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I'm looking for an in-universe reason why Lando was chosen to be the main General leading the attack on the Death Star? I know Akbar was the Admiral but surely the alliance had more experienced and longer serving members?

Is there anything in canon to say Lando had the experience and wherewithal to lead the attack?

Had an answer about the manoeuvre at the battle of taanab, but that's not really what I'm looking for. It's a throw away line that doesn't explain why Lando was made a general above more experience alliance members.

Stormblessed
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    Because Solo vouched for him and because he's knocking space-boots with the leader of the rebellion. Leia that is, not Akbar. Eww. – Valorum Aug 31 '15 at 21:07
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    I thought mon mothma was de-facto leader of the rebellion? –  Aug 31 '15 at 21:08
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    I'm reasonably sure that Han Solo wasn't sleeping with them either. – Valorum Aug 31 '15 at 21:24
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    I guess no one told you about his little manouver at the battle of Taneb... – Ryan Perry Aug 31 '15 at 21:52
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    It's just bad writing (again). Generals do strategy, not tactics. Also remember that they made Jar Jar a general too. – Gaius Sep 01 '15 at 11:28
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    @Gaius that's why I love this site, I didn't know there was a difference between tactics and strategy. Learn something every day! –  Sep 01 '15 at 11:37
  • Aren't generals for ground forces? Or are the fighter wing, which the Falcon was assigned, considered an "air force" of some sort? – Ellesedil Dec 12 '15 at 06:31
  • Is there a reason my answer wasn't accepted? It covered the ground in far mroe detail than the currently accepted one. – DVK-on-Ahch-To Dec 22 '15 at 01:40

2 Answers2

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Han Solo: Well, look at you! A General, huh?
Lando Calrissian: Someone must have told them all about my little maneuver at the battle of Taanab.
Han Solo: Well, don't look at me, pal. I just said you were a fair pilot. I didn't know they were looking for somebody to lead this crazy attack.
Lando Calrissian: I'm surprised they didn't ask you to do it.
Han Solo: Well, who says they didn't? Only I ain't crazy.

SQB
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  • It might also be a remnant of his history in the Clone Wars in earlier scripts. Landfill was supposed to have been one of the clones. – FuzzyBoots Aug 31 '15 at 23:11
  • Is there anything further that explains what the manoeuvre was that justifies an immediate commission of general? Or was the alliance that short on leaders? –  Sep 01 '15 at 06:46
  • General is not just a rank, it is a job description. Lando is not seen doing the work of a General, he is flying a ship like a Lieutenant. – Gaius Sep 01 '15 at 11:36
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    @Gaius he orders other wings about doesn't he? More like a squadron leader then? –  Sep 01 '15 at 12:05
  • It was a disorganized rebellion. They're always short of qualified leadership, so anyone who shows signs of being able to lead a Gungan to water can get a command. – BBlake Sep 01 '15 at 12:39
  • @Carl yep, but certainly not a General -whereas Akbar is seen doing the work of an Admiral. – Gaius Sep 01 '15 at 12:42
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    the weirdest thing is hes given the title general, when typically general is not used in navel battles, nor their equivalent, space battles, it is usually a ground force leader title. Especially since we already have admiral akbar, as the imperial fleet i believe have admirals as well. – Himarm Sep 01 '15 at 13:25
  • @Himarm Consider the X-Wing, Y-Wing etc. as airforce, and airforce has the same ranks as army, not navy. IIRC in WWII American fighter squadrons were usually lead by a Major, sometimes by a Lt.Colonel. The CAG of a carrier was a Navy Captain or a Marine Corps Colonel. In ROTJ Lando is leading the whole fighter strike force, consisting of many squadrons, so Colonel would have been the minimum rank for that. – Volker Landgraf Dec 24 '19 at 00:20
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Is there anything in canon to say Lando had the experience and wherewithal to lead the attack?

Yes.

James Kahn's novelization of ROTJ covers details of that:

Lando laughed affectionately. “I’m a man of many faces and many costumes. Someone must have told them about my little maneuver at the battle of Taanab.” Taanab was an agrarian planet raided seasonally by bandits from Norulac. Calrissian—before his stint as governor of Cloud City—had wiped out the bandits against all odds, using legendary flying and unheard of strategies. And he’d done it on a bet.

Lando was also an experienced pilot, as we see in Han Solo trilogy, he actually owned Millenium Falcon before Han did. Just what you want in someone leading a fighter assault spearheaded by Millenium Falcon.

jwodder
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DVK-on-Ahch-To
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