Nyrox Nyrox was a Human male who served in the Imperial Army during the Galactic Civil War . A product of the elite training program at Raithal Academy , Nyrox demonstrated his skill and ingenuity in the cockpit of the giant All Terrain Armored Transport . Having caught the attention of the walker line ' s main proponent , Maximilian Veers , Nyrox graduated from the Imperial Academy and was promptly promoted to the rank of lieutenant . Veers selected Nyrox to pilot the AT - AT walker Thunderer One , the lead walker of Thundering Herd , his personal AT - AT unit . In 3 ABY , Nyrox served under Veers at the Battle of Hoth , leading the invading walker squadron to victory over the Rebel defenders of Echo Base . He earned the rank of captain for his actions . Biography . The Human male Nyrox was a graduate of the prestigious Raithal Academy , a training branch of the Imperial Academy , where he trained in the ground warfare tactics of the Imperial Army . Nyrox was instructed in all types of Imperial Army hardware , ranging from ground - based artillery to complex vehicles like the HAVw A5 Juggernaut , the HAVr A9 Floating Fortress , and PX - 4 Mobile Command Base s . His weapon of choice , however , was the mammoth All Terrain Armored Transport . Nyrox relished the sense of power the walker afforded him . He demonstrated his ability in the cockpit of the AT - AT with such flair that it caught the attention of Maximilian Veers , the premiere supporter of walker technology . During an inspection tour of the Raithal Academy sometime during the formation of the Dark Lord Darth Vader ' s personal Star Destroyer fleet , the Imperial Death Squadron , Veers witnessed Nyrox ' s skill first - hand . Nyrox was running a full - immersion holo - simulation against a squadron of Rebel Alliance airspeeders supported by Ultra - Light Assault Vehicles and Freerunners . When a lucky hit crippled one of his AT - AT ' s legs , Nyrox resourcefully decided to take up a defensive crouching posture . Although the maneuver ground the walker ' s bearings to the very hub , he was able to destroy each Rebel craft by making them come to him . Most impressed with the trainee ' s simulation , Veers appointed Nyrox as pilot for his lead walker , Thunderer One , the point walker of Thundering Herd , an elite AT - AT force under his command . Nyrox ' s abilities earned him the rank of lieutenant straight out of the Academy . During his time at Raithal Academy , he filed a report at the Raithal Academy on understanding and preparing for enemy exploitation of the AT - AT ' s vulnerabilities , and it was later included in the " " guide for Imperial commanders . Nyrox served with Veers through action at the Battle of Hoth , the Imperial campaign to crush the Rebel Alliance headquarters of Echo Base in 3 ABY , during which he piloted the invasion ' s lead walker . For his actions during the Rebel defeat at Hoth , Nyrox was promoted to captain . Personality and traits . Like many Imperial personnel , Nyrox enjoyed a sense of power and control over his opposition , which is what influenced his taste for the might of the AT - AT . He possessed a certain level of military tactical prowess and flair , opting to assume a defensive position with his AT - AT during a training exercise after the walker suffered damage to one of its legs , and allowing the enemy craft of his groundbreaking simulation to come to him rather than to seek them out . His skill was well employed during the Battle of Hoth , during which he led the invasion ' s lead walker in routing the Rebel defenders of Echo Base . Nyrox stood 1 . 7 meters in height . Skills and abilities . As an Imperial Army pilot , Nyrox possessed mechanical ability in the operation of ground vehicles , repulsorlift craft , walkers , and AT - AT gunnery . He also had specific technical knowledge in AT - AT walker repair . Equipment . Nyrox ' s equipment included a blaster pistol and battle armor , with an internal comlink , that covered his head and chest . Behind the scenes . The character of Nyrox first appeared in the 1989 first edition of the West End Games sourcebook " " as an example of a standard AT - AT pilot , which provided the character only with basic roleplaying stats . The July 1996 of the sourcebook included a detailed biographical profile of Nyrox as part of a major expansion on the text by Pablo Hidalgo . Inconsistencies . The second edition of " Galaxy Guide 3 " explains that Nyrox piloted Thunderer One , the lead walker of Veers ' elite Thundering Herd AT - AT squadron , the walker squadron assigned to the Battle of Hoth . This implies that Thundering Herd is the AT - AT unit seen in the film and that Thunderer One is the AT - AT seen commanded by Veers himself , which would also seem to imply that Nyrox is the pilot seen alongside Veers in the AT - AT cockpit in the film . However , the subsequent November 1996 " Hoth Limited " expansion set of the " Star Wars " Customizable Card Game identified Veers ' lead walker as " Blizzard 1 , " a part of Blizzard Force , Darth Vader ' s elite assault unit , whereas " Galaxy Guide 3 " did not necessarily place the AT - ATs of Thundering Herd as part of Blizzard Force . The Thundering Herd unit has never again been referenced in " Star Wars " canon following the 1996 " Galaxy Guide 3 " publication , whereas Blizzard Force has become the recognized name of the Imperial forces at Hoth . Nevertheless , until any further canonical connection is made , this article assumes that the Thunderer One and Blizzard 1 walkers are separate entities . Nyrox ' s tactic of assuming a defensive , kneeling posture with his AT - AT is strikingly similar to the tactic employed by a promising Imperial cadet named Davin Felth in the short story " " , as part of the 1995 anthology book " Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina " . However , in the story , rather than rewarding Felth as he does Nyrox , Veers reassigns Felth to the Imperial Stormtrooper Corps to mask an exposed weakness pointed out by Felth regarding the AT - AT design . The " " , released in 2014 , includes a report filed by " Captain " Nyrox , but the book is said to have been published in 0 BBY , several years before Nyrox became a captain .