Admiral Ackbar is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. A member of the amphibious Mon Calamari species, Ackbar was the Rebel Alliance’s top military commander and led the attack on the second Death Star in Return of the Jedi, the final installment in the original Star Wars trilogy. But did you know what Richard Marquand had to say about this Admiral Ackbar?
Admiral Ackbar’s character design was mocked by the cast of “Return of the Jedi,” who thought it was too ugly. Richard Marquand said; “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.”
Who Created Admiral Ackbar?
Initially, Ackbar was created from a series of drawings of various alien types that could have appeared in Return of the Jedi. During much of the production, director Richard Marquand was shadowed by George Lucas, who was known for making up a lot of the story elements of Star Wars as he went along. Ackbar was no exception, and Lucas let Marquand choose from fifty concept designs to bring the character to life.
Marquand ultimately chose a piece by Nilo Rodis-Jamero, the Return of the Jedi’s Assistant Art Director of Visual Effects. The piece was simply titled Calamari Man, a reference to the species’ fish-like qualities, according to StarWars.com. With no backstory, the character was chosen, the name was loosely adopted, and fan appreciation paved the way for more exposition in later years. (Source: Looper)
What is Admiral Ackbar’s First Name?
Admiral Ackbar, believe it or not, has a first name, but it’s conspicuously absent from a lot of material, possibly because no one thought it prudent to include it. It establishes that the Mon Calamari race does have a first and last name, which is yet another piece of trivia for Star Wars fans.
Ackbar’s first name is Gial, which sounds suspiciously similar to gill, which could be a play on words, given that his race’s name includes the word calamari. Of course, it could just be a coincidence, but it’s one mystery about the character that has finally been resolved. (Source: Screen Rant)
The Demise of Admiral Ackbar’s Character
Some people found Admiral Ackbar’s death in The Last Jedi to be too much to bear. Having first encountered the rebel commander in Return of the Jedi, where he delivered the immortal line, It’s a trap! the military genius quickly became a fan favorite.
After rejoining the Rebel Alliance to fight the First Order alongside Princess Leia, he took part in the salvo that destroyed the Star Killer base in The Last Jedi. That is until the First Order ambushed the Raddus, the star cruiser built by Ackbar’s people, the Mon Calamari, in an attack that put Leia in a coma.
Though Erik Bauersfeld played Ackbar in Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, Tom Kane voiced him in The Last Jedi. And he has a few things to say about how it all went down, particularly about Laura Dern’s character, Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo, who saved the day by ramming her ship at lightspeed into Snoke’s flagship.
I was not really thrilled with how they blew him out the side of the ship. I’m like, ‘Who is this Holdo woman? Nobody knows her, no one’s invested in her — who is she? Why is she saving the fleet? If anyone was gonna save the fleet it’d be Ackbar.
Erik Bauersfeld, Actor who played Admiral Ackbar
(Source: Yahoo)