Kendal Ozzel/Legends

"He is as clumsy as he is stupid."

- Darth Vader

Kendal Ozzel was a Human male officer who served in the Imperial Navy during the Galactic Civil War. He came from a wealthy landowning family on Carida, and his last name would aid him in his quest to gain power. He originally served as the captain of the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Reprisal, the largest ship in Shelsha sector. He oversaw the Teardrop massacre, when innocent civilians accused of being Rebel sympathizers were murdered. During this time, Emperor's Hand Mara Jade arrived onboard, and Ozzel planned to kill her to prevent the knowledge of a group of deserters from hurting his chances at becoming an admiral.

Though the plan to kill her failed, Ozzel did achieve his goal of rising through the ranks. Ironically, he did not become an admiral due to his loyalty or skills, but his disloyalty, as Mara Jade advised Darth Vader to keep him under close supervision. Ozzel became both the commander of Vader's flagship, the Star Dreadnaught Executor, and the admiral in command of Death Squadron, serving in those positions for approximately three years. He saw command of the Executor as a path to more power, and he believed that he would be able to control the universe with the Super Star Destroyer.

However, he was considered inept, clumsy, and stupid by Imperial personnel, including Lord Vader. His overconfidence ultimately led to his death before the Battle of Hoth, when he had Death Squadron emerge from hyperspace too close to Hoth, alerting the Rebels to the Imperials' presence. Darth Vader telekinetically executed him for the blunder shortly thereafter, promoting his senior subordinate Captain Firmus Piett to Ozzel's position.

Early Life
Kendal Ozzel was born on the planet Carida, and he was a descendant of trading mastermind Mann Ozzel who made the Ozzel family wealthy a long time before Kendal was born. The second-born son, Kendal could not inherit his family's business or land, so he would use his family's name to rise through the social, political, and military ranks of the Galactic Empire.

He attended what was considered the finest naval academy on Coruscant. Ozzel became a Captain of the Line, which would entitle him to the command of a line of battle or a Star Destroyer, but his superiors did not see him fit to serve as a field commander. He was the presiding officer at Han Solo's court-martial for saving Chewbacca, and the young Corellian took a fairly low view of his intelligence. For a short time, he served as an instructor at the Coruscant Naval Academy, where he taught naval history and languages, until the destruction of the first Death Star at Yavin. Ozzel was later aboard the Executor-class Star Dreadnaught Executor in the Black Widow Nebula before the vessel was officially launched, where he was sighted by Solo, though Ozzel would not be stationed on it until after Admiral Amise Griff's death.

Ascent
"With the Executor under my command, I will be the ultimate power in the universe!"

- Admiral Ozzel

In 0.5 ABY, he was captain of the Imperial I-class Star Destroyer Reprisal, the largest capital ship in Shelsha sector. At the planet Teardrop, the site of a covert Rebel Alliance listening post, he initiated a blockade to prevent any Rebels from fleeing the world. However, when Imperial cadet-turned-Rebel smuggler Han Solo attempted to flee the world with Rebel passengers, his YT-1300 light freighter Millennium Falcon, under the name "Argos," came under pirate attack during its escape. Solo requested aid from the Star Destroyer, and Ozzel had his gunners fire on and destroy the attackers. Solo had claimed that the "Argos" was a medical relief team from the planet Briston, responding to a groundquake on Teardrop's Por'ste Island. Ozzel, believing Solo's cover story, ordered the ship back to Briston, but the freighter left the system with its cargo of Rebels. Ozzel later oversaw the massacre of "Rebel sympathizers" on the planet, ordered by Imperial Security Bureau Major Drelfin and blamed it on Rebel agitators present in the town. Six days later, the Reprisal was assigned a full tactical unit of the ISB under the command of Colonel Vak Somoril, to further prosecute the suppression of resistance in the sector.

When stormtrooper Daric LaRone killed Drelfin in self-defense after confronting him about the killing of civilians on Teardrop, he fled the Reprisal with a group of fellow stormtroopers who witnessed the killing. Ozzel and Colonel Somoril mistakenly believed that the subsequent arrival of Emperor's Hand Mara Jade, who at the time was investigating a group of pirates known as the BloodScars in connection to six stolen paintings found in Moff Glovstoak's possession, in Shelsha sector was part of a high-level investigation into the incident, and they conspired in an unsanctioned scheme to kill her after discovering that she had accessed the ship's personnel files, bridge log, and flight log. Ozzel was certain that an Emperor's Hand wouldn't be sent on a trivial mission to eliminate pirates, and he believed that her main mission was to investigate the stormtroopers who deserted. Ozzel realized the repercussions of killing such an Imperial agent would be great, but Somoril managed to convince the captain to head for the Gepparin system to attack the pirate base where Jade was located. The colonel's reasoning was that Imperial agents, even an Emperor's Hand, could easily end up somewhere during a military strike and be killed. Ozzel only agreed because he didn't want the desertion of the stormtroopers to get in the way of his ultimate goal of achieving the rank of admiral. The plan failed, however, when Ozzel chose to follow the Millennium Falcon, piloted by Chewbacca, rather than complete the attack on the pirate base. The rest of the Falcon's crew was aboard the stolen ISB TL-1800 freighter Gillia with the stormtroopers who deserted from the Reprisal as the two groups had joined forces to investigate the pirates' base. He had the Reprisal jump to the Alderaan system in an effort to pursue the freighter, but was unsuccessful in intercepting them. Jade was ultimately unable to prove his complicity, but suggested to Darth Vader that he should keep a close eye on Ozzel, a suggestion that evidently appealed to the newly-appointed Supreme Commander's dark sense of humor.

