Aftab Ackbar

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"Your father would be proud of who you've become."
"Ah, my father had maybe seen me once since my spawning. His focus was elsewhere. But I knew him. I studied every battle—every victory."

―Leia Organa and Aftab Ackbar, on Gial Ackbar^[1]

Aftab Ackbar was a Mon Calamari male from the planet Mon Cala. In 34 ABY, several Resistance members came to Mon Cala, in part to honor Aftab's father, Admiral Gial Ackbar, who had recently been killed in the fight against the First Order. General Leia Organa of the Resistance led the mission, whose main goal was to ask for starships and pilots. As she was acquainted with Ackbar, he was present with her for negotiations with King Ech-Char. After the first day of talks, the Resistance members were attacked by several Quarren.

The Quarren claimed that they instead were the victims, so to resolve the conflict, Rey of the Resistance fought their leader, Chadkol Gee, in the Ancient Rite of Challenge. When Rey received help that went against the rite's rules, Ackbar helped escort them away, as their punishment was exile. However, a saboteur attempted to assassinate the group, which, after they were able to survive, convinved Ech-Char to give ships to the anti–First Order cause.

Biography[]

Early life[]

Aftab Ackbar was a Mon Calamari male born on the planet Mon Cala^[1] in 16 ABY.^[2] He^[3] was born to^[5] legendary^[8] rebel leader Gial Ackbar,^[5] although Gial only saw his son once since his spawning^[9] due to his being recruited by Resistance leader General Leia Organa, who created the movement in an effort to resist the First Order.^[5] In his father's absence, Aftab studied every battle and victory of his, and eventually,^[1] after his father had been with the Resistance for a short time, Aftab begged him to come back into retirement.^[5] At some point, Aftab met Organa.^[1]

A visit from the Resistance[]

Welcoming Leia[]

"It's so good to see you, Aftab. You have grown so much since I last saw you."
"It is good to see you as well, general…though I fear others on Mon Cala do not feel the same."

―Leia Organa and Aftab Ackbar^[1]

LeiaAftabHug — Leia Organa embraces Aftab Ackbar.

In 34 ABY,^[10] Resistance members Rey, Leia Organa, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and Rose Tico went on a mission to Mon Cala with the intent of paying respects to Admiral Gial Ackbar,^[11] who had recently died during the Battle of Oetchi.^[12] Organa, who knew Aftab, intended to meet him on Mon Cala, but to her and her group's surprise, they were greeted with weapons pointed at them by several Quarren and Mon Calamari as soon as they landed in their light freighter, the Millennium Falcon.^[11]

The tension escalating, Aftab stepped in, proclaiming Organa to be a war hero who should be treated with respect. He threatened to feed the instigators to many-teethed fish if they were to continue to aggress the Resistance members. The Quarren Chadkol Gee, who had been the one quarreling with them, told Aftab that he was in over his head and that just because his father was a war hero did not mean he was too. Ackbar responded in a similar manner—just because his ancestors were traitors would not necessarily make him one too,^[1]

The Quarren left after the exchange, leaving Ackbar free to welcome General Organa. Ackbar shared that he was glad to see her, but warned that this would not be the sentiment among many others on Mon Cala. Organa explained that she had come to honor Ackbar's father. The pair swam—with Organa utilizing a helmet that allowed her to breathe underwater—to the Mourning Shrines of Mon Cala, where many tributes to Mon Calamari were located, including one to Gial Ackbar. Organa commented that Gial would have been proud of his son. Aftab felt that his father's focus had been elsewhere, as he had only seen him once since his spawning. He also mentioned to Organa that he had heard that she had been with Gial when he died, which Organa confirmed, telling Ackbar that his father had been a hero until the very end and that she wished she could have brought his body back to his home.^[1]

Attacked and negotiations[]

"Perhaps the esteemed General Nossor Ri can explain why a mob of his supporters just happened to be gathering on the platform where our guests' ship is docked?"

―Aftab Ackbar^[13]

AftabMeeting — Aftab Ackbar joined the negotiations between Leia Organa and Ech-Char.

