"Then there's this girl from Gatalenta named Amilyn Holdo who is…let's say, a little odd."

"I trust your judgement, Leia, but don't be too quick to write people off. Sometimes they can surprise you." ―Leia and Bail Organa [src]

Amilyn Holdo was a human female from the planet Gatalenta. In her youth, Holdo served in the Apprentice Legislature of the Imperial Senate, where she became acquainted with Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan. During her time in the Apprentice Legislature, Holdo became friends with Organa, who confided with her about involvement with the rebellion against the Galactic Empire. Holdo later became a member of the Alliance to Restore the Republic along with Organa, garnering a reputation as a master strategist.

By the year 34 ABY, Holdo became a Vice Admiral in Organa's Resistance during its war with the First Order, and was given command of the cruiser Ninka. Taking overall command of the Resistance after the deaths of most of the commanders and Organa's incapacitation, Holdo devised a plan to save the remaining personnel by evacuating them on transports while she stayed behind on the command ship to draw attention away from them.

When the transports came under fire, Holdo piloted the heavy cruiser Raddus into position and jumped to lightspeed through Supreme Leader Snoke's flagship, the Mega-class Star Destroyer Supremacy. Her sacrifice allowed the remaining transports to reach the planet Crait, where they subsequently escaped to continue the struggle against the First Order.

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Biography

Early life

A human female, Amilyn Holdo was born on the planet Gatalenta during the early Imperial Era. In the year 3 BBY, Holdo joined the Apprentice Legislature, an Imperial organization on Coruscant for youth in politics. While in the Apprentice Legislature, Holdo met Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, daughter of Senator Bail Organa. Holdo and Princess Organa spent much time together during senatorial sessions and routine pathfinding training on various worlds such as Alderaan, Eriadu, and Felucia. While pathfinding on the planet Pamarthe, Holdo discovered Organa's involvement with the rebellion against the Galactic Empire. Soon after, Holdo helped Organa find passage to the Paucris system in order to warn the fleet of an impending Imperial attack.[1]

Alliance to Restore the Republic

In 2 BBY, the rebellion became the Alliance to Restore the Republic.[8] Holdo joined the Rebellion at the start of the Galactic Civil War.[6] Sometime later, Holdo, now a minister, was part of the crew of the CR90 corvette Candor. While on a mission smuggling arms to the Rebel Alliance, the ship was caught in the tractor beam of and came under fire from an Imperial-class Star Destroyer. The commander of the Candor, Captain Jardar, was killed in the attack, leaving Holdo as the highest-ranking officer on board. Holdo ordered the ship, which was caught in a tractor beam, to turn around and face the Star Destroyer. The crew doubted her choice, but reluctantly did as she asked. She then ordered that the ship fire at the open hangar, sending a volley of devastating attacks that opened a hole right through the Star Destroyer. With a plan in mind, Holdo then ordered the crew to punch the ion drive and plow straight through the enemy's ship. They did as she ordered, and emerged safely on the other side. They then escaped into hyperspace. The crew was shocked that her plan worked, and expressed regret for being reluctant to follow her orders. Holdo's brave strategy did not go unrecognized, as she was promoted to the rank of captain soon after.[4]

Organa's Resistance

Eventually the the Empire was toppled and replaced with a New Republic.[9] However, an Imperial remnant reorganized into the First Order,[10] so in 28 ABY,[11] Organa created the Resistance to oppose them.[10] By 34 ABY, during the conflict between the two groups, Holdo had joined the Resistance and served as a Vice Admiral and commanding officer of the cruiser Ninka.[3]