Ozzel unexpectedly achieved his aim of being promoted to Fleet Admiral as a result of Mara Jade's suggestion. He was assigned to the Executor, the flagship of both Darth Vader and the task force Death Squadron, as its commanding officer, with Captain Firmus Piett as his senior subordinate. Perhaps simultaneously, he was also promoted to overall commander of Death Squadron after Admiral Griff's death, a promotion assisted in part by the loss of the cadre of able officers whom Wilhuff Tarkin had assembled aboard the Death Star. When he was first made admiral, many officers saw him as Vader's equal. Speculation abounded as to the exact nature by which Ozzel achieved his prestigious command position. Many believed older ties between Imperial military command and Ozzel's bloodline were chiefly responsible for his sudden and inexplicable rise. Another theory explained his achievement as Ozzel acting as a figure-head of command in Vader's fleet, aside from Vader himself, to appease the high-ranking members of the general staff.

Hunt for the Rebel headquarters


Regardless, Ozzel was in command of hunting down the Alliance High Command headquarters using whatever devices he deemed necessary. To this end, he took a very personal approach to his mission, preferring to follow up substantial leads himself. This often meant diverting the fleet on less than productive forays, which soon earned the ire of Vader, who grew tired of these indulgences. As a result, Ozzel was relegated to the true position of figure-head that he occupied, serving merely as a go-between for issuing Vader's orders to the Executor's rank and file. One of these raids proved to be successful, as Ozzel led Death Squadron alongside Vader from the Executor into a battle against the Rebel fleet in .75 ABY after Rebel mathematician-turned-brainwashed Imperial agent Jorin Sol attempted to assassinate the Rebel commanders aboard their flagship Rebel One and Imperial Lieutenant Janek Sunber tried to capture Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa to deliver them to Vader. Additionally, Imperial forces were waiting at the next Rebel pre-arranged rendezvous point, their escape algorithm having been discovered. Unaware of Jorin Sol's revelation of this fact to the Rebels, Ozzel believed that the battle would bring about the end of the Rebellion. The engagement decimated the Rebel fleet and severly damaged Rebel One, but the Rebels managed to scatter and eventually recover. Their escape was not Ozzel's fault, however. He later reported that their sensors had picked up an escape pod from Rebel One, presumably carrying Lieutenant Sunber. It was Ozzel who gave Captain Needa command of the Avenger, and as a result, Vader regarded Needa with suspicion along with Ozzel's close advisors. Ozzel would give Needa and the Avenger independent assignments to check on leads, and when the Avenger was with the rest of Death Squadron, Ozzel had the ship in the point position, which was considered a prestigious assignment.

According to rumors that had reached Alliance Intelligence, Ozzel and Vader rarely saw eye-to-eye. In 1 ABY the Rebels managed to plant seeds of discord between Vader's fleet commanders. Ozzel took the bait and believed the rumors that said that Vader wanted to replace him with a junior officer. Additionally, Ozzel would publicly criticize Vader.

Ozzel had Viper probe droids dispersed throughout the galaxy in an effort to locate the Rebel headquarters. He was confident that, having searched through a large area of space by 3 ABY, Death Squadron would soon locate the Rebels. He did, however, request for more ships to be assigned to the fleet. Due to the rising amount of support for the Alliance, there were no available units. Piett and his staff received a transmission from a probe droid launched from the Star Destroyer Stalker. The transmission displayed the Rebel shield generator, suggesting there was life in the supposedly uninhabitable system of Hoth. Piett, knowing that Ozzel would likely ignore the signal, initially went to Darth Vader with the news. When informed, and despite his tendency to indulge in unsubstantial leads, Ozzel dismissed the lead, stating that the shield generator most likely belonged to smugglers. He demanded proof and not simple leads from Piett. Vader, however, was certain that they had found the Rebel base. Ozzel still did not believe that the Rebels were on Hoth, and he asked Piett of what the intelligence evaluation computers said. The computers saw the data index as low, but the Force informed Vader that the Rebels - and Luke Skywalker - were indeed there. The Dark Lord of the Sith ordered his fleet to the Hoth system, and Ozzel had no choice but to follow Vader's orders.