Organa explained that the real reason she had come to Mon Cala was to ask for starships and pilots from the Mon Calamari people.^[1] Ackbar cautioned that King of Mon Cala Ech-Char might not give up all the supplies that Organa was hoping for. Organa insisted that even though they were about to meet politicians, she knew how to handle them. Organa made her case to the king as Ackbar watched, although she was quickly shot down by Chadkol Gee, who claimed that the Mon Calamari and Quarren had suffered under her father, Darth Vader, and that they had already given everything to her cause. Although Ech-Char did not dismiss Organa's request as Gee had, he admitted that she was asking a lot of a people still nursing old wounds. He adjourned the meeting until the next day.^[1]

Shortly thereafter, the Resistance representatives were attacked by Quarren. Tico, Rey, and Chewbacca defeated a few in hand-to-hand combat,^[1] but they, along with C-3PO, were captured and detained in pods. Ackbar and Organa were next to Ech-Char when the pods were brought in. After Ech-Char told Organa that her people had gone too far, Ackbar accused Ri of being involved with the attack on Organa's companions, saying that it had to be more than a coincidence that an angry mob of his supporters gathered where the guests' ship was docked. He also claimed that for someone who advocated for peace as much as he did, he associated himself with violent individuals.^[13]

Ri swam over to Ackbar and reminded him that even his father showed respect to Ri. Ackbar countered that his father had died fighting the First Order, so he doubted that he would respect one who simply hid from threat. Organa shut down the argument, saying that their infighting was exactly what the First Order wanted. Gee suggested that the debate could be settled by the Ancient Rite of Challenge, which C-3PO explained was a fight to the death. Gee's personal security droid, an AQ-series battle droid, would fight on his behalf, a relic from the Battle of Mon Cala^[13] during the Clone Wars, fought between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems.^[14]

Tensions escalate[]

"This shuttle will take you to the Falcon. I am sorry for the inconvenience, General, but we can't guarantee your safety on the streets. I am sorry about a great many things."
"It's not your fault, Aftab. You did all you could to help us. Your father would be proud of who you've become."

―Aftab Ackbar and Leia Organa^[13]

AftabIsSaved — Aftab Ackbar was saved by Rey.

Rey defeated the droid only with the assistance of Rose Tico. Ech-Char exiled the visitors, as the law required of those who interfered with combat between two opponents. Ackbar went to see Organa and the others off in their shuttle and apologized that they had to avoid the streets, which had no guarantee of safety. Organa assured him that it was not his fault and told him that his father would have been proud of who he had become. Ackbar insisted that his father would not have been outmaneuvered by the likes of Ri or Gee the way he had been. As Organa and the others prepared to leave, a Quarren snuck a crate onto the shuttle, which resulted in an explosion that destroyed the shuttle.^[13]

A nearby Mon Calamari cried out, unable to bear the apparent loss of Ackbar. However, Rey used the Force to levitate several crates to keep them safe. While Chewbacca, C-3PO, and Ackbar stayed behind with Organa, Rey and Tico ran after the Quarren saboteur. The former group went back to King Ech-Char, where Ackbar demanded that Organa be shown the proper respect. Organa convinced Ech-Char to give ships to the Resistance as Ackbar stood by her side. Above Mon Cala, Resistance and Mon Calamari ships alike faced a large armada of Resurgent-class Star Destroyers, with Ackbar commanding an^[6] MC95 Star Cruiser.^[15] Ackbar then jumped to hyperspace in his Star Cruiser to avoid disastrous losses.^[6]

Stationed at Ajan Kloss[]

"It cannot be. The Emperor is dead!"

―Aftab Ackbar^[7]

AftabAckbar-TROSGG — Aftab served in the Resistance after his father's death.

Ackbar supplied the Resistance with several starships.^[16] He personally joined the movement to uphold his father's legacy; his recruitment was part of the Resistance's efforts to bring more Mon Calamari to the cause as well as due to his family's connection to rebel efforts.^[3] Organa quickly briefed him once he joined, and she was pleased with his progress.^[17] In 35 ABY,^[18] Ackbar was stationed on the Resistance base on the moon of Ajan Kloss. When the Millennium Falcon returned from a mission, he was standing nearby with a datapad in hand as he conversed with a dark-skinned human. After the human left, Commander Poe Dameron asked Ackbar to bring the astromech droid R2-D2 to reconditioning^[7] and transfer his data,^[19] which the Mon Calamari confirmed.^[7]

Later that night, he was present at a meeting where intelligence from the mission was discussed. When Dameron revealed that Darth Sidious had returned, Ackbar insisted that it was impossible due to the Emperor being dead,^[7] citing the second Death Star as the location. Ackbar later wrung his hands when the intel revealed that the Sith had been amassing an unstoppable fleet, exclaiming that his father had warned of such a catastrophe.^[19]

Put it on my Aftab[]

"Great dark seas. Look at that!"

