Gar Saxon

"Clan Wren is clearly a threat to the Empire, and must be taken care of."

- Gar Saxon ordering the extermination of Clan Wren

Gar Saxon was a Mandalorian human male who served as a commander of the Mandalorian super commandos in Darth Maul's Shadow Collective during the Clone Wars and later as Imperial Viceroy and Governor of his homeworld of Mandalore during the reign of the Galactic Empire.

During the Clone Wars Saxon was one of the two-man extraction team that rescued Maul from the Spire on Stygeon Prime and later commanded Maul's ground forces during General Grievous' invasion of the Collective base on Ord Mantell. After the rise of the Empire, Saxon served as Hand to Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine and was the leader of the Imperial Super Commandos until his death on Krownest in 2 BBY.

Mission to Stygeon Prime
Commander Gar Saxon, along with Rook Kast, were sent by Mandalore Prime Minister Almec to free Darth Maul from the Spire on Stygeon Prime. The duo managed to successfully free Maul without problem and escape on a Mandalorian Gauntlet fighter towards Zanbar, as instructed by Almec prior to the attack.

Zanbar
After freeing Maul, Saxon took him to Zanbar's secret Shadow Collective base. General Grievous, under orders from Count Dooku attacked the planet with his droid army. During this attack, Saxon fought alongside his fellow Shadow Collective soldiers. After Grievous' droids defeated the majority of the soldiers, Saxon escaped the brutal battle along with Maul, Kast and other members of the Shadow Collective and headed towards Ord Mantell where they would meet up with members of the Pyke Syndicate and Black Sun at the base on the planet.

Ord Mantell
Saxon, on Ord Mantell with the rest of the Shadow Collective, staged the next attack against the Separatist Forces. Saxon was then put in command of the ground forces that would fight the droid army in the attack. Unfortunately, Saxon and his men were defeated and rounded up so that the droids could eliminate them. Luckily, Maul made Grievous turn off the droids command signal which, in turn, allowed Saxon and his men to live another day. With the droids deactivated, Saxon and his men tore the droid army apart. Saxon, then, along with his men, saved the Zabrak Viscus and captured Count Dooku, who had been about the kill the Nightbrother.

Vizsla Keep 09
After Ord Mantell, Saxon and the rest of the Shadow Collective escaped to Vizsla Keep 09, a Mandalorian supply outpost near Ord Mantell. By this time, the Republic had been notified of the events on Ord Mantell and sent an attack on the outpost. Saxon was present while Maul told Sidious of the failure of his apprentice and general. He later took Grievous to a high security cell while Maul attempted to persuade Dooku to join him as his new apprentice. Soon, Saxon was forced to take charge of his men when a Republic assault led by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Master Tiplee attacked the outpost. While the assault took place, Maul and his new ally Count Dooku joined the fray around the same time as Mace Windu and the Twi'lek Aayla Secura. Maul began to clash with Secura and Windu while Dooku fought Kenobi and Tiplee. While this occurred, Saxon instructed Kast to shoot a missile at Secura before she defeated Maul. With Secura distracted, Saxon, Kast, Maul, and later Dooku entered a Gauntlet fighter and escaped, leaving Kenobi, Secura, Windu, and a dead Tiplee on the outpost.

Fragmentation of the Collective
Later, while on course for Dathomir, Maul contacted Ziton Moj, and a Pyke leader via hologram. The two threatened to leave the Shadow Collective if they were not paid what they were promised. Once the leaders left, Maul contacted Saxon and told the commander to keep the two in line. However, this would be for naught, as the Shadow Collective would dissolve shortly thereafter when Separatist fleets attacked the Black Sun and Pyke Syndicate.

Attacking the Protectors
Following the dissolution of the Shadow Collective, Gar Saxon joined the Galactic Empire. Desiring power for himself, Saxon collaborated with the Empire and was installed as Governor of Mandalore by Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine. Saxon's followers became Imperial Super Commandos, Mandalorians who served the Empire. As proxies of the Empire, Saxon and his Imperial Super Commandos enforced the Empire's will on Mandalore. As Viceroy, Saxon donned a distinct red armor and helmet.

Saxon also had a rivalry with Fenn Rau, the leader of the Journeyman Protectors, a rival Mandalorian faction based in the Concord Dawn system. In 2 BBY, an opportunity for Saxon to move against Rau emerged when Saxon learned that the Protectors were allowing the rebellion to use the Concord Dawn system as a thorough-way to avoid Imperial sector patrols. In an attempt to lure Rau back to Concord Dawn, as well as to get rid of his rivals, Saxon and his Imperial Super Commandos attacked the Protectors Camp on the third moon of Concord Dawn, leaving no survivors.

As expected, Rau returned to the third moon of Concord Dawn after learning that contact with his fellow Protectors had been lost. Saxon's plan was complicated by the fact that Rau was accompanied by three of his rebel captors: the Mandalorian girl Sabine Wren, a fellow member of Clan Vizsla; the Jedi apprentice Ezra Bridger; and the astromech droid Chopper. After the rebels attacked and destroyed an Imperial dwarf probe droid, Saxon and his men disembarked from their starship and traveled to the Protectors Camp. Rau and Sabine managed to escape but Saxon and his men captured Ezra and Chopper.

