smuggler who she hopes will lend them his ship, the Millennium Falcon . Solo challenges Lando to a game of sabacc , with
13230-513: The message "Ackbar is back!" is transmitted to the entire Defense Force, inspired by a similar real-life transmission "Winston is back!" reportedly issued to the British fleet about Winston Churchill during World War II . In the book, Ackbar serves in a command post in the newly formed Galactic Alliance government, where he formulates strategies that result in a major victory against the Yuuzhan Vong,
13365-478: The mouth about movement Ackbar puppet would look realistic while delivering dialogue, alternative scenes were shot with General Crix Madine , a human character portrayed by Dermot Crowley , delivering Ackbar's most important lines, in case they had to be used instead. None of these shots ultimately had to be used in the final film. Occasionally, members of the film crew jokingly referred to the Ackbar character as "Ernie Ackbar", and his name appeared that way on some of
13500-558: The newly formed New Republic that while the Empire suffered a heavy loss with the death of Emperor Palpatine and the destruction of the Death Star II, the Empire was still a threat and the war was not yet over. In the novel, Ackbar participated in the New Republic's efforts to seek out the remnants of the Empire hiding in the Outer Rim region of the galaxy, and he communicated with his colleague Wedge Antilles before Antilles' disappearance on
13635-583: The official Disney canon for all media after April 2014. Ackbar was a central character in Strike Force: Shantipole , an adventure book for use with the Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game released in June 1988 by West End Games . Set before the chronological events of Return of the Jedi , the book portrayed Ackbar's secret development of the B-wing starfighters and his efforts to recruit
13770-399: The original Empire. He regains his prior rank of Admiral and serves as one of the leaders of the Resistance , a paramilitary organization led by Leia, who is now a General. Ackbar is in command of the Resistance fleet, with the Mon Calamari cruiser Raddus as his flagship. Ackbar is widely respected by the Resistance personnel as one of the few living commanders to have faced the Empire during
13905-403: The original script for Return of the Jedi , Ackbar's appearance was more conventionally humanoid, with blue skin and more physically attractive; the second draft of the screenplay described him as a "pale blue nonhuman". Star Wars creator George Lucas later decided he should be an alien creature instead, and gave the film's director, Richard Marquand , the option to pick a look for Ackbar from
14040-465: The pilot character controlled by the player. Ackbar made an appearance in Star Wars Galaxies , an MMORPG developed by Sony Online Entertainment and first released in 2003. The game is set shortly after the events of the first Star Wars film, and Ackbar has a rank of Captain . Ackbar also appeared in the 2007 video game Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron , in which he was kidnapped by
14175-462: The planet Akiva , where much of the book's story was set. Ackbar appeared in Aftermath 's two sequel books, Life Debt (2016) and Empire's End (2017), also written by Wendig. In Life Debt , Ackbar led the successful assault against Kuat Drive Yards, a major starship manufacturer that had previously been supplying the Empire. In Empire's End , Ackbar commanded the New Republic fleet during
14310-464: The player entered the cheat code "ITSATWAP". Ackbar also appears in the 2015 mobile Role-Playing Game , Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes , as an unlockable character. Admiral Ackbar appeared in Star Wars: Aftermath , a 2015 canon novel by Chuck Wendig set immediately after the events of Return of the Jedi . During one passage, Ackbar made an impassioned speech, warning his fellow officials in
14445-524: The primary antagonists of the series. Attempting to spark a civil war on the planet, the Separatists use Quarren insurgents to obstruct Mon Cala Prince Lee-Char's succession to the throne, and Ackbar attempts to protect Lee-Char and rally the Mon Calamari people as a battle for the planet begins. The battle is lost, despite the assistance of the Jedi Ahsoka Tano , Anakin Skywalker , and Kit Fisto . Ackbar
14580-533: The public revelation, an indication of his respect for her. In a storyline that crossed over between the comic book Star Wars: C-3PO and the Disney XD television series Lego Star Wars: The Resistance Rises (both released in 2016), it was established that Ackbar was captured by the First Order some time after his recruitment into the Resistance. In the story, the droid C-3PO obtained information that Ackbar had been imprisoned aboard an Imperial battlecruiser, and
14715-471: The second Death Star is briefly visible. A Mon Calamari named Aftab Ackbar, Admiral Ackbar's son, was created to appear as a minor character in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), the final film in the sequel trilogy. He was created as a result of early script conversations between The Rise of Skywalker co-writers J. J. Abrams and Chris Terrio , who provided the voice for the character. Terrio
14850-425: The series since the second season due to the character's relevance to the original trilogy, and because he was old enough in those films to have been alive when The Clone Wars was set. Keith Kellogg, animation supervisor for the series, said of the character: "To see him as his younger self commanding an army in the field was really fun, and to be able to see him mentor Lee-Char was great." Admiral Ackbar appeared in