Death


Believing that he could best defeat the Rebels by surprising them, Ozzel brought the fleet out of hyperspace very close to the sixth planet of the Hoth system. When General Maximilian Veers informed Vader of Ozzel's action, the Dark Lord immediately saw the admiral's foolishness: Ozzel had inadvertently alerted the Rebels to their presence, which allowing them to activate an energy field, rendering an orbital bombardment useless. Vader realized that, as another result of Ozzel's action, the destruction of the Rebel base would be a costly battle resulting in the waste of available resources rather than a simple bombardment. Via a viewscreen, Ozzel began to report that the fleet had entered the Hoth system, but before he could finish, Vader Force choked Ozzel to death and made his subordinate officer, Piett, commander of the Executor. In the end, Ozzel's mistake had cost Vader young Skywalker and his allies, though the battle had resulted in a victory for the Empire. Following the battle, Ozzel's remains were sent to his homeworld, where he was honored at a ceremony at the Corulag Academy.

According to Imperial propaganda compiled by Imperial advisor Alec Pradeux regarding the Battle of Hoth, Ozzel was killed when the Rebels bombarded the Executor with a planetary energy emplacement.

Personality and traits
"Captain Ozzel likes simple, comfortable routines. The man is excruciatingly predictable."

- Caaldra

Kendal Ozzel was considered inept, disloyal, easily manipulated, and stupid, which made many wonder how he achieved his rank of admiral. Darth Vader shared this opinion of him after Ozzel brought Death Squadron out of hyperspace too close to Hoth, a move with which the admiral had hoped would surprise the Alliance. As a result of his actions, the Alliance was able to detect the fleet of approaching Star Destroyers, activate Echo Base's shield, and evacuate the majority of the base.

Ozzel was also noted as being argumentative, bullish, and lacking common sense, all of which often caused problems. He was considered the ideal naval politician, and as far as he was concerned, he always won his arguments. He never knew when to be quiet, and he always insisted on having a say in major decisions. He was a disciplinarian, and every detail had to be perfect. However, Ozzel was known to let off-duty stormtroopers roam around without their armor on, which went against regulations. He did not like their presence on the ship, so he reached the unofficial agreement with the stormtrooper commanders, rather than having the troops confined to the barracks. He was also biased against women and non-Humans. He intimidated lesser bureaucrats to increase his standing in the Navy.

Despite these flaws, Ozzel was an ambitious man. He viewed the elimination of Rebels as the fastest path to success within the Imperial Navy, and he hoped that his attempt to destroy the Rebels would eventually grant him the rank of admiral. Whenever he failed he would cast the blame onto his subordinates, which sparked an enmity between Ozzel and his subordinate and eventual replacement, Firmus Piett. He was willing to go to extreme measures to cover his mistakes, such as when he reluctantly agreed to kill Emperor's Hand Mara Jade, whom he believed had uncovered information on the desertion of stormtroopers from the Reprisal. He was confident, and he felt relaxed while in the presence of Vader.

Behind the scenes
Kendal Ozzel was played by Michael Sheard in The Empire Strikes Back, who also portrayed Adolf Hitler in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the third installment of George Lucas' other successful trilogy. In the audio drama version of The Empire Strikes Back, Ozzel was voiced by Peter Michael Goetz.

The name "Kendal" may be a reference to the character Danny Kendall from the British TV series Grange Hill, with whom Sheard's character, Mr. Bronson, had a long-standing enmity. The name first appeared in The Official Star Wars Fact File 4 in the UK (the reference was put in with Sheard's blessing). The name later made its way to the official website's Databank.

There are inconsistencies between the various sources describing Ozzel's path to becoming Vader's senior subordinate in Death Squadron. Most notably, he appears as an admiral aboard the Executor under Vader's command in Scoundrel's Luck, which apparently takes place while Vader is still in a healing trance in his TIE Advanced x1 after the Battle of Yavin. In a NewsNet article in Star Wars Adventure Journal 12, it is mentioned that Ozzel was in command of Death Squadron before the Executor was commissioned. Additionally, it is said that Ozzel attended the commissioning ceremony and planned to transfer his flag to the new warship when it entered active service with Death Squadron. This is contradicted by Allegiance, which shows Ozzel as commander of the Star Destroyer Reprisal (and not Death Squadron) while the Executor is active and under the command of Bentro. Another issue is that in The Hutt Gambit, Ozzel is said to be an admiral when he presided over Han Solo's trial, yet he does not become one until after Allegiance.

In Star Wars 40: The Empire Strikes Back: Battleground: Hoth, artist Al Williamson incorrectly switches Ozzel's and Piett's roles, and as a result, it is Piett who suffers from Vader's Force choke.

Appearances

 * The Hutt Gambit
 * Allegiance
 * Star Wars Rebellion: My Brother, My Enemy
 * Star Wars Galaxies
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back novel
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
 * Star Wars 39: The Empire Strikes Back: Beginning
 * Star Wars 40: The Empire Strikes Back: Battleground: Hoth
 * The Empire Strikes Back radio drama
 * The Longest Fall
 * The Longest Fall
 * The Longest Fall

Non-canon appearances

 * Star Wars: Rebellion
 * LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga