Few films in cinema history are as divisive as Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi. While some fans of that galaxy far, far away adore the movie for subverting their expectations, others loathe it for the same reason. People on both sides of this rift though can agree that one of the most disappointing deaths in the flick is that of Admiral Gial Ackbar. The beloved Mon Calamari is killed offscreen, but he’s given a much better sendoff in the latest issue of The Last Jedi‘s comic book adaptation.
Written by Gary Whitta and illustrated by both Michael Walsh and Mike Spicer, Star Wars: The Last Jedi #2 ends Ackbar’s life in a manner faithful to what audiences saw in cinemas. However, just before First Order torpedoes hit the bridge of the Admiral’s ship, he says the following: “It’s been an honor serving with you all.”
Check out the panel below:
This brand new piece of dialogue may seem a bit simplistic, but it provides closure to everyone dissatisfied by Ackbar’s abrupt cinematic death. The line Whitta added brilliantly allows a popular character from the Original Trilogy to bid farewell to and thank his supporters, both in-universe and out. The writer subtly informs readers what kind of individual Ackbar is as well in the alien’s final moments: despite his high rank in the Resistance, he has humility and a deep respect for his crew.
Gary Whitta’s latest Star Wars comic is a real testament to his talents. The statement he penned for Admiral Ackbar saves the character’s weak demise in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and without question, provides a much more fitting conclusion to Ackbar’s story than the throwaway line acknowledging his passing that Rian Johnson gave to Larma D’Acy in his script.