14985-432: The ship as the wager. Lando cheats to win, but agrees to join the mission in exchange for a share of the profits. The heist succeeds, partly due to Solo's piloting skills during the dangerous Kessel Run . Before the crew returns to Vos, they are intercepted by a group of pirates led by Enfys Nest . After a series of schemes and betrayals, Vos and his guards lie dead and Beckett has fled with the coaxium and taken Chewbacca as
15120-491: The ship, Solo and Leia share a kiss. The group then seeks aid from Solo's friend Lando Calrissian in Cloud City . Under duress by the Empire, Lando betrays them to it, and Vader tortures Solo as part of his plan to trap Luke. Vader freezes Solo in carbonite and gives him to the bounty hunter Boba Fett , who plans to deliver him to Jabba. Before Solo is put into carbonite hibernation, Leia confesses her love for him. In Return of
15255-552: The ships to jump to hyperspace to escape the First Order. The First Order fleet pursues the Resistance, sending Kylo Ren and other TIE fighters after the MC85 Star Cruiser Raddus , on which Ackbar and other senior Resistance leaders are aboard. First Order TIEs open fire on the main bridge of the Raddus , causing a massive explosion and blowing all occupants into the vacuum of space. Ackbar is killed, along with everyone else on
15390-577: The show, Ackbar is a chief adviser of the Mon Cala king, Yos Kolina, and captain of the Mon Calamari royal guard, where he hones the abilities that later serve him as an Admiral. The fragile peace between Mon Cala's two primary species, the Calamari and the Quarren, is disrupted after King Kolina is assassinated by Riff Tamson, an agent for the Confederacy of Independent Systems, also known as the Separatists, one of
15525-431: The side of the legs. The artificial fabric used on the jumpsuit made a distinct scratching sound whenever the actor walked, which Rodgers said was a nuisance for the film's sound crew. Over the jumpsuit, Rose wore a vest made of white felt, along with a white plastic utility belt, a rank badge on the left side of his chest, and a large collar to accommodate the unique profile of Ackbar's head. The white boots Ackbar wears in
15660-464: The story arc, entitled "Burning Seas", Ackbar was a commander and Chief of Security for Mon Cala King Lee-Char, and Darth Vader and his forces visited the planet to strengthen the Empire's influence there. Ackbar set a trap for the Empire by luring their aerial landing platforms closer to the planet, then firing special undetectable missiles at them once they were in range. The victory proved temporary, however, as Grand Moff Tarkin escalated hostilities as
15795-469: The time. In those books, which are set five years after Return of the Jedi , Ackbar is instrumental in working with Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia Organa, and Mon Mothma in reestablishing the New Republic and defeating Grand Admiral Thrawn , the new leader of the remaining forces of the Empire. In the second novel of the series, Dark Force Rising , Thrawn attempts to frame Ackbar for treason by placing stolen money into his personal accounts. Borsk Fey'lya ,
15930-557: The twins Jaina and Jacen , and a son named Anakin . In the 1999 novel Solo Command , Solo is in charge of a New Republic task force assigned to track down an Imperial warlord. Chewbacca dies saving Anakin's life in Vector Prime (1999), sending Solo into a deep depression. Anakin dies in Star by Star (2001), which compounds Solo's despair. At the end of the series, Solo accepts the losses of his loved ones and reconciles with his family. In
16065-448: The voice on the spot after looking at a photograph of Ackbar, without having any other information about the character. According to Bauersfeld: "I saw the face, and I knew what he must sound like." Bauersfeld did not receive an on-screen credit for his roles as Ackbar and Bib Fortuna, and his association with the characters was unknown for years after the film was released. In a 1999 interview, Timothy Rose said he did not know who provided
16200-467: The voice, and thought it was possible that it was his own voice modified with a synthesizer . Eventually fans learned Bauersfeld played the parts and he began to receive multiple fan letters every week, which continued for the rest of his life. Bauersfeld said he appreciated the passion of fans and responded to every autograph request, but that he was not particularly knowledgeable about Star Wars himself; in 2011 interview, he said he had not seen Return of
16335-410: The workshop where several alien puppets were stored, Rose saw Ackbar's sculpt on a display stand and asked Phil Tippett if he could play the part. Tippett told him it was a background character, and Rose did not know Ackbar would play a major supporting role in the film. He only asked to portray him because he liked the look of the character, and said he was "thinking he was going to be in the third row in
16470-526: Was a compromise. According to the book Star Wars Costumes: The Original Trilogy , published in 2014, the original masks used for the Ackbar costumes are "in a fragile state today." During filming of the 2005 Star Wars film Revenge of the Sith , Lucas was so impressed with the animatron mask used on the Mon Calamari character Meena Tills that he briefly considered reediting Return of the Jedi and replacing footage of Admiral Ackbar with an improved mask. This ultimately never occurred. Timothy Rose had been
