Grand Admiral

"Grand Admiral Ackbar.''" "Grand admiral is an Imperial ranking. I, like you once did, identify as fleet admiral—but you seem to have taken the title 'Grand Admiral' for yourself." "''No one above to promote me, I'm afraid, Admiral. In this new order one must take what one deserves."

- Grand Admirals Rae Sloane and Gial Ackbar

Grand Admiral was a senior military rank in navies and starfleets, including those of the Imperial Navy and the New Republic Starfleet.

History
"I will pull the rebels apart piece by piece."

- Grand Admiral Thrawn

In the years before the Battle of Yavin and the destruction of the Death Star, the rank was held by a Chiss Imperial officer named Thrawn, who fought against the early rebellion.

Shortly after the Battle of Endor, and the formation of the New Republic, Gial Ackbar became a Grand Admiral and acted as the commanding officer of the New Republic Starfleet during the Galactic Civil War. Also following the Battle of Endor, Rae Sloane served as Grand Admiral and commanded the remnants of the Imperial Navy. Although the Imperial rank of Fleet Admiral was a distinguishibly senior position, Grand Admiral was one of ranks in the entire Imperial Military, and to be given the title was seen as a great honor.

Uniform
Unlike the traditional Imperial uniform, which generally consisted of a plain gray tunic, the Imperial Grand Admiral's uniform was white with golden epaulettes. Such accessories were generally uncommon in the Imperial Military, as uniform, as they seemed to put an emphasis on status above duty and humility.

Behind the scenes
Timothy Zahn, author of the 1991 Legends novel Heir to the Empire, introduced the rank of "Grand Admiral" for the villain of that novel, Grand Admiral Thrawn. Zahn wanted Thrawn to be a military leader rather than a political title-holder or darksider, but felt a normal Admiral would be too mundane. He therefore decided to use the title "Grand Admiral", which he had encountered while reading William L. Shirer's The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich in the context of its use in the German Navy.

The title was incorporated into canon with the release of the 2015 novel Aftermath, written by Chuck Wendig.

Appearances

 * Thrawn
 * Aftermath
 * Aftermath: Life Debt
 * Aftermath: Life Debt