Is Admiral Ackbar too empathetic for the rigours of war — or is he the modern-day leader the world needs?

WAR. What is it good for?

The age-old question asked by none other than Edwin Starr back in 1970. Technically, the song was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, but it was Starr who so eloquently canvassed for an answer to the rhetorical question. He knew. It was good for absolutely nothing.

In a galaxy far, far away, the answer might not have been so simple, though. And that’s why we are here — sort of.

Before we get into this, just know that I know it’s pretty fucking dumb. But just know that I don’t care. I live for this sort of stuff. It’s stretching a fictional reality beyond its very depths and asking questions that probably won’t ever get asked. But, by God, will I do my best to answer them. It’s inherently stupid, however, if you don’t feel a little more attached to what I’m proposing by the end of this essay of sorts then I’ve failed you.

Now, by all accounts, I’m a pretty big Star Wars fan — or at least above average on the spectrum. I’ve seen the movies countless times and I’ve often wondered if I should read the plethora of books that expand on the Star Wars Universe. I haven’t. That’s probably why I can’t consider myself a full-blown Star Wars nerd. But I can quote films.

One of the most quotable characters from the Star Wars films is none other than Admiral Gial Ackbar of the Rebel Alliance. Ackbar, for the record, is of the Mon Calamari species.

Yes. He is pretty much a squid. And yes, George Lucas called his species the Mon Calamari. The Italian for squid. They are the “Squid Men”. At some point, we’ll have to criticise George Lucas for his lack of innovativeness when naming the species but, for whatever reason, it bloody well works.

In total, Ackbar is given around just over four minutes of total screentime in the three Star Wars films he features in. Not a lot of time to work some magic, but Ackbar knows what he has to do. This is now where I’m about to ask my question:

Is Admiral Ackbar too empathetic for the rigors of war, or conversely, is he the modern-day leader that the world needs? What is his legacy?

I get it. It’s a tough question. On a base level…he’s a fucking squid. But this is Star Wars and this man is the foremost military commander of the Rebel Alliance and the mastermind behind the plan to destroy partially constructed second Death Star (I won’t get into it).

So, we’ve already figured out that Ackbar has the level of competence to put together a plan and he further demonstrates his ability to address a room full of high-ranking officials when giving the lowdown for the attack on the battle station on the forest moon of Endor.

Under pressure, he does not waiver. The Alliance demands results. They are all for the revolution and the removal of the autocratic and capitalistic Empire — they are by the people, for the people — but if a plan isn’t up to scratch, you best believe that you’ll be told that you aren’t the person for the job. This is Ackbar’s Magnus Opus, but it is also his neck on the line. If this fails, the Empire is close to victory. Millions will die because of his ineptitude.

The plan is fairly rudimentary: take down the shield generator that protects the Death Star then force an all-out assault on said Death Star. There are a few caveats but inconsequential to the point being made here.

However, there was a first Death Star that met its fate in a decidedly similar fate (it’s the same fucking plot) but this time there’s a shield generator that needs to be taken down. THAT’S A CAVEAT. Ackbar had it all to do this time around. The Empire was professed to be stronger than before. That Death Star was going to be more powerful, I think.

Now, this is where the argument starts to dwindle. Ackbar and the Rebel Fleet jump into hyperspace only to find that the Empire is one step ahead of them, courtesy of The Emperor and his voodoo mind shit.

It was a trap.

This is where Ackbar begins to show his true colours. In a conversation with Lando Calrissian, he commands that the Rebels prepare to retreat. It was now or never, but Ackbar can’t afford to have lives lost. In his own words: “We have no choice, our cruisers can’t repel fire of that magnitude”.

This next part is just paraphrasing.

On his home planet of Mon Cala, Ackbar likely has little squid kids, and maybe even a squid dog. He likely owns a beautiful squid house, with a beautiful squid wife. And in the heat of the battle, he may ask himself, well: “How did I get here?”

There he is, on the precipice of failure. He’s on the edge. If he retreats and heads back to the rebel base, he may well be chastised by the high-ranking officials. They wanted results. But, maybe Ackbar is looking at the bigger picture here. What is there left to live for if there is no-one left to live?

Lando said it, though. Han and Co. just need more time to get the shield down. The plan will work. This is your plan, Admiral. You are a genius and you have to stick with it until the bitter end.

It’s a decision of incredible magnitude and there isn’t much time to make it. It’s the pressure of war — an unenviable position among humans. Kill or be killed. Eventually, in the heat of the moment, Ackbar yields and makes a decision: Han will get more time.

Miraculously, or by some sort of divine intervention, the shield comes down and the Rebel fleet moves to attack the Death Star, with Lando and Nien Nunb, the Sullustan.

At that moment, the Rebels rejoice. But not Admiral Ackbar. He sits in solemn silence, fully aware of his actions. Tens of thousands of men and women died on the second Death Star. There’s no exasperated joy or evident feeling of relief, no ecstasy.

Ackbar is, in that moment, at his purest form. A self-aware leader who understands, not only what needs to be done, but the consequences that come with it.

There is no honourable way to kill. No gentle way to destroy. There is no good in war, except its ending. There is no catharsis in war. That might live with him for the rest of his life, but it had to be done.

For the good of the people, Admiral Gial Ackbar will live with the guilt.