Spoilers for The Last Jedi follow!
It is fair to say a lot happened in The Last Jedi. We find out about Rey’s parents. A beloved character returned. Porgs were discovered to not be as annoying as we first feared. Oh, and characters died. The Last Jedi bid an underwhelming farewell to one of Star Wars‘ most iconic and favorite characters. No, I’m not talking about Luke Skywalker becoming one with the Force. Or even Snoke having to split. I’m referring to Admiral Ackbar.
For those people not in the know, Admiral Gial Ackbar (yes, he has a first name as well!) is the commander of the Rebel fleet that attacked the second Death Star at the Battle of Endor. You might know him better from all the “It’s a trap!” memes that populate the Internet. Ackbar is a member of the aquatic Mon Calamari, a species who are staunch supporters of the Alliance and provided their fleet of star cruisers to the war effort.
A Legend Among Fans
Admiral Ackbar first appeared in Return of the Jedi, and quickly cemented himself as one of the fandom’s favourite characters. Ackbar was one of the most prominent Rebel aliens introduced in the Original Trilogy (alongside Chewbacca and Nien Nunb) and had a vital role as commander of the Rebel fleet assaulting the second Death Star. Since then, Ackbar has gone on to appear in countless books, comics, and merchandise. For many fans, Ackbar is the embodiment of the Rebel Alliance. Where the Empire was dominated by Humans, here was an alien leading the combined forces of the Alliance. It was a powerful statement that the Alliance valued all beings regardless of their species, something that the Empire obviously did not.
For around 30 years, Admiral Ackbar was a constant recurring presence in Legends material. While Ackbar never really took centre stage, he was presented as one of the New Republic‘s most senior military officials and politicians. By the time of the New Jedi Order series, set some 21 years after the events of the Original Trilogy, Ackbar is retired from the military and suffering from ill health. The central plot of the New Jedi Order series is an invasion by the extragalactic species called the Yuuzhan Vong.
The New Republic suffers devastating losses in the ensuing war, and eventually Ackbar is drawn out of retirement to assist the war effort. Ackbar’s return is vitally important, and marks the beginning of a turnaround in the New Republic’s fortunes. Upon his reinstatement, a simple message is broadcast across the fleet.
The embattled New Republic fleet break out in spontaneous celebration at the news. Ackbar masterminded the series of victories that bought the Yuuzhan Vong to heel. Shortly before the climatic battle of the war, Ackbar succumbs to old age and poor health.
The feelings of the New Republic fleet towards Ackbar’s return mirrored the feelings of fans. It was considered to be one of the high points of a series that had divided the fanbase with its increasinly dark storyline that had already seen Chewbacca killed off.
Ackbar Deserved A Better Death
Admiral Ackbar returned in The Force Awakens. Within the rebooted Star Wars Canon, Ackbar is still a senior military official within the New Republic and joins General Leia Organa when she organises the Resistance against the First Order. For Ackbar fans, his return to the film franchise was great news. The admiral still lived on in Canon material despite his death in the old Legends stories. However, those hoping for some classic Ackbar action were disappointed as he was effectively relegated to a background character in The Force Awakens. This trend continued when Ackbar appeared in The Last Jedi.
During the events of the film, the First Order attacks the meagre Resistance fleet as it flees towards the planet Crait. The bridge of the Resistance flagship Raddus is destroyed during the battle, killing everyone unfortunate enough to not be able to use the Force to save themselves. Ackbar is among the casualties. Viewers don’t even get to process his death; it is mentioned in an off-hand remark by Vice-Admiral Amilyn Holdo that he is dead. It is an underwhelming and ignoble end for the fleet commander who helped to secure victory at the Battle of Endor.
Given Ackbar’s popularity within the franchise, it seems amazing that his character is not given a more fitting send-off. During The Last Jedi, Vice-Admiral Holdo uses the Raddus to destroy the First Order fleet by jumping to hyperspace straight through them. If a heroic sacrifice by a senior military officer was needed in The Last Jedi, then Ackbar performing it would have been a more fitting death than getting unceremoniously blown out into space without fanfare. This would have meant that much of Holdo’s arc in the film would have been given to Ackbar, which would have the unfortunate effect of relegating Laura Dern’s character to an extended cameo.
Why Didn’t It Happen?
Of course, the simplest answer is also a sad one. Erik Bauersfeld, the voice of Admiral Ackbar, sadly passed away on April 3, 2016 at the age of 93. Ackbar’s few lines in the movie were provided by veteran Star Wars voice actor Tom Kane. Effectively, the character appears to have been retired due to the death of his portrayer. While Kane has voiced Ackbar in a number of video games, it is likely the filmakers chose not to involve the character more in the film than they had to.
The other consideration is that there are parts of Holdo’s arc that would probably not have worked if Ackbar had been the character in that role. Holdo’s introduction as a new, previously unseen character is meant to play with the viewer’s expectations. She is an unknown quantity and viewers do not know what to expect from her. Is Holdo an obstacle for the main characters to overcome or is she an ally? By the end of the film, Holdo’s motivations become clear but Poe Dameron attempts to deal with her is also part of his necessary character development.
Parts of this arc simply would not have worked if Ackbar had taken Holdo’s place in the narrative. Viewers would automatically assume that the admiral would be on the main character’s side from the start due to their familiarity with him. For instance, would Ackbar have refused to explain his actions to Poe Dameron? And if he did, would Poe have even contemplated a coup against the admiral? Nevertheless, changing the narrative to accommodate Ackbar and putting him in a position to make a heroic last strike at the First Order would have been a more respectful end for the character.
You’ve Got a Holdo On Me
So if Ackbar should have been the heroic sacrifice in The Last Jedi, what does that mean for Vice-Admiral Holdo? That’s a simple answer. Holdo should have survived the events of the film. She is an intriguing character wonderfully played by Laura Dern who deserved more than a single appearance in one film. Holdo’s arc and its conclusion are certainly a memorable one, but killing her off wastes so much potential.
With Carrie Fisher‘s untimely death, the presence of Leia in Episode IX is in question. Currently there are no plans to include the character through CGI in the film, so Leia appearing in any capacity, such as in cut or archive footage, is up in the air. Carrie’s absence from the film creates a void that will be difficult to fill. The Resistance now has no senior leadership. With that in mind, Holdo would have been the logical successor to Leia as leader of the Resistance.
Poe Dameron might step up into the role as leader of the Resistance, and that would make a certain amount of sense. One of the main themes of The Last Jedi is about letting go of the past and trusting in the next generation. Poe Dameron inheriting full leadership of the Resistance would mirror Kylo Ren‘s usurping of the First Order. However, there has been no natural hand-off that makes it seem like Poe is ready for – or even wants – that kind of responsibility. For now, the Resistance looks likely to enter Episode IX without anyone at the helm, which is a situation that could have been avoided if the filmakers had chosen to give Admiral Ackbar the end he deserved.