After the attack on Starkiller Base, she was posted on the Resistance ship Ninka. On D'Qar just before the First Order's arrival, she briefed the Resistance pilots from Cobalt and Crimson Squadron about the events of the annihilation of the Hosnian system as well as the subsequent destruction of Starkiller Base. She offered ammunition from her ship to help arm their squadrons. Having heard of Rose Tico's previous accomplishments with Cobalt Squadron, Holdo asked her to take a position on the Ninka as part of the maintenance team.[12] During this time she ran an operation to steal the head of Admiral Mathieson's protocol droid, which had recordings of every conversation that the Admiral had had for the last five years, from the space station Brooksdion as proof of New Republic High Command's inaction against the growing threat of the First Order. After the theft, she and her crew evaded the New Republic Defense Force's Rapier Squadron, led by Commander Poe Dameron.[4]

Commanding the fleet

"Four hundred of us… on three ships. We're the very last of the Resistance. But we're not alone. In every corner of the galaxy… the downtrodden and oppressed know our symbol… and they put their hope in it. We are the spark that will ignite the fire that will restore the Republic. That spark… this Resistance, must survive. That is our mission. Now, to your stations. And may the Force be with us." ―Amilyn Holdo to members of the Resistance [src]

During an attack on the Raddus, the ship's commander Leia Organa was ejected from the bridge and left unconscious, the attack also killing the entire High Command stationed on the bridge. Following the chain of command, Commander Larma D'Acy delegated overall command of the Resistance to Holdo, who had transferred from her ship to the Raddus to take full command. After thanking D'Acy, Holdo addressed the situation by explaining that the 400 personnel on three ships comprised the very last of the Resistance, but they would survive. Holdo had the remaining ships continue full ahead to keep out of the First Order's range, but their fuel reserves dwindled and they lost their medical frigate Anodyne when it ran dry. Holdo received a communication from the Anodnye's captain informing her that the rest of its crew had escaped and were heading her way, but the transmission was lost as the First Order destroyed the defenseless frigate. Shortly after, Holdo's own ship, the Ninka, was destroyed as well.[3]

Poe Dameron and Holdo were not on good terms, immediately butting heads over the issue of Dameron's recent demotion and apparent lack of any decisive action. Deeming him an impulsive and reckless "fly-boy," Holdo recognized that as a liability rather than an asset for the current situation and instead ordered him to stick to his post and follow her orders. Unfortunately, Holdo's lack of transparency with Dameron would have serious repercussions.

When Tico and former First Order Stormtrooper Finn devised a plan to infiltrate the First Order's flagship, the Supremacy, Dameron went behind Holdo's back and sanctioned their mission, which ultimately failed and resulted in the First Order eventually learning of Holdo's plans. When Holdo ordered the crew of the Raddus to evacuate to the planet Crait via rescue transports, Dameron and some crew members held the Admiral and several senior officers at gunpoint and took control of the ship. Holdo escaped the mutiny, however, by kicking a steam pipe and stunning her antagonists while Organa, who had recovered, incapacitated Dameron and sent him to Crait with the rest of the crew. Although labeling Dameron a troublemaker, Holdo and Organa agreed that they liked him. Holdo refused to board a transport herself, however, and told Organa that someone had to stay on the Raddus to keep it going and said she would be honored to do it. Though Organa was extremely reluctant to take any more losses that day, especially another good friend, Holdo consoled her and bid her friend goodbye with the phrase, "May the Force be with you."[3]

Sacrifice

"Godspeed, Rebels." ―Amilyn Holdo wishing good luck to the Resistance [src]

Holdo willed the transports on their way from the ship's secondary command bridge, but was horrified when the First Order detected and fired on the fleeing transports, destroying many of them. After personally witnessing the demise of a transport whilst conferring with its frantic pilot, Holdo resolved to prevent any more deaths and fired up the hyperdrive on the Raddus. Both the Resistance and First Order thought she was fleeing the battle zone, but General Armitage Hux ignored the ship as he thought it was simply a distraction, only realizing Holdo's real intent when the Raddus turned to face the Supremacy. Activating the hyperdrive, Holdo rammed the Supremacy at lightspeed, slicing the mammoth Dreadnought in two, destroying much of its escort fleet and coincidentally saving a captured Finn and Tico, who were about to be executed when the impact occurred.[3]

Legacy

"I can't believe she did that…"

"I can." ―Poe Dameron and Leia Organa about Holdo's death [src]

Though Holdo perished in the collision, her sacrifice allowed the escape of the remaining Resistance personnel to Crait, where they would eventually escape definitely from the First Order thanks to Rey's help.[3] Before the Battle of Crait, while en route to the planet, Dameron stated that he couldn't believe that Holdo sacrificed her own life for them, while Organa responded that she did believe it.[13]

The Resistance spy Vi Moradi was devastated upon learning of Holdo's sacrifice.[14] Likewise, the retired Wedge Antilles and Norra Wexley were astonished upon learning of Holdo's death when Temmin Wexley and Karé Kun told them about it, leading Norra to ask if Organa shared Holdo's fate before relieving over the fact that Organa had survived. Organa remembered Holdo not only as a leader but as a friend while she lamented the fact that she was gone, having known her for most of her life, which led Rey to express her condolences even though she never met her.[15]

By the time of the mission to Pasaana, Holdo's sacrifice had become known as the "Holdo maneuver." Following the defeat of Darth Sidious and the Sith Eternal on Exegol, the maneuver was used against a Star Destroyer during an uprising on Endor.[16]

Personality and traits

"I like comparing different planets' traditional astrological charts to see if they agree on the influences exercised by various stars. The parallels are uncanny!" ―Amilyn Holdo, introducing herself to the Apprentice Legislature [src]

Holdo was tall, and had blue eyes and light-colored skin. In her youth, Holdo rebelled against the undemonstrative exterior of her homeworld's culture and expressed herself by dyeing her hair vibrant colors, wearing vibrantly colored clothing, and going on daring escapades. In spite of that, Holdo shared the core values of Gatalenta: she believed in the importance of joy, love and spiritual harmony, showed great interest in esoteric practices of her planet, like meditation and astrology, and she was knowledgeable of the galaxy.[1] She also had a penchant for going barefoot.[4] Organa found Holdo insightful and charming, but also irritating at times.[1]

Holdo had a quirky personality, often getting distracted, speaking in riddles and metaphors with a monotone/singsong voice (Leia called her peculiar speech patterns "Holdo speak"), and being eccentric. She was by no means stupid, however, and her oddball persona hid a keen intellect. She was not afraid of death, and dreamed of dangerous adventures "to get more comfortable with the nearness and inevitability" of it. Holdo was a determined and patriotic person, able to react to changing circumstances and ready to sacrifice herself for the cause. As a commander she had a cool head for the greater strategy, and expected her orders to be executed precisely, as shown during her time in command of the Raddus.[3] Holdo was known to carry a Defender-5 sporting blaster, which was favored by many nobles on her homeworld.[6] According to Dameron, Holdo was recognized within the Resistance as a great strategic mind due to her actions at the Battle of Chyron Belt[3] and was admired even by Admiral Ackbar.[17]

Despite having an antagonistic relationship with Dameron, Holdo respected him, telling Organa that Dameron was a troublemaker after his mutiny but that she liked him.[3]

Behind the scenes

"She's somebody who's a bit off-kilter, who sees the world through a prism most others don't understand. At first Leia thinks she's pleasant but weird, but as time goes on, it becomes apparent that there's much more to Holdo than you might guess when you first met her. We don't really have a lot of true oddballs in Star Wars, so it was fun to introduce one!" ―Claudia Gray, on Amilyn Holdo

Amilyn Holdo is a character developed for the 2017 film Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi, in which she is portrayed by actress Laura Dern. The casting announcement was revealed on February 15, 2016,[18] and Holdo's name was revealed on May 24, 2017 in a Vanity Fair article.[19] During the Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi marketing campaign, Holdo appeared as a supporting character in the young-adult novel Leia, Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray,[1] and was briefly shown in the picture book A Leader Named Leia.[5] Holdo's appearance in Leia, Princess of Alderaan was received positively, with some readers comparing her to the character Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter.[20]

Appearances

Sources

Non-canon sources

Notes and references

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