As the Star Wars community continues to mourn the loss of Angus MacInnes, many have looked back at the character he helped make popular in the franchise. Although known by many as Gold Leader from A New Hope, the character's complete name was Jon "Dutch" Vander.
The first chronological appearance of Vander was in the Season 3 episode of Star Wars Rebels, "Secret Cargo." He had already the call sign of Gold Leader in the episode and was leading a group of Y-Wing light bombers. "Phoenix Leader, this is Gold Squadron, we catch you at a bad time," Vander said to Hera Syndulla.
In the episode, Vander and his bombers were tasked with guarding Mon Mothma to her next destination. He butted heads with Ezra Bridger and Chopper the Droid but worked with the group to secure Mothma to another planet to deliver a speech in support of the Rebellion as she officially defected from the Empire. He also gave a debrief to General Dodonna.
His next appearance came in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. He helped lead a group of Y-Wings in the Battle of Scarif in order to weaken the defense shield and tower guns. The group helped damage the Star Destroyer which would eventually crash into the shield gate. This battle allowed the Death Star plans to be stolen.
The character's most memorable appearance came in A New Hope at the Battle of Yavin. At the point of the battle, he was considered a seasoned pro and led the Y-wing bombers into the Death Star trench. They were attempting to shoot into the exhaust port and destroy the Death Star. However, they soon came under fire behind them from Darth Vader.
Vander soon panicked after losing one of his wingmen. Vader took the opportunity, shooting at his Y-Wing, killing him instantly. He and the rest of the rebel pilots in the Battle of Yavin were remembered fondly.
The character was one of the few that made many appearances in the franchise. He returned along with Wedge Antilles and Hobbie in Star Wars Rebels. The character was featured in multiple stories in the anthology book From a Certain Point of View.
Despite only limited screen time, Angus MacInnes made an indelible mark on the franchise. Star Wars fans will greatly miss him.