Amilyn Holdo was a supporting character in Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. A high-ranking officer in the Resistance, she served as the Vice-Admiral of the Resistance fleet. She was portrayed by Laura Dern.
History[]
Years before the war between the Resistance and the First Order, Holdo had met Princess Leia Organa when the both of them were serving in the Imperial Senate. The two of them became friends while undertaking a pathfinding mission and seemed to share similar ideals. Leia would eventually confide in Amilyn about her involvement with the Rebel Alliance and Amilyn became a secret supporter for the Rebellion, warning Alliance Command of Imperial attacks.
In 34 ABY, thirty years after the fall of the Galactic Empire, the New Republic was decimated in an attack by the First Order, a militant organisation formed from the Imperial remnants that had been banished to the Unknown Regions. From their Starkiller Base, the First Order fired a hyperspace weapon that obliterated the five planets of the Hosnian system, the seat of the Republic government. At this time, Holdo served as the Vice-Admiral of the Resistance fleet, commanding the cruiser Ninka. Though the Resistance launched a successful counter-attack and destroyed Starkiller Base, the First Order knew where the Resistance were based and soon rallied their fleet to attack.
The Resistance fleet fled from their base on D'Qar, but the First Order possessed the technology to track vessels across hyperspace and immediately attacked once they had dropped out of lightspeed. The Resistance flagship Raddus was severely damaged by a barrage of fire from a squad of TIE Fighters; the ship's bridge was blasted wide open, resulting in most of the Resistance leaders being killed as they were vented out into open space. Using the Force to save herself, General Organa survived, but was left in critical condition. With Leia out of action, Holdo was the highest-ranking officer in the fleet and transferred over from the Ninka to assume command.
Holdo had the remaining ships continue full ahead to keep out of the First Order's range, but their fuel reserves dwindled and they lost their medical frigate Anodyne when it ran dry. Holdo received a communication from the Anodnye's captain informing her that the rest of its crew had escaped and were heading her way, but the transmission was lost as the First Order destroyed the defenseless frigate. Shortly after, Holdo's own ship the Ninka was destroyed as well.
Poe Dameron and Holdo were not on good terms, immediately butting heads over the issue of Poe's demotion and apparent lack of any decisive action. Deeming Poe an impulsive and reckless "fly-boy", Holdo recognized that as a liability rather than an asset for the current situation and instead ordered him to stick to his post and follow her orders. Unfortunately, Holdo's lack of transparency with Poe had repercussions. When Holdo ordered the crew of the Raddus to evacuate to the planet Crait via rescue transports, Dameron and some crew members held the Admiral and some officers loyal to her at gunpoint and took control of the ship. Holdo escaped the mutiny, however, by kicking a steam pipe and stunning her antagonists while the newly-wakened Leia stunned Poe, and sent him to Crait with the rest of the crew. Holdo refused to board a transport herself, however, and told Leia that someone had to stay on the Raddus to keep it going and said she would be honoured to do it.
Death[]
The Raddus passengers and crew all boarded transports and left the ship, but the First Order noticed the escape attempt and directed their fire on the fleeing transports, picking them off one by one. Holdo refused to allow any more of her people to die and manoeuvred the Raddus into the line of fire and brought her about, facing the First Order fleet head-on. With weapons non-functional and all fighters either destroyed or evacuated, Holdo's only option was to ram the enemy. She activated the Raddus' hyperdrive and jumped to lightspeed through the enemy fleet. This action destroyed the Raddus, but also destroyed or crippled most of the First Order's ships, cleaving many of them in half.