John D. Branon/Legends

"I'm hit!"

- Branon's last words during the Battle of Yavin.

John D. Branon, sometimes known simply as John "D", was a young Human male pilot who served the Alliance to Restore the Republic during the Galactic Civil War. In 0 BBY, he participated in the Battle of Yavin under the callsign Red Four.

Flying a T-65 X-wing starfighter, Branon was shot down by TIE/LN starfighters during the assault on the first Death Star, among the first pilots who were killed. He and Theron Nett were the only Rebels to die at the hands of TIE pilots during the battle, as the rest of the X- and Y-wings that fell during the battle were destroyed by Darth Vader or gunned down by turbo laser fire.

Behind the scenes
John D. was played by Jack Klaff in A New Hope. He was presumably named after John Dykstra.

Though the film credits list Jack Klaff as the actor portraying John D, the Customizable Card Game names Jack Klaff's character Lt. Naytaan. The CCG creators made an error in naming him Naytaan. According to Leland Chee, Naytaan and John D. are two different pilots.

John D. has been known as "Fake Wedge" among much of the Star Wars community, because of the belief that Jack Klaff played the character of Wedge in the Rebel briefing room scene (a character played by Denis Lawson in every other scene). Pablo Hidalgo has since revealed that "Fake Wedge" was not actually portrayed by Klaff, but rather by actor Colin Higgins.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Empire at War
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope novel
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope junior novel
 * Star Wars 6: Is This the Final Chapter?