16605-459: Was a fan of Admiral Ackbar and said he "went into mourning a bit" when the character was killed. Prior to the film's debut, Aftab first appeared in comic book miniseries Star Wars: Allegiance released in October 2019. The miniseries is set after the events of The Last Jedi , and features Leia Organa and her allies visit Mon Cala to seek allies and resources for the Resistance. Aftab assists her, and it
16740-420: Was a very practical guy, at least as he thought of himself, a materialist. But he was a compassionate human being at the same time and didn't know it. The adventure evoked a quality of his character that he hadn't known he possessed”. Solo was first introduced in the original film trilogy, and is portrayed by Harrison Ford in all three films. In Star Wars (1977), Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot Chewbacca accept
16875-415: Was also a member of the "Jedi Bendu" and was acquainted with General Skywalker. The next draft of the script depicted Solo as a bearded, flamboyant pirate; Lucas made him human to better develop his relationships with the other human characters. After this alteration, Chewbacca became his alien sidekick. By the third draft, Solo had developed into the "tough James Dean style starpilot" that would appear in
17010-504: Was always this amazing, grizzled war veteran, and getting to inhabit him and his voice for the new book made me pretty giddy." Ackbar has a minor part in the novel Star Wars: Bloodline (2016) by Claudia Gray , which focused largely on Leia Organa prior to the events of The Force Awakens . The novel included the public disclosure that Organa is the daughter of Darth Vader , which nearly destroyed her reputation and led many to condemn her. Ackbar, however, sent her messages of support after
17145-408: Was an admiral. He was more military. His costume looks hard." Costume designer Aggie Guerard Rodgers helped create the Ackbar costume, for which Rose wore a beanbag-like piece around his belly to create Ackbar's distinctive silhouette. Rose wore a white nylon jumpsuit over it, which had a pattern loosely based on ski jumpsuits used in costuming other background characters, as well as yellow striping down
17280-411: Was expecting the assault and had in fact allowed the Death Star plans to fall into Rebel hands. On Palpatine's order, Imperial forces launch a massive counterattack against the Rebel fleet with TIE starfighters and Star Destroyer capital ships, which leads Ackbar to realize that the fleet is heading into a trap. He initially calls for a tactical retreat, but Calrissian convinces him to move forward with
17415-466: Was frustrated by the amount of secrecy on the set, which he felt prevented him and the other actors from having everything they needed to do their jobs as well as possible. Many of Ackbar's scenes were cut from the first film, which Rose said was a disappointment to him "after waiting 30 years to reprise Ackbar". After the character's scenes in The Last Jedi were complete, the crew took footage of Rose in
17550-525: Was not contributing to the plot in a meaningful way. He realized that Solo's death at the hands of his son would move the story forward, while also giving Kylo Ren the chance to develop into a worthy successor to Darth Vader . Solo's appearance in the film was influenced by that of Rooster Cogburn in the film True Grit (2010). When casting Star Wars , Lucas had a preference for unknown actors. He initially resisted casting Ford as Solo, since Ford had previously worked with him on American Graffiti , and
17685-468: Was not established until the April 2012 release of the Star Wars reference book The Essential Guide to Warfare . Co-author Paul R. Urquhart told the website TheForce.net said the name was taken from Gial Gahan, a Mon Calamari Senator character who played a minor role in the Star Wars: Legacy comic book series. While the name Gial was established in material that has since been rebranded as part of
17820-400: Was raised by Chewbacca on the Wookiee homeworld Kashyyyk . Some concept art of the young Solo was created, but Lucas ultimately decided to remove the character from the film. The script for The Force Awakens was written by Michael Arndt, Lawrence Kasdan and the film's director, J. J. Abrams . In an early draft, Solo reconciled with Leia and survived the film, but Abrams felt his character
17955-420: Was realized in Return of the Jedi through the use of either a half-body puppet or full-body costume, depending on the camera angle required. In all three films he was portrayed by puppeteer Timothy D. Rose , who originally played other characters, but requested to also play Ackbar after seeing his sculpt on a display stand. Ackbar was voiced by Erik Bauersfeld , who made up the voice on the spot after looking at
18090-460: Was replaced by Tom Kane in The Last Jedi . Kane has portrayed Ackbar in several other works of Star Wars media, including the 2004 and 2015 versions of Star Wars: Battlefront , the video game Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2016), and the Disney attraction Star Tours – The Adventures Continue . Voice actor Artt Butler, who was a fan of Ackbar ever since watching the Star Wars films as
18225-552: Was therefore not unknown. Instead, the director asked Ford to assist with auditions by reading lines with other actors. However, Lucas was eventually won over by Ford, and cast him as Solo over many other actors who auditioned. Mark Hamill , who plays Solo's companion Luke Skywalker, admired Ford's ability to re-write his character's dialogue. He observed Ford crossing out lines in the script and replacing them with modified versions which he felt were more appropriate for Solo. In 1997, Lucas described Solo as "a cynical loner who realizes
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