Grond (Imperial)
Grond was a male Human who served as a lieutenant in the Military of the Galactic Empire. Native to the planet Corellia, Grond was a swoop racer in his youth prior to his service with the Imperial Military. In 4 ABY, he was stationed on the Forest Moon of Endor. In that year, he awaited the Sith Lord Darth Vader's and Emperor Palpatine's arrivals aboard the second Death Star in orbit of the moon. Shortly afterward, Grond took part in the Battle of Endor and helped to lead the defense of the Death Star's shield generator bunker.
Biography

The Human male Grond hailed from the planet Corellia and grew up racing swoops. At some point during the Galactic Civil War, he was part of the Emperor's Demonstration Team, a specialized unit in the Galactic Empire's military.[1] By 4 ABY,[3] he had become a scout[4] and a lieutenant serving as an aide of Colonel Dyer,[1] who helped oversee the fortification of[5] the second Death Star's shield generator bunker on the Forest Moon of Endor.[2]
That year,[3] Grond awaited the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader's arrival aboard the Death Star orbiting the moon. Upon his arrival, the Sith Lord ordered the station's commander, Moff Tiaan Jerjerrod, to speed up the superweapon's construction.[2] Grond shortly afterwards stood in one of the Death Star's hangar bays alongside Vader and other Imperial officers to await the arrival of Emperor Palpatine aboard the battlestation.[6] A short time later, Grond took part in the Battle of Endor on the forest moon,[7] where he organized scout trooper patrols[8] and coordinated both scout movements[1] and the actions to help lead the Imperial defense of the shield generator.[7] Nevertheless, the Rebel Alliance destroyed both the generator and the Death Star battlestation.[2]
Personality and traits
Grond was a fair-skinned Human man with brown hair.[2]
Equipment
During his time as a lieutenant, Grond wore a black Imperial Navy crewman's uniform and cap.[2]
Behind the scenes
The character of Grond first appeared as one of the Imperial extras[2]—portrayed by an uncredited Rodney Cardiff according to actor Kenneth Coombs[9]—awaiting Darth Vader's arrival on the second Death Star in the beginning of the 1983 film Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.[2] He was named and given a brief backstory on a card of the 1999 Endor Limited expansion set of Decipher's Star Wars Customizable Card Game.[1]
According to an on-set photo shown first by a card for 1983 Topps Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Series 1, Grond was meant to appear in at least one more scene in Return of the Jedi, among the extras standing in a docking bay with Vader and Jerjerrod to await Palpatine's arrival on the Death Star.[6]
In the 1997 Special Edition release of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, footage of Darth Vader's arrival aboard the second Death Star in the opening scene of Return of the Jedi was reused to show Vader arriving aboard his flagship, the Executor-class Star Dreadnought Executor, following his duel with Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker on the planet Bespin. Because of the scene's inclusion, Rodney Cardiff is visible aboard the Executor along with other extras who portrayed the Imperial officers in the beginning of Return of the Jedi.[10]
Appearances
- Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi (First appearance)
- Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi PhotoComic
- Classic Star Wars: Return of the Jedi book-and-record
Sources
1983 Topps Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Series 1 (Card: On the Death Star) (backup link)
- The Art of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (Picture only)
- Star Wars: The Magic of Myth (Picture only)
- Star Wars: Behind the Magic (Picture only)
Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Endor Limited (Card: Lieutenant Grond) (backup link) (First identified as Grond)
- Rebellion Era Sourcebook (Picture only)
- The Official Star Wars Fact File 11 (END9, The Battle of Endor)
Star Wars Trading Card Game – Return of the Jedi (Card: Death Star Battalion) (backup link) (Picture only)
- Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary (Picture only)
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Death Star Owner's Technical Manual (Picture only)
- Star Wars: Jedi Battles (Picture only)
Darth Vader in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link) (Video clip only)
Death Star II Personnel: An Imperial Human Resources Guide on StarWars.com (backup link not verified!)
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6
Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Endor Limited (Card: Lieutenant Grond) (backup link)
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The New Essential Chronology dates the events of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi to the beginning of 4 ABY.
- ↑
Death Star II Personnel: An Imperial Human Resources Guide on StarWars.com (backup link not verified!)
- ↑
Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Endor Limited (Card: Colonel Dyer) (backup link)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1
1983 Topps Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Series 1 (Card: On the Death Star) (backup link)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. I, p. 371 ("Grond (2)")
- ↑ Non-Canon Ref
- ↑ Actor Kenneth Coombs revealed in an email that Rodney Cardiff was the actor who played Grond in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.
- ↑ Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back