“ | But that strength must not be wasted. Grand Admiral Thrawn's return will herald in the reemergence of our military, and provide Commandant Hux enough time to deliver on Project Necromancer. | „ |
~ Gilad Pellaeon to the Shadow Council. |
“ | I was overjoyed when he returned and I finally found a commander I could follow with a genuine hope of victory, rather than an endless string of defeats. | „ |
~ Gilad Pellaeon about Thrawn. |
Captain Gilad Pellaeon is a major character in the Star Wars franchise.
He was a military fleet officer who served as a captain in the Republic Navy during the Clone War and later in the Imperial Navy when the Republic was reorganized Into the Empire.
As a dedicated Imperial officer, Pellaeon assumed command of the Star Destroyer Chimaera. After the Battle of Endor and the deaths of Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader, his Star Destroyer fell under the command of Grand Admiral Thrawn, one of the Empire's few alien officers and the secret thirteenth Grand Admiral. Throughout the trilogy, Pellaeon served as both Thrawn's protégé and as the reader's insight into his character.
In Star Wars Rebels, he was voiced by Jim Cummings, who also voiced Hondo Ohnaka in the same series. In The Mandalorian, he is portrayed by Xander Berkeley, who also played Waingro in L.A. Takedown, Agent Gibbs in Air Force One, Corey Mills in Superman: The Animated Series, Nathan Van Cleef in Shanghai Noon, General Brak in Justice League, Stuart St. John in Taken, Red John in The Mentalist, Mysterio in The Spectacular Spider-Man, Vic Gigante in Kick-Ass, Morgg in Ben 10: Ultimate Alien and Gregory in The Walking Dead.
History[]
Legends[]
Initially distrustful of Grand Admiral Thrawn, Pellaeon grew to respect and admire him throughout the Grand Admiral's campaign against the New Republic. Over time, Pellaeon would adapt some of Thrawn's traits. By the end of his life, he was even viewed as being almost as brilliant a tactician as his mentor Thrawn. However, when Thrawn was assassinated during the climax of Last Command by his own bodyguard Rukh, Pellaeon again was forced to call a retreat.
After Thrawn's death and the failed return of Palpatine, the Empire crumbled around Pellaeon. He next appeared in Kevin J. Anderson's Darksaber, once again as one of the two main antagonists, next to Durga the Hutt. He initially appeared as the second-in-command of the warlord Treuten Teradoc. However, when Admiral Natasi Daala shared with him her vision of rebuilding the Empire and ending warlordism, he defected to her, as she gassed the entire Imperial leadership. Once this was done, Daala and Pellaeon assumed leadership of the Imperial Remnant.
Pellaeon was at Daala's side when she led the Super Star Destroyer Knight Hammer to bombard the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin IV. To the two Imperials surprise, they might a formidable resistance from the Jedi, among them Callista Ming, an ancient Altisian Jedi Pellaeon knew as a young captain serving in the Grand Army of the Republic. Notably, Jedi Knight Dorsk 81 sacrificed his life to deflect the Star Destroyer away from Yavin IV, using the Force. Shortly after, Daala's flagship was sent crashing into the gas giant Yavin, presumably taking Daala and Callista with her. However, both Daala (and unknowingly to Pellaeon) and Callista survived. Ashamed by her failure, Daala turned the leadership of the Remnant over to Pellaeon.
Now Head of State of the Empire, Pellaeon made several attempts to undermine the New Republic, but he was swiftly impeded as Imperial resources depleted. It was with grim resignation that Pellaeon realized he would never be able to return the Empire to its former glory. At the climax of Timothy Zahn's Hand of Thrawn duology, Pellaeon signed a peace treaty with interim New Republic Chief of State Ponc Gavrisom, bringing an end to Galactic Civil War which had consumed over twenty years of Pellaeon's life.
This was also the end of Pellaeon's role as an antagonist. The Corellian subsequently served as a major protagonist in later Star Wars novels, playing a key role in convincing the Imperial Remnant to ally with the Galactic Alliance and the Jedi against the extragalactic Yuuzhan Vong. Following the Yuuzhan Vong War, Pellaeon rose to the position of Galactic Alliance Supreme Commander. However, after GA Chief of State Cal Omas created a secret police force (known as the Galactic Alliance Guard) to be led by Jacen Solo, Pellaeon resigned in disgust.
However, Solo (now the Sith Lord Darth Caedus) eventually assumed the position of Chief of State and transformed the Galactic Alliance into a brutal dictatorship. As a GA victory seemed assured, Caedus approached Pellaeon to once more convince the Imperial Remnant to ally with the Galactic Alliance and help him create a new Galactic Empire. Pellaeon reluctantly agreed. However, as a contingency plan, the elderly Imperial recalled his old friend Daala to help him stand against Caedus. Tragically, after Pellaeon refused to support Caedus during the climax of Legacy of the Force: Revelation, Caedus ordererd his assassin Tahiri Veila to kill him.
Quotes[]
“ | Empire can be different. Provided we shoot all the lunatics who enjoy the idea | „ |
~ Gilad Pellaeon, on rebuilding the Galactic Empire. |
“ | I'll get right to the point, Councilor. The war that began twenty-odd years ago is effectively over…and the Empire has lost | „ |
~ Gilad Pellaeon to Leia Organa Solo. |
“ | Empty, Vorrik! You may win the occasional battle against us, Vorrik, but the Empire will always strike back! That I promise you! You tell Shimrra from me that if he wants to get the job done, then he's going to have to send a bigger fleet - and a more competent commander to oversee it! | „ |
~ Pellaeon to the Yuuzan Vong Fleet Commander Vorik. |