Interrogating rebels
Saxon had Ezra brought to an empty hut where he proceeded to interrogate the boy. He also ordered his men to search for Ezra's companions. Saxon then removed his red helmet and introduced himself to the boy. Shortly later, another Super Commando entered the hut with Chopper. Ezra claimed that he and Chopper were scavengers who were part of Hondo Ohnaka's scavenging gang. A third Super Commando entered the room to report that he and his men had found no sign of the other rebels. However, Saxon was unsatisfied and proceeded to interrogate Ezra further.

When Ezra feigned ignorance of the rebellion, Saxon reminded the boy that he was a seasoned Mandalorian warrior and not a fresh-faced Imperial Academy graduate. Despite Saxon's intimidation, Ezra continue to feign ignorance about Mandalore and the Empire. Losing patience, Saxon and one of his Super Commandos fired blaster bolts at Chopper, startling the droid and Ezra. Ezra then claimed that he was Lando Calrissian. Saxon sensed the boy was lying and told Ezra that he was giving him what he wanted to know whether he realized it or not. After Saxon threatened to dig out of Chopper's memory circuits, Ezra claimed that Fenn Rau had sent him.

Saxon then questioned Ezra about Rau's whereabouts but the boy expressed ignorance. Losing patience, Saxon grabbed "Lando" by the throat before hurling him against the wall. Saxon then attempted to shoot Chopper in order to dig out the droid's memory circuits. However, Ezra used the Force to deflect Rau's blaster bolts. At that point, Saxon ascertained that Ezra was a Jedi and would make a valuable captive. Before he could deal with Ezra, Sabine threw smoke grenades into the building and managed to rescue Ezra and Chopper. However, Rau stole the Phantom II and escaped, leaving them stranded.

Showdown with Sabine
Saxon and his Super Commandos then surrounded the three rebels outside of the encampment. Saxon recognized Sabine and claimed that her mother came round after Sabine abandoned her studies at the Imperial Academy of Mandalore. He also chastised her for shaming her family name. Out of respect for Sabine, he offered the rebel a chance to return to the fold by swearing fealty to him. Outnumbered, Sabine pretended to cooperate. When Saxon approached Sabine to demand her fealty, she told him that he was a fool before telling Chopper to upload Frequency 337 feedback into Saxon and his commandos' helmet.

While Saxon and his men were temporarily incapacitated, Sabine and her rebel friends fled into the canyon. Sabine and Ezra shared a stolen jetpack while Chopper activated his own rocket thrusters. Saxon and his men pursued the rebels through the canyon on their jetpacks. However, the rebels managed to avoid their blasts and even managed to down one of his Super Commandos. As they approached a narrower part of the canyon, Saxon ordered his men to cut off their quarry by splitting up. Sabine managed to delay one Super Commando by collapsing rocks in their path. She then managed to kill or incapacitate another by blowing up his jetpack.

Eventually, Sabine and the rebels managed to reach Saxon's starship. However, Saxon and the remaining Imperial Super Commando caught up with them. Saxon prepared to execute Sabine and gave orders to his supercommando to kill Ezra. Before they could take action, Fenn Rau returned in the Phantom II after experiencing a change in heart. He destroyed Saxon's starship and knocked down Saxon's remaining supercommando. Saxon struggled with Sabine and attempted to kill her but she managed to escape aboard the ship with Ezra's help. Saxon could only watch his burning ship as the rebels and Rau fled into space.

Entanglement with Clan Wren
Saxon was at the Mandalorian capital city of Sundari when he was contacted by Ursa Wren, the leader of Clan Wren. Ursa informed him via holo of her daughter's arrival along with two Jedi. Saxon, realizing he could avenge his previous failure to capture Sabine, counseled that she was doing her duty to Mandalore and informed her to hold the Jedi until he and his supercommandos arrived.

Saxon traveled with a complement of supercommandos to the Wren Stronghold on the planet Krownest, where members of Clan Wren had encircled Sabine and the two Jedi, one being Ezra Bridger whom he had fought with previously and the second Bridger's master Kanan Jarrus. Saxon called upon Ursa to give him the Darksaber, which she had previously retrieved from her daughter to bargain her life with. With the Darksaber in hand, Saxon declared that Ursa and all of Clan Wren had indeed held their end of the bargain, but to do so had consorted with traitors, making them liable to treason for which he intended to wipe out the entire clan as an example. When Tristan Wren, son of Ursa and brother of Sabine, protested and said they were all Mandalorian therefore making such a betrayal unreasonable, Saxon realized he still had use and offered him a place to stay with the Empire over his family. To the Viceroy's satisfaction, Tristan initially seemed to side with him before declaring his place was at his family's side. Unconcerned, Saxon declared that Clan Wren would end with him and ignited the Darksaber as a signal to his men.