―Aftab Ackbar upon seeing the Final Order fleet^[17]

Ackbar was later one of the few individuals allowed close to Leia Organa's bed after she died,^[7] mourning her^[9] when the Resistance said their goodbyes to her. He then stood behind General Lando Calrissian when the Resistance was briefed prior to the Battle of Exegol. Their plan was to destroy the navigation tower that the Xyston-class Star Destroyers of the Sith Eternal's fleet, the Final Order, needed in order to take off and thus allow their cannons to be easily knocked out along with their main reactors. Although Ackbar agreed with Captain Beaumont Kin's idea of pulling Holdo maneuvers, the idea was shot down by former stormtrooper Finn.^[7]

The Resistance in journeyed to the planet Exegol by following a path to the Unknown Regions sent to them by Rey,^[7] with Ackbar expressing amazement at the fleet's size.^[19] During the battle, Ackbar piloted a Y-wing starfighter and gave the ground team covering fire.^[20] When Dameron wondered aloud whether any reinforcements would arrive, Ackbar asked him what they should do. Dameron responded that they would have to hit the Sith Star Destroyers themselves. The reinforcements eventually did arrive, and the battle resulted in the defeat of the Sith Eternal and the death of Sidious.^[7]

Personality and traits[]

"The allies. They're here!"

―Aftab Ackbar^[17]

Aftab-Resistance — Aftab in the Resistance base on Ajan Kloss

Aftab Ackbar greatly admired his father, Gial, and implored him to retire after a brief stint with the Resistance. When Gial was killed, Aftab felt a deep personal loss, and took it upon himself to live up to his father's legacy.^[5] His voice often sounded anxious, though this was not the case when the fleet of reinforcements arrived at Exegol.^[19]

Ackbar was a Mon Calamari male^[3] with brown eyes.^[1] His eyes were bulbous and provided him a 180-degree arc of vision.^[5]

Skills and abilities[]

By Dameron's estimation, Ackbar was a decent pilot, and he had some of the tactical talent for which his father had been known,^[17] having studied all of his battles.^[1]

Equipment[]

Ackbar wore a flight suit that included a life support unit and flight harness, along with boots that we customized for his webbed feet. He piloted a Y-wing.^[4]

Behind the scenes[]

Notable appearances[]

"I remember the conversation with Martin Rezard. Aftab is nineteen years old. He's inherited this responsibility, but he doesn't really want to do it. His shoulders are down, and his pants are halfway down his backside. 'Hey, this is all too much, really. I should be in bed.' "

―Neal Scanlan, special creatures effects artist on The Rise of Skywalker^[21]

Aftab Ackbar was created for the December 2019 film Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker, the third and final installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy. He was voiced by Chris Terrio, the film's screenwriter,^[7] and was played in costume by Tom Wilton.^[22] The character was first mentioned in the 2019 junior novel Spark of the Resistance, by Justina Ireland,^[16] and was first pictured on the cover for Allegiance 1, illustrated by Marco Checchetto, though the Mon Calamari did not appear in the comic itself.^[11] The character pictured on the cover of Allegiance 1 was identified as Aftab Ackbar in Allegiance 2, written by Ethan Sacks, illustrated by Luke Ross,^[1] and published on October 16, 2019.^[23]

Early in the filmmaking process for The Rise of Skywalker, director J.J. Abrams and screenwriter Chris Terrio discussed Admiral Ackbar's death and wondered if the character could have had a child, resulting in Aftab Ackbar. Originally, Terrio was only temporarily used to voice Ackbar, but Abrams decided to keep it.^[24] In development, Aftab was referred to as "Minibar." He originated in an October 2017 version of the story where he was going to appear on the planet that became Pasaana.^[21]

According to merchandise released prior to The Rise of Skywalker's release, Ackbar held the rank of general.^[25] This is contradicted by the film's credits and associated media, which list him as a colonel.^[7]^[5] The 2021 twelfth issue of De Agostini's Star Wars Starships & Vehicles magazine mistakenly refers to him as "Aftat."^[26]

Non-canon media[]

Ian Doescher's non-canon adaptation of the film, William Shakespeare's The Merry Rise of Skywalker: Star Wars Part the Ninth, modifies Ackbar's line about the Emperor to add "He fell within the last war with a zap," a rhyming nod to his father's famous line of "It's a trap!"^[27]

In the 2022 non-canon video game LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, Aftab Ackbar is a playable character that can be unlocked by completing the Scramble Run course in Ajan Kloss space.^[28]