Conan Antonio Motti

"Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerer's ways, Lord Vader. Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given you clairvoyance enough to find the Rebel's hidden fort…"

- Motti, talking his way into a Force Choking by Darth Vader.

Conan Antonio "Zi" Motti was the secondary antagonist in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

He was portrayed by the late American actor Richard LeParmentier. Zi was a nickname used affectionately by some of Motti's friends and mentors.

Biography
A member of the Galactic Empire's Imperial Navy, Motti was an ambitious man who rose quickly through the ranks after the Clone Wars. A mere six years after the end of the Clone Wars Motti already held the rank of Admiral. Emperor Palpatine considered naming Motti as Grand Moff, a position that instead went to Wilhuf Tarkin.

Motti eventually became one of the Joint Chiefs assigned to the Death Star, leading the Naval forces on the station. With Chief Bast of the Imperial Army and Tarkin he formed the command triumvirate on the Death Star.

A very arrogant man, Motti believed in the technical superoirty of the Death Star, to the point that he felt they could challenge the Emperor for power. Motti saw the Force as an ancient religion, and despised the Sith Lord Darth Vader as a sorcerer. During a meeting when Vader warned that the Death Star's power was insignfigant compared to the power of the Force, Motti challenged Vader. Even though Motti knew it was a bad idea to bait the man in black, he felt safe doing so in the presence of witnesses. His tirade was cut short when Vader used the Force to choke Motti, and would have killed the Admiral had not Tarkin intervened.

Motti continued to serve on the Death Star, and passed the order to fire the superlaser on Alderann from Tarkin on to the gunnery crew. He remained in his position through the Battle of Yavin, and died when torpedoes fired by Luke Skywalker down an exhaust shaft caused the station's reactor to explode.

Trivia

 * Motti's first name was established by George Lucas when Conan O'Brien asked him Motti's first name was. Lucas came up with the Conan Antonio name on the fly, which was soon written into the Legends continuity, and later into the new canon continuity.
 * Motti's scene when he was chocked by Vader via Force Choke is one of famous scene in the franchise.