Pashna Starkiller Pashna Starkiller was a Human male who served as a respected Imperial general who received the title Warlord of the Empire . Coming out of retirement , he was approached by the Rebel Alliance at a time when it sought experienced leaders to help formulate strategy for its new military . Starkiller defected to the Alliance ' s cause , and rose to become one of the Alliance ' s highest - ranked members . A seasoned military officer , Starkiller ' s skills helped shape Rebel Alliance military planning . As a younger generation of military men and women rose , Starkiller relinquished some of his responsibility , though he continued to advise the Rebellion on strategic matters . In 0 BBY , Starkiller was present in the ceremony held in honor of Luke Skywalker and other heroes of the Battle of Yavin . In time , Starkiller retired again , only to find himself called upon by famed Rebel strategist Jan Dodonna during the fight against the resurrected Palpatine . Starkiller joined a number of other retired officers , including Vanden Willard and Adar Tallon , in an advisory body that called itself the " Gray Cadre . " Providing strategic planning for what was now the New Republic , Starkiller and his peers were responsible for saving millions of lives in the war . When that crisis was averted , he returned to a state of semi - retirement , continuing to receive intelligence briefings and regularly meeting with Dodonna and the others to advise the New Republic on its continuing war against the Empire . Biography . Rebellion . A Human male , Pashna Starkiller was a respected Imperial general , and recipient of the elite title of Warlord of the Empire . He ultimately retired as a marshal early in the Galactic Civil War . When he was approached by the Rebel Alliance , he defected to their cause . With his help and that of several fellow officers recruited into the Alliance , Rebel military doctrine was transformed from the vague idealism it had been founded on into that of a true fighting force . Starkiller rose to become one of the highest - ranking members of the Rebel Alliance . In this time , he participated in a number of field missions with a young tactical genius named Risiev Credal . In 0 BBY , the Alliance achieved a major victory at Yavin IV when Rebel pilot Luke Skywalker destroyed the Death Star by firing proton torpedoes into the thermal exhaust port , causing a chain reaction that destroyed the whole battlestation . Following the battle , Starkiller was present in a ceremony when the Medal of Bravery was awarded to Skywalker , Han Solo , and Chewbacca . After that event , Starkiller began to pass on his responsibility to the next generation of soldiers , though he continued to serve as a valuable asset in Rebel strategic planning . New Republic . In time , the Rebel Alliance transitioned into the New Republic , and by 11 ABY , when Emperor Palpatine returned from seeming death in a cloned body and set about waging war on the New Republic , Starkiller had once again retired from active duty . When Jan Dodonna , still serving as a strategist for the Republic , realized that he could not fulfill the commitment that post required by himself , he called upon a number of retired military men , including Starkiller , Vanden Willard , and Adar Tallon , to form an advisory group that jokingly nicknamed itself the " Gray Cadre . " Starkiller and his cohorts used their experience to advise the commanders of the New Republic on vital military areas in a time of extreme crisis . Starkiller and the rest of the cadre had their time to shine in the Battle of Mon Calamari during Operation Shadow Hand . The advice they gave the New Republic allowed its military to design some of its most successful combat strategies during the battle , and ultimately saved millions of lives . After the Republic ' s victory , Starkiller and the others returned to a state of semi - retirement , meeting monthly to discuss matters of strategic planning and anticipate the goals of the Empire . If their expertise was needed again , they were prepared to give whatever information and analysis the commanders of the front - line fighting needed . Sometime after the battle with Palpatine , Starkiller , once again retired , received a of a memo from the Mon Calamari Zgorth ' sth of the newly - formed New Republic Department of Threat Assessment , providing intelligence about a number of organizations in the galaxy that might pose a threat to Republic interests . Personality and traits . Though retired from his position as a respected Imperial general and a former Warlord of the Empire , when the Rebel Alliance approached Starkiller , he nonetheless chose to join in their fight . Starkiller was one of the Alliance ' s best , and those who trained under him reflected his ability in their own work . After his second retirement , Starkiller did not seek to return to full time service , content to allow the next generation of officers to come into their own . His experience was nonetheless considered invaluable by the New Republic , and along with his fellow officers Starkiller ' s knowledge of tactics and strategy made a significant difference in the war against the reborn Palpatine . He remained dedicated to the New Republic even after the immediate crisis ended , forgoing complete retirement to lend his services to their continuing fight against the Empire . Starkiller had brown hair and fair skin . Behind the scenes . An individual named Pashna Starkiller was first mentioned in Michael Allen Horne ' s " Dark Empire Sourcebook " , published in 1993 . The name was mentioned again in publications such as " Alliance Intelligence Reports " and " " as one of a group of Rebels including Jan Dodonna and Vanden Willard . In 2003 , " Star Wars Galaxies " Multiplayer Online game included a Mon Calamari named Pashna Starkiller among its non - player characters . Since none of the previous sources established Starkiller ' s physical appearance , gender and species , it was assumed to be the first physical depiction of the character , even though fan reaction ranged from surprise to belief that " Starkiller " was not a name fitting a Mon Calamari . In 2012 , the article " Rogues Gallery " in " Star Wars Insider 133 " identified one of the Humans present at the Rebel celebration in the Massassi Temple at the end of as Pashna Starkiller , creating further controversy . When asked about the subject , the article ' s author Leland Chee explained that it was decided to treat the two Starkillers as separate characters . " Galaxies " had been known for creating such duplicates of existing characters before , portraying Near - Human Zekka Thyne as a Bothan and Selonian Chertyl Ruluwoor as a Human . The name " Starkiller " dates back to the earliest drafts of the " Star Wars " script , where it was the surname of a number of characters , elements of whom would later be used to create Luke and Anakin Skywalker . Other individuals named " Starkiller " in canon include Bendak Starkiller from " " and Banol Starkiller from " Galaxies " . Starkiller is also the codename of Galen Marek , Darth Vader ' s secret apprentice from the video game " " .