Ackbar was a Mon Calamari leader and military commander. Aptly given a name that means "selfless servant", Ackbar devoted himself to the cause of galactic freedom and became the foremost military commander of the Alliance to Restore the Republic and the later New Republic. He held the distinction of having been the Supreme Commander of the New Republic Defense Force for nearly two decades.
When the Galactic Empire first invaded Mon Calamari, Ackbar quickly became a leader of the resistance movement. Ackbar was, for a time, enslaved to Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, from whom he learned much about the art and skill of command. Tarkin was so impressed by the resistance the Mon Calamari had demonstrated against the Empire during the first Battle of Mon Calamari and decided to take a slave. He was rescued by a Rebel Y-wing raid in the Eriadu system, on a shuttle ferrying Tarkin to the Death Star.
Mon Mothma, noticing the skills of Ackbar, named him Supreme Commander of the Rebel Fleet and head of all Rebellion military operations. Ackbar became known as the "Father of the Alliance Navy", as he organized and trained the ragtag group of ships and crews into a fighting force capable of facing the Empire. In terms of tactics, he was best known for his audacious, close-range assaults first seen at the Battle of Endor.
Ackbar commanded the Rebel Fleet personally at the Battle of Endor. When it was discovered that his fleet had been led into a trap, Ackbar planned to retreat. Ackbar's caution was due to the belief that the loss of the Rebel fleet would sound the death knell of the Alliance. Already hit hard after the loss of their main base on Hoth, the fleet was the last major Rebel asset. Yet, after deciding to try Lando Calrissian's plan to stay and engage the Imperial fleet at close range, Ackbar fully committed his forces to battle. As the gambler turned general helped coordinate the fighters, Ackbar's large capital warships began a deadly point blank range fight with the Imperial fleet.
When the Yuuzhan Vong War came, Ackbar was in very poor health. As he explained, there was nothing specifically wrong with him, just age and the strain he had put on himself during the Galactic Civil War. But he was still fully cognizant. When the New Republic capital was relocated to Dac, he pulled himself out of retirement, to plan a trap against those forces in the Deep Core. The plan, was highly successful. In addition to being a legitimate strategic and tactical victory, it was crucial in restoring morale after the losses suffered in the invasion. When news of Ackbar's return was broadcast to the entire Defense Force with the simple message "ACKBAR IS BACK", the elation that many members of the military felt was so great that actual celebrations broke out on various New Republic fleet units. Still, his age and condition were still factors he had to deal with.
Near the very end of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, shortly before the final climactic Liberation of Coruscant, Ackbar passed away. His death caused great grief to the Mon Calamari, the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, and the Galaxy at large. A grand memorial service was held on both the newly reclaimed Coruscant and his watery homeworld, attended by countless Mon Calamari and numerous dignitaries from across the Galactic Alliance.
