Star Wars: Admiral Ackbar Has a Surprising Connection to 'Rogue One'

Ever since Admiral Ackbar first screamed about "It" being "A Trap" in Return of the Jedi, Star Wars fans have been in love with the fish-eyed species called Mon Calamari.

And even though Star Wars: The Last Jedi had one particularly tragic moment for a beloved character, it also has a reference that pays homage to one of the prominent military minds of the Rebellion.

Warning: Minor spoilers for Star Wars: The Last Jedi below.

In the new movie, Genera Leia Organa commands the Resistance from her flagship starship, the Mon Calamari-built Star Cruiser known as the Raddus. The ship is named after Admiral Raddus, who bravely lead the Rebel forces against the Empire in the Battle of Scarif, helping to secure the plans for the Death Star in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Raddus was of the Mon Calamari species as well, and though the two were never shown on screen together, Ackbar greatly respected his predecessor. In fact, the Visual Dictionary for Star Wars: The Last Jedi even states that Ackbar petitioned to have the Star Cruiser named after Raddus.

It also should be noted that the Mon Calamari species are known for building high quality cruisers, freighters, and other star ships. The Mon Calamari Shipyards were known for their contributions to the Rebellion and had manufactured countless ships over thousands of years.

Of course, the high ranking officials in the Resistance were all but wiped out during the First Order's surprise attack. A group of TIE Fighters lead by Kylo Ren managed to shoot out the bridge of the Raddus, killing Admiral Ackbar and many others.

It was a sad end for the fan-favorite character, who had a long career helping in the fight against tyranny and oppression. But the Raddus managed to deliver a massive blow to the First Order later on, as the evacuated vessel jumped through a squad of Star Destroyers in hyperspace, tearing the fleet apart.

Mon Calamari have long played important roles in the fight against the dark side. Let's hope we haven't seen the last of them.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is now playing in theaters everywhere.