Gial Ackbar was a soldier and strong revolutionary leader during the Clone Wars, the Galactic Civil War, the Cold War, and the war between the Resistance and the First Order. Throughout his sixty years of service, Ackbar was regarded as a brilliant tactician.
Ackbar was captain of the Mon Calamari Guard during the Clone Wars and fought in the Battle of Mon Cala, in which he helped to secure Prince Lee-Char's ascent as King of Mon Cala and repel the Confederacy of Independent Systems. After the rise of the Galactic Empire, Ackbar became the foremost military commander in the Alliance to Restore the Republic, emerging as a symbol of defiance against the Empire's subjugation of non-humans. His presence attracted Mon Calamari support for the Alliance, thus supplying the Mon Calamari star cruisers that made up a bulk of the Alliance Fleet.
From his command ship of Home One, supreme commander Ackbar acted as the fleet commander during the Battle of Endor, in which the Alliance successfully mounted an attack that led to the destruction of the Empire's second Death Star and the death of Emperor Palpatine. After the Battle of Endor, the Alliance formed the New Republic. Ackbar became a fleet admiral of the New Republic Defense Fleet and led the Republic to its victory over the Empire during the Battle of Jakku. After the battle on Jakku ended, the Empire retreated into the Unknown Regions and Ackbar retired to Mon Cala.
When the First Order emerged from the ashes of the Empire, led Princess Leia Organa to form the Resistance without the support of the Republic that had turned a blind eye to the First Order. Organa, the general of the Resistance, coaxed Ackbar out of his retirement to serve in the Resistance. After reclaiming his commission as an Admiral, Ackbar served in the Resistance base on D'Qar, where he helped oversee the battle to destroy the First Order superweapon known as Starkiller Base.