Before the massacre could happen, however, Rau broke into the stronghold, surprising everyone and giving the Jedi their lightsabers. Saxon and his commandos opened fire, with the supercommando leader expressing frustration at Rau's appearance. As the firefight grew, Gar Saxon attempted to murder Ursa from behind, but was stopped by Sabine, who was now using Bridger's lightsaber. Enraged, Saxon activated his jetpack and sent them both crashing through a window to a nearby frozen lake. The two Mandalorians engaged in a lightsaber duel, with Saxon brutally trying to kill Sabine with the Darksaber, as well as using his blaster pistol and jetpack. Wren temporarily incapacitated him with a flamethrower, allowing her to disable his jetpack. Forced to land again, the duel grew more intense, with the ice beginning to crack beneath their feet. Despite Saxon's efforts, however, he was bested when the younger Mandalorian disarmed him and took the Darksaber from him and ordered him to yield. Saxon refused and stated she would have to kill him. However, instead of executing him as was traditional of Mandalorian custom, Sabine opted to spare him, which angered Saxon. Unwilling to accept his defeat, Saxon prepared to shoot Sabine in the back but was shot through the heart by Ursa, who refused to allow him to kill her daughter as she had exited the stronghold with the others to observe. Shocked, the Viceroy looked at Sabine before crumpling to the ground, dead.

Legacy
"Gar Saxon was guilty of treason against the throne, collaboration with our enemy, and the execution of my fellow Protectors. But when the rest of Mandalore finds out about his death, there will be chaos."

- Fenn Rau after the death of Gar Saxon

With Gar Saxon's death, Rau stated that Mandalore would again dissolve into chaos without the leadership of the Viceroy. In contrast, Ursa believed that the chaos would be necessary to rebuild the strength of the planet. Rau also suggested that Sabine might be the successor to Saxon, stating that she now possessed the Darksaber, unchallenged. However, she rejected it, believing that by staying behind with her family she would find the true, capable leader. Saxon was succeeded by his brother Tiber.

Personality and traits
Gar Saxon was a brutal, ruthless, and aggressive Mandalorian. Under Maul he was shown to be very dedicated to the cause despite Maul being an outsider and a Force-user. After Maul's defeat, Saxon again swore loyalty to an outsider, this time the Empire. This led some, such as Sabine Wren, to question whether his true loyalty belonged to Mandalore or himself. This also meant his honor was called into question, preventing him from claiming the title of Mand'alor. Saxon was a fierce and brutal warrior and commander. He took pride in killing the Protectors for colluding with the rebellion and was determined to kill their leader Fenn Rau. Saxon was a ruthless and impatient interrogator who was not above using violence to extract results.

As the Empire's puppet ruler on Mandalore, Saxon sought to root out and punish traitors who defied the Empire. Saxon used Sabine's abandonment of the Empire to apply pressure on Clan Wren. Saxon imprisoned Sabine's father as a hostage and forced Countess Ursa Wren to submit her son Tristan Wren as a member of the Imperial Super Commandos. Saxon had an antipathy with Clan Wren and sought to use every opportunity to destroy the rival clan. In order to support his claim to rule Mandalore, Saxon sought to obtain the Darksaber from Sabine, though he had no right to the ancient weapon.

Due to his desire for power and dominance, Saxon was not gracious in conceding defeat. When he was beaten by Sabine in single combat, Saxon demanded that she execute him in order to save him the ignominy of bowing to her. When Sabine defied Mandalorian tradition by sparing his life, Saxon tried to kill her with his blaster but was shot dead by Ursa. Saxon was also extremely dishonorable and self-serving, reneging on a bargain with Clan Wren to protect them and twice attempting to kill his opponents from behind when they were distracted, the latter of which cost him his life.

Saxon was a human male who had fair skin and gray eyes. By his governorship, his hair color had changed from blond to gray.

Skills and abilities
Saxon was a ferocious and merciless warrior on the battlefield. He knew how to operate blasters and a jetpack. Saxon was able to take on Sabine Wren in a lightsaber duel but was outwitted by the younger warrior, who had learned lightsaber techniques from Kanan and Ezra.

Behind the scenes
Gar Saxon first appeared in the 2014 Dark Horse Comics Star Wars: Darth Maul—Son of Dathomir, which was based on four uncompleted Star Wars: The Clone Wars episodes. Saxon later appeared as a secondary antagonist in the Star Wars Rebels episodes "Imperial Super Commandos" on November 5, 2016 and "Legacy of Mandalore" on February 18, 2017, voiced by Ray Stevenson.

In the "Imperial Super Commando" Rebels Recon video, Pablo Hidalgo described Saxon as the quintessential sellout who ruled Mandalore on behalf of the Empire.

Appearances

 * Darth Maul—Son of Dathomir, Part One
 * Darth Maul—Son of Dathomir, Part Two
 * Darth Maul—Son of Dathomir, Part Three
 * Darth Maul—Son of Dathomir, Part Four
 * Star Wars Rebels: Heroes of Mandalore
 * Star Wars Rebels: Heroes of Mandalore
 * Star Wars Rebels: Heroes of Mandalore
 * Star Wars Rebels: Heroes of Mandalore

Non-canon appearances

 * Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes