CT Why did Ackbar bow his head after the Executor crashed into Death Star II?

When the Super Star Destroyer Executor smashed into the second Death Star there is a cut to Adrmiral Ackbar bowing his head in a sorrowful or reverent manner. When I was younger I thought that Ackbar was aware that Luke was on the station and that the crash may prevent him from escaping the it, so he bowed his head in sorrow. As I got older I thought his body language after the crash showed his relief that the attack effort was finally succeeding.

After reading Green Leader, a fan fiction comic by Daniel Warren Johnson, I realized that he may be mourning the death of the A-Wing pilot who smashed into the bridge disabling the ship (you can find the comic here:http://www.space-mullet.com/2015/06/05/green-leader/ ).

Why do you think Ackbar reacts the way he does to the Executor crash?


EDIT: typo

 

Actually, I always took it more as a sigh of relief. Considering the might and power of a capital ship the size of the Executor, I figured that Ackbar was relieved that it was no longer a thread.

Alternatively, if it is a bow, it's possible Ackbar was taking a moment to honor the brave A-Wing pilot who gave his life to bring down the Executor.

 

Of the whole scene I think Ackbar is the only one that got it half-right reaction wise. He didn't celebrate he seems resigned.

 

The entire Galaxy felt Piett's death....

Joking aside, I think it is likely it would be relief.

Did he realize the pilot did what he did, though? I'm not sure he could see what happened.

 

Yeah, it was just a sigh of relief. SSDs typically take a lot of punishment before going down, and Ackbar was relieved that they were able to take it out so quickly.

 

As a kid my reaction was that he was mourning the pilot that gave his life by taking out the Star Destroyer.

As the years have gone by, I tend to read several things in it. Basically, I think he's thinking. "War is hell,alright. But by the Force, it looks like the tide has finally turned. After all these brave deaths,we're actually doing it!"

 

Relief, pure and simple.

 

I think both sorrow and relief at the same time. They've still got a functional Death Star to worry about by this point.

 

This.

 

He was just relieved that it was finally over, I guess.

 

Relief mixed with mourning, in my eyes. The loss of the Super Star Destroyer was a huge blow to the Imperial fleet, but it came at the price of an A-Wing pilot's sacrifice. Mingled feelings. The others are unabashedly celebrating, but Ackbar is responsible for the lives of the men and women in his fleet, so there's bittersweetness in that victory.

 

Squid people get tired of holding their huge heads up for long periods of time. Periodically they have to rest their gigantic crustacean noggins in what looks like relief, mourning or a nap. But don't be fooled! They are actually emotionless, typifying the term "cold fish".

 

Relief and a bit of shock, "We did it...we really did it!"

 

He just got a text.

 

Relief, elation at the triumph, and perhaps a bit of exhaustion. Stress and adrenaline can really take it out of you, and as it cools down with the realization that the struggle is over, the exhaustion can be sudden and overwhelming.

 

Yes. He had a lot on his mind during that battle. I think he was relieved that the Executor was finally out of the way, and I think he was sad for the pilot who gave his life. Plus, he was growing tired over the stress of the battle. It's one of many examples of Rebel leaders being more human, ironically enough considering that Ackbar is not human, than the Imperial officers, who by contrast are shown as more mechanical and ruthless like their surroundings and weapons.

 

I agree.... relief. The Executor was more badass than anything the Rebels had. But serious design fail there.... lose a whole ship because of damage to the bridge? tsk! tsk!

 

That's a great point. That huge, dagger-like ship was taken out by the loss of a bridge. A more effective design would, in theory, have one or more command tower on that huge thing. Perhaps Admiral Piett wouldn't be required to be on the central one. If the Empire can staff a Death Star full of soldiers, troops, pilots, and officers, then the Empire can staff a super-star destroyer with more than one command tower in case one is taken out.

 

You would think they'd at least have better shields and more intense forward firepower...or a stronger viewport.

I really don't see how it's smart to have the bridge sticking up out of the thing, and then to put the officers that were either commanding the biggest ship (or the fleet) on that. It's like painting a huge target on your face and waiting for someone to try to get a bullseye.

Edit: It's funny that Luke was right. Palpatine's overconfidence was the problem.

If the Empire didn't have organization after Palpatine, Jerjerrod, and Vader died, hell if they were going to have it with the SSD and Piett gone too. It was not a good battle.

 

I still amazes me all these years/decades that a humanoid fish person thats "Admiral" is more popular than a human such as Crix Madine

 

I think it was all the "It's a trap!" meme that made him so popular. Oh, and he was a fish-person, so he was much more interesting than a boring, plain ol' human.

By the way, I always thought he was a lobster-person. He wasn't?

 

I have always considered it to be a show of relief.

 

Well, it doesn't help that all of Madine's scenes in the space battle where cut. As it stands, the guy only had one two minute scene.

Frankly, as a kid, I always liked Madine and wanted to see more of him.

 

Well, lobsters are part of a group commonly called "shellfish", so at least in casual parlance they're fish. Lobster, squid, crustacean... it's all pretty much the same thing unless you're a marine biologist. Or a fisherman. Either way I for one am comfortable calling Ackbar a "Squid Person", "Lobster Person" or "Fish Person". I wonder which if any of these Ackbar himself would prefer?

 

Quarren and Mon Calamari in the EU tended to see "Squid Head" and "Fish Head" as slurs.