Will Scotian

"Red Leader, multiple bandits incoming from below."

―Will Scotian to Wedge Antilles^[3]

Will Scotian^[4] was a human male who served the Alliance to Restore the Republic as a pilot during the Galactic Civil War against the Galactic Empire.^[2] He survived the Battle of Hoth and continued flying after being recruited into Red Squadron by Wedge Antilles and Wes Janson.^[3]

Biography

In the year 3 ABY,^[5] he was among the rebel forces stationed in Echo Base on the planet Hoth when it came under attack by the Empire. Scotian lent over the laser cannon of an X-wing starfighter while listening to a briefing by Princess Leia Organa in Echo Base's hangar where she explained that the pilots present would be responsible for escorting the rebel GR-75 medium transports past the Imperial fleet above Hoth. The rebels of Echo Base then managed to successfully escape from the Empire, although not without casualties.^[2]

Shortly after the evacuation of Hoth, Scotian was recruited by Commander Wedge Antilles into the newly reformed Red Squadron. He was assigned the callsign Red Eight and flew a T-65B X-wing starfighter as flight leader in an attack on a nearby pirate base, that threatened the safety of the Alliance's rendezvous point. His wingmates during the attack were Ix Ixstra and Cinda Tarheel, and his flight's job was to run interference, covering Antilles' flight, who would hit targets on the landing field. His wingmate Ixtra however, was killed.^[3]

Personality and traits

Scotian had brown hair and fair skin and wore an orange flight suit on Hoth.^[2] Scotian was a respected pilot who had flown with Antilles and Janson prior, making him one of the first choices by the pair as they began to rebuild Red Squadron. Scotian was later named a flight leader.^[3]

Behind the scenes

Will Scotian's first appearance in canon was in the 1980 film Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, though unnamed.^[2] The character's name was established in canon by the LEGO Ultimate Collector's Series Snowspeeder set released in 2017.^[4]

In the Star Wars Legends continuity, Scotian first appeared in the 1996 novel Shadows of the Empire by Steve Perry,^[6] with his surname being established in the Shadows of the Empire Sourcebook written by Peter M. Schweighofer and released in the same year.^[7] The character was retroactively established as one of the pilots in The Empire Strikes Back by the Rogues Gallery section of Star Wars Insider 146, which was released in December 2013.^